Leak detecting arrangement especially suitable for a steam condenser and method
AssigneeElectric Power Research Institute, Inc.
InventorsCharles A. Pelletier, Edgar D. Barefoot
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The detection of leaks in tubes, particularly cooling tubes in a steam condenser, is disclosed herein. In accomplishing this, a discrete amount of helium or similar tracer gas is initially directed into the front ends of the tubes while, at the same time, this gas is prevented from escaping into the ambient surroundings. Thereafter, the gas is drawn or otherwise moved by positive force through the tubes to the backends thereof, causing a portion of the gas to escape through leaks in the tubes, if any such leaks exist. The escaping gas, if any, is detected to indicate the presence of a leak and, at the same time, the non-escaping tracer gas reaching the backends of the tubes is captured and directed to a remote location.
Claims13
An arrangement for detecting leaks in a plurality of discrete tubes which have opposite adjacent open ends and which form part of a given apparatus also having an inner chamber surrounding said tubes such that the open ends of the latter are accessible from outside said chamber, said arrangement comprising:
- (a) means located outside said inner chamber and cooperating with the adjacent open ends of selected ones of said tubes for directing tracer gas into said selected tubes at the cooperating adjacent ends of the latter while, at the same time, isolating said adjacent open ends from the ambient surroundings so as to prevent any tracer gas from escaping into the ambient surroundings including said inner chamber as the tracer gas is directed into said tubes;
- (b) means for drawing said tracer gas through said selected tubes from said cooperating adjacent ends to opposite adjacent ends thereof such that, if any of said selected tubes have leaks, a portion of said gas will escape into said chamber through said leaks before reaching said opposite ends;
- (c) means cooperating with said opposite adjacent ends of said selected tubes for capturing all of the tracer gas reaching said opposite ends and directing the captured tracer gas to a remote location;
- and
- (d) means for drawing said escaping gas, if any, to a predetermined detection point and detecting the gas at said point, whereby to indicate the presence of a leak.
A method of detecting leaks in a plurality of discrete tubes which have opposite adjacent ends and which form part of a given apparatus also having an inner chamber surrounding said tubes such that the open ends of the latter are accessible from outside said chamber, said method comprising:
- (a) selecting a particular group of said tubes and from outside said inner chamber directing tracer gas into adjacent open ends of the selected tubes while, at the same time, isolating the adjacent open ends from the ambient surroundings for preventing the tracer gas from escaping into the ambient surroundings including the inner chamber of said apparatus as the tracer gas is directed into the selected tubes;
- (b) drawing said tracer gas through said selected tubes from said adjacent ends to opposite adjacent ends thereof so that, if any of said selected tubes have leaks, a portion of said gas will escape into said inner chamber through said leaks before reaching said opposite ends;
- (c) capturing all of the tracer gas reaching said opposite adjacent ends and directing the captured tracer gas to a remote location;
- and
- (d) drawing said escaping gas, if any, to a predetermined detection point and detecting the gas at said point whereby to indicate the presence of a leak.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.