System and method for detecting gasket compression

Abstract

A system includes: a sensing assembly including at least three sensors configured to be spaced about a gasket disposed between two mating surfaces, each sensor of the at least three sensors configured to detect a distance between the two mating surface at a respective location of the sensor; a processing device in communication with the sensing assembly, the processing device configured to: obtain the distances at the respective locations of the at least three sensors; compare the distances to a target range corresponding to a target compression range of the gasket; and when the distances of all of the at least three sensors is within the target range, provide a first indicator that the gasket is in the target compression range and when at least one distance is outside the target range, provide a second indicator that at least a portion of the gasket is outside the target compression range.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING GASKET COMPRESSIONCROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims priority from US Application No. 63 / 677084, filed on July 30, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD

[0002] The specification relates generally to monitoring gasketed connections, and more particularly to systems and methods for detecting gasket compression.BACKGROUND

[0003] Industrial installations of various types may include many locations where two components are connected. Compressible gaskets may be used between the two components to seal the connection.SUMMARY

[0004] According to an aspect of the present specification an example system includes: a sensing assembly including at least three sensors configured to be spaced about a gasket disposed between two mating surfaces, each sensor of the at least three sensors configured to detect a distance between the two mating surface at a respective location of the sensor; a processing device in communication with the sensing assembly, the processing device configured to: obtain the distances at the respective locations of the at least three sensors; compare the distances to a target range corresponding to a targetcompression range of the gasket; and when the distances of all of the at least three sensors is within the target range, provide a first indicator that the gasket is in the target compression range and when at least one distance is outside the target range, provide a second indicator that at least a portion of the gasket is outside the target compression range.

[0005] According to another aspect of the present specification, an example sensing assembly includes: a support structure; at least three sensors supported on the support structure and configured to be spaced about a gasket disposed between two mating surfaces, and wherein each sensor is configured to detect a distance between the two mating surfaces at a respective location of the sensor; and a processor configured to obtain, from the sensors, the distances at the respective locations of the at least three sensors; wherein the distances are compared to a target range corresponding to a target compression range of the gasket; and wherein, when the distances of all of the at least three sensors is within the target range, a first indicator that the gasket is in the target compression range is provided and when at least one distance is outside the target range, a second indicator that at least a portion of the gasket is outside the target compression range is provided.

[0006] According to another aspect of the present specification, an example method of detecting compression of a gasket between two mating surfaces includes: detecting, at at least three sensors of a sensing assembly, distances between the two mating surfaces at respective locations of the at least three sensors; comparing the distances to a target range corresponding to a target compression range of the gasket; and when the distances of all of the at least three sensors is within the target range, providing a first indicator thatthe gasket is in the target compression range and when at least one distance is outside the target range, providing a second indicator that at least a portion of the gasket is outside the target compression range.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0007] Implementations are described with reference to the following figures, in which:

[0008] FIG. 1 depicts a schematic diagram of an example system for detecting gasket compression.

[0009] FIG. 2 depicts a schematic diagram of the sensing assembly, and block diagrams of certain internal components of the sensing assembly and the client device.

[0010] FIG. 3 depicts a schematic diagram of an example sensor of the sensing assembly.

[0011] FIG. 4 depicts a flowchart of an example method of detecting gasket compression.

[0012] FIGS. 5A and 5B depict example cross-sections of sensing assembly applied to mating surfaces.

[0013] FIG. 6 depicts a schematic diagram of the gasket compression.

[0014] FIGS. 7A-7D depict schematic diagrams of a display displaying indicators of the detected gasket compression.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Gaskets are compressed between two mating surfaces of connected components to seal the interface between the components. For example, pipes in industrial installations may be used to deliver various fluids (e.g., air, gas, water oil) and vacuum. Accordingly, the joints and / or connection regions between two pieces of pipe are sealedusing a compressible gasket. For example, pipes may include flanges extending transversely to the length of the pipe and which act as the mating surfaces between which the gasket may be compress to seal the connection. The gasket may be compressed between flanges using threaded nuts and bolts, studs, or other suitable compression fasteners capable of compressing the flanges together.

[0016] For example, FIG. 1 depicts a system 100 for detecting gasket compression. The system 100 includes a sensing assembly 104 interconnected with a client device 108.

[0017] In particular, the sensing assembly 104 is employed between two mating surfaces (shown in cross section) 112-1 and 112-2 (referred to generically as a surface 112 and collectively as the surfaces 112; this nomenclature is also used elsewhere herein), which are flanges between two pipes 116-1 and 116-2. Accordingly, the mating surfaces 112 may also be referred to herein as flanges 112, and in other examples may be any other suitable mating surfaces. A gasket 120 is deployed between the flanges 112 to provide a seal between the two pipes 116 and enable the pipes 116 to be utilized for transporting fluids or to maintain a vacuum.

