Spring-Mounted Guided Wave Sensor Clamp for Pipeline Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clamping methods for guided wave sensors on pipelines and vessels fail to maintain effective coupling due to thermal expansion and corrosion, leading to reduced sensor performance, especially at elevated temperatures, and are bulky, making them unsuitable for crowded spaces.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing elongated springs with spring mounting clamps positioned on either side of the sensor, applying a consistent pressure of at least 10 psi, with a low profile design that maintains effectiveness up to 500°C and is corrosion-resistant, allowing for secure coupling of sensors to component surfaces without interfering with guided wave measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional pipe clamps with wave springs and Belleville washers are used to hold sensors, then the sensors can be secured to component surfaces, but the clamps expand in elevated temperature conditions and fail to retain their shape, reducing coupling effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters of the spring by selecting Inconel 600, a nickel-based alloy with superior thermal stability. This material maintains its elastic properties and dimensional stability at elevated temperatures up to 500°C, preventing the clamp from expanding or deforming under thermal conditions, thereby maintaining reliable sensor coupling.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite approach by combining Inconel 600 spring material with corrosion-resistant alloy clamps. This composite material system provides both thermal stability and corrosion resistance, addressing multiple environmental stressors simultaneously to maintain sensor coupling effectiveness in harsh conditions.
2Reliability
If flat springs, wave springs, and Belleville washers are used for sensor mounting, then sensors can be held in place, but they are bulky and difficult to deploy in crowded areas with limited space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a thin-profile spring design that maintains flexibility while reducing the overall height of the clamp assembly. The Inconel 600 spring is configured to provide the necessary elastic support with minimal material thickness, allowing the sensor mounting system to fit in crowded spaces where traditional bulky clamps cannot be deployed.
3Reliability
If clamps mounted on top of sensors are used, then sensors can be secured to pipes, but additional heating pipes mounded parallel to the pipe body create bulky setups that are expensive and difficult to adjust
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the clamp assembly into separate functional components: the Inconel 600 spring provides elastic support, the corrosion-resistant alloy clamp provides structural mounting, and the sensor is positioned independently. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function and enables flexible adjustment in crowded spaces without interfering with adjacent heating pipes.
4Ease of manufacture
If traditional spring materials are used, then clamps can be manufactured, but they are limited to grades of steel that typically do not operate at 500°C or are not corrosion resistant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the material temperature parameter by specifying Inconel 600, a nickel-based superalloy designed for high-temperature operation. This material maintains its mechanical properties and elastic modulus at temperatures up to 500°C, enabling the clamp to operate reliably in high-temperature environments where traditional steel springs would deform or fail.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs composite material selection by combining Inconel 600 spring material with corrosion-resistant alloy clamp material. This composite approach addresses both high-temperature operation and corrosion resistance requirements, providing a manufacturable solution that performs reliably in harsh chemical and thermal environments.
5Ease of manufacture
If adhesives are used to couple sensors to walls, then sensors can be attached to component surfaces, but thermal expansion and environmental stresses cause delamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the adhesive bonding mechanism with a mechanical spring-loaded clamp system. The Inconel 600 spring provides continuous mechanical pressure to hold the sensor against the component surface, eliminating reliance on adhesives that are susceptible to thermal expansion and delamination. This mechanical coupling method maintains reliable contact under thermal and environmental stresses.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution ensures reliable, long-term non-destructive monitoring by maintaining consistent pressure across the sensor surface, even at elevated temperatures, and is compact enough for deployment in tight spaces, addressing the limitations of existing clamping methods.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of elongated springs, each elongated spring including a first end, a second end opposing the first end, and a central portion between the first end and the second end. Each of the elongated springs is attached at the first end to the first spring mounting clamp and attached at the second end to the second spring mounting clamp and the central portion applies a first pressure of at least 10 psi to the guided wave sensor.
Implementation Method 2
thermal expansion and chemical changes, such as corrosion, may reduce the coupling between the sensors and the component surfaces. For example, pipe or hose clamps used to hold sensors in place may expand in elevated temperature conditions and fail to retain their shape
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for non-destructive monitoring a component including a guided wave sensor positioned around a surface of the component, wherein the component has a perimeter. A first spring mounting clamp positioned around the component perimeter and a second spring mounting clamp positioned around the component perimeter, wherein the first and second mounting clamps are positioned a distance of 0.1 inches to 5.0 inches on either side of the guided wave sensor. A plurality of elongated springs is attached at a first end to the first spring mounting clamp and attached at a second end to the second spring mounting clamp. The central portion applying a pressure of at least 10 psi to the guided wave sensor.