System and method for monitoring and detecting coking-fouling in fluid heat exchangers

Abstract

A system is provided, which includes a heating apparatus, a plurality of sensing elements, and a control system. The heating apparatus includes a plurality of heaters that define a plurality of heating zones. Each sensing element is provided at a predetermined heating zone from among the plurality of heating zones and is configured to detect data indicative of an operating characteristic of the predetermined heating zone. The control system includes a buildup detection module configured to determine whether a potential material buildup exists within at least one of the plurality of heating zones based on the data from the plurality of sensing elements.

Description

Attorney Docket No.: 0100TS-000016-WO-POASYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING AND DETECTING COKINGFOULING IN FLUID HEAT EXCHANGERSCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application number 63 / 683,962 filed on August 16, 2024. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a system and a method for detecting and monitoring material buildups within a fluid heating system, such as a heat exchanger.BACKGROUND

[0003] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

[0004] A fluid heating system typically includes a fluid container and a heating apparatus disposed inside the fluid container for heating the fluid therein. The fluid may include chemicals or dissolved minerals. The fluid heating system is prone to buildups over time, such as hard water scaling in a boiler application. The buildups are not uniform nor consistent across the surface of the heating apparatus, causing non-uniform heating across the surface of the heating apparatus. In cases where the heating apparatus includes multiple independently controlled heating zones, the non- uniform buildups across the multiple heating zones make it difficult to precisely control the temperature of the individual heating zones. Typically, the buildups are not known to the operators until the buildups cause damage to the heating apparatus or significantly reduce an efficiency of the heating apparatus.

[0005] These issues related to material buildups in a fluid heating system are addressed by the present disclosure.SUMMARY

[0006] This section provides a general summary of the disclosure and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

[0007] In one form, a system is provided, which includes a heating apparatus, a plurality of sensors, and a control system. The heating apparatusAttorney Docket No.: 0100TS-000016-WO-POA includes a plurality of heaters that define a plurality of heating zones. Each sensing element is provided at a predetermined heating zone from among the plurality of heating zones and is configured to detect data indicative of an operating characteristic of the predetermined heating zone. The control system includes a buildup detection module configured to determine whether a potential material buildup exists within at least one of the plurality of heating zones based on the data from the plurality of sensing elements.

[0008] In variations of the system of the above paragraph, which may be implemented individually or in any combination: the control system further comprises a heater control module configured to control an operation of the heating apparatus based on one or more control parameters in response to a determination of the potential material buildup; the one or more control parameters include electrical characteristics of the heating apparatus, temperature setpoint, voltage, and power output to the heating apparatus; each of the plurality of heaters extend along a longitudinal axis having a length and the plurality of heaters are arranged parallel to one another; each sensing element is provided at a predetermined location within its respective predetermined heating zone, and wherein at least two of the predetermined locations associated with at least two sensing elements of the plurality of sensing elements are aligned along an axis and parallel to one another; at least one of the plurality of sensing elements is a sensing junction; wherein at least one sensing element of the plurality of sensing elements is a discrete sensor arranged proximate to at least one heater of the plurality of heaters; at least one sensing element of the plurality of sensing elements is a temperature sensor; at least one heater of the plurality of heaters includes a resistive heating element connected to a pair of power pins, the resistive heating element being made of a material different from a material of the power pins to define a plurality of sensing junctions for detecting the data indicative of the operating characteristic of the predetermined heating zone; the buildup detection module is configured to determine a temperature deviation at the plurality of sensing junctions; the buildup detection module is configured to compare two or more temperature deviations associated with the plurality of heating zones, determine whether the potential material buildup exists based on the two or more temperature deviations, and determine whether a corrective action is necessary based on an existence of the potential material buildup; each of the plurality of sensing elements is located in a different heating zone from one another; the operatingAttorney Docket No.: 0100TS-000016-WO-POA characteristic includes at least one of a thermal response time, a temperature, a fluid pressure, and a fluid flow rate; the buildup detection module is configured to provide a correlation of at least one of a thermal response time of at least one heater of the plurality of heaters and one or more operating parameters of the at least one heater with the potential material buildup at or about the at least one heater; the one or more operating parameters include at least one of power, voltage, current, and resistance of the at least one heater; the buildup detection module is further configured to obtain one or more system inputs including at least one of a type of fluid being provided to the heating apparatus, flow rate of fluid, and pressure, and determine whether the potential material buildup exists within at least one of the plurality of heating zones based on the operating characteristics and the one or more system inputs; and / or the buildup detection module is configured to compare the operating characteristic of a first heating zone of the plurality of heating zones to that of a second heating zone of the plurality of heating zones to determine whether there is an abnormal condition