[0018] To achieve a sufficient seal to enable such operation of the pipes 116, the gasket 120 must be properly installed with sufficient and even compression over the surface area of the gasket 120. Depending on the gasket type and size, sufficient compression may occur within thickness changes of less than 1 mm. Some existing methods of installation may be expensive, including pneumatic straining of the bolts, ultrasonic bolt extension measurements and the like, or use indirect, coarse, and error prone measures for the force exerted on the gasket, such as by use of a torque wrench and a ruler, calipers, stick gauge, or the like. Further, such methods may be time consuming cumbersome, requiringmany tightening and gap measurement cycles at multiple locations of the compression fasteners to ensure even compression.

[0019] In other examples, sensors such as pressure sensors or strain sensors may be integrated into the gasket 120 to detect direct measurements on the gasket 120. However, such implementations are expensive as each gasket 120 is equipped with its own sensor, and such sensors must be sufficiently robust as to be operational under the pressure and forces experienced by the gasket 120.

[0020] In accordance with the present disclosure, the sensing assembly 104 includes at least three sensors, of which two sensors 124 are depicted in FIG. 1 , spaced about the gasket 120. In particular, the at least three sensors 124 define a sensor plane which is substantially coplanar with or parallel to the gasket 120.

[0021] In operation, each sensor 124 is configured to detect a distance between the two mating surfaces, in the present example, the two flanges 112 at the point at which the sensor 124 is installed. The client device 108 may compare each of the distances to a target range. Based on a predetermined thickness and material of the gasket and a target compression range of the gasket, a target range for the distance between the two mating surfaces which corresponds to the target compression range of the gasket may be predetermined.

[0022] As the installation of the gasket 120, the distance between the two flanges 112 decreases, for example via an operator tightening bolts or other suitable compression fasteners which compress the two flanges 112 together. Over the course of the installation operation, the sensors 124 may continue to detect the distance between the two flanges 112. When the distance detected by each of the sensors 124 is within thetarget range, the client device 108 may determine that the gasket 120 is compressed to within the target compression range and may provide a first indicator positively indicating the sufficient compression of the gasket 120. Further, since the sensors 124 of the sensor assembly 104 are distributed around the gasket 120, the client device 108 may determine that the gasket 120 is evenly compressed. The first indicator may be a visual indicator, an audio indicator, or otherwise output at an output device.

[0023] When the distance by at least one of the sensors 124 is outside the target range, the client device 108 may determine that the gasket 120 is not appropriately compressed and may provide a second indicator indicating the insufficient compression of the gasket 120. For example, if the distance detected by one of the sensors 124 is outside the target range, while the remaining sensors 124 are within the target range, then the gasket 120 may be unevenly compressed. If the sensors 124 detect distances above or below the target range, then the gasket 120 may be insufficiently or overly compressed, respectively. In some examples, as described further below, the client device 108 may map the sensors 124 to specific compression fasteners or subsets thereof to allow an operator to identify the compression fasteners to tighten or loosen to achieve the target compression range of the gasket 120. The second indicator may be a visual indicator, an audio indicator, or otherwise output at the output device.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 2, an example sensing assembly 104 is depicted. The sensing assembly 104 includes a support structure 200 and an electronics module 204.

[0025] The support structure 200 is generally configured to support and interconnect the sensors 124 with the electronics module 204. As depicted in the present example, the support structure 200 is a substantially rigid ring configured to encircle the flanges 112and supporting four sensors 124 approximately radially equidistant to enable the sensors 124 to be distributed approximately equally around the gasket 120. Wires or other suitable connectors may connect the sensors 124 supported on the support structure 200 to the electronics module 204. Such wires or connectors may be housed in the support structure 200 for protection.

[0026] In some examples, the support structure 200 may further be configured to be releasably fastenable about the flanges 112 or other mating surfaces. For example, the rigid ring may include a hinge 205 and a releasable locking and / or closure mechanism 206 allowing the ring to be opened for placing the ring around the flanges 112 and closed and locked in the closed position to secure the ring in position around the flanges 112. For example, the locking and / or closure mechanism 206 may include a pin and corresponding apertures, any suitable snap closures, clasps, buckles, friction fit closures, or the like. Such a locking mechanism may further allow the sensing assembly 104 to be released after installation of the gasket 120 including compression of the gasket to within the target compression range. In particular, the support structure 200 may then be released and removed, with the sensors 124 being removed from between the two mating surfaces.

[0027] In other examples, the support structure 200 may be flexible, pliable and / or conformable to enable the support structure 200 to surround different shapes and / or sizes of mating surfaces. For example, the support structure 200 may be a belt, band, or strap, or another suitable flexible support structure. The flexible support structure 200 may similarly house and / or embed wires or other suitable connectors for the sensors 124 to connect to the electronics module 204.

[0028] In further examples, the sensors 124 may communicate wirelessly with with the electronics module 204 and further may be battery-powered. In such examples, the support structure 200 may not house wires and may simply locate and support the sensors 124 at the target locations around the gasket 120. In still further examples, the support structure 200 may be omitted from the sensing assembly 104 entirely, and the sensors 124 may be independently placed.

