PRIORITY

This application is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority to US Nonprovisional Application 16/928,929 filed July 14, 2020, which is a continuation of 15/920,128 filed March 13, 2018, and granted as US 10,712,181 on July 14, 2020, which is a nonprovisional conversion of and claims priority to U.S. provisional application number 62/481.680, filed April 4, 2017, the entirety of which are incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

In fields of endeavor pertaining to petrochemical plants, refining facilities, upstream production of oil and gas, power plant generation, and other applicable fields, instruments are frequently employed to monitor or sense pressure, flow, temperature, and other process parameters. Frequently, such instruments are required and/or configured to operate out of doors, often in remote or otherwise isolated locations and these instruments may be referred to herein as field instruments. Instrument enclosures may be used to protect instruments, including field instruments.

Conventional instrument enclosures include standard-sized rigid enclosures and customized, removable, soft cover enclosures. Conventional rigid enclosures are not generally suitable for enclosing field instruments that are directly attached to a standpipe or the like. When a field instrument is to be enclosed with a conventional rigid enclosure, the field instrument is first affixed within the instrument enclosure and the enclosure, rather than the field instrument, is attached to the standpipe. Many mounting brackets may be required to arrange the instrument into the rigid box in such a way that allows the instrument enclosure to be opened and closed.

Soft removable covers, often used in w armer climates to wrap around mounted instruments, tubing or tubing bundles, and power and communication wiring, are often closed using either metal rings or extended straps of fabric from the cover itself, which in turn are typically equipped wdth Velcro. The metal rings may be used to run the strap through the ring and back to a matching Velcro section to secure the strap. To install a soft removable cover, a custom installer is generally required to go to a site, where the installer may have to be escorted from instrument to instrument and build a custom template to accommodate the instrument body, the manifold to which it is mounted, any necessary holes for both tubing or tubing bundle carrying the process fluid to the instrument, and any power or communication waring. Due to their high degree of customization, these soft removable covers are often extremely difficult to re-install properly once removed for maintenance or any other reason. As a result, once they are removed from the instrument, these soft removable covers with one-of enclosure mechanisms are frequently not re-installed at all, or are not re-installed correctly, leaving the instrument exposed to the ambient conditions.

SUMMARY

Disclosed instmment enclosures address problems that may arise with typical rigid or soft cover enclosures. Disclosed instrument enclosures allow for a field instrument that is mounted directly to a standing structure, such as a conventional 2” standpipe or the like, to be enclosed, in the field, within an enclosed space defined by the instrument enclosure, thereby beneficially enabling contractors to improve their productivity during original installation and eliminate the practice of providing expensive and often proprietary instruments to a box manufacturer and then waiting for the assembled instrument and instrument enclosure assemblies to arrive back at the site to then be installed. Disclosed instrument enclosures save time during original installation because disclosed instrument enclosures do not require mounting all components and the field instrument to the instrument enclosure and then mounting the instrument enclosure on the standpipe or other structure. Disclosed instrument enclosures may be replaced without taking the field instrument offline and the time required to replace disclosed instrument enclosures is much less than time required to replace conventional rigid enclosures.

With respect to soft removable cover enclosures, disclosed instrument enclosures provide at least the following advantages: Disclosed instrument enclosures can be mounted directly to a supporting structure, like the field instrument itself, and will allow direct access to the field instrument without having to completely remove a custom fitted cover. Disclosed instrument enclosures are more likely to be replaced properly should a replacement be required whereas the soft removable covers are difficult to re-install properly once they have been removed from the field instrument, due to their custom fitted profiles. Disclosed instrument enclosures may reduce or eliminate expensive travel and the tedious process of walking around the applicable facility to first locate each instrument and then creating a custom template.

Disclosed instrument enclosures can also be used for covering inline instruments, valves, regulators, and other appurtenances that would need to maintain a specified thermal profile. Disclosed field-mounted instrument enclosures, including rigid and semi-rigid enclosures, protect field instruments from ambient conditions by providing a barrier between the enclosed space and the environment external to the enclosed space. The barrier shields the enclosed space from one or more environmental elements including, as non-limiting examples and depending on the embodiment, precipitation, humidity, wind, sunlight, environmental debris, wild animals, and unauthorized persons. Embodiments may employ seals, gaskets, or the like using known materials such as silicon or silicon-based compounds to improve the moisture barrier provided by the instrument enclosure in the closed position. Embodiments allow a universally sized box to completely enclose a field instrument without taking the field instrument off-line, removing the field instrument from a standpipe mount, or mounting the field instrument within an instrument enclosure using various brackets.

