Eddy current measurement of tube element spacing

Patent · 31 December 1997

OSTI ID:871510

Latham, Wayne Meredith ^[1]; Hancock, Jimmy Wade ^[2]; Grut, Jayne Marie ^[3]

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1. Forest, VA
2. Lynchburg, VA
3. Madison Heights, VA

A method of electromagnetically measuring the distance between adjacent tube elements in a heat exchanger. A cylindrical, high magnetic permeability ferrite slug is placed in the tube adjacent the spacing to be measured. A bobbin or annular coil type probe operated in the absolute mode is inserted into a second tube adjacent the spacing to be measured. From prior calibrations on the response of the eddy current coil, the signals from the coil, when sensing the presence of the ferrite slug, are used to determine the spacing between the tubes.

• Research Organization: BABCOCK & WILCOX CO
• DOE Contract Number: AC11-95PN38196
• Assignee: McDermott Technology, Inc. (New Orleans, LA)
• Patent Number(s): US 5744952
• OSTI ID: 871510
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/324/165/
absolute
adjacent
adjacent tube
annular
bobbin
calibrations
coil
current
current coil
current measurement
cylindrical
determine
distance
eddy
eddy current
electromagnetically
element
element spacing
elements
exchanger
ferrite
heat
heat exchange
heat exchanger
inserted
magnetic
magnetic permeability
measured
measurement
measuring
method
mode
operated
permeability
placed
presence
prior
probe
response
sensing
signals
slug
spacing
tube
tube adjacent
tube element
tubes
type