[0009] In another form, a system is provided, which includes a heating apparatus including a heating bundle and a control system. The heating bundle includes a plurality of heaters that define a plurality of heating zones, each heater includes a resistive heating element having a length and defines a heating zone from among the plurality of heating zones, the resistive heating element being made of a material different from a material of power pins connected thereto such that first and second sensing junctions are formed between the resistive heating element and the power pins and at a predetermined location within the heating zone, the predetermined location of the first sensing junction is different from that of the second sensing junction, and the sensing junction of each of the plurality of heaters is configured to detect a temperature deviation of the heating zone. The control system includes a buildup detection module configured to compare the temperature deviation of each of the plurality of heating zones to one another, determine whether a potential material buildup exists within at least one of the plurality of heating zones based on the temperature deviation of each of the plurality of heating zones, and determine whether a corrective action is necessary in response to a determination that the potential material buildup exists. The control system includes a heater controller configured to trigger the corrective action based on a determination that the corrective action is necessary. In one variation, each of the plurality of heaters extend along a longitudinal axis having a length and the plurality of heaters are arranged parallel to one another.Attorney Docket No.: 0100TS-000016-WO-POA

[0010] In yet another form, a system is provided, which includes one or more tubular heaters that define a plurality of heating zones, a plurality of sensing elements, and a control system. Each sensing element of the plurality of sensing elements is provided at a predetermined heating zone from among the plurality of heating zones and is configured to detect data indicative of an operating characteristic of the predetermined heating zone. The control system includes a buildup detection module configured to compare the temperature deviation of each of the plurality of heating zones to one another, determine whether a potential material buildup exists within at least one of the plurality of heating zones based on the temperature deviation of each of the plurality of heating zones, and determine whether a corrective action is necessary in response to a determination that the potential material buildup exists. The control system includes a heater controller configured to trigger the corrective action based on a determination that the corrective action is necessary. In one variation, at least one of the plurality of sensing elements is a sensing junction.

[0011] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.DRAWINGS

[0012] In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a fluid heating system constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a fluid heating system constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0015] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a heating apparatus and a control system of the fluid heating system of FIG. 2;

[0016] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a heater of the heating apparatus of FIG. 3;

[0017] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the heater of FIG. 4 with an outer sheath removed to show a plurality of heater units therein;Attorney Docket No.: 0100TS-000016-WO-POA

[0018] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a heating apparatus and a buildup detection system constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0019] FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a tubular heater constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure; and

[0020] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a control system constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0021] The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

[0023] In general, the present disclosure provides a system and method that identifies an amount of material buildup within a fluid heating system, such as a heat exchanger or a circulation heater, and further indicates maintenance action prior to reduced performance / efficiency of the fluid heating system based on the material buildup. This system includes a plurality of sensing elements (e.g., sensors and / or sensing junctions) located at multiple locations both along a length and throughout a cross section of a heating apparatus. This configuration allows the system to detect a buildup of coking / fouling earlier (compared with traditional methods such as bulk pressure drop) and with more fidelity. In addition, the present disclosure provides the ability to adjust the operating parameters of the heating apparatus to slow a buildup rate of coking / fouling based on a determination of an amount of coking / fouling in different locations of the heating apparatus.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 1 , a fluid heating system 20 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure includes a container 22, a heating apparatus 30 disposed in a container 22 for heating a fluid contained in or flowing through the container 22, and a buildup detection system 40 for detecting buildups on the surface of the heating apparatus 30 immersed in the fluid. As an example, the heating apparatus 30 may be in the form of a cartridge heater, which is a tube-shaped heater. The heating apparatus 30 may generally include a core bodyAttorney Docket No.: 0100TS-000016-WO-POA32, a resistive heating wire 34 wrapped around the core body 32, a metal sheath 36 enclosing the core body 32 and the resistive heating wire 34 therein, and an insulating material 38 filling in the space in the metal sheath 36 to electrically insulate the resistive heating wire 34 from the metal sheath 36 and to thermally conduct the heat from the resistive heating wire 34 to the metal sheath 36. The core body 32 may be made of ceramic. The insulation material 38 may be compacted Magnesium Oxide (MgO). A plurality of power conductors 42, which may be in the form of conductive pins, extend through the core body 32 along a longitudinal direction and are electrically connected to the resistive heating wires 34. The power conductors 42 also extend through an end piece 44 that seals the outer sheath 36. The power conductors 42 are connected to an external power supply device (not shown) that supplies power to the resistive heating wire 32. While FIG. 1 shows only two power conductors 42 extending through the end piece 44, more than two power conductors 42 can extend through the end piece 44.