Disclosed instrument enclosures may include a top section, also sometimes referred to herein as a hinged section, and a bottom section, also referred to herein as a fixed section. The bottom section may include two parts, which may be hinged or affixed in a manner that permits the bottom to be opened and wrapped around a field instrument or other object mounted to a pipe or a standpipe. The two parts of the bottom section may be configured to w rap around a portion of the standpipe or other support, a portion of the tubing or tubing bundle carrying a process fluid, and a portion of any power wire(s) and/or communication wire(s) fixed to the field instrument.

Disclosed instrument enclosures may further include a hinge or fastening means which is suitable for attaching the top section of the instrument enclosure to the bottom section once the bottom section is in place.

Accordingly, subject matter disclosed herein includes an instrument enclosure comprising a top section, a bottom section including a first part and a second part, one or more fasteners for fastening the first part to the second part, and one or more hinges configured to hinge the top section to the bottom section. The bottom section may be suitably configured to readily attach directly to a standpipe or directly to a bracket that is affixed to the standpipe. In at least one embodiment, the hinges enable the top section to rotate, relative to the bottom section, wherein an angle formed by an edge of the top section and a corresponding edge of the section varies between 0 degrees in the closed position and N degrees in the open position where N can vary betw een 90 to 270 in some embodiments and N can vary between two different angles in other embodiments. In the closed position, edges of the top section are in contact with or in very close proximity’ to corresponding edges of the bottom section, and the combination of the top section and the bottom section define an enclosed space that is suitable for receiving a field instrument.

The first part of the bottom section may define a first notch and the second part of the bottom section may define a second notch. The first notch and the second notch may be positioned and sized wherein the combination of the first notch and the second notch define an opening in the bottom section when the first part is fastened to the second part. The opening in the bottom section may comprise an opening in a central portion of a base plate formed by the combination of a base portion of the first part and a base portion of the second part. The opening in the bottom section may be sized and otherwise configured to engage a standpipe, in which case an end portion of the standpipe may reside within the enclosed space defined by the top and bottom sections of the instrument enclosure in the closed position. In these embodiments, the field instrument, when installed, may be affixed to the end portion of the standpipe and the enclosed space is suitably sized to receive the field instrument affixed to the end portion of the standpipe.

One or more interior surfaces of enclosed space defined by the instrument enclosure, including but not limited to one or more interior surfaces of the bottom section, may include one or more instrument attachment elements to which one or more attachment elements or features of the field instrument may attach. In at least some embodiments, the attachment elements may be sufficient in number, position, strength, and other relevant parameters to fully support the field instrument. In such embodiments, the standpipe may terminate outside of the instrument enclosure and the enclosed space may not need to accommodate an end portion of the standpipe. In these embodiments, the instrument enclosure may be configured to attach to a mounting plate, bracket, or other suitable structure that is itself, affixed to the standpipe.

In some embodiments, one or more openings in the bottom section may be configured to receive one or more process line conduits for carrying, communicating, or otherwise conveying one or more measurable process parameters to the field instrument.

Such conduits may be enclosed in suitable process line tubing. In still other embodiments, the instrument enclosure may include a first opening configured to receive a standpipe and a second opening configured to receive one or more process line conduits and, in these embodiments, the standpipe opening may be located in a different surface of the instrument enclosure.

As a non- limiting example, the standpipe opening may be disposed in a horizontally oriented lower surface while the conduit opening is disposed in a vertically oriented reward surface of the instrument enclosure.

In embodiments of the instrument enclosure that include a first opening for a standpipe and a second opening for one or more process line conduits, the first part of the bottom section may include or define a first pipe notch and a first line notch while the second part of the bottom section may include or define a second pipe notch and a second line notch. In these embodiments, the first pipe notch and the second pipe notch may be positioned, sized, and otherwise configured wherein the combination of the fist pipe notch and the second pipe notch define the standpipe opening when the first part and the second part are properly fastened together while the first line notch and the second line notch are positioned, sized, and otherwise configured wherein the combination of the first line notch and the second line notch define the process line opening when the first part and the second part are properly fastened together.

In some instrument enclosure embodiments, including embodiments that lack a pipe opening, the bottom section may be configured to be fastened to a mounting plate or bracket that is affixed or that is readily affixed to the standpipe.

In such embodiments, the mounting plate or bracket may include a plurality of openings suitable for receiving bolt, screws, pins, or other suitable fasteners, in which case, the bottom section of the instrument enclosure may include a corresponding plurality of openings for receiving said bolts, screws, pins, or other suitable fasteners.

