System for monitoring health of a seal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9624785-B2
Application number	US-201414163808-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2014
Priority date	Jan 24, 2014
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

A system for monitoring a health of one or more seals includes a flow control valve, and a controller. The flow control valve is located upstream of the seal and disposed in fluid communication therewith. The flow control valve is configured to maintain a pre-determined fluid pressure between the flow control valve and the seal. The controller is communicably coupled to the flow control valve. The controller is configured to receive a position of the flow control valve, and determine the health of the seal based on the received position of the flow control valve.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for monitoring a health of one or more seals, the system comprising:
a flow control valve located upstream of the one or more seals and disposed in fluid communication therewith, the flow control valve configured to maintain a pre-determined fluid pressure between the flow control valve and the one or more seals; and
a controller communicably coupled to the flow control valve, the controller configured to:
receive a position of the flow control valve; and
determine the health of the one or more seals by comparing the received position of the flow control valve with a historical position of the flow control valve corresponding to the pre-determined fluid pressure.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein a change in the position of the flow control valve is indicative of a change in a state of the health of the one or more seals.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to vary a position of the flow control valve to maintain the pre-determined fluid pressure between the flow control valve and the one or more seals.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a solenoid communicably coupled to the controller and the flow control valve, wherein the controller is configured to actuate the flow control valve by actuating the solenoid.

5. A turbo fluid machine comprising:
the system for monitoring a health of one or more seals of claim 1 ;
a housing defining an inlet and an outlet;
a shaft extending longitudinally within the housing and rotatably supported by one or more bearings located outside the housing;
the one or more seals disposed on the shaft, the one or more seals located adjacent to the one or more bearings; and
employing the system of claim 1 for monitoring a health of at least one seal from the one or more seals.

6. The turbo fluid machine of claim 5 , wherein the at least one seal from the one or more seals is a gas seal configured to prevent a process fluid of the turbo fluid machine from mixing with a lubricant associated with the one or more bearings.

7. The turbo fluid machine of claim 6 , wherein the turbo fluid machine is a compressor, and wherein the process fluid and the lubricant are a gas, and a liquid respectively.

8. The turbo fluid machine of claim 5 , wherein the one or more seals includes:
at least one primary gas seal located proximal to the housing; and
at least one secondary gas seal located between the primary gas seal and the bearings.

9. A system for monitoring a health of one or more seals, the system comprising:
a vent line located upstream of the one or more seals; and disposed in fluid communication with the one or more seals;
a pressure transducer disposed in the vent line and configured to measure fluid pressure in the vent line;
a flow control valve located downstream of the pressure transducer, the flow control valve configured to maintain a pre-determined fluid pressure in the vent line; and
a controller communicably coupled to the flow control valve, the controller configured to:
receive a position of the flow control valve; and
determine the health of the one or more seals based on the received position of the flow control valve, wherein a change in the position of the flow control valve is indicative of a change in a state of the health of the one or more seals.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a health of the one or more seals by comparing the received position of the flow control valve with a historical position of the flow control valve corresponding to the pre-determined fluid pressure.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to vary a position of the flow control valve to maintain the pre-determined fluid pressure in the vent line.

12. The system of claim 9 further comprising a solenoid communicably coupled to the controller and the flow control valve, wherein the controller is configured to actuate the flow control valve by actuating the solenoid.

13. A turbo fluid machine comprising:
the system for monitoring a health of one or more seals of claim 9 ;
a housing defining an inlet and an outlet;
a shaft extending longitudinally within the housing and rotatably supported by one or more bearings located outside the housing;
the one or more seals disposed on the shaft, the one or more seals located adjacent to the one or more bearings; and
employing the system of claim 9 for monitoring a health of at least one seal from the one or more seals.

14. The turbo fluid machine of claim 13 , wherein the at least one seal from the one or more seals is a gas seal configured to prevent a process fluid of the turbo fluid machine from mixing with a lubricant associated with the one or more bearings.

15. The turbo fluid machine of claim 14 , wherein the turbo fluid machine is a compressor, and wherein the process fluid and the lubricant are a gas, and a liquid respectively.

16. The turbo fluid machine of claim 13 , wherein the one or more seals includes:
at least one primary gas seal located proximal to the housing; and
at least one secondary gas seal located between the primary gas seal and the bearings.

17. A method of monitoring a health of one or more seals, the method comprising:
providing a flow control valve in fluid communication with the one or more seals;
measuring a fluid pressure between the flow control valve and the one or more seals;
receiving a position of the flow control valve corresponding to the measured fluid pressure; and
determining the health of the one or more seals by comparing the received position of the flow control valve with a historical position of the flow control valve corresponding to the pre-determined pressure.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising varying the position of the flow control valve to maintain a pre-determined fluid pressure between the flow control valve and the one or more seals.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein a change in the position of the flow control valve is indicative of a change in a state of the health of the one or more seals.

Assignees

• Solar Turbines Inc
• Solar Turbines Inc

Inventors

• Doumecq-Lacoste Julien
• Montes Ricardo
• Collins Roy T

Classifications

• F16K31/0644

  One-way valve · CPC title

• F05D2260/80

  Diagnostics · CPC title

• G01M3/2869

  for seals not incorporated in a pipe joint · CPC title

• G01M3/00

  Investigating fluid-tightness of structures · CPC title

• F01D25/186

  for sliding contact bearing · CPC title