[0029] In some examples, the sensors 124 may be integrally formed with and / or otherwise relatively permanently integrated with the support structure 200. In such examples, the support structure 200 may additionally include indicia or markings 202 to facilitate the correlation of the sensors 124 to nearby compression fasteners of the two mating surfaces, as described in greater detail below.

[0030] In other examples, the sensors 124 may be releasably securable to the support structure 200 to enable the sensors 124 to be distributed on the support structure 200 for a target distribution of the sensors 124 around the gasket 120. For example, the support structure 200 may include ports at a number of predefined locations and which are interconnected with the electronics module 204. The sensors 124 may then be selectively connected to at least three of the ports according to a target distribution of the sensors 124.

[0031] The electronics module 204 may include a housing configured to house and protect suitable processing hardware to accumulate sensor data from the sensors 124. That is, the electronics module 204 may generally be configured to function as a data acquisition module for the sensing assembly 104. In particular, the electronics module 204 may include a processor 208, a memory 212, and a communications interface 216.

[0032] The processor 208 may include a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, a microprocessor, a processing core, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or similar. The processor 208 may include multiple cooperating processors. The processor 208 may cooperate with the memory 212 to realize the functionality described herein.

[0033] The memory 212 may include a combination of volatile (e.g., Random Access Memory or RAM) and non-volatile memory (e.g., read-only memory or ROM, Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory or EEPROM, flash memory). All or some of the memory 212 may be integrated with the processor 208. The memory 212 may store applications, each including a plurality of computer-readable instructions executable by the processor 208. The execution of the instructions by the processor 208 configures the sensing assembly 104 to perform the actions discussed herein. In other examples, some or all of the functionality may be implemented as dedicated hardware components, such as one or more FPGAs or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

[0034] The electronics module 204 further includes the communications interface 216 interconnected with the processor 208. The communications interface 216 may be configured for wireless (e.g., satellite, radio frequency, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other suitable communications protocols) or wired communications and may include suitable hardware (e.g., transmitters, receivers, network interface controllers, and the like) to allow the sensing assembly 104 to communicate with other computing devices. The specific components of the communications interface 216 are selected based on the types of communication links that the sensing assembly 104 communicates over.

[0035] For example, the sensing assembly 104 may be configured to communicate with the client device 108. For example, the client device 108 may be any suitable computingdevice, including portable computing devices, such as a mobile phone, a tablet, a laptop, or the like, or fixed computing devices, such as a desktop computer, a kiosk, a server, or the like.

[0036] Accordingly, the client device 108 may include a processor 220, which may be a CPU, a microprocessor, a processing core, an FPGA, multiple cooperating processors, or similar. The client device 108 further includes a memory 224 which may include a combination of volatile and non-volatile memory. Some or all of the memory 224 may be integrated with the processor 220. The memory 224 stores applications including computer-readable instructions executable by the processor 220, the execution of which configures the client device 108 to perform and / or realize the functionality described herein. In other examples, some or all of the functionality may be implemented as dedicated hardware components, such as one or more FPGAs or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

[0037] The client device 108 further includes a communications interface 228 interconnected with the processor 220. The communications interface 228 may be configured for wireless or wired communications and may include suitable hardware to allow the client device 108 to communicate with other computing devices, such as the sensing assembly 104. The specific components of the communications interface 228 are selected based on the types of communication links that the client device 108 communicates over. For example, in some examples, the client device 108 may act as an intermediary for data communications. That is, the sensing assembly 104 may be equipped for short-range communications to the client device 108, and the client device 108 may be equipped for both short- and long-range communications to receive the datafrom the sensing assembly 104 and further to communicate the data to a remote server (e.g., including a cloud-based server or the like) for the data analysis as described herein. Accordingly, the communications interface 228 may be equipped with suitable hardware components for both short- and long-range communications, including wired and wireless communications, combinations of such, and the like.

[0038] The client device 108 may further include input and output devices 232. The input devices may include one or more buttons, keypads, touch-sensitive display screen, mice, or the like for receiving input from an operator. The output devices may include one or more display screens, monitors, speakers, sound generators, vibrators, or the like for providing output or feedback to an operator.

[0039] In some examples, the sensing assembly 104 may also include input and / or output devices (not shown), such as one or more buttons, keypads, touch-sensitive displays, screens, speakers, vibrators, and the like.

[0040] Referring now to FIG. 3, a schematic diagram of an example one of the sensors 124 is depicted. According to an example configuration, the sensors 124 are configured to be compressed between the two mating surfaces, and accordingly the sensors 124 are selected to maintain operational capacity and accuracy in a compressed state. For example, as depicted herein, the sensors 124 are optical sensors.

[0041] In particular, the sensor 124 includes a substrate 300, such as a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate which may support the components of the sensor 124. In particular, the substrate 300 may support one or more sensor components 304, including for example an emitter 304-1 and a receiver 304-2 for respectively emitting a signal towards an opposing target 308 and receiving a return signal from the opposing target308. The target 308 is supported away from the substrate 300 by a support collar 312. The substrate 300 may further support one or more connectors for connecting the sensor 124 to the support structure 200 and providing electrical connections through the support structure 200 to the electronics module 204.