[0025] Alternatively, multiple resistive heating wires 34 and multiple pairs of power conductors 42 may be used to form multiple heating circuits that can be independently controlled to enhance reliability of the cartridge heater 30. Therefore, when one of the resistive heating wires 34 fails, the remaining resistive wires 34 may continue to generate heat without causing the entire cartridge heater 30 to fail and without causing costly machine downtime.

[0026] The buildup detection system 40 includes a plurality of sensors 26 and a buildup detection module 46 for detecting buildups on the surface of the heating apparatus 30 based on data from the plurality of sensors 26. The plurality of sensors 26 may be provided at a plurality of predetermined locations at or adjacent to the heating apparatus 30 to measure an operating characteristic at the plurality of predetermined locations. In one form, the plurality of predetermined locations may be multiple locations on or adjacent to an outer surface of the heating apparatus 30 along a longitudinal direction of the heating apparatus 30 and / or multiple locations on or adjacent to the outer surface of the heating apparatus 30 along a circumferential direction of the heating apparatus 30, as shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively, the plurality of predetermined locations may be multiple locations inside the heating apparatus 30 along a longitudinal direction and / or a circumferential direction of the heating apparatus 30. Alternatively, when the heating apparatus 30 includes a plurality of heating zones, the plurality of predetermined locations may be multiple locationsAttorney Docket No.: 0100TS-000016-WO-POA corresponding to the plurality of heating zones or a plurality groups of heating zones, whether the sensors 26 are disposed inside or outside the heating apparatus 30.

[0027] If the sensors 26 are disposed outside the heating apparatus 30, the operating characteristic to be measured by the plurality of sensors 26 may include, but not limited to, a temperature of the heating apparatus 30, a thermal response time of the heating apparatus 30, a fluid pressure, and / or an actual fluid flow rate of the fluid flowing proximate the heating apparatus 30. When the plurality of sensors 26 are disposed inside the heating apparatus 30, the operating characteristic to be measured by the plurality of sensors 26 may be a temperature and / or a thermal response time of the heating apparatus 30. The plurality of sensors 26 send data indicative of the operating characteristic at the predetermined locations to the buildup detection module 46 for analysis.

[0028] The buildup detection module 46 is configured to receive the data from the plurality of sensors 26 and determine whether a buildup exists at the predetermined locations based on the data from the plurality of sensors 26. When a buildup exists at a particular location, the temperature and thermal response of the heating apparatus 30 at the particular location may be lower than designed (or lower than a nominal value) because a portion of the heat from the heating apparatus 30 is absorbed by the buildups and less heat is transferred to the fluid flowing over the buildups. Moreover, the buildups cause obstruction to the fluid, resulting in a pressure drop in the fluid flow and a reduced flow rate. Therefore, the buildup detection module 46 may determine whether a buildup exists on the surface of the heating apparatus 30 by comparing the values of the operating characteristic obtained by the sensors 26 at the plurality of predetermined locations. The buildup detection module 46 is configured to determine that a potential buildup is about to be formed at one or more of the predetermined locations when the values of the operating characteristic obtained at the one or more of the predetermined locations deviate from the values from the other locations. The buildup detection module 46 is configured to determine that the buildup exists at one or more of the predetermined locations when the values of the operating characteristic exceed a threshold. The threshold may be determined based on experimental and / or statistical data, or by any method known in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 2, in another form, a fluid heating system 60 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure includes a fluidAttorney Docket No.: 0100TS-000016-WO-POA container 70, a heating apparatus 64 disposed inside the fluid conduit 70 for heating a fluid flowing in the fluid conduit 70, and a control system 80. The control system 80 includes a heater control module 82 for controlling the operation of the heating apparatus 64, and a buildup detection module 46 configured to detect buildups on the surface of the heating apparatus 64. The function of the buildup detection module 46 has been described above in connection with FIG. 1 and thus the detailed description thereof is omitted herein for brevity.

