Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOTE CONTROLLING, MONITORING
AND/OR SERVICING HEAT-TREATMENT EQUIPMENT VIA WIRELESS
COMMUNICATIONS
Field of the Invention
The disclosed embodiments relate to a method and apparatus to remotely
control,
monitor and/or service heat-treatment equipment via wireless communications
networks. Specifically, the method and apparatus can be used in pre and post-
weld
heat-treatment applications for steel pipes in a variety of industries,
including, but not
limited to, power plants, chemical and petrochemical plants and refineries.
Importantly,
the embodiments generate and manage all the documentation necessary to input
and
verify the specified heat-treatment process. They produce and deliver to the
customer
the reports and certificates required by the applicable quality control
standards,
requirements and regulatory authorities.
Background of the Invention
Alloy steel pipes used in power plants, chemical and petro-chemical plants and
refineries require stringent and verifiable temperature control during pre-
and post-
welding. In the case, for example, of Cr-Mo-V P91, the area to be welded
(hereafter
the weld area) must be pre-heated to a specific temperature before welding is
performed. As is well known, an untreated weld is subject to the risk of
hydrogen
cracking due to residual stresses. In order to eliminate this risk, post-weld
heat-
treatment methods are applied to the weld area. Post-weld heat-treatment is
the
process of heating a metal component to a sufficient temperature below its
transformation temperature, holding the metal component at that temperature
for a
predetermined amount of time, followed by uniform cooling. Typical stress
relief
temperatures for steel pipes range from 600 F to 1650 F.
Traditional heat-treatment methods for pipe welds utilize standard power
supplies hard-wired to heating cables, which are wrapped around the weld area.
Thermocouples are also attached to the weld area. A thermocouple is a device
that
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measures temperature by converting heat energy into electrical energy. The
thermocouple is spot-welded at one end to the weld area. At the other end the
thermocouple wires, called leads, are connected to an on-off controller
located in a
heat-treatment unit. This provides the on-off control to the heater cables in
order to
achieve the desired temperatures-time cycle.
A conventional heat-treatment unit contains a local controller that can be
programmed to provide the appropriate temperature to the weld area through the
heating cables. It also contains a strip chart temperature recorder, which
records and
displays the data locally. A plurality of on-site technicians is required to
carry out the
various tasks involved in the process, such as installing the heater cables
and
monitoring the temperature charts of long heat-treatment cycles.
The conventional method of heat-treatment is expensive, inflexible and only
provides real-time status and operational temperature checking to technicians
at the
site of the heat-treatment unit. It is preferable to provide constant and real-
time
temperature monitoring, as well as a reduction in the number of on-site
technicians.
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Summary of the Invention
Accordingly, it is an object to provide the capability to remotely control,
monitor
and/or service the heat-treatment equipment and process via a wireless
communications network, from a central location.
In one embodiment, a specially configured heat-treatment unit, called a Super
6Wi, is used as hereafter described. The Super 6Wi is a unique heat-treatment
unit
that collects, records and processes temperature data from the thermocouples
attached to the weld area. This data is stored locally, as well as transmitted
remotely
through an in-plant secure wireless network to the Site Access Manager (SAM).
The
SAM collects and stores temperature data from up to 100 Super 6Wis. The SAM
then
encodes and transmits this data either wirelessly or through a wired Internet
connection to a central location, called the Quality Management Center (QMC).
The QMC is at the heart of the remotely controlled heat-treatment process. The
QMC performs a number of functions with reference to the heat-treatment
process.
First, it collects, analyzes and stores the received temperature data. Second,
it
performs temperature cycle monitoring and equipment control. Third, it
produces
complete and accurate records of the heat-treatment process, thereby ensuring
compliance with quality control standards and requirements. The user may view
the
collected temperature data in real-time by using the included proprietary
Super View
software, through any popular wireless device, such as PDA, laptop or cell
phone.
