Monitored heat exchanger system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10416008-B2
Application number	US-201715616224-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2017
Priority date	Apr 10, 2016
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure pertain to a monitored heat exchanger system that includes a heat exchanger unit in operable engagement with a heat generating device. The heat exchanger unit has a frame; and at least one cooler coupled with the frame, the at least one cooler having an airflow side and a service fluid side. The system includes a monitoring module coupled to the heat exchanger unit. The monitoring module an at least one sensor; and at least one controller housing. A microcontroller is disposed within the controller housing and in operable communication with the at least one sensor. The at least one sensor has a rotating member configured to generate a system signal proportional to an amount of rotation of the rotating member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A monitored heat exchanger system, the nonitored heat exchanger system comprising:
a frac pump;
an engine operably coupled with the frac pump;
a heat exchanger unit in operable engagement with the engine, with at least one service fluid being transferable therebetween, the heat exchanger unit further comprising:
a frame; and
at least one cooler coupled with the frame, the at least one cooler having a core that includes an airflow side and a service fluid side;

a monitoring module coupled to and operably associated with the heat exchanger unit, the monitoring module further comprising:
a mounting frame;
a cover panel having a front side and a back side, the front side facing away from the heat exchanger unit;
at least one sensor associated with the airflow side and mounted to the monitoring module;
at least one controller housing;
a solid data storage;
a Wi-Fi module;
a GSM module;
a CAN-Bus module; and
a microcontroller disposed within the controller housing and being programmed for operable communication with each of the at least one sensor, the solid data storage, the Wi-Fi module, the GSM module, and the CAN-Bus module, each also being disposed within the controller housing and in operable communication with the microcontroller; and

a fan to move ambient air through the heat exchanger unit wherein the at least one sensor comprises a sensor housing and a rotating member with a plurality of blades radially extending therefrom, wherein in operation the rotating member rotates relative to the sensor housing in response to airflow thereby to generate a system signal proportional to an amount of rotation thereof, wherein the microcontroller is provided with computer instructions for processing the system signal; and wherein the system signal pertains to an amount of fouling associated with the airflow side of the core.

2. The monitored heat exchanger system of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring module comprises a plurality of sensors mounted to the monitoring module, with each of the plurality of sensors is in operable communication with the microcontroller, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors or the microcontroller is powered at least partially by rotation of its respective rotating member.

3. The monitored heat exchanger system of claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is configured with computer instructions for performing the tasks of:
acquiring a set of data from the at least one sensor;
sampling the set of data over a predetermined period of time;
computing an average and a standard deviation of the set of data;
comparing the standard deviation with predetermined data;
determining whether the set of data is acceptable within a defined parameter;
determining whether a first lookup table comprising a set of lookup data has been completed, and creating the first lookup table using an averaging method if it has not;
comparing the set of data to the set of lookup data; and
providing an indication based on a result of the comparing the set of data to the set of lookup data step.

4. A monitored heat exchanger system, the monitored heat exchanger system comprising:
a diesel engine;
a heat exchanger unit in operable engagement with the diesel engine, with at least one service fluid being transferable therebetween, the heat exchanger unit further comprising:
a frame; and
at least one cooler coupled with the frame, the at least one cooler having a core that includes an airflow side and a service fluid side;

a monitoring module coupled to the heat exchanger unit, the monitoring module further comprising:
a mounting frame;
a cover panel having a front side and a back side, the front side facing away from the heat exchanger unit;
a solid data storage;
a Wi-Fi module;
a GSM module;
a CAN-Bus module;
at least one sensor associated with the airflow side and mounted to the monitoring module; and
a microcontroller being programmed for operable communication with each of the at least one sensor, the solid data storage, the Wi-Fi module, the GSM module, and the CAN-Bus module; and

a fan to move ambient air through the heat exchanger unit;
wherein the at least one sensor comprises a rotating member with a plurality of blades radially extending therefrom, the rotating member configured to generate a system signal proportional to an amount of rotation thereof, wherein the microcontroller is provided with computer instructions for processing the system signal; and wherein the microcontroller is configured with computer instructions for performing the tasks of:
acquiring a set of data from the at least one sensor;
sampling the set of data over a predetermined period of time;
computing an average and a standard deviation of the set of data;
comparing the standard deviation with predetermined data;
determining whether the set of data is acceptable within a defined parameter;
determining whether a first lookup table comprising a set of lookup data has been completed, and creating the first lookup table using an averaging method if it has not;
comparing the set of data to the set of lookup data; and
providing an indication based on a result of the comparing the set of data to the set of lookup data step that pertains to an amount of fouling associated with the airflow side of the at least one cooler.

5. A monitored heat exchanger system, the monitored heat exchanger system comprising:
a frac pump;
an engine operably coupled with the frac pump;
a heat exchanger unit in operable engagement with the engine, with at least one service fluid being transferable therebetween, the heat exchanger unit further comprising:
a frame;
at least one cooler coupled with the frame, the at least one cooler having a core that includes an airflow side and a service fluid side; and
a fan operating to draw in ambient air through the airflow side in a sufficient manner to cause a reduction in temperature of the at least one service fluid;

a monitoring module coupled to the heat exchanger unit, the monitoring module further comprising:
a mounting frame;
a cover panel having a front side and a back side, the front side facing away from the heat exchanger unit;
at least one sensor associated with the airflow side and mounted to the monitoring module;
at least one controller housing;
a microcontroller disposed within the controller housing and in operable communication with the at least one sensor; and
each of a solid data storage, a Wi-Fi module, a GSM module, and a CAN-Bus module being disposed within the controller housing and in operable communication with the microcontroller,

wherein the at least one sensor is configured to generate a system signal proportional to an amount of rotation thereof, wherein the microcontroller is provided with computer instructions for processing the system signal, wherein the microcontroller is provided with computer instructions for communicating with each of the solid data storage, the Wi-Fi module, the GSM module, and the CAN-Bus module, wherein the microcontroller is configured with computer instructions for performing the tasks of:
acquiring a set of data from the at least one sensor;
sampling the set of data over a predetermined period of time;
computing an average and a standard deviation of the set of data;
comparing the standard deviation with predetermined data;
determining whether the set of data is acceptable within a defined parameter;
determining whether a first lookup table comprising a set of lookup data has been completed, and creating the first lookup table using an averaging method if it has not;
comparing the set of data to the set of lookup data; and
providing an indication based on a result of the comparing the set of data to the set of lookup data step,

wherein the at leas

Assignees

• Global Heat Transfer Ulc
• Forum Us Inc

Inventors

• Vanberg Randy
• Zareie Rajani Hamid Reza
• Larimi Seyed Reza
• Abbasi Morteza

Classifications

• F01P5/06

  Guiding or ducting air to, or from, ducted fans · CPC title

• F01P11/10

  Guiding or ducting cooling-air, to, or from, liquid-to-air heat exchangers · CPC title

• F01M5/002

  Cooling · CPC title

• F24F11/30

  for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring · CPC title

• F28F19/00

  Preventing the formation of deposits or corrosion, e.g. by using filters {or scrapers} · CPC title