Vibration Monitoring System

• US 7,819,009 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2007
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DeltaValve, LLC (Circor International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Corporation (Curtiss-Wright Corporation)
• Inventors: Borah, Frederic, Fkiaras, George, Leib, Anthony Jr., Lah, Ruben F.
• Primary Examiner(s): SAINT SURIN, JACQUES M
• Application Number:
  US11/679,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20080000298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 736/02, 73/61.R, 735/72, 735/87, 738/611.8, 738/617.3, 239/1, 239/8, 239/61, 239/71, 821/58, 821/18
• US Class Current: 73/602
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 33/00 Discharging devices; Coke guides
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 41/06 by pneumatic or hydraulic means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 82/2502 with program control

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vibration monitoring device and methods for using the same. Specifically, the invention relates to a vibration monitoring device which may be utilized throughout a delayed coker unit operation to ascertain whether the cutting tool is boring, cutting or ramping mode.

Claims

1. A device for monitoring a cutting tool in a delayed coker unit operation, comprising:

a vibration sensor structured to detect when the cutting tool is switched between boring mode and cutting mode;

an output signal from said vibration sensor; and

a computer system comprising software resident on said computer system structured to receive said output signal and convert the output signal into a usable wave form.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said detection is accomplished without raising the cutting tool out of a coke drum for mechanical alteration or inspection.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a visual display structured to display what mode the cutting tool is in.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising vibrational data, which is utilized to provide information regarding a mechanical status of the cutting tool.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said vibration sensor comprises an accelerometer.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising an additional accelerometer.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a wireless relay device structured to communicate data between said vibration sensor and said computer system.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said vibration sensor is hardwired to said computer system.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said output signal is routed to a fast fourier transform.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein said output signal is converted into a fast fourier transform fingerprint which may be utilized as a signature associated with a mechanical status of the cutting tool.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein said mechanical status is said boring mode.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein said mechanical status is said cutting mode.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

an accelerometer wherein the accelerometer provides an output signal;

at least one network access point structured to receive the output signal from the accelerometer;

software resident on said computer system for converting the output signal into a useful wave form; and

a display apparatus structured to provide information about a status of the cutting tool.

14. A vibration monitoring device, comprising:

a housing;

a transducer coupled at a position in a delayed coker unit operation, the transducer providing an output signal representative of an operational status of a cutting tool;

a fourier transform, structured to modify the output signal;

a display structured to indicate the operational status of the cutting tool; and

a computer system comprising software resident on said computer system structured to receive said output signal and convert the output signal into a usable wave form.

15. A system for determining a fast fourier transform wave pattern associated with cutting, boring and ramping modes of a cutting tool inside a coke drum comprising:

a vibration sensor structured to generate data;

an output signal from said vibration sensor;

a central processing unit comprising software resident on said central processing unit structured to receive said output signal and convert the output signal into a usable wave form and, a central processing unit structured to identify whether the cutting tool is boring or cutting; and

a display operatively connected to said central processing unit.

16. A method of determining status of a cutting tool in a delayed coker operation, comprising:

mounting a transducer to a position in a delayed coker unit operation to provide an output signal related to an operational status of the cutting tool;

routing said output signal to at least one network access point;

transmitting said output signal from said at least one access point to a computer system, wherein software resident on said computer system converts the output signal into a useful wave form;

determining whether the cutting tool is cutting or boring; and

displaying the status of the cutting tool in a coke drum.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said determining is accomplished without raising the cutting tool out of a coke drum for mechanical alteration or inspection.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting the output signal from said transducer to a wireless relay device;

and communicating data between said wireless relay device to a computer system.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said determining further comprises the steps of receiving data from a vibration monitor;

and converting the data into a usable wave form.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said converting comprises transforming said data into a fast fourier transform fingerprint, which may be utilized as a signature associated with the operational status of the cutting tool.

21. A device for monitoring a cutting tool in a delayed coker unit operation, comprising:

a vibration sensor structured to detect when the cutting tool is switched between boring mode and cutting mode comprising an accelerometer wherein the accelerometer provides an output signal;

at least one network access point structured to receive the output signal from the accelerometer;

a computer system comprising software resident on said computer system for converting the output signal into a useful wave form; and

a display apparatus structured to provide information about a status of the cutting tool.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the display is structured to display what mode the cutting tool is in.

23. The device of claim 21, further comprising vibrational data, which is utilized to provide information regarding a mechanical status of the cutting tool.

24. The device of claim 21, further comprising a wireless relay device structured to communicate data between said vibration sensor and said computer system.

25. The device of claim 21, wherein said vibration sensor is hardwired to said computer system.

26. The device of claim 21, wherein said output signal is routed to a fast fourier transform.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein said output signal is converted into a fast fourier transform fingerprint which may be utilized as a signature associated with a mechanical status of the cutting tool.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein said mechanical status is said boring mode.

29. The device of claim 27, wherein said mechanical status is said cutting mode.

30. A device for monitoring a cutting tool in a delayed coker unit operation, comprising:

a vibration sensor structured to detect when the cutting tool is switched between boring mode and cutting mode;

an output signal from said vibration sensor; and

a computer system comprising software structured to convert the output signal into a signature associated with a mechanical status of the cutting tool.

31. The device of claim 30, further comprising a visual display structured to display what mode the cutting tool is in.

32. The device of claim 30, wherein said vibration sensor comprises an accelerometer.

33. The device of claim 30, further comprising a wireless relay device structured to communicate data between said vibration sensor and said computer system.

34. The device of claim 30, wherein said vibration sensor is hardwired to said computer system.

35. The device of claim 30, wherein said mechanical status is said boring mode.

36. The device of claim 30, wherein said mechanical status is said cutting mode.

37. The device of claim 30, further comprising:

an accelerometer wherein the accelerometer provides an output signal;

at least one network access point structured to receive the output signal from the accelerometer;

software resident on said computer system for converting the output signal into a useful wave form; and

a display apparatus structured to provide information about a status of the cutting tool.

38. A device for monitoring a delayed coker unit operation, comprising:

a vibration sensor structured;

an output signal from said vibration sensor; and

a computer system comprising software structured to convert the output signal into a signature associated with a mechanical status of the cutting tool.

39. The device of claim 38, further comprising a visual display structured to display what mode the cutting tool is in.

40. The device of claim 38, further comprising vibrational data, which is utilized to provide information regarding a mechanical status of the cutting tool.

41. The device of claim 38, wherein said vibration sensor is an accelerometer.

42. The device of claim 38, further comprising a wireless relay device structured to communicate data between said vibration sensor and said computer system.

43. The device of claim 38, wherein said vibration sensor is hardwired to said computer system.

44. The device of claim 43, wherein said output signal is routed to a fast fourier transform.

45. The device of claim 44, wherein said output signal is converted into a fast fourier transform fingerprint which may be utilized as a signature associated with a mechanical status of the cutting tool.

46. The device of claim 44, wherein said mechanical status is one of said boring mode, said cutting mode, material thickness in a pipe, bearing wear, mechanical deterioration, coke clogging, movement of fluids in pipes and movement of gas in pipes.

47. The device of claim 38, further comprising:

an accelerometer wherein the accelerometer provides an output signal;

at least one network access point structured to receive the output signal from the accelerometer;

software resident on said computer system for converting the output signal into a useful wave form; and

a display apparatus structured to provide information about a status of the cutting tool.