Wireless communication between the heat-treatment unit and the SAM provides
a number of advantages. These include the elimination of cable/wire
installation,
elimination of possible disruptions in case of cable/wire damage, and access
to real-
time temperature data from any computer, Tablet PC, PDA or digital cell phone.
In
addition, the connection between the Super 6Wi's, through the SAM, to a
central
location, offers a reduction in the number of on-site technicians required for
monitoring
the heat-treatment process.
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Further features will be described or will become apparent in the course of
the
following detailed description
Brief Description of the Drawings
In order that the scope of the discovery may be more clearly understood,
embodiments thereof will now be described in detail by way of example, with
reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGURE 1 is a block diagram of a system for controlling, monitoring and/or
servicing a heat-treatment process remotely via wireless communications;
FIGURE 2 is an exemplary Prework Order Form outlining the specific
requirements of the heat-treatment process;
FIGURE 3 is an exemplary Customer Support Document containing customer
drawings, and used by on-site installation technicians;
FIGURE 4 is an exemplary Secure Data Report created after completion of the
heat-treatment process and delivered to the customer, evidencing that the heat-
treatment process complies with specifications;
FIGURE 5 is an exemplary Brinell Hardness Report containing the results of the
hardness test;
FIGURE 6 is an exemplary Certificate of Calibration evidencing the calibration
of the Super 6Wi; and
FIGURE 7 is an exemplary Daily Equipment and Material Work Acceptance
Form, evidencing the customer's acceptance of the heat-treatment performed.
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Description of Preferred Embodiments
In the embodiments disclosed here, the heat-treatment process is remotely
monitored and controlled from the QMC, by using the Internet to connect to the
SAM
and via a local, in-plant, secure wireless network which connects the SAM to
the
5 Super 6Wi.
A particular embodiment is illustrated in Fig. 1. For the pre-welding stage of
the
heat-treatment process, this embodiment provides a unique feature called a
Smart
Light. Referring now to Fig. 1 the Smart Light 10 is a high-visibility LED
indicator fitted
with a magnetic mount, which provides the capability to attach the light to
the steel
pipe in the vicinity of the weld area. The Smart Light 10 assists in the
adherence to the
appropriate welding codes by providing the welder with real-time temperature
status
indications at the weld area. In turn, this enables the welder to take
appropriate action,
as required.
The following four conditions are indicated by the Smart Light 10: (1) no
light -
power is off to the weld area; (2) slow blinking - temperature is either
ramping up to
specification or cooling down; (3) solid light - the temperature is within
specifications;
(4) rapid blinking - alarm condition signaling some type of malfunction of the
Super
6Wi as described below.
The Smart Light 10 may be integrated within the power and thermocouple
wiring to form a single cable unit and simplify connections and is controlled
by the
Super 6Wi 20. The Super 6Wi 20 is equipped with an indicator that provides a
similar
display to that of the Smart Light 10 at the end of the cable unit of the
Super 6Wi 20.
Referring now to Fig. 1 the heating element 11 is wrapped around the weld area
in accordance with the wrapping specifications. Heating cables 12 are
hardwired to the
heating element 11 and connected to the Super 6Wi 20. Additionally, high
temperature
Type K thermocouples 13 are spot-welded to the weld area at pre-determined
sites in
accordance with the applicable standards and as outlined on the Wrapping
Specification Sheet provided. The other ends of the thermocouple leads are
connected
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to the Super 6Wi 20. After installation of the heating element(s) 11 at the
weld area,
the entire heat-treatment process may be automatically controlled and
continuously
monitored as disclosed elsewhere herein.
The Super 6Wi 20 is an intelligent and portable heat-treatment unit. The Super
6Wi 20 is unique in that it includes a solid state computer composed of an
embedded
microprocessor 21 with recording capabilities, and a wireless radio device 22.
