Pump seal leakage detection system
AssigneeGrundfos Holding A/S
InventorSteen Mikkelsen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pump seal leakage detection system (8) includes a leakage piping (13) including a collector pipe (21) and an air stream pipe (23), a sensor (15) positioned at the air stream pipe (23), and an air displacement device (17) for driving an air stream through the air stream pipe (23). The collector pipe (21) includes an inlet port (25) that is connectable to a leakage centrifuge (5), and an outlet port (27) into the air stream pipe (23). The sensor (15) is configured to detect a leakage drop at the outlet port (27) of the collector pipe (21) or in the air stream pipe (23). The air displacement device (17) is configured to blow a leakage drop off the outlet port (27) of the collector pipe (21) by an air stream towards an outlet port (35) of the air stream pipe (23).
Claims18
A pump seal leakage detection system comprising:
- a leakage piping comprising a collector pipe and an air stream pipe, the collector pipe comprising an inlet port connectable to a leakage centrifuge and an outlet port communicating into the air stream pipe;
- a sensor positioned at the air stream pipe, the sensor being configured to detect a leakage drop at the outlet port of the collector pipe or to detect a leakage drop in the air stream pipe or to detect a leakage drop at the outlet port of the collector pipe and to detect a leakage drop in the air stream pipe;
- and
- an air displacement device for driving an air stream through the air stream pipe, the air displacement device being configured to blow off the leakage drop, at the outlet port of the collector pipe, by the air stream directed towards an outlet port of the air stream pipe, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor for detecting an optical reflection of the surface of leakage fluid at the outlet port of the collector pipe.
A pump comprising:
- a pump seal;
- a leakage centrifuge;
- and
- a pump seal leakage detection system, the pump seal leakage detection system comprising:
- a leakage piping comprising a collector pipe and an air stream pipe, the collector pipe comprising an inlet port connectable to the leakage centrifuge and an outlet port communicating into the air stream pipe;
- a sensor positioned at the air stream pipe, the sensor being configured to detect a leakage drop at the outlet port of the collector pipe or to detect a leakage drop in the air stream pipe or to detect a leakage drop at the outlet port of the collector pipe and to detect a leakage drop in the air stream pipe;
- an air displacement device for driving an air stream through the air stream pipe, the air displacement device being configured to blow off the leakage drop, at the outlet port of the collector pipe, by the air stream directed towards an outlet port of the air stream pipe, wherein the inlet port of the collector pipe of the pump seal leakage detection system is connected to a side of the leakage centrifuge to receive centrifuged leakage fluid;
- and
- a deflector disc rotatably arranged within the leakage centrifuge for deflecting fluid leaking out of the pump seal towards the inlet port of the collector pipe.
A method for detecting a leakage of a pump seal, the method comprising the steps of:
- centrifuging fluid leaking out of the pump seal within a leakage centrifuge;
- collecting the centrifuged leaked fluid in a collector pipe being connected with an inlet port to the leakage centrifuge and having an outlet port into an air stream pipe;
- detecting a leakage drop at the outlet port of the collector pipe or in the air stream pipe;
- and
- driving an air stream through the air stream pipe for blowing the leakage drop off the outlet port of the collector pipe towards an outlet port of the air stream pipe, wherein the step of centrifuging the leaking fluid is supported by a deflector disc rotating within the leakage centrifuge for deflecting the centrifuged fluid towards the inlet port of the collector pipe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.