In some embodiments, the instrument enclosure is a convex polyhedral instrument enclosure comprising a plurality ⁷ of planar or substantially planar surfaces or walls. Convex polyhedral embodiments of the instrument enclosure may include hexahedral embodiments, comprising six planar surfaces including an upper surface and a lower surface that are oriented in parallel or substantially parallel planes, a forward surface and a rearward surface that are oriented in parallel or substantially parallel planes that are perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the upper surface, and a left surface and a right surface that are oriented in parallel or substantially parallel planes that are perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the upper surface and the forward surface.

In some hexahedral embodiments, the top section of the instrument enclosure includes the upper surface, the forward surface, a first portion of the left surface, and a first portion of the right surface while the bottom section includes the lower surface, the rearward surface, a second portion of the left surface and a second portion of the right surface. In these embodiments, the first part of the bottom section may include a first portion of the lower surface, a first portion of the rearward surface, and the second portion of the left surface while the second part of the bottom section may include a second portion of the lower surface, a second portion of the rearward surface, and the second portion of the right surface.

The first and second parts of the bottom section may be configured as mirror images of one another or substantially so. The first portion of the lower surface may comprise a first half of the lower surface while the second portion of the lower surface may comprise a second half of the lower surface. Similarly, the first portion of the rearward surface may comprise a first half of the rearward surface and the second portion of the rearward surface may comprise a second half of the rearward surface.

Embodiments of the instrument enclosure, including embodiments of hexahedral and other convex polyhedral instrument enclosures may include one or more durable and transparent or partially transparent windows of tempered glass or other suitable material.

In further accordance with disclosed subject matter, a disclosed method of providing an instrument enclosure suitable for enclosing a field instrument located at a desired site includes hinging a top section, also referred to herein as the hinged section, of an instrument enclosure to a bottom section, also referred to herein as the standing section, of the instrument enclosure to enable the hinged section to rotate, relative to the standing section, between a closed position and one or more open positions. When the instrument enclosure is in the closed position, the combination of the standing section and the hinged section define an enclosed space that is suitably dimensioned to receive a field instrument and suitably constructed to provide a barrier between the enclosed space and the external environment in which the instrument enclosure is located. The barrier shields the enclosed space from one or more environmental elements. The method further includes attaching the standing second to a standing structure located at or within the site and affixing the field instrument to a supporting structure such that the field instrument is positioned in a particular position disposed within the enclosed space when the instrument enclosure is closed. The supporting structure may be the standpipe or attachment elements disposed in or on an interior surface of the enclosed space defined by the instrument enclosure in the closed position.

Embodiments of the method support substantially any sequence for hinging the hinged section, attaching the fixed section, and affixing the field instrument to a supporting structure, such that any of the following sequences may be followed: hinging, attaching, and supporting; attaching, hinging, and supporting; supporting, hinging, and attaching; and supporting, attaching, and hinging.

The method may further include forming the fixed section by fastening a first part of the fixed section to a second part of the hinged section. Affixing the field instrument to the supporting structure may include affixing the field instrument to the standing structure, in which case the instrument enclosure may include or define an aperture sized, positioned, and otherwise configured to receive a terminal portion of the standing structure within the enclosed space. Affixing the field instrument may alternatively include attaching the field instrument to one or more attachment features of the instrument enclosure, in which case the fixed portion of the instrument enclosure may be affixed to the standpipe or to a brace, bracket, or mounting plate attached to the standpipe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 provides an exploded view of the mounting plate affixed to a standpipe or other suitable standing structure onto which the instrument enclosure mounts;

FIG. 2 provides a completed attachment of the mounting plate affixed to a standpipe or other suitable standing structure;

FIG. 3 provides an exploded isometric view of the bottom portion of an instrument enclosure during assembly from a top side perspective;

FIG. 4 provides a partially exploded isometric view of an instrument enclosure assembly from a top side perspective; FIG. 5 illustrates a partial bottom assembly of the instrument enclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates a complete bottom assembly of the instrument enclosure in which the instrument enclosure is attached to a mounting plate affixed to a standpipe or other suitable standing structure;

FIG. 7 illustrates a rear view of the instrument enclosure in a closed configuration.