[0030] The fluid container 70 may be in the form of a heat exchanger including a sealed housing 72 defining an internal chamber (not shown), a fluid inlet 76 and a fluid outlet 78, through which fluid is directed into and out of the internal chamber of the sealed housing 72. The fluid is heated by the heating apparatus 64 disposed inside the fluid container 70.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 3, the heating apparatus 64 may be in the form of a heater bundle. A “heater bundle," as used in the present disclosure, refers to a heating apparatus including two or more physically distinct heaters 18 that can be independently controlled. As an example, the heating apparatus 64 includes a mounting flange 36 mounted to an end of the fluid container 72 and a plurality of heaters 18 through the mounting flange 36. The heaters 18 are arranged to be parallel. The heaters 18 are independently controllable. Therefore, when one of the heaters 18 in the heater bundle fails, the remaining heaters in the heater bundle can continue to be operating. The heater bundle has been disclosed in U.S. 10,247,445, titled "Heater Bundle for Adaptive Control," which is commonly owned with the present application, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0032] It should be understood, however, that the fluid heating system 60 is not limited to a fluid heat exchanger described herein and may be implemented within various other industrial and / or manufacturing heating systems, while still remaining within and / or without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. For example, the fluid heating system 60 may be employed or incorporated in any heated fluid system, such as a chemical reactor in which material buildup is likely to occur and inhibit proper operation of such system.

[0033] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, each of the heaters 18 may be in the form of a cartridge heater having a configuration similar to that of FIG. 1 except for the number of core bodies and number of power conductors used. More specifically, the heaters 18 each include a plurality of heater units 52, and an outer metal sheath 54Attorney Docket No.: 0100TS-000016-WO-POA enclosing the plurality of heater units 52 therein, along with a plurality of power conductors 56. An insulating material (not shown in FIGS. 4 and 5) is provided between the plurality of heating units 52 and the outer metal sheath 54 to electrically insulate the heater units 52 from the outer metal sheath 54. The plurality of heater units 52 each include a core body 58 and a resistive heating element 60 surrounding the core body 58. The resistive heating element 60 of each heater unit 52 may define one or more heating circuits to define one or more heating zones 62.

[0034] In the present form, each heater unit 52 defines one heating zone 62 and the plurality of heater units 52 in each heater 18 are aligned along a longitudinal direction X. Therefore, each heater 18 defines a plurality of heating zones 62 aligned along the longitudinal direction X. The resistive heating elements 60 of the heater units 52 are connected to the power conductors 56, which, in turn, are connected to an external power supply device (not shown). The power conductors 56 supply the power from the power supply device to the plurality of heater units 50. By properly connecting the power conductors 56 to the resistive heating elements 60, the resistive heating elements 60 of the plurality of heating units 52 can be independently controlled by a controller (not shown) of the external power supply device. As such, failure of one resistive heating element 60 for a particular heating zone 62 will not affect the proper functioning of the remaining resistive heating elements 60 for the remaining heating zones 62. Further, the heater units 52 and the heater assemblies 50 may be interchangeable for ease of repair or assembly.

