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Intelligent MTconnect Eddy-Current Valve Probe Pilot Project within the High Pressure Gas Facility (HPGF) Liquid Nitrogen Evaporator Systems

Completed TRL 6 (started at 4, targeting 6)

Description

This effort is a pilot project which leverages previously developed explosive environment certified valve sensors from the "Intelligent Displacement Sensor Deployment using MTconnect® Protocol over Ethernet" a prior funded SSC Dual Use Project. It is proposed to install the MTconnect® system within the Liquid Nitrogen (LN2) Pump facility for the smart valve probes. This includes updating the LN2 pumping facility's Autonomous Monitoring and Managing Utility (AMMU) with an enhanced TEAMS model for incorporating the smart sensor probes. The new probes will provide an abundant amount of supplementary information about the operational health of the evaporator systems. This information will enable the AMMU to better identify degraded valve performance before impacting the facility's operation. This project will perform real-time collection of prognostic valve operational data by deploying smart eddy-current probes with the use of the MTconnect® system, and demonstrate its value within an operational environment. The MTconnect® system provides an abundant amount of significant operational information without requiring numerous sensors to be deployed. The MTConnect system will be installed within the Liquid Nitrogen (LN2) Pump facility for integration with the smart eddy-current valve probes. This process will include updating the LN2 pumping facility's Autonomous Monitoring and Managing Utility (AMMU) with an enhanced TEAMS model so that the smart sensor probes can be incorporated for use. The addition of these new probes will provide an abundant amount of supplementary information about the operational health of the evaporator systems. This information will enable the AMMU to better identify degraded valve performance before it can impact facility operation.

Benefits

The proposed effort will put in place a system capable of successfully preventing unexpected facility shutdowns. Additionally, the initial employment of the MTConnect Protocol will act as a backbone for incorporating future developed MTConnect capable sensors within the SSC test facilities.

Details

ProgramCenter Innovation Fund: SSC CIF (SSC CIF)
Lead organizationStennis Space Center, Stennis Space Center, MS
Start date2012-10-01
End date2013-09-30

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