Power
to the Super 6Wi 20 is provided either by an in-plant 600/480V 3-phase power
supply
or by a diesel generator. The Super 6Wi 20 accepts temperature profiles and
alarm
parameters and provides a number of unique features. These include a wireless
status
indicator, Smart Light temperature status indicator, six thermocouple inputs
measured
at a rate of four times per second, and built-in 100ft secondary cables. The
built-in
secondary cables eliminate the mechanical connections between the cables and
conventional heat-treatment units, and the failure risks associated with these
connections.
The Super 6Wi 20 is programmed using the temperature profiles and alarm
parameters required by the specific heat-treatment process. Programming is
performed by entering the appropriate data from computers located at the
central
Quality Management Center (QMC) 60 via a proprietary software package, called
Data
Manager. The Data Manager contains all the cycle and alarm parameters
necessary
for achieving a successful heat-treatment process by the Super 6Wi 20.
During the heat-treatment process the thermocouples 13 connected to the weld
area continuously provide temperature data to the Super 6Wi 20. The Super 6Wi
20
samples the temperature data from each thermocouple 13 at a rate of four times
per
second in order to control the electric power to the heating elements 11.
The Super 6Wi's 20 proprietary software also encodes the temperature data
generated by the thermocouples and stores it locally in a solid-state, non-
volatile
memory device. The Super 6Wi 20 is capable of storing this data for up to 6
months.
The Super 6Wi 20 encrypts and transmits the encoded data, securely, through
the
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embedded wireless transceiver module 22 over the wireless network 30 to the
Site
Access Manager (SAM) 40 every five seconds. The wireless network 30 utilizes a
spread-spectrum, channel-hopping algorithm that ensures no interference with
other
wireless networks present on-site. The wireless network 30 uses the 902 to 928
MHz
unlicensed bandwidth and is designed to cover an area within a 3-mile range.
In addition to the wireless capability, the Super 6Wi 20 is equipped with a
secondary communication port 23. This allows a device to be wire-connected
locally in
order to perform direct monitoring and control of the Super 6Wi 20, as may be
necessary. In the event of a wireless communication failure, the Super 6Wi 20
is
equipped with full operational control and it can perform all heat-treatment
functions
independently of the rest of the system. For safety purposes power supplies
are
equipped with manual emergency shutdown buttons.
The Super 6Wi 20 has a number of unique alarm features for control and
monitoring of the heat-treatment process. These include alarm and hold for
over/under
temperature condition, open/shorted thermocouple alarm, heater failure alarm,
redundant over-temperature shutdown and temperature deviation alarm. These
alarm
features indicate anomalous conditions that may arise during a heat-treatment
process.
The SAM 40 is a portable, solid state embedded computer capable of operating
in harsh environments. The computer is mounted in a weatherproof enclosure and
is
able to operate in temperatures between -20 C and +60 C. The SAM 40 has
minimal
power requirements, whereby a 12V battery provides up to 24 hours of continued
functioning. Complementary to the Super 6Wi 20, the SAM 40 is equipped with a
wireless transceiver module 41. The wireless transceiver module 41 enables the
SAM
40 to receive and transmit data to and from all the system's components, the
Super
6Wi 20, the QMC 60 and the customer's portable devices 70. The robust wireless
connection enables communications up to a distance of three miles without a
line-of-
sight from the Super 6Wi 20. The SAM 40 is capable of storing heat-treatment
data
from up to 100 Super 6Wis 20 for up to five days.
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The SAM 40 can also function as a communications gateway between the
Super 6Wi 20, the QMC 60 and the customer's portable devices 70. The SAM 40
initiates the communication with the Super 6Wi 20 by sequentially polling each
Super
6Wi 20 present in the on-site wireless network 30. The SAM 40 gathers
temperature
data from the Super 6Wi 20 every 30 seconds. The data gathered wirelessly by
the
SAM 40 is recorded in a solid state memory device every 60 seconds. For
redundancy, this data is stored in the SAM 40 for 5 days and is available to
be
downloaded from the QMC 60.