[0035] With this structure, each heater 18 includes a plurality of heating zones 62 that can be independently controlled to vary the power output or heat distribution along the length of the heater device 18. The heater bundle 64 includes a plurality of such heaters 18. Therefore, the heater bundle 64 provides a plurality of heating zones 62 and a tailored heat distribution for heating the fluid that flows through the heater bundle 64 to be adapted for specific applications. The power supply device can be configured to modulate power to each of the independently controlled heating zones 62.

[0036] For example, a heater 18 may define an “m” heating zones, and the heater bundle may include “k” heaters 18. Therefore, the heater bundle 64 may define mxk heating zones. The plurality of heating zones 62 in the heater bundle 64 can be individually and dynamically controlled in response to heating conditions and / or heating requirements, including but not limited to, the life and the reliability of theAttorney Docket No.: 0100TS-000016-WO-POA individual heater units 52, the sizes and costs of the heater units 52, local heater flux, characteristics and operation of the heater units 52, and the entire power output.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 7, the teachings of the present disclosure may also be implemented with a tubular heater construction, and more particularly a tubular heater 100 having a bend portion 110 with a radius R1. The bend portions 110 are generally located at end portions of the fluid container 70 (FIG. 2) and are further illustrated and described in U.S. Patent No. 10,941 ,988, which is commonly owned with the present application and the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0038] The tubular heater 100 generally includes a construction having a resistive heating element 112, a dielectric material 114 (e.g., compacted MgO) surrounding the resistive heating element 112, and a metal sheath 116 surrounding the dielectric material 114 as shown. Similar to the cartridge heaters illustrated and described herein, each of the legs 118 of the tubular heater 100 extend along a longitudinal axis having a length and are arranged parallel to one another. The tubular heater 100 may also include sensing junctions 119 that detect changes indicative of a temperature at one or more Icoations of the heater 100 without the use of a separate / discrete temperature sensor. Additional details regarding the sensing junctions are provided below. It should be understood that the sensing junctions 119 may be replaced by discrete sensors (e.g., the sensors 26) in other forms.

[0039] It should be understood that any number of types of heater constructions other than those illustrated and described herein, i.e., cartridge and tubular, may be implemented while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0040] Referring back to FIG. 3, the fluid heating system 60 further includes a plurality of sensors 26 disposed proximate the heaters 18 of the heating apparatus 64. The sensor 26 and the buildup detection module 46 jointly form a buildup detection system. In the present form, the plurality of sensors 26 may be provided at a plurality of predetermined locations along a length of the heaters 18 and across the cross section of the heating apparatus 64, i.e., at different heaters 18. Alternatively, the plurality of sensors 26 may be provided at multiple locations corresponding to the plurality of heater units 52 that define a plurality of heating zones 62. The sensors 26 may be disposed on an outer surface of the heaters 18 or inside the heaters 18. The function of the sensors 26 and the buildup detection module 46Attorney Docket No.: 0100TS-000016-WO-POA has been described above in connection with FIG. 1 and thus the detailed description thereof is omitted herein for clarity.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 6, in another form, the plurality of sensors of a buildup detection system may be in the form of a plurality of sensing junctions 150, 152 integrated in the heating circuits, instead of discrete sensors. More specifically, a variant of a fluid heating system may include a heater 120. The heater 120 comprises a resistive heating element 122 having two end portions 124 and 126, and the resistive heating element 122 is in the form of a metal wire, such as a nichrome material by way of example. The resistive heating element 122 is wound or disposed around a non- conductive portion (or core in this form) 128. The core 128 defines a proximal end 130 and a distal end 132 and further defines first and second apertures 134 and 136 extending through at least the proximal end 130.

[0042] The heater 120 further comprises a first power pin 140 that is made of a first conductive material and a second power pin 142 that is made of a second conductive material that is dissimilar from the first conductive material of the first power pin 140. Further, the resistive heating element 122 is made of a material that is different from the first and second conductive materials of the first and second power pins 140, 142 and forms a first junction 150 at end 124 with the first power pin 140 and a second junction 152 at its other end 126 with the second power pin 142. Because the resistive heating element 122 is a different material than the first power pin 140 at junction 150 and is a different material than the second power pin 142 at junction 152, a thermocouple junction is effectively formed and thus changes in voltage at the first and second junctions 150, 152 are detected to determine an average temperature of the heater 120 without the use of a separate / discrete temperature sensor. The first and second junctions 150, 152 may form two sensing junctions for detecting a temperature of the heater 120 at the opposing ends 130 and 132 along the length of the heater 120.

