METHOD AND APPARATUS OF THERMAL DETECTION USING BONDED COUPON

• Main Author: HUBERT L. WHALEY
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 02.04.1987
• Edition: 3
• Subjects: BLASTING; EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; LIGHTING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; MEASURING; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MINING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS; PHYSICS; PIPE-LINE SYSTEMS; PIPE-LINES; PIPES; STORING OF DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; TESTING; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; WEAPONS

A coupon (10, 12) is bonded to a component (20) using a bonding agent which is capable of withstanding temperatures only up to a selected temperature above which the bonding agent no longer holds the coupon to the component. The component (20), during an operation, is intended for exposure to temperatures not above the selected temperature. An exposure of the component (20) to the elevated selected temperature is identified by the fact that the coupon (10, 12) is no longer bonded to the component after termination of the operation. When the component (20) is provided with insulation, the selected temperature is chosen to correspond to a temperature at which the insulation fails to determine the integrity of the insulation after the operation. The coupon (10, 12) may be bonded to an exterior or interior surface of the component. With an exterior bonded coupon, visual inspection is sufficient. With an interior bonded coupon, detection means such as ultrasonic instrumentation is utilized to determine the presence or absence of the bonded coupon.