For reliability purposes the SAM 40 is also equipped with multiple network
ports
that allow multiple connections to the Internet 50. In addition to the
standard Ethernet
port 43 the SAM is equipped with a built-in modem 44 for wireless Internet
connections
using cellular networks, and a standard 802.x wireless device 45. The SAM 40
can be
equipped with a local printing option by attaching a printer 46. The SAM 40
also
allows for on-site connection of a customer device 70 running the Super View
software
for local monitoring of the heat-treatment process. This connection is a
direct local
connection to all Super 6Wi(s) 20 present on site through the SAM 40.
The SAM 40 communicates via a secure Internet connection 50 with the central
control and monitoring location, the QMC 60. The QMC 60 is a 24 hours-a-day/7
days-
a-week centre operated by fully trained operators. The QMC 60 downloads all of
the
temperature profiles and alarm parameters to the Super 6Wi 20. The QMC 60 also
notifies installation crews of the setup results through various means,
including but not
limited to cell phones and text messaging. In addition the QMC 60 provides
real-time
monitoring and control of the heat-treatment process and can send voice and/or
text
messages containing the status of the heat-treatment process.
The QMC 60 runs the proprietary Data Manager software, which ensures that
the entire heat-treatment process adheres to quality control standards. The
Data
Manager constantly compares temperature data received from the weld area with
pre-
loaded data for the particular heat-treatment process. Any deviations outside
the alarm
parameter settings between the two sets of data generate alarms at the QMC 60,
and
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designated personnel are notified. The situation is rectified through the
control
capabilities of the Data Manager software, which include unit shutdown in the
event of
over-temperature, alarm/hold protection for over/under temperature,
open/shorted
thermocouple, and equipment temperature alarm with shutdown protection.
The QMC 60 verifies and archives all of the temperature data from the various
Super 6Wi's in stored data banks. In the event that the communication between
the
SAM 40 and QMC 60 is interrupted, upon re-establishing communications, the QMC
60 is capable of automatically retrieving the missing data from the SAM 40 and
synchronizing the data from all devices within seconds. The QMC 60 also
attends to
complete documentation management, to ensure strict adherence to the Quality
Assurance standards of both the SuperheatFGH quality program and the
customer's
own quality programs.
The QMC 60 manages the following documents:
a) Prework Order Forms - document signed by the customer outlining the
specific requirements of the heat-treatment process, a sample of which is
attached as Schedule A at FIGURE 2;
b) Customer Support Document - document containing customer drawings,
and used by on-site installation technicians, a sample of which is
attached as Schedule B at FIGURE 3;
c) Secure Data Report - document created after completion of the heat-
treatment process and delivered to the customer, evidencing that the
heat-treatment process complies with specifications, a sample of which
is attached as Schedule C at FIGURE 4;
d) Brinell Hardness Report - document containing the results of the
hardness test, a sample of which is attached as Schedule D at FIGURE
5;
e) Certificate of Calibration - document evidencing the calibration of the
Super 6Wi, a sample of which is attached as Schedule E at FIGURE 6;
and
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f) Daily Equipment and Material Work Acceptance Form - document
created daily, evidencing the acceptance by the customer of the heat-
treatment performed, a sample of which is attached as Schedule F at
FIGURE 7.
5
In order to prevent outages the process contains built-in redundancy both in
operations as well as communications systems. As previously mentioned, during
the
heat-treatment cycle, each Super 6Wi 20 is capable of full operational control
in case
that communications with the SAM 40 and QMC 60 are interrupted. The power
10 supplies are equipped with external, manual emergency shutdown buttons and
data is
stored in each Super 6Wi 20 for up to six months. The communication systems
are
protected through the provision of multiple Internet providers and direct
telephone
connections.
