Arrangement for in-line monitoring of fluids in shipping, a ship and a corresponding automated process

Abstract

Arrangement for in-line monitoring of fluids in shipping, comprising: - A propulsion nacelle (1), - A fluid partially arranged in the propulsion nacelle (1) and - A spectroscopic measuring device (2) which is designed to determine spectroscopic measured values ​​of the fluid, characterized by: A bypass (7) which is designed to branch off the fluid from the propulsion nacelle (1), wherein the spectroscopic measuring device (2) is designed to determine the spectroscopic measured values ​​in the fluid located in the bypass (7).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONField of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to an arrangement for in-line monitoring of fluids in shipping, a ship with such an arrangement and an automated method for monitoring a fluid. Description of the state of the art

[0002] Predicting future failures or evaluating existing failure patterns in a technical device, system, or engine based on analytical analysis of technical fluids whose properties change, for example, due to aging or as a result of failures, is technically complex and usually not suitable for continuous monitoring of the device or system. Monitoring technical fluids on ships is a particularly important task.

[0003] A pod drive, also called a propulsion nacelle, is an electric motor located in a nacelle beneath a ship that directly drives the ship's propellers (see, for example, published patent application DE 10 2016 214 026 A1). Of interest in pod drives are, for example, measurements of viscosity, particle type and number, and additives in the engine fluids, as well as the type and grade of the fluid, as these parameters influence wear, heat transfer, service life, and cleanliness of the system. Examples of fluids include (lubricating) oils, (cooling) water, fuels, and air.

[0004] In individual cases, such in- / online measurements are possible with considerable technical and financial effort, but are hardly practical. Laboratory analyses are minimized due to cost pressure, resulting in large gaps in observation time. Therefore, this represents additional effort; continuous trends cannot be analyzed, and sudden changes are undetectable. For example, sudden changes can occur due to spontaneous failure of components, external intrusion, dissolution of deposits, or mixing.

[0005] Early detection of changes is beneficial for preventing major consequential damage and minimizing downtime and repair costs. This requires the use of cost-effective, decentralized analysis and interpretation of measured values ​​from a technical device, system, or engine based on online monitoring. The problem is that less expensive analysis systems generally offer lower performance, e.g., poorer S / N ratios, lower spectral resolution, etc., and therefore cannot replace laboratory measurement technology as a standalone device.

[0006] A crucial prerequisite for online monitoring systems is therefore low cost of the measurement technology used, sufficient accuracy for the application and high robustness.

[0007] According to the state of the art, a common method for characterizing oils, for example, in the service sector is gas-in-oil analysis (Dissolved Gas Analysis - DGA) in central measurement laboratories using high-end measurement technology (e.g. gas chromatography, FTIR) and comparing the color of the liquid. This requires taking appropriate oil samples in advance as part of service work and sending them to a central laboratory. The analysis results must be evaluated by experienced experts, and decisions are derived from them. This approach only ever provides a snapshot at the time the sample is taken. Frequent monitoring, such as would be necessary for trend analyses, is not possible within the scope of centrally performed analysis, or is too expensive and complex.

[0008] Another possibility is to measure individual parameters with highly specialized sensors.

[0009] State-of-the-art decentralized analysis systems are based, for example, on spectroscopic measurements in gases (usually NDIR = non-dispersive infrared) in combination with a headspace sampler for extracting the fault gases from the transformer oil. This well-known approach, in principle, enables online measurement of the concentrations of individual fault gases on-site, but requires the interpretation of the results and derivation of appropriate measures by appropriately qualified personnel and is therefore of limited use as an online monitoring system. Furthermore, the extraction of gases represents an additional system component with corresponding complexity and risks of failure, which is why direct measurement of the dissolved gases in the oil would be preferable, but for this, there is currently no commercial solution.

[0010] US Patent No. 5,076,397 describes a measuring unit for the condition of lubricants in marine propulsion units. Light is transmitted through the lubricant, and the condition of the lubricant is determined by comparing the transmitted light with a predefined value.

[0011] US 2018 / 0 217 058 A1 describes a method for the online determination of a basicity index of a liquid body using infrared spectroscopy.

[0012] US 4 649 711 A describes an apparatus and a method for the qualitative infrared analysis of a liquid independent of the temperature of the liquid. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The object of the invention is to provide a solution for improved measurement and analysis of changes in technical fluids, in particular in electric pod drives or electric drives in gondolas, which are preferably used in shipping.

[0014] According to the invention, the stated object is achieved with an arrangement for in-line monitoring of fluids in shipping and a corresponding method according to the independent patent claims. Advantageous further developments are provided in the dependent claims.

[0015] According to the invention, a fluid in a propulsion nacelle is measured by a spectroscopic measuring device and analyzed by a control and evaluation unit.