[0042] The substrate 300 and the target 308 may each be substantially planar and spaced apart from each other substantially parallel to one another. In particular, the substrate 300 and the target 308 may be respectively arranged substantially flush to the opposing mating surfaces when the sensor 124 is in position proximate the gasket 120. Accordingly, the distance between the substrate 300 and the target 308 may serve as an approximation of the distance between the two mating surfaces.

[0043] The sensor components 304 are thus generally selected to enable the sensor 124 to measure the distance or another suitable metric representative of the proximity between the substrate and the target 308. For example, the sensor 124 may operate by measuring the brightness of a light source, and accordingly, the sensor components 304 may include an LED light source as the emitter 304-1 and a photodiode or similar as the receiver 304-2. In other examples, the sensor 124 may operate under optical time of flight, acoustic time of flight, capacitive, inductive, or other suitable principles. The sensor components 304 may therefore include suitable optical and / or acoustic emitters 304-1 and receivers 304-2, capacitive sensors, and the like, according to the operating principle of the sensor 124.The sensor components 304 may further include suitable analog-to- digital converters or the like.

[0044] In some examples, the sensor components 304, such as the emitter 304-1 and the receiver 304-2 may both be supported on the substrate 300, and accordingly the target308 may include a suitable reflective surface to reflect the signal emitted by the emitter 304-1 back towards the receiver 304-2. For example, the target 308 may be formed of and / or include a surface that is suitably optically reflective, such as mirrored surface, a metal, a highly reflective coating or the like, or that is sufficiently hard and / or dense, such as a metal or the like, so as to be suitably acoustically reflective, according to the type of signal (i.e., in the present examples, optical or acoustic, respectively) emitted by the emitter 304-1 .

[0045] In other examples, one or more of the sensor components 304 may be supported by or integrated into the target 308. For example, the emitter 304-1 may be supported by the substrate 300 while the receiver 304-2 is supported by the target 308. Accordingly, the receiver 304-2 may receive the emitted signal directly from the emitter 304-1 , rather than receiving a reflected signal. In other examples, such as in a capacitive sensing modality, the sensor components 304 may include a capacitive sensor supported by the substrate 300, while the target 308 is formed of a suitable conductive material to affect the capacitance detected by the capacitive sensor, thereby providing a metric of the proximity of the target 308 to the substrate.

[0046] In still further examples, other configurations of the sensor components 304 and their integration with the substrate 300 and / or the target 308 are also contemplated. The sensor components 304 may be tuned, for example to select a suitable brightness of a light source, a volume and / or intensity of an acoustic emitter, a reflectivity of the target 308, or the like to provide optimal sensitivity in the operational distance between the substrate 300 and the target 308.

[0047] The substrate 300 and the target 308 are spaced apart from one another by the support collar 312. The support collar 312 may effectively form a wall spacing the target 308 away from the substrate 300. Preferably, the height of the support collar 312 may exceed an expected distance between the two mating surfaces when the gasket 120 is uncompressed. The support collar 312 may be formed of a compliant, deformable, and / or elastic material to allow the sensor 124 to be compressed between the two mating surfaces. Further, the material of the support collar 312 may be selected and / or may be manufactured to be sufficiently thin so as to exert negligible forces on the flanges when the support collar 312 is compressed between the two mating surfaces, so as to reduce interference of the support collar 312 with the sealing of the surfaces. The support collar 312 further functions to maintain the substrate 300 and the target 308 substantially flush against the respective mating surfaces to improve the accuracy of the metric determined by the sensor 124.

[0048] The support collar 312 may further enclose an interior space of the sensor 124. In particular, the sensor components 304 may be disposed in the interior space, such that the support collar 312 effectively protects the sensor components 304 from environmental factors, including weather, chemicals, surface fouling, changes in illumination or other environmental factors which may affect the metrics detected by the sensor components 304, and the like. To further facilitate such protection, the support collar 312 may be formed of an insulating material based on the type of signal emitted by the emitter 304-1 (e.g., a substantially opaque material for an optical signal).

[0049] In some examples, the sensor 124 may further include additional secondary sensors configured to measure environmental operating factors which may inform theanalysis of the data obtained by the sensor 124. For example, the sensor 124 may include a secondary ambient brightness sensor configured to monitor a background or environmental brightness, a temperature sensor configured to measure temperature (e.g., to correlate the temperature with known changes to the system such as the filing or pressurizing of a pipe, etc.), a microphone and / or audio sensor configured to obtain audio data (e.g., to detect audio cues, particularly sudden audio cues which may be indicative of leaks, filling of a pipe, or the like), an accelerometer configured to obtain motion data (e.g., to monitor for unwanted or unexpected vibrations, motion data indicative of tampering, etc.) and the like. Further, in other examples, the sensors 124 may be otherwise configured and / or mounted to detect the distance between the two mating surfaces. For example, the sensors 124 may be attached to washers and / or overhanging the edges of the flanges. In other examples, the flanges or mating surfaces 112 may be specifically designed to accommodate the sensors 124, or the like.