The figures and corresponding text disclose non-limiting examples and embodiments. Reference numerals used in different figures represent similar structures or procedures unless denoted otherwise. Features shown may be enlarged or reduced relative to other features for clarity or emphasis to ensure better understanding.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, instrument enclosure [100] includes left and right mounting plate sections [101,102] which when joined create the mounting plate [203, shown completed in FIG. 2] affixed to a standpipe [104] or other suitable standing structure onto which the instrument enclosure [100] mounts. The mounting plate sections [101.102] may be made of metal or other suitable material(s). The mounting plate sections [101 , 1 2] are joined by aligned apertures [105-1] using suitable fastening means [105-2], such as nuts and bolts. The left and right mounting plate sections [101, 102] are identical, both having a planar top surface [106], arched recess [107] to receive a cylindrical standpipe [104], and fixed triangular supports [108], A clamp [109] supports the mounting plate [203] and prevents vertical movement of the instrument enclosure [100],

A field instrument [110] can be directly mounted, affixed, or otherwise attached to the standpipe [104] or other suitable standing structure that limits contact of the instrument with the instrument enclosure [100], The mounting plate [203] provides support to the instrument enclosure [100] separately and apart from the support of the field instrument [110],

In addition, the illustrated field instrument [110] is attached to process line tubing [111,112] configured to provide a process flow, as well as measurable parameters, to the field instrument [110], The illustrated instrument enclosure assembly [100] includes a rigid or semi-rigid instrument enclosure [100] configured to be attached to standpipe [104] or mounting plate [203] such that the instrument enclosure [100] encompasses field instrument [110] while permitting ingress/egress for the process line tubing [111,112], In one embodiment, field instruments [110] having similar operating requirements can be used in tandem allowing more than one field instrument [110] to be included within the instrument enclosure [100],

In a further embodiment, the arched recess [107] can be provided in any suitable shape that can accommodate a suitable standing structure other than a standpipe [104] having a cylindrical shape. These recesses [107] may be shaped in accordance with the shape of the standpipe [104], For the circular embodiment of the standpipe [104] presented, each recess [107] may define a semicircular arc.

The field instrument [110] can be attached to the standpipe [104] using a single attachment as shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6, or a double attachment as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 illustrates the inner assembly of the lower portion of an instrument enclosure [100], The left and right bottom base sections [312,313] are mirror images and therefore are arranged in a reverse configuration when compared to the other. The left bottom base section [312] is distinct and detachable from the right bottom base section [313], The bottom base sections [312,313] are connected together along respective L-shaped edges [314-1, 314-2] forming the bottom base [415] (shown completed in FIG. 4). Hinges [403] (shown in FIG. 4) or other suitable attachments can be provided. Hinges [403] may enable top casing [601, shown in FIG. 6] to rotate between an open position as best shown in FIG. 6 and a closed position (shown in FIG. 7).

The bottom base sections [312,313] may be connected by one or more fasteners 105-2. which may be implemented as hinged fasteners or as any other suitable type of rigid fastener. The bottom base sections [312,313] are joined atop the mounting plate [203] where a portion of the left and right mounting plate sections [101,102] are left accessible under the bottom base [415], as shown in FIG. 4, for the mounting of the left and right bottom casing segments [401.402], FIG. 5 illustrates the attachment of the right bottom casing segment [402] to the right bottom base section [313],

Each bottom base section [312,313] includes a lower planar portion [320] and an upper planar portion [321] that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the lower planar portion [320], As illustrated in the figures, the lower planar portions [320] of the bottom base sections [312, 313] are oriented in a substantially horizontal plane while the perpendicular upper planar portions [321] of the bottom base sections [312,313] are oriented in a substantially vertical plane. Each lower planar portion [320] may include or define a recess [107] configured to engage standpipe [104] such that the two bottom base sections [312,313] may be attached to one another while engaging the standpipe [104],

Each upper planar portion [321] may include or define a lipped recess [322] having a lip [323] configured to engage the top [316] and bottom portal plates [317] having dual concavity sections [318] that when joined form ingresses [416,417] (shown in FIG. 4) that can be used for additional portals for data collection and monitoring. A gasket [319] or other suitable sealing means is fitted within the lip [323] of the lipped recess [322] of the upper planar portion [321] to provide additional environmental isolation betw een the environment and enclosed space(s) defined when the instrument enclosure [100] is in a closed configuration. The outward edges of the ingresses [416,417] of FIG. 4 are sealed with a transparent or translucent glass or plastic lens [418], that can be planar, convex, concave or otherwise shaped for optimization of the field instrument(s) [110] enclosed w ithin the instrument enclosure [100],

In further embodiments, the lenses [418] can be made of any suitable material or combination of materials that allows for optimal function and data collection of the field instmment(s) [110] within the instrument enclosure [100],

The top casing [601] and complete bottom casing [602, which is consists of 312, 313, 401, 402] illustrated in FIG. 6, are substantially triangular in cross section as best illustrated by the substantially triangular side panel [611] of top casing [601] and the substantially triangular side panels [612] of bottom casing [602], A front panel [613] of top casing [601] is illustrated with an optional window- [645] to enable visual inspection of the instrument enclosure [100] without opening the instrument enclosure [100], A window [645] may be comprised of tempered glass or any other sufficiently transparent and durable material.

