Steam Pressure Graph for Remote Boiler Leak Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for measuring steam leakage in high-temperature, high-pressure environments, such as power plant boilers, are inadequate as they require maintenance personnel to enter the hazardous environment for immediate observation, making effective treatment difficult.
Innovation Solution
A method using a dummy furnace tube with integrated thermocouples and strain gauges to simulate steam pressure conditions, plotting a steam pressure graph based on temperature and strain, allowing maintenance personnel to predict steam leakage without direct exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If measuring devices are installed in the header section outside the furnace to measure steam pressure, then the measuring devices can withstand the environment, but maintenance personnel cannot immediately observe the status of the power generator set
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a target curve diagram that copies and represents the complex high-temperature steam pressure conditions through simplified target curves. This graphical copy allows maintenance personnel to quickly assess steam leakage status without directly observing the high-temperature environment, resolving the contradiction between measurement reliability and observation speed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a target curve diagram as an intermediary between the measuring devices and maintenance personnel. The diagram translates raw measurement data into visually interpretable target curves that indicate steam leakage conditions, enabling rapid assessment without direct exposure to hazardous environments
2Loss of information
If maintenance personnel enter the high temperature environment to observe the measuring device, then they can immediately know the status, but they are exposed to safety hazards and cannot carry out effective treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The target curve diagram serves as a safe copy of the actual steam pressure conditions. By comparing measured values against target curves that represent different leakage scenarios, maintenance personnel obtain complete status information without entering the high-temperature zone, eliminating safety hazards while preserving information access
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical observation in the high-temperature environment with a graphical information system. The target curve diagram substitutes physical presence with visual representation, allowing remote assessment of steam leakage status without exposing personnel to thermal hazards
3Ease of operation
If a steam pressure graph is plotted according to temperature and strain to predict steam leakage, then remote prediction is enabled, but the graph integration complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex steam pressure prediction problem into distinct target curves representing different leakage conditions. Each target curve is plotted based on specific temperature and strain relationships, breaking down the overall complexity into manageable graphical segments that can be individually constructed and then integrated
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the three-dimensional relationship between temperature, strain, and steam pressure into a two-dimensional target curve diagram. By plotting temperature against strain with different curves representing different pressure conditions, the method enables remote prediction while simplifying the dimensional complexity of the original problem
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
Enables remote prediction of steam leakage in high-temperature environments, facilitating immediate and effective maintenance actions.
Implementation Method 1
the dummy furnace tube is provided with a thermocouple and a strain gauge to record a strain corresponding to a temperature change of the furnace tube body under conditions of different steam pressures
Implementation Method 2
the dummy furnace tube is provided with a thermocouple and a strain gauge to record a strain corresponding to a temperature change of the furnace tube body
Implementation Method 3
an outer wall of the dummy furnace tube is heated to simulate an operation of the target object
Data Source
AI summary
A method for measuring steam pressure is provided, in which a steam pressure graph plotted according to temperature and strain is provided, so that the user can look up the steam pressure graph to know the steam pressure value inside a target object and determine whether there is a steam leakage in the target object.