[0050] In operation, the sensing assembly 104 is configured to obtain distance measurements and / or other representative metrics from the sensors 124. A processing device may compare the distance measurements to a predefined target range for the two mating surfaces. The processing device may then cause a suitable indicator to be provided based on the results of the comparison.

[0051] In some examples, the sensing assembly 104 may send the measured distances to the client device 108 to perform the comparison and output operations at the client device 108. In other examples, the sensing assembly 104 may perform the comparison and send the results of the comparison operation to the client device 108 to output the corresponding indicator. In still further examples, the sensing assembly 104 may performthe comparison and output operations at the sensing assembly 104, for example if the sensing assembly 104 includes a suitable output device. That is, either the sensing assembly 104 or the client device 108 may operate as the processing device and / or may cooperate with one another to perform the processing as described herein.

[0052] Turning now to FIG. 4, the functionality implemented by the sensing assembly 104 will be discussed in greater detail. FIG. 4 illustrates a method 400 of detecting gasket compression. The method 400 will be discussed in conjunction with its performance in the system 100, and particularly by the sensing assembly 104. In other examples, some or all of the method 400 may be performed by other suitable devices or systems. For example, some of the method 400 may be performed by the client device 108.

[0053] At block 405, the sensing assembly 104 is positioned to allow the sensing assembly 104 to detect the between the two mating surfaces while the gasket 120 is uncompressed. In particular, the compression fasteners which compress the two mating surfaces together may be inactive, such that they do not apply any compressive forces to the two mating surfaces during installation of the sensing assembly 104 between the two mating surfaces. In other examples, the compression fasteners may be uninstalled entirely during positioning of the

[0054] The sensing assembly 104 may be deployed on an open-faced mating surface, i.e., on one of the mating surfaces before the connection between the two mating surfaces is made, with the sensors 124 positioned and spaced around the gasket 120. The second mating surface (e.g., pipe portion) may subsequently be applied after the sensing assembly 104 is deployed. In other examples, the two mating surfaces may be connected, and the support structure 200 of the sensing assembly 104 may be unlocked and / oropened to deploy the sensing assembly 104 to the joint between the two mating surfaces, and subsequently locked or closed in position, in particular, with the sensors 124 positioned and spaced around the gasket 120.

[0055] Preferably, the sensors 124 are distributed around the gasket 120 approximately equally, for example equidistant around the perimeter of the gasket 120 to ensure an even compression of the gasket 120. Further, each of the sensors 124 may preferably located near at least one compression fastener to allow the sensors 124 to be correlated to at least one compression fastener to be tightened or loosened to correspondingly adjust the compression of the gasket 120 in a region near the compression fastener. In some examples, the sensors 124 may have a one-to-one correspondence with the compression fasteners, in which case each sensor 124 may correspond to one of the compression fasteners for adjusting the gasket compression. In other examples, the sensors 124 may have a one-to-many correspondence with the compression fasteners, in which case each sensor may correspond to a subset of the compression fasteners for adjusting the gasket compression.

[0056] For example, referring to FIG. 5A, an example sensing assembly 500 is depicted deployed on a mating surface 502, shown in cross-section across the joint between the surface 502 and its mate to illustrate the arrangement of the sensing assembly 500. The sensing assembly 500 includes four sensors 504-1 , 504-2, 504-3, and 504-4. Each sensor 504 is located substantially adjacent to an aperture 508-1 , 508-2, 508-3, and 508- 4 for receiving a bolt (not shown) for securing the surface 502 with its mate and compressing a gasket 512 therebetween. In the present example, each sensor 504 is directly correlated with one of the apertures 508, and accordingly, when the sensor 504detects a given distance between the surface 502 and its corresponding mate, then the given distance may be directly correlated to the compression applied by the bolt in the corresponding aperture 508.

[0057] FIG. 5B shows an example sensing assembly 520 depicted on a mating surface 522, shown in cross-section across the joint between the surface 522 and its mate. The sensing assembly 520 similarly includes four sensors 524-1 , 524-2, 524-3, and 524-4. In this example, the surface 522 includes eight apertures 528-1 , 528-2, 528-3, 528-4, 528- 5, 528-6, 528-7, and 528-8 for receiving a bolt (not shown) for securing the surface 522 with its mate and compressing a gasket 532 therebetween. Accordingly, each sensor 524 is located substantially adjacent to one of the apertures, namely the corresponding apertures 528-1 , 528-2, 528-3, and 528-4 and may additionally correspond with an additional aperture 528-5, 528-6, 528-7, and 528-8, respectively. Thus when the sensor 528-1 detects a given distance between the surface 522 and its mate, the given distance may correlate to the compression applied by a subset of the bolts in the corresponding subset of apertures, 528-1 and 528-5. Similarly, the sensor 528-2 corresponds to the apertures 528-2 and 528-6, the sensor 528-3 corresponds to the apertures 528-3 and 528-7, and the sensor 528-4 corresponds to the apertures 528-4 and 528-8.

