Inline Cycle Fuse for Pressure Vessel Failure Prediction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pressure vessels face challenges in predicting impending failure due to uncertainties in cyclic and static fatigue, especially when pressure ranges and cycle numbers are inconsistent, leading to potential catastrophic failures.
Innovation Solution
A system and method involving a pressure vessel, a fluid source, and an apparatus with a conduit and containment structure, where a sensor detects changes in physical properties within a cavity to predict impending failure by calibrating a conduit to fail at a predetermined percentage of the vessel's estimated useful life, triggering alarms and safely venting fluid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mathematical projections and cycle counting are used to evaluate fatigue life, then vessel lifetime estimation is achieved, but uncertainties remain in combining cycle effects with static fatigue and determining total remaining life
Solution Approach 1:
The fuse is designed to fail in advance of the pressure vessel, providing a preliminary warning signal before the actual vessel failure occurs. This preliminary action allows operators to remove the vessel from service proactively, eliminating the uncertainty of when the vessel will fail by providing a definitive early warning through the fuse failure and associated alarm system
Solution Approach 2:
The fuse acts as an intermediary component between the pressure vessel and the monitoring system. It translates the complex fatigue life calculation uncertainties into a simple, definitive failure event that triggers an alarm, thereby mediating between the uncertain fatigue projections and the need for reliable operational decisions
2Productivity
If pressure vessels are operated beyond estimated fatigue life to maximize productivity, then productivity increases, but the risk of catastrophic failure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fuse provides preliminary anti-action by failing before the pressure vessel and triggering an alarm that prevents catastrophic failure. This preemptive measure counteracts the potential harmful effect of operating beyond safe fatigue limits by providing a definitive warning that stops further operation before the vessel can fail catastrophically
Solution Approach 2:
The fuse system provides beforehand cushioning by creating a safety buffer between the estimated fatigue life and actual failure. The fuse is calibrated to fail at a predetermined percentage of the vessel's estimated useful life, cushioning against the uncertainty in fatigue life calculations and preventing catastrophic failures even if the vessel is operated beyond initial estimates
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of predicting impending failure of a pressure vessel include a pressure vessel, a fluid source, a line coupled to the pressure vessel and to the fluid source, an apparatus, a sensor and a controller. The apparatus includes a conduit and a containment structure. The containment structure includes a cavity separated from an interior of the conduit by a portion of a conduit wall of the conduit. The sensor is configured to determine a value of a physical property in the cavity. The controller is in signal communication with the sensor and configured to detect a change in the value. The method includes determining a first value of a physical property in the cavity, experiencing a failure of the conduit wall, determining a second value of the physical property in the cavity, and detecting a difference between the first and second values.