[0043] It is understood that the heater 120 may be used in the heating apparatus 64 of FIGS. 3 to 5 to replace one or more of the heaters 18 or to replace one or more of the heater units 52. The heating apparatus 64 may use a plurality of sensing junctions, instead of discrete sensors to measure the temperatures of the heaters 18 at multiple locations. The sensing junctions may be provided at a plurality of predetermined locations along the length and / or across the cross-section of the heating apparatus 64 to detect buildups on the heating apparatus 64.Attorney Docket No.: 0100TS-000016-WO-POA

[0044] Using the junctions between the resistive heating element and the power pins as thermocouple junctions to measure a temperature of the heater has been described in U.S. 10,728,956, titled "Resistive Heater with Temperature Sensing Power Pins," and commonly owned with the present application, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 8, the buildup detection module 46 may be integrated into a control system 80 or work with a control system for controlling operation of the heating apparatus 30, 64, 120 for improving operation of the heating apparatus 30, 64, 120 based on the buildup information. In one form, the control system 80 may include a heater control module 82, a buildup detection module 46, and a buildup prediction module 84. The heater control module 40 is configured to control the temperature of the heating apparatus 30, 64, 120 according to a desired temperature profile and based one or more control parameters, such as electrical characteristics of the heating apparatus, temperature setpoint, voltage, and power output to the heating apparatus.

[0046] The buildup detection module 46 is in communication with each of sensing elements 180 and is configured to receive data indicative of one or more operating characteristic from the sensing elements 180 disposed at different locations along or across the heating apparatus 30, 64, 120. As used herein, “sensing element 180” refers to the plurality of sensors 26, the sensing junctions 119, 150, 152, or a combination thereof. The buildup detection module 46 is further configured to compare the values of the one or more operating characteristic from among the plurality of locations and determine whether the value of the one or more operating characteristics for a particular location deviate from the values for the other locations. When the deviated value for the particular location exceeds or is below a threshold (depending on what the operating characteristic is), the buildup detection module 46 then determines that a buildup exists on the heating apparatus 30, 64, 120 at that particular location.

[0047] One specific example could be elements within the same zone of control (all either on or off at the same time). If these elements have the sensing junctions at different locations, divergence in temperature (higher) over time in one or more elements within the group could indicate build up in that area.

[0048] The buildup detection module 46 may include a buildup model configured to compare each of the temperature deviations associated with the pluralityAttorney Docket No.: 0100TS-000016-WO-POA of heating zones. In one form, the buildup model may be configured to perform a zone- to-zone check in which the difference in temperature between adjacent heating zones is monitored. In this form, if the difference in temperature exceeds a material buildup threshold, the buildup model determines that a potential material buildup exists and determines whether a corrective action is necessary in response to determining the existence of the potential material buildup. Determining whether the corrective action is necessary includes, but is not limited to, determining whether an amount (e.g., mass volume, geometric volume, etc.), profile (e.g., 2D or 3D geometric surface profile), and / or location of the potential material buildup deviates from a predefined tolerance, nominal condition, and / or predefined threshold. The buildup detection module 46 then sends data relating to the buildup for the particular location to the heater control module 82.

[0049] The heater control module 82 may control the plurality of heating zones in response to the buildup information to slow the formation of buildups. For example, the heater control module 82 may perform the corrective action by powering down a particular heater unit / heating zone that starts to experience a buildup and power up the other heater units to compensate for the reduced heat output from the particular heater unit in order to maintain a desired heat distribution along the length of the heating apparatus while slowing the formation of the buildups.