[0058] In other examples, the sensing assembly 104 may utilize a different number of sensors 124, for example, three sensors 124 may be sufficient in some examples. Accordingly, each of the compression fasteners may be mapped to a nearest sensor 124, and / or vice versa, such that the number of compression fasteners corresponding to each sensor 124 may differ from sensor to sensor. The mapping of the sensors 124 and the compression fasteners may be computed according to any suitable geometriccorrespondences and / or triangulations to allow the distances mapped to each sensor 124 to most closely represent the compression applied by the mapped compression fastener. In particular, the sensors 124 are mapped to subsets of nearest compression fasteners to be adjusted to efficiently affect the distance detected by the sensor 124.

[0059] Returning to FIG. 4, at block 410, after the sensing assembly 104 has been installed or deployed between the two mating surfaces, the sensing assembly 104 is configured to detect, at each sensor 124, the distance between the two mating surfaces. The sensing assembly 104 may provide the detected distances to any suitable processing device for processing and analysis, including the onboard processor 208 and / or communicating the detected distances to the client device 108 for processing at the client device 108.

[0060] At block 415, the processing device is configured to compare the distance detected by a given sensor 124 to the target range. If the processing device determines, at block 415 that the distance is in the target range, then the processing device proceeds to block 420.

[0061] At block 420, the processing device is configured to cause a first indicator to be output. The first indicator may generally be a positive indicator for the given sensor 124, indicating that the sensor 124 has detected a distance in the appropriate target range, and further implying that the corresponding compression fastener(s) are appropriately adjusted to apply compression to the gasket 120 in the target compression range.

[0062] If the processing device determines, at block 415, that the distance detected by the given sensor is not in the target range, then the processing device proceeds to block 425. At block 425, the processing device is configured to cause a second indicator to beoutput. The second indicator may generally be a negative indicator for the given sensor 124, indicating that the sensor 124 has detected a distance outside of the appropriate target range and further implying that the corresponding compression fastener(s) are not appropriately adjusted to apply compression to the gasket 120 in the target compression range.

[0063] In some examples, if the processing device includes a suitable output device, then the first and / or second indicator may be output at the processing device itself. For example, if the sensing assembly 104 includes a suitable display screen, then the processor 208 may cause the appropriate indicator to be output at said display screen of the sensing assembly. Similarly, if the processing at block 415 is performed at the client device 108, the processor 220 may cause the indicator to be output at the output device 232 of the client device 108. In other examples, the processor 208 of the sensing assembly 104 may cause the indicator to be communicated to and output at a connected device, such as the client device 108 (i.e., using the respective communication interfaces 216 and 228).

[0064] The processing device may iterate through the blocks 410 through 425 for each of the sensors 124 in substantially real time to provide a real-time indication of the compression of the gasket 120 and to allow the operator to install the gasket 120 efficiently and accurately. Preferably, the processing device may provide a separate and / or independent indicator for each of the sensors 124 and map each sensor 124 to a corresponding subsets of the compression fasteners.

[0065] For example, referring to FIG. 6, when the gasket 120 is uncompressed, it may separate the two mating surfaces by a distance D, corresponding to its uncompressedthickness. The thickness and material type of the gasket 120 may be, for example provided by an operator via user input at an input device of the sensing assembly 104 and / or the client device 108, or obtained from a server storing such values in response to obtaining and / or detecting an identifier of the gasket 120, via automatic detection of such features by the sensing assembly 104 and / or client device 108, or the like. Accordingly, the sensors 124 may detect the distance D between the two mating surfaces when the gasket 120 is uncompressed. As the height of the support collar 312 may preferably exceed the expected distance between the two mating surfaces when the gasket 120 is uncompressed (i.e., the distance D), the substrate 300 and the target 308 may be maintained substantially flush against the respective mating surfaces, and hence the sensor 124 may accurately detect the distance D.

[0066] When the gasket 120 is compressed to an ideal state, the gasket 120 may have a thickness of d. That is, the gasket 120 may be compressed by a distance of D - d. However, precisely achieving a uniform compression to the thickness d may be difficult under real-world conditions, and accordingly, the target compression range for the gasket 120 may be d ± 8.

[0067] In other examples, the flanges may have raised faces and / or other surfaces which affect the distance between the faces of the two mating surfaces and the thickness of the gasket. In such examples, the amount by which the gasket 120 is to be compressed may be proportional, and the computation of the target range for the compression of the gasket 120 may be adjusted accordingly. For example, rather than detecting a specific target distance, the system 100 may compare a change in distance from the uncompressed state to the target state to be D - (d ± ).

[0068] As the bolts (or other suitable compression fasteners) are tightened, and the system 100 iterates through blocks 410 to 425 of the method 400, the processing device may cause the indicators to be updated in real time to allow the operator installing the gasket 120 to evaluate the progress of the installation and identify which bolts to adjust.

