초록 ▼

A thermowell mounting assembly and method which allow a finite-length thermowell tube to be precisely adjusted by length during field installation to a desired position within a machine, process unit, or other location to be evaluated by a thermocouple. The adjustable length thermowell protects the

A thermowell mounting assembly and method which allow a finite-length thermowell tube to be precisely adjusted by length during field installation to a desired position within a machine, process unit, or other location to be evaluated by a thermocouple. The adjustable length thermowell protects the thermocouple from a harsh process environment while simultaneously facilitating temperature measurement by the thermocouple at the adjusted length of the thermowell. Adjustment of thermowell length is achieved by rotation of the thermocouple-thermowell assembly from a position exterior to a mounting flange connected to the machine or process unit.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A thermowell tube mounting assembly (110) for adjusting the position of a thermowell (14) to a desired depth (104) within the interior (100) of a process unit (90), said mounting assembly (110) comprising: a mounting flange (50) arranged and designed for coupling about an ope

What is claimed is: 1. A thermowell tube mounting assembly (110) for adjusting the position of a thermowell (14) to a desired depth (104) within the interior (100) of a process unit (90), said mounting assembly (110) comprising: a mounting flange (50) arranged and designed for coupling about an opening (92) in said process unit (90), said mounting flange (50) having an aperture (54) therethrough, wherein said process unit (90) is adapted to operate under pressure, and wherein said mounting flange (50) is adapted to provide a seal about said opening (92) for containing said pressure; an internal tube (60) coupled to an internal side (62) of said aperture (54) which provides an inner passage (56) between said aperture (54) and said internal tube (60); female threads (68) within said internal tube (60); a thermowell tube (14) having an external surface with male threads (24) positioned thereon to engage said female threads (68) of said internal tube (60), said thermowell tube (14) having a bore creating an inlet, said bore arranged and designed to accept a thermocouple assembly (12) therein, wherein said male threads (24) and said female threads (68) are adapted such that rotation of said thermowell tube (14) within said internal tube (60) adjusts the position of said thermowell tube 14 to said desired depth (104) within the interior (100) of said process unit (90); and a fastening mechanism (30, 40) which secures said thermowell tube (14) to said mounting flange (50), said fastening mechanism (30, 40) arranged and designed to prevent rotational or longitudinal movement of said thermowell tube (14) after said thermowell tube (14) is threaded through said female threads (68) of said internal tube (60) to a desired position within the interior (100) of said process unit (90), wherein said fastening mechanism (30, 40) is adapted to seal said thermowell tube (14) to said mounting flange (50) for containing said pressure in said process unit (90). 2. The assembly (110) of claim 1 wherein, said fastening mechanism (30, 40) is a compression fitting (30, 40). 3. The assembly (110) of claim 1 further comprising, a thermocouple assembly (12) disposed in said thermowell (14). 4. The assembly (110) of claim 3 wherein, said thermocouple assembly (12) is coupled to said thermowell tube (14) by a compression fitting (20). 5. The assembly (110) of claim 1 wherein said fastening mechanism (30, 40) includes an external tube (40) with threads (44) to couple the external tube (40) to the mounting flange (50) and a cap (30) to couple said thermowell tube (14) to said external tube (40). 6. The assembly (110) of claim 1 wherein, said female threads (68) within said internal tube (60) have a reverse thread pattern from other thread patterns used in said assembly (110). 7. The assembly (110) of claim 1 wherein, said process unit (90) is a gasifier (90). 8. A sensor well mounting assembly (120) for adjusting the position of a sensor well (14) to a desired depth (104) within the interior (100) of a process unit (90), said mounting assembly (120) comprising: a mounting flange (50) arranged and designed for coupling about an opening (92) in said process unit (90), said mounting flange (50) having an aperture (54) therethrough, wherein said process unit (90) is adapted to operate under pressure, and wherein said mounting flange (50) is adapted to provide a seal about said opening (92) for containing said pressure; a tube (60, 70, 80) coaxially aligned with said aperture (54) and which is coupled to said mounting flange (50), said tube (60, 70, 80) having female threads (68, 78, 88) therein; a sensor well (14) having an external surface with male threads (24) positioned thereon to engage said female threads (68, 78, 88) of said tube (60, 70, 80), said sensor well (14) having a bore creating an inlet, said bore arranged and designed to accept a sensor instrument (12) therein, wherein said male threads (24) and said female threads (68, 78, 88) are adapted such that rotation of said sensor well (14) within said tube (60, 70, 80) adjusts the position of said sensor well 14 to said desired depth (104) within the interior (100) of said process unit (90); a fastening mechanism (30, 40) coupling said sensor well (14) to said tube (60, 70, 80), said fastening mechanism (30, 40) preventing rotational or longitudinal movement of said sensor well (14) after said sensor well (14) is threaded through said female threads (68, 78, 88) of said tube (60, 70, 80) to a desired position within the interior (100) of said process unit (90), wherein said fastening mechanism (30, 40) is adapted to seal said sensor well (14) to said mounting flange (50) for containing said pressure in said process unit (90); a guide pin (84) coupled to an exterior surface of said tube (70, 80); and a cylinder (82) having a slot (86) formed in an exterior surface thereof, said guide pin (84) coupling said cylinder (82) to said tube (70, 80) through said slot (86), said slot (86) arranged and designed to allow said cylinder (82) to slide longitudinally across said tube (70, 80) and beyond an internal end of said tube (70, 80). 9. A method of adjusting the position of a sensor well (14) to a desired depth (104) within the interior (100) of a process unit (90), said method comprising the steps of: inserting a sensor instrument (12) into a sensor well (14); securing said sensor instrument (12) to said sensor well (14); coupling a tube (60, 70, 80) to a flange (50) having an aperture (54) therethrough, said tube (60, 70, 80) providing an inner passage (56) between said aperture (54) and said tube (60, 70, 80), said tube (60, 70, 80) having internal female threads (68, 78, 88) which are arranged and designed to engage male threads (24) on an external surface of said sensor well (14); coupling said flange (50) about an opening (92) in said process unit (90), said process unit having a wall defining an internal space, said opening (92) being in said wall and providing access to said internal space, wherein said wall has a wall thickness; measuring a desired depth (104) through said inner passage (56) from an external end of said tube (60, 70, 80) to an interior position (100) within said internal space in said process unit (90), wherein said desired depth (104) depends upon said wall thickness of said wall of said process unit; disposing said sensor well (14) within said tube (60, 70, 80) until said male threads (24) of said sensor well (14) engage said internal female threads (68, 78, 88) of said tube (60, 70, 80); rotating said sensor well (14) from a position exterior to said flange (50) to cause said male threads (24) to thread through said internal female threads (68, 78, 88) until said sensor well (14) translates the desired depth (104) into the interior (100) of said process unit (90); and coupling said sensor well (14) to said flange (50) to prevent rotational or longitudinal movement of said sensor well (14). 10. The method of claim 9 wherein, said sensor well (14) is a thermowell (14) and said sensor instrument (12) is a thermocouple (12). 11. The method of claim 9 wherein, said process unit (90) is a gasifier (90) adapted to operate under pressure and said wall includes a refractory lining, and wherein said flange (50) is adapted to sealingly couple about said opening (92) and sensor well (14) is adapted to sealingly couple to said flange (50) for containing pressure within gasifier (90).