[0016] The invention claims an arrangement for the in-line monitoring of fluids in shipping. "In-line" or "on-line" means that the monitoring is carried out during operation without impairing the operation. In addition to shipping, the invention can also be used in aviation. The arrangement comprises a propulsion nacelle (also called a pod drive, propeller nacelle, or ship propulsion unit), a fluid partially arranged in the propulsion nacelle, and a spectroscopic measuring device designed to determine spectroscopic measured values ​​of the fluid.

[0017] The arrangement is characterized by a bypass designed to divert the fluid from the propulsion nacelle, with the spectroscopic measuring device designed to determine the spectroscopic measurement values ​​in the fluid located in the bypass. The bypass has the advantage of a small pipe cross-section, which can also be measured by small measuring devices.

[0018] The fluid can be a liquid or a gas. The fluid, which is partially located in the propulsion nacelle, can be pumped into and out of the propulsion nacelle, for example, via a pump circuit. The spectroscopic measuring device is preferably located outside the propulsion nacelle, for example, in the ship's hull, but can also be located inside the propulsion nacelle. The connection to the spectroscopic measuring device can be carried out, for example, in the form of a transmission measurement (at a transmissible location in the line), a reflection or backscatter measurement (which requires at least one window in the line), or as an attenuated total reflection (ATR) measurement.

[0019] In a further development, the invention additionally claims a control and evaluation unit configured to analyze and / or evaluate the determined spectroscopic measurement values ​​with respect to at least one predeterminable target parameter. The control unit controls, for example, the intervals at which and the target parameters for which the spectroscopic measurement values ​​are determined. The target parameter can also be referred to as the "parameter to be examined." The evaluation unit offers the advantage that sudden changes as well as long-term trends can be analyzed, and recommendations for action can be derived. These recommendations for action can include, for example, maintenance, decommissioning, preparatory measures for major maintenance, procurement of spare parts, and / or procurement of new operating materials.

[0020] In a further embodiment, the target parameter can be, for example, the type of fluid, the viscosity of the fluid, the chemical composition (additives, etc.) of the fluid, the type and number of particles in the fluid and / or the additives in the fluid. Types of fluids can be oils, for example lubricating oils, water, for example cooling water, fuels or air. Measuring the aforementioned target parameters has the advantage that conclusions can be drawn about the wear, heat transfer, service life and cleanliness of the system. For example, in-line measurement of the type of fluid has the advantage that an immediate warning can be given if the wrong fluid is used.

[0021] In a further development, the invention claims that an electric motor is arranged in the drive nacelle. This can be used to drive the nacelle.

[0022] In a further development, the invention claims that the spectroscopic measuring device and the control and evaluation unit are designed to determine and analyze reference measurement values ​​from reference samples. Through this referencing, systematic influences, such as aging of the light source of the spectroscopic measuring device or changes in the optical path, are calculated from the data. The changes between the two measurements (reference sample and fluid in the propulsion nacelle) are thus only due to a change in the fluid in the propulsion nacelle and not in the measuring system.

[0023] Changes in the fluid in the propulsion nacelle can also be determined by observing the temporal progression of the spectra from the spectroscopic measurement. A drawback, however, is that due to the typically slow systematic influences described above, the changes may outweigh, (partially) compensate, and / or overlay these effects. However, despite such signal drift, spontaneous changes in the spectrum can be detected, as these clearly stand out from the gradual changes. This effect can also be revealed by periodically zeroing the system by measuring a reference sample.

[0024] In a further development, the invention claims that the control and evaluation unit is designed to relate the determined spectroscopic measured values ​​to values ​​from a database (look-up) and to determine the target parameter therefrom.

[0025] In a further development, the invention claims that the control and evaluation unit is designed to analyze the determined spectroscopic measured values ​​by means of multivariate models, statistical modeling and / or neural networks and to determine the target parameter therefrom.

[0026] Statistical modeling is based on the relationship between chemical composition and physical measurement parameters. For example, the viscosity of an oil is directly related to the chain length distribution of the hydrocarbons. Multivariate models allow the training of a prediction model that can later predict, for example, viscosity directly from the spectral measurement in the field (in application). This prediction is made without comparison against a database, i.e., without look-up, since it relies directly on the correlation of the absorptions to the target parameter.

[0027] More complex problems can be solved using neural networks (typically CNN, dNN, etc.). As with statistical modeling, evaluation algorithms are trained, which then enable the direct prediction of the target parameter in the field.

[0028] In a further development, the invention claims that the fluid is a lubricant of a bearing of a shaft of the electric motor.

[0029] In a further development, the invention claims that the bearing is a rolling bearing.