[0069] For example, referring to FIGS. 7A-D, an example display 700 illustrating the progress of the installation using indicators 704 of the respective sensors 124 detecting the appropriate distance (i.e., within the target range) is depicted.

[0070] In FIG. 7A, when the gasket 120 and the system 100 are initially installed while the gasket 120 is uncompressed, the indicators 704 are in a below-target region 708, indicating that the compression of the gasket 120 is below a target region 712. That is, the target region 712 represents compression of the gasket 120 to a thickness of d ± 6, while the below-target region 708 represents compression of the gasket 120 between a thickness of D (i.e., uncompressed) and d + 8. The display 700 may additionally illustrate an above-target region 716 representing of the gasket 120 to a thickness below d - 8.

[0071] In particular, each indicator 704 may correspond to one of the sensors 124 and may be labelled according to the indicia 202 provided on the support structure 200 to allow an operator to easily identify the sensor 124 and the location of the corresponding compression fastener.

[0072] As the gasket 120 installation operation proceeds, an operator may tighten a first compression fastener, and accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 7B, one of the indicators 704 may move towards the target region 712. In particular, the indicator 704 may correspond to a distance detected by the sensor 124 nearest to the compression fastener being operated on. When the sensor 124 detects a distance between the two mating surfaceswhich is in the target range, then the corresponding indicator 704 may change to a positive indicator 704a, which is illustrated in the present example as being differently shaped. In other examples, other suitable representations of the positive indicator 704a, such as shape, size, color, or the like, may also be utilized.

[0073] In some examples, referring to FIG. 7C, over the course of the installation of the gasket 120, one or more of the compression fasteners may be over-tightened, resulting in over-compression of the gasket 120. Accordingly, the corresponding indicator 704 may move to the above-target region 716, indicating to the operator that the nearest compression fastener(s) should be loosened to reduce the compression of the gasket 120 in the region of the sensor 124.

[0074] In some examples, the individual indicators 704 of each of the sensors 124 may be aggregated into a combined indicator 720 representative of the overall compression of the gasket 120, illustrated in FIGS. 7A-D as an ellipse passing through the individual indicators. The combined indicator 720 may serve as an additional representation of the overall compression of the gasket 120, with a target size and shape for the combined indicator 720 being substantially circular within the target region 712. A skewed ellipse may provide an overall sense to the operator that the compression of the gasket 120 is not even.

[0075] In some examples, referring to FIG. 7D, when all the indicators 704 are in the target region 712, then the display 700 may present a positive combined indicator 720a, to provide an additional signal that the target compression of the gasket 120 has been reached. In the present example, the positive combined indicator 720a may be a shading of the combined indicator 720.

[0076] In other examples, other representations and indicators may be used to provide feedback to the operator and indications of the distance detected by the sensors 124 and hence the compression of the gasket 120. Further, in some examples, based on the progress of the installation as determined based on the distances detected by the sensors 124, in addition to the indicators, the processing device may cause the display 700 (and / or other suitable output devices) to output instructions for continuing with the installation of the gasket 120. The instructions may further consider other predefined rules for installing the gasket 120, for example to tighten the bolts or compression fasteners in a predefined sequence, such as a star or criss-cross type pattern to improve even pressure distribution over the gasket 120.

[0077] In particular, returning to FIG. 4, at block 430, the processing device determines whether all the sensors 124 are detecting a distance of the two mating surfaces within the target range.

[0078] If the determination at block 430 is negative, then the processing device continues to iterate through blocks 410 through 425.

[0079] If the determination at block 430 is affirmative, then the processing device proceeds to block 435. At block 435, the processing device may cause an overall positive indicator, such as the positive combined indicator 720a, to be provided to the operator to signal to the operator that the gasket 120 has been compressed substantially uniformly to the target compression range, and hence that the gasket 120 is appropriately installed.

[0080] In some examples, after the gasket 120 has been installed, optionally at block 440, the sensing assembly 104 may be removed. That is, the support structure 200, and more particularly, the locking and / or closure mechanism 206, may be opened to remove thesensors 124 from between the two mating surfaces 112 and thus the sensing assembly 104 may be re-used for the installation of further gaskets 120 in further joints or connections. In particular, the sensor 124 being compressible and flexible, and in particular, the support collar 312 being deformable and elastic, may enable the sensors 124 to be removed, even while compressed between the two mating surfaces 112.

[0081] In other examples, the sensing assembly 104 may be relatively permanent and may be maintained in position between the two mating surfaces 112 to allow for monitoring of the gasketed connection over its lifetime. For example, the processing device may continually process the distances detected by the sensors 124 and compare them to the target range. If a distance outside of the target range is detected, for example one or more of the sensors 124 detects a larger distance, then the processing device may output the second indicator, for example in the form of a warning notification, such as an audio or visual alert, an email, text message or other warning message, or the like to signal that the one or more of the compression fasteners may be loosening and that maintenance is required to maintain the sufficient compression of the gasket 120. Thus, the sensing assembly 104 may be deployed for monitoring of gasketed connections to reduce the occurrences of gasket failures, leaks, and the like.

