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E Michael Coffey

Neil R Davie

A determination is made of the integrity of a gasket seal between two mating flange faces using capacitance measurement as an indication of the spacing between the flanges and thus the amount of gasket compression. The capacitance measurement can be made between a capacitor plate carried by the gasket and at least one of the flanges which serves as another capacitor plate. A capacitance-measuring instrument connected to the plates provides a measured capacitance signal that can be provided to a signal-processing instrument such as a personal computer. Further, the personal computer can be linked to a remote data center over a communications link for the transfer of gasket compression data.

Determination of gasket integrity by capacitance measurement

A thin flat disk-like capacitive load sensor of layered sandwich construction having a central opening and a circular outer periphery for installation above a packing follower or beneath the packing follower or packing gland. The load sensor has a thin first and second insulating outer layer between which an inner layer is secured. The inner layer is formed of dielectric material having a known dielectric constant, a first face having at least one thin electrically conductive circular ring surrounding the central opening in coaxial radially spaced relation, and a second face having a thin electrically conductive circular ring surrounding said central opening in coaxial radially spaced relation. The inner and outer layers contain electrical conductors engaged with respective electrically conductive circular rings on the opposed faces that are adapted to be connected with an electrical measurement apparatus. As the inner layer is compressed the spacing between the electrically conductive rings on the opposed faces is decreased such that compressive force on the packing can be measured as a function of the change in capacitance of the sensor. Proper compression of the padding can be achieved by monitoring during installation. Follow-up sampling or continuous measurement of packing compression provides early detection prior to packing failure to allow corrective action.

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Kemah, TX, United States of America

E Michael Coffey