[0050] The buildup detection module 46 may also send the buildup information to the buildup prediction module 84 to predict the level of buildup. The buildup detection module 46 may predict the level of buildup based on the data from the plurality of sensors or sensing junctions and the operating parameters, such as heater duty cycle, from the heater control module 82. These data points along with the operating parameters can be used to predict a picture of the buildup level throughout the volume of the heating apparatus. The picture of the buildup level provides an indication of predictive maintenance. The buildup prediction module 84 may predetermine a "threshold level" of a buildup. The buildup prediction module 84 may also pre-store data relating to different levels of buildups and a correlation between the different levels of buildups and the operating characteristics. The buildup prediction module 84 may determine the level of buildup based on the measured value of the operating characteristic and the pre-stored correlation between the different levels of buildups and the operating characteristics, and then predict the time when the buildup would reach the "threshold level" that may require preventive maintenance. TheAttorney Docket No.: 0100TS-000016-WO-POA buildup prediction module 84 can use the current or most recent data obtained by the sensors or sensing junctions during operation of the heating apparatus to predict further level of buildups.

[0051] In summary, the system and method according to the teachings of the present disclosure can identify existing or potential buildups by monitoring one or more operating characteristics at a plurality of locations at or proximate the heating apparatus. In response to the determination of possible buildups, the system and method can adjust the operating parameters of the heating apparatus to slow the buildup rate and predict the time when the amount of the buildup would reach a critical level that would require maintenance.

[0052] Unless otherwise expressly indicated herein, all numerical values indicating mechanical / thermal properties, compositional percentages, dimensions and / or tolerances, or other characteristics are to be understood as modified by the word “about” or "approximately" in describing the scope of the present disclosure. This modification is desired for various reasons including industrial practice, material, manufacturing, and assembly tolerances, and testing capability.

[0053] As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean “at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.”

[0054] In this application, the term “controller” and / or “module” may refer to, be part of, or include: an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a memory circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by the processor circuit; other suitable hardware components (e.g., op amp circuit integrator as part of the heat flux data module) that provide the described functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system-on-chip.

[0055] The term memory is a subset of the term computer-readable medium. The term computer-readable medium, as used herein, does not encompass transitory electrical or electromagnetic signals propagating through a medium (such as on a carrier wave); the term computer-readable medium may therefore be considered tangible and non-transitory. Non-limiting examples of a non-transitory,Attorney Docket No.: 0100TS-000016-WO-POA tangible computer-readable medium are nonvolatile memory circuits (such as a flash memory circuit, an erasable programmable read-only memory circuit, or a mask readonly circuit), volatile memory circuits (such as a static random access memory circuit or a dynamic random access memory circuit), magnetic storage media (such as an analog or digital magnetic tape or a hard disk drive), and optical storage media (such as a CD, a DVD, or a Blu-ray Disc).

[0056] The apparatuses and methods described in this application may be partially or fully implemented by a special purpose computer created by configuring a general-purpose computer to execute one or more particular functions embodied in computer programs. The functional blocks, flowchart components, and other elements described above serve as software specifications, which can be translated into the computer programs by the routine work of a skilled technician or programmer.

[0057] The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the substance of the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

Claims

Attorney Docket No.: 0100TS-000016-WO-POACLAIMSWhat is claimed is:1 . A system comprising: a heating apparatus including a plurality of heaters, wherein the plurality of heaters define a plurality of heating zones; a plurality of sensing elements, wherein each sensing element of the plurality of sensing elements is: provided at a predetermined heating zone from among the plurality of heating zones; and configured to detect data indicative of an operating characteristic of the predetermined heating zone; and a control system including a buildup detection module configured to determine whether a potential material buildup exists within at least one of the plurality of heating zones based on the data from the plurality of sensing elements.

2. The system of Claim 1 , wherein the control system further comprises a heater control module configured to control an operation of the heating apparatus based on one or more control parameters in response to a determination of the potential material buildup.

3. The system of Claim 2, wherein the one or more control parameters include electrical characteristics of the heating apparatus, temperature setpoint, voltage, and power output to the heating apparatus.

4. The system of Claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of heaters extend along a longitudinal axis having a length and the plurality of heaters are arranged parallel to one another.

5. The system of Claim 4, wherein each sensing element is provided at a predetermined location within its respective predetermined heating zone, and wherein at least two of the predetermined locations associated with at least two sensing elements of the plurality of sensing elements are aligned along an axis and parallel to one another.Attorney Docket No.: 0100TS-000016-WO-POA6. The system of Claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of sensing elements is a sensing junction.