[0082] Accordingly, as described herein, a sensing assembly including at least three sensors may be used to detect gasket compression for proper installation of the gasket. In particular, the sensors are spaced approximately equally about the perimeter of the gasket to detect the distances between mating surfaces between which the gasket is placed. The distances may be compared to target ranges in real time by a processing device, which may provide an output to allow an operator to monitor installation progressin real time. The output may additionally provide instructions for proper installation of the gasket (e.g., by indicating which bolts to tighten to ensure even pressure distribution across the gasket). Such a system may facilitate the efficiency and accuracy of the gasket installation, allowing operators to install gaskets at the correct compression and with even compression across the gasket to reduce risks of leaks and corresponding equipment failure or malfunction. Further, the sensing assembly may in some examples be configured to be removable to allow the sensing assembly to be reused for the installation of further gaskets, and in other examples, may be maintained in place for long-term monitoring of the gasket.

[0083] The scope of the claims should not be limited by the embodiments set forth in the above examples but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A system comprising: a sensing assembly including at least three sensors configured to be spaced about a gasket disposed between two mating surfaces, each sensor of the at least three sensors configured to detect a distance between the two mating surface at a respective location of the sensor; a processing device in communication with the sensing assembly, the processing device configured to: obtain the distances at the respective locations of the at least three sensors; compare the distances to a target range corresponding to a target compression range of the gasket; and when the distances of all of the at least three sensors is within the target range, provide a first indicator that the gasket is in the target compression range and when at least one distance is outside the target range, provide a second indicator that at least a portion of the gasket is outside the target compression range.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is integrated into the sensing assembly.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processing device is in communication with a client device, and wherein the processing device is configured to provide the first indicator and the second indicator to the client device to be output at the client device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing device comprises a client device distinct from the sensing assembly.

5. A sensing assembly comprising: a support structure; at least three sensors supported on the support structure and configured to be spaced about a gasket disposed between two mating surfaces, and wherein each sensor is configured to detect a distance between the two mating surfaces at a respective location of the sensor; and a processor configured to obtain, from the sensors, the distances at the respective locations of the at least three sensors; wherein the distances are compared to a target range corresponding to a target compression range of the gasket; and wherein, when the distances of all of the at least three sensors is within the target range, a first indicator that the gasket is in the target compression range is provided and when at least one distance is outside the target range, a second indicator that at least a portion of the gasket is outside the target compression range is provided.

6. The sensing assembly of claim 5, wherein the support structure comprises a releasable closure mechanism.

7. The sensing assembly of claim 6, wherein the support structure comprises a rigid ring including a hinge to allow the rigid ring to be opened to be placed around the two mating surfaces, and wherein the closure mechanism secures the rigid ring in place around the two mating surfaces.

8. The sensing assembly of claim 5, wherein each sensor is configured to be positioned adjacent to a compression fastener configured to apply compression to the two mating surfaces to compress the gasket.

9. The sensing assembly of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to compare the distances to the target range.

10. The sensing assembly of claim 9, wherein the sensing assembly further comprises an output device configured to provide the first indicator and the second indicator.11 . The sensing assembly of claim 9, further comprising a communications interface configured to provide the first indicator and the second indicator to a client device to be output at the client device.

12. The sensing assembly of claim 5, further comprising a communications interface configured to provide the distances to a client device to compare the distances to the target range and output the first indicator and the second indicator at the client device.

13. The sensing assembly of claim 5, wherein each of the sensors comprises: a substrate and a target; a support collar configured to space the substrate and the target away from one another and to maintain the substrate and the target flush against opposing surfaces of the two mating surfaces; an emitter configured to emit a signal for determining a distance between the substrate and the target; and a receiver configured to receive the signal.

14. The sensing assembly of claim 13, wherein the emitter and the receiver are supported on the substrate, and wherein the target is configured to reflect the signal from the emitter to the receiver.

15. The sensing assembly of claim 13, wherein the support collar comprises a deformable material to allow the sensor to be compressed between the two mating surfaces.

16. A method of detecting compression of a gasket between two mating surfaces, the method comprising:detecting, at at least three sensors of a sensing assembly, distances between the two mating surfaces at respective locations of the at least three sensors; comparing the distances to a target range corresponding to a target compression range of the gasket; and when the distances of all of the at least three sensors is within the target range, providing a first indicator that the gasket is in the target compression range and when at least one distance is outside the target range, providing a second indicator that at least a portion of the gasket is outside the target compression range.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first indicator comprises a combined indicator representing an overall compression of the gasket.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing individual indicators for each of the sensors.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising mapping each of the sensors to a subset of nearest compression fasteners to adjust to affect the distance detected by the sensor.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising outputting instructions for adjusting the subset of nearest compression fasteners based on the detected distances and predefined rules for installing the gasket.

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