As best illustrated in FIG. 6, the instrument enclosure [100] is in an open position, with a top section casing [601] that includes first, second, third, and fourth edges [641-1, 642-1, 643-1, and 644-1], Similarly, a bottom section casing [602] includes first, second, third, and fourth edges [641-2, 642-2, 643-2, and 644-2], The first edge [641-2] of the bottom casing [602] may be hinged or otherwise rotatably-affixed to the first edge [641-1] of the top casing [601] via one or more hinges [403] or other suitable attachment means, in which second, third, and fourth edges [642-1, 643-1, and 644-1], of top casing [601] are in contact with or in close proximity to second, third, and fourth edges [642-2, 643-2 and 644-2] of the bottom casing [602],

Although the figures illustrate hinging between the top casing [601] sections and the bottom casing [602] sections along first edges [641] of the top casing [601] sections and the bottom casing [602] sections , embodiments of the instrument enclosure [100] may include additional hinging between top casing [601] and bottom casing [602] sections to provide variations of open and closed configurations of instrument enclosures [100] in addition to the open and closed configurations supported by the illustrated hinging. Such additional hinging may include, without limitation, fixed or detachable hinging between second edges [642], fixed or detach hinging between third edges [643], and fixed or detachable hinging between fourth edges [644],

In the closed position, the top casing [601] and bottom casing [602] cooperatively define an instrument enclosure space within which a field instrument [110] may be located as described in more detail below. In at least some embodiments, top casing [601] and bottom casing [602] sections cooperatively form a cubic or substantially cubic instrument enclosure [100], In at least some other embodiments, the top casing [601] and bottom casing [602] sections cooperatively form a rectangular cuboid or substantially rectangular cuboid instrument enclosure [100],

The left and right bottom base sections [312,313] illustrated in FIG. 3-FIG. 6 further include or define notches [315], configured to engage tubing [433] and provide for enclosing power wires [436], and notches [315], configured to engage tubing [434] that also encloses communication wires or fibers [437], The upper planar portions [321] define corresponding notches [315] configured to engage process line tubing [111,112] such that the low er and upper planar portions [320,321] may be connected to each other while engaging process line tubing [111,112], allowing for process line tubing [111.112] to enter the instrument enclosure [100], While the notches [315] are illustrated in FIG. 3 as smooth and continuous arcs, embodiments may incorporate grooves and/or other elements to better restrict or engage the applicable pipes, tubing, or other structural elements. Gaskets or other type of sealing structures (not depicted) may be employed to provide additional environmental isolation between the environment and enclosed space defined when the instrument enclosure is closed.

The illustrated instrument enclosure [100] is configured for independent attachment to the support and includes three mutually adjustable parts- top casing [601] section, left bottom casing segment [401], and right bottom casing segment [402], that provide structure for removing and replacing the instrument enclosure [100] for a field instrument [110] attached to the process line tubing [111,1 12] without detaching the field instrument [110] from the standpipe [104] or other support structure or from the process line tubing [111,112],

In a similar embodiment, the mounting plate assembly [203, not shown] may include a field instrument column [667] as shown in FIG. 6 that extends from a mounting plate [203, not shown | and further fitted with the left and right bottom casing segments [312,313], In such assemblies, even though field instrument column [667] occupies volume analogous to the volume occupied by standpipe [104] shown in FIG. 1 through FIG. 5, the mounting plate embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 enables a beneficial pre-field attachment of the field instrument [110] to the field instrument column [667], i.e., attachment of the instrument to the enclosure before the field instrument [110] is brought to the field, thereby greatly easing the burden experienced during installation. In other mounting plate embodiments, the field instrument may be attached directly to the mounting plate [203] thereby achieving the prefield attachment feature described above for the embodiment depicted in FIG. 7, but also potentially enabling an instrument enclosure with a smaller footprint, an instrument enclosure with more interior space, or both.

Supporting the field instrument may include one or more operations including: attaching the field instrument to the standing structure, wherein the instrument enclosure defines an aperture configured to receive a terminal portion the standing structure and attaching the field instrument to one or more attachment features of the instrument enclosure.