Referring again to Fig. 1, the customer's portable devices 70 may use Super
View, which is a proprietary software program that allows users to view real-
time
temperature data anytime and from any location. The user may connect
wirelessly to
the SAM 40 or QMC 60 through any popular wireless device, such as a PDA,
Tablet
PC, laptop or cell phone and retrieve the temperature data that has been
gathered,
recorded and logged by the SAM 40 and the QMC 60.
In a typical embodiment, the heat-treatment process starts by establishing the
on-site secure wireless network 30. The secure wireless network 30 covers 100%
of
the plant site, so that the signal reaches all areas of the plant. A typical
network will
have a range of 3 miles in radius and will operate without a line-of-site
requirement
between the local SAM 40 and the various Super 6Wis 20 present on the plant
site.
The next step in the process is the installation of the heating element 11 and
the thermocouples 13 at the weld area. If pre-welding heat-treatment is
necessary, the
installation step will also include the installation of the Smart Light 10 at
a suitable
position near the weld area, such that the welder has continuous access to it.
All of the
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above components are then connected to the nearby Super 6Wi 20. The entire
heat-
treatment process is thereby controlled, monitored and documented by the
methods
and components disclosed here.
Upon completion of the local hardware installation the system is turned on and
a connection is established between the QMC 60 and the Super 6Wi 20, through
the
local SAM 40. The SAM 40 is the link between the multiple Super 6Wi's 20 and
the
QMC 60 via its various network link capabilities. The SAM 40 acts as a gateway
and
the Data Manager software running on it has the capability to search for a
particular
Super 6Wi 20 present in its associated wireless network 30. Once the
particular Super
6Wi 20 is found, the QMC 60 programs the Super 6Wi 20 with the particular
temperature data and alarm parameters provided by the temperature profile. The
heat-
treatment process is started by turning on the power to the heating elements.
Thereafter the process is continuously monitored and controlled by the QMC 60.
However, in the event that communications between the Super 6Wi 20 and the QMC
60 are lost, the Super6Wi 20 has the capability to independently perform all
the
functions required by the heat-treatment process.
The thermocouples 13 provide the Super 6Wi 20 continuously with temperature
readings from the weld area. The Super 6Wi 20 samples these readings four
times per
second, and due to the unique recording function present in its embedded
microprocessor, it stores the temperature readings locally in non-volatile
memory.
Upon a request from the SAM 40 the temperature data is encrypted and
transmitted
securely through the wireless network 30 from each Super 6Wi 20 to the SAM 40.
The
SAM 40 receives the binary encrypted data from the Super 6Wi 20 and stores it
locally, for redundancy purposes, for up to five days.
The SAM 40 is operated by the same Data Manager software package that
runs on the QMC 60. This proprietary software is capable of running as both a
network
server and client for other Data Manager packages. The Data Manager's function
on
the SAM 40 is that of a server, serving requests from the QMC 60. The Data
Manager's function on the QMC 60 is that of a client, requesting information
from the
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SAM 40. Upon receiving the temperature data, the QMC 60 stores it locally and
compares it with pre-loaded data. The Data Manager's continuous analysis of
the
temperature data enables the system to recognize deviations and alarm the
technicians at the QMC 60, who will then notify designated personnel to
rectify the
alarm conditions. This real-time remote monitoring and control capability
enables the
user to avoid costly failures and re-work in the heat-treatment process.
During the entire heat-treatment process customers may connect to the local
SAM 40, either through a local wireless network, or through the Internet 50
and
retrieve real-time temperature data from any on-site Super 6Wi 20. This is
done with
the aid of Super View, a software package that allows viewing of the data in
the Super
6Wi 20. Super View enables customers to view both the status of an ongoing
heat-
treatment process, as well as data previously recorded.
Upon completion of the heat-treatment process the QMC 60 provides the
customer with all necessary Quality Control Documents, such as Secure Data
Reports, Brinell Hardness Reports and Work Acceptance Forms. The various
documents are generated in a digital electronic format, allowing for both e-
mailing to
customers and printing the electronic files to a standard color printer.