[0030] In a further development, the invention claims that the fluid is an oil.

[0031] The invention also claims a ship with an arrangement according to the invention, characterized in that the propulsion nacelle is arranged on the hull of the ship below the waterline.

[0032] Furthermore, the invention claims a method characterized by a determination of spectroscopic measured values ​​of a fluid arranged at least partially in a propulsion nacelle.

[0033] In a further development, the invention claims that the determined spectroscopic measured values ​​are analyzed and / or evaluated with respect to at least one predeterminable target parameter.

[0034] In a further development, the invention claims a method with the arrangement according to the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The special features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following explanations of exemplary embodiments based on schematic drawings.

[0036] They show: Fig. 1: Block diagram of an arrangement for the spectroscopic measurement of fluids on ships, Fig. 2: Longitudinal section through a propulsion nacelle and Fig. 3: Block diagram of an arrangement for the spectroscopic measurement of fluids in ships with bypass. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] Fig. Figure 1 shows a block diagram of an arrangement for the spectroscopic measurement of fluids in ships with a propulsion nacelle 1 (also called pod drive, propeller nacelle or ship propulsion unit), a spectroscopic measuring device 2 designed to determine spectroscopic measured values ​​of a fluid, and a control and evaluation unit 3. The fluid under investigation is partially located in the propulsion nacelle 1.

[0038] The propulsion nacelle is brought closer by Fig. 2. The control and evaluation unit 3 analyzes the spectroscopically determined measured values ​​with respect to one or more target parameters. The control and evaluation unit 3 is preferably located in the ship's hull, but can also be remotely connected via radio.

[0039] Fig. 2 shows a schematic longitudinal section through a drive nacelle 1 with a shaft 4 mounted in a bearing 5, which is driven by an electric motor 9 and moves a propeller 6.

[0040] Fig.Figure 3 shows a block diagram of an arrangement for the spectroscopic measurement of fluids on ships with a propulsion nacelle 1 (also called a pod drive, propeller nacelle, or ship propulsion unit) and a spectroscopic measuring device 2. The spectroscopic measuring device 2 is located in the ship's hull 8. The spectroscopic measurement takes place in or at a bypass 7 (also referred to as a branch). Alternatively, the spectroscopic measuring device 2 can also be located in the propulsion nacelle 1.

[0041] Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail by the embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples and other variations can be derived therefrom by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. List of reference symbols 1 propulsion nacelle 2 Spectroscopic measuring device 3 Control and evaluation unit 4th wave 5 warehouses 6 propellers 7 Bypass 8 Hull 9 Electric motor

Claims

[1] Arrangement for in-line monitoring of fluids in shipping, comprising: - A propulsion nacelle (1), - A fluid partially arranged in the propulsion nacelle (1) and - A spectroscopic measuring device (2) which is designed to determine spectroscopic measured values ​​of the fluid characterized by : A bypass (7) which is designed to branch off the fluid from the propulsion nacelle (1), wherein the spectroscopic measuring device (2) is designed to determine the spectroscopic measured values ​​in the fluid located in the bypass (7). [2] Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized by : A control and evaluation unit (3) which is designed to analyze and / or evaluate the determined spectroscopic measured values ​​with respect to at least one predeterminable target parameter. [3] Arrangement according to claim 2, characterized bythat the target parameter is the type of fluid, the viscosity of the fluid, the chemical composition of the fluid, the type and number of particles in the fluid and / or the additives in the fluid. [4] Arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that an electric motor (9) is arranged in the drive nacelle (1). [5] Arrangement according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized by that the spectroscopic measuring device (2) and the control and evaluation unit (3) are designed to determine and analyze reference measured values ​​of reference samples. [6] Arrangement according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized by that the control and evaluation unit (3) is designed to relate the determined spectroscopic measured values ​​to values ​​in a database and to determine the target parameter therefrom. [7] Arrangement according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized bythat the control and evaluation unit (3) is designed to analyze the determined spectroscopic measured values ​​by means of multivariate models, statistical modeling and / or neural networks and to determine the target parameter therefrom. [8] Arrangement according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized by that the fluid is a lubricant of a bearing (5) of a shaft (4) of the electric motor (9). [9] Arrangement according to claim 8, characterized by that the bearing (5) is a rolling bearing. [10] Arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the fluid is an oil. [11] Ship with an arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the propulsion nacelle (1) is arranged on the ship's hull (8) below the waterline. [12] Automated procedure, characterized by : A determination of spectroscopic measured values ​​of a fluid arranged at least partially in a propulsion nacelle of a ship with an arrangement according to one of claims 2 to 10, wherein the determined spectroscopic measured values ​​are analyzed and / or evaluated with respect to at least one predeterminable target parameter.

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