7. The system of Claim 1 , wherein at least one sensing element of the plurality of sensing elements is a discrete sensor arranged proximate to at least one heater of the plurality of heaters.

8. The system of Claim 7, wherein at least one sensing element of the plurality of sensing elements is a temperature sensor.

9. The system of Claim 1 , wherein: at least one heater of the plurality of heaters includes a resistive heating element connected to a pair of power pins, the resistive heating element being made of a material different from a material of the power pins to define a plurality of sensing junctions for detecting the data indicative of the operating characteristic of the predetermined heating zone, and the buildup detection module is configured to determine a temperature deviation at the plurality of sensing junctions.

10. The system of Claim 1 , wherein the buildup detection module is configured to compare two or more temperature deviations associated with the plurality of heating zones, determine whether the potential material buildup exists based on the two or more temperature deviations, and determine whether a corrective action is necessary based on an existence of the potential material buildup.11 . The system of Claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of sensing elements is located in a different heating zone from one another.

12. The system of Claim 1 , wherein the operating characteristic includes at least one of a thermal response time, a temperature, a fluid pressure, and a fluid flow rate.Attorney Docket No.: 0100TS-000016-WO-POA13. The system of Claim 1 , wherein the buildup detection module is configured to provide a correlation of at least one of a thermal response time of at least one heater of the plurality of heaters and one or more operating parameters of the at least one heater with the potential material buildup at or about the at least one heater.

14. The system of Claim 13, wherein the one or more operating parameters include at least one of power, voltage, current, and resistance of the at least one heater.

15. The system of Claim 1 , wherein the buildup detection module is further configured to: obtain one or more system inputs including at least one of a type of fluid being provided to the heating apparatus, flow rate of fluid, and pressure; and determine whether the potential material buildup exists within at least one of the plurality of heating zones based on the operating characteristics and the one or more system inputs.

16. The system of Claim 1 , wherein the buildup detection module is configured to compare the operating characteristic of a first heating zone of the plurality of heating zones to that of a second heating zone of the plurality of heating zones to determine whether there is an abnormal condition.

17. A system comprising: a heating apparatus including a heating bundle, wherein: the heating bundle includes a plurality of heaters that define a plurality of heating zones, each heater includes a resistive heating element having a length and defines a heating zone from among the plurality of heating zones, the resistive heating element being made of a material different from a material of power pins connected thereto such that first and second sensing junctions are formed between the resistive heating element and the power pins and at a predetermined location within the heating zone, the predetermined location of the first sensing junction is different from that of the second sensing junction,Attorney Docket No.: 0100TS-000016-WO-POA the sensing junction of each of the plurality of heaters is configured to detect a temperature deviation of the heating zone; and a control system including: a buildup detection module configured to: compare the temperature deviation of each of the plurality of heating zones to one another, determine whether a potential material buildup exists within at least one of the plurality of heating zones based on the temperature deviation of each of the plurality of heating zones, and determine whether a corrective action is necessary in response to a determination that the potential material buildup exists; and a heater controller configured to trigger the corrective action based on a determination that the corrective action is necessary.

18. The system of Claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of heaters extend along a longitudinal axis having a length and the plurality of heaters are arranged parallel to one another.

19. A system comprising: one or more tubular heaters that define a plurality of heating zones; a plurality of sensing elements, wherein each sensing element of the plurality of sensing elements is: provided at a predetermined heating zone from among the plurality of heating zones; and configured to detect data indicative of an operating characteristic of the predetermined heating zone; and a control system including: a buildup detection module configured to: compare the temperature deviation of each of the plurality of heating zones to one another, determine whether a potential material buildup exists within at least one of the plurality of heating zones based on the temperature deviation of each of the plurality of heating zones, andAttorney Docket No.: 0100TS-000016-WO-POA determine whether a corrective action is necessary in response to a determination the potential material buildup exists; and a heater controller configured to trigger the corrective action based on a determination that the corrective action is necessary.

20. The system of Claim 19, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensing elements is a sensing junction.

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