Method and system for monitoring steam systems

Abstract

A method and system for monitoring a steam system through remotely monitoring numerous points of a saturated steam system, wherein the method compares a steam temperature sensed at a portion of the steam system by a first sensor to a threshold subcooled temperature derived by a pressure sensed by a second sensor at or near the same portion of the steam system, wherein the method emits a warning to the first sensor when the sensed saturated temperature exceeds the derived threshold subcooled temperature.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A subcooled temperature detection system for a saturated steam system, the subcooled temperature detection system comprising:
 a plurality of temperature sensors operatively associated with different portions of the saturated steam system;   one or more pressure sensors operatively associated the saturated steam system; and   a user interface software coupled to said sensors and one or more saturated steam tables;   wherein the user interface software is configured to:
 calculate a subcooled temperature threshold based on a pressure sensed by the one or more pressure sensors as a function of the saturated steam table; 
 compare a temperature sensed by each temperature sensor to the calculated subcooled temperature; and 
 send an alarm signal to each temperature sensor having a sensed temperature below the calculated subcooled temperature. 
   
     
     
         2 . The subcooled temperature detection system of  claim 1 , further comprising a wireless sensor gateway electrically interconnecting said sensors and the user interface software. 
     
     
         3 . The subcooled temperature detection system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more pressure sensors are two or more pressure sensors at two or more different portions of the saturated steam system, and wherein the calculated subcooled temperature is a function of a correlation of the two or more sensed pressure of the different portions of the saturated steam system. 
     
     
         4 . The subcooled temperature detection system of  claim 3 , wherein the alarm signal activates a light on the respective temperature sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The subcooled temperature detection system of  claim 4 , wherein the user interface software is configured send an electronic message for each alarm signal. 
     
     
         6 . The subcooled temperature detection system of  claim 5 , wherein each temperature sensors includes a thermocouple. 
     
     
         7 . The subcooled temperature detection system of  claim 6 , wherein the saturation steam system further comprises a plurality of branches and each branch comprises:
 one or more steam traps in a drip leg;   one or more vessels; and   an uninsulated piping disposed between the one or more vessels and the drip leg, and   wherein one of the plurality of temperature sensors comprising a plurality of branch temperature sensors operatively associated with each branch, and wherein one of each plurality of branch temperature sensors is operatively associated with the uninsulated piping just upstream of the drip leg.   
     
     
         8 . The subcooled temperature detection system of  claim 7 , wherein each branch temperature sensors measure surface temperature. 
     
     
         9 . The subcooled temperature detection system of  claim 8 , wherein only one of the one or more pressure sensors is operatively associated with each branch. 
     
     
         10 . The subcooled temperature detection system of  claim 9 , wherein each plurality of branch temperature sensors of the plurality of temperature sensors are programed to communicate only with the one pressure sensor for the respective branch.