A monitoring device for air cooler water leakage

Abstract

A kind of air cooler water leakage monitoring device, for real-time monitoring whether air cooler leaks, including air cooler, water pan, first sensor and second sensor.Air cooler includes multiple parallelly arranged heat exchange pipes, water pan is located directly below air cooler, the inner surface of the bottom of water pan is provided with multiple water guide fins extending along the arrangement direction of heat exchange pipe, water guide groove is formed between adjacent two water guide fins, water guide groove is axially aligned with heat exchange pipe, water guide fin extends into the gap between adjacent two heat exchange pipes.First sensor is arranged at the starting end of each water guide groove, for detecting the water flow trigger signal of corresponding water guide groove.Second sensor is arranged at the end of each water guide groove, for detecting the water flow trigger signal of corresponding water guide groove.The monitoring device of the application can accurately locate the water leakage heat exchange pipe by the one-to-one correspondence between water guide groove and heat exchange pipe, combined with the double-sensor design of starting end and end, avoid the blind area problem of traditional single-point detection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of monitoring technology for hydropower plant power generation equipment, and more specifically, to a monitoring device for water leakage in an air cooler. Background Technology

[0002] In hydropower plant operation, air coolers are critical equipment for ensuring heat dissipation of generator units. Leaks in these air coolers can easily lead to safety hazards such as insulation degradation and short circuits. Traditional monitoring methods mainly rely on manual inspections and fixed-location humidity sensors, which have significant drawbacks: manual inspections are inefficient and cannot respond to sudden leaks in real time; conventional sensors are highly susceptible to interference from ambient humidity fluctuations, resulting in high false alarm rates, and their fixed locations lead to numerous blind spots. Furthermore, existing detection devices mostly use single-threshold alarms, which cannot accurately locate the source of the leak, leading to time-consuming troubleshooting and significant equipment downtime losses. Some solutions using video surveillance suffer from high data redundancy and poor nighttime recognition accuracy. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a monitoring device with high sensitivity, strong anti-interference capabilities, and the ability to quickly locate leaks to improve the operational safety and maintenance efficiency of air coolers in hydropower plants. Utility Model Content

[0003] This application provides a monitoring device for air cooler leakage, used to monitor whether the air cooler is leaking in real time. The device includes an air cooler, a water collection tray, a first sensor, and a second sensor. The air cooler includes multiple parallel heat exchange tubes. The water collection tray is located directly below the air cooler. The inner surface of the tray bottom is provided with multiple water-guiding fins extending along the arrangement direction of the heat exchange tubes. A water-guiding groove is formed between two adjacent water-guiding fins. The water-guiding groove is axially aligned with the heat exchange tubes, and the water-guiding fins extend into the gap between two adjacent heat exchange tubes. The first sensor is located at the beginning of each water-guiding groove and is used to detect the water flow trigger signal of the corresponding water-guiding groove. The second sensor is located at the end of each water-guiding groove and is used to detect the water flow trigger signal of the corresponding water-guiding groove.

[0004] In some embodiments, the water guide channel has a sloping structure that is high in the middle and low at the beginning and end along its extension direction, which is used to guide water flow to the beginning and end.

[0005] In some embodiments, the starting and ending ends of the water guide channel form a water guide groove spaced apart from the inner surface of the water receiving tray.

[0006] In some embodiments, the bottom of the water guide channel is higher than the bottom of the water guide ditch.

[0007] In some embodiments, each of the water guide channels has a drain outlet at the bottom that extends through the bottom of the water receiving tray.

[0008] In some embodiments, an electromagnetic stop valve is connected to the drain outlet to control the opening and closing of the drain outlet.

[0009] In some embodiments, the air cooler further includes a first end cap and a second end cap installed at both ends of the heat exchange tube, wherein the first end cap extends outward to form a first boss and the second end cap extends outward to form a second boss.

[0010] In some embodiments, the monitoring device further includes a first sensor and a second sensor, with the starting end and the ending end of the water guide channel located below the first protrusion and the second protrusion, respectively. The first sensor is located at the bottom of the first protrusion, and the second sensor is located at the bottom of the second protrusion.

[0011] In some embodiments, the water guide fins are provided with matching clearance grooves at positions corresponding to the first end cap and the second end cap, and the bottom of the clearance groove is higher than the bottom of the water guide groove.

[0012] The monitoring equipment in this application, through a one-to-one correspondence between the water guide channel and the heat exchange tube, combined with a dual-sensor design at both the starting and ending points, can accurately locate leaking heat exchange tubes, avoiding the blind spots of traditional single-point detection. The structure of the water guide fins extending to the side wall of the water collection pan constrains the water flow path, preventing false alarms; the dual sensors at the starting and ending points trigger detection simultaneously, achieving single-pipe-level leak location and improving the detection response speed to the second level. Compared to traditional overall detection solutions using a water collection pan, this method can quickly pinpoint faulty heat exchange tubes, improving maintenance efficiency by more than 50%, and is also simple in structure and highly reliable.

[0013] Additional aspects and advantages of embodiments of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0014] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein:

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of this application;

[0016] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Explosion-proof diagram of the structure;

[0017] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of section line AA;

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the water receiving tray according to an embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Enlarged view of section B.

[0020] Explanation of main component symbols: Monitoring equipment 100, air cooler 10, heat exchange tube 11, tube sheet 12, side plate 13, first end cover 14, first boss 141, water inlet 142, water outlet 143, second end cover 15, second boss 151, exhaust port 152, water receiving tray 20, water guide fins 21, water guide groove 22, starting end 221, ending end 222, clearance groove 23, water guide ditch 24, drain port 241, first sensor 30, second sensor 40. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The embodiments of this application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same or similar reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout.

[0022] Furthermore, the embodiments of this application described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the embodiments of this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0023] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0024] Please see Figures 1 to 3 This application provides a monitoring device 100 for monitoring water leakage in an air cooler 10, used for real-time monitoring of whether the air cooler 10 is leaking water. The monitoring device 100 includes an air cooler 10, a water receiving tray 20, a first sensor 30, and a second sensor 40. The air cooler 10 includes multiple parallel heat exchange tubes 11. The water receiving tray 20 is located directly below the air cooler 10. The inner surface of the bottom of the water receiving tray 20 is provided with multiple water guiding fins 21 extending along the arrangement direction of the heat exchange tubes 11. A water guiding groove 22 is formed between two adjacent water guiding fins 21. The water guiding groove 22 is axially aligned with the heat exchange tubes 11, and the water guiding fins 21 extend into the gaps between the heat exchange tubes 11. The first sensor 30 is disposed at the starting end 221 of each water guiding groove 22 and is used to detect the water flow trigger signal of the corresponding water guiding groove 22. The second sensor 40 is disposed at the ending end 222 of each water guiding groove 22 and is used to detect the water flow trigger signal of the corresponding water guiding groove 22.

[0025] The monitoring device 100 of this application, through the one-to-one correspondence between the water guide trough 22 and the heat exchange tube 11, combined with the dual sensor design at the starting end 221 and the ending end 222, can accurately locate the leaking heat exchange tube 11, avoiding the blind spot problem of traditional single-point detection. The structure of the water guide fins 21 extending into the heat exchange tube 11 restricts the water flow path and prevents misjudgment. The dual sensors at the starting end 221 and the ending end 222 trigger detection synchronously, realizing single-tube-level leak location, and improving the detection response speed to the second level. Compared with the traditional water collection pan overall detection solution, it can quickly locate the faulty heat exchange tube 11, improve the operation and maintenance efficiency by more than 50%, and has a simple structure and high reliability.

[0026] Specifically, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The air cooler 10 is used to dissipate heat from the generator set. The air cooler 10 includes heat exchange tubes 11, tube sheets 12, side plates 13, a first end cap 14, and a second end cap 15. Multiple heat exchange tubes 11 are arranged in parallel at intervals to form a tube bundle. Both ends of the tubes 11 are fixed to and extend out of the tube sheets 12. The heat exchange tubes 11 can be cylindrical, rectangular, etc. The two side plates 13 connect the two tube sheets 12, together forming a rectangular mounting frame. The tube bundle is located within the mounting frame and extends along its length. The first end cap 14 and the second end cap 15 are symmetrically installed on the outside of the tube sheets 12 (i.e., the outer side of the mounting frame). The first end cap 14 extends outward to form a first boss 141, with an inlet 142 and an outlet 143 on its upper surface. The second end cap 15 serves as a return end cap, extending outward to form a second boss 151, with two vents 152 on its upper surface. The vents are sealed with plugs.

[0027] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5The water receiving tray 20 is adapted to the air cooler 10. It is a rectangular tray with a hollowed-out upper center and is made of thermally conductive material. The water receiving tray 20 is located directly below the air cooler 10. The upper surface of the bottom of the water receiving tray 20 is provided with multiple water guiding fins 21 extending along the arrangement direction of the heat exchange tubes 11. A water guiding groove 22 is formed between two adjacent water guiding fins 21, and the water guiding groove 22 is axially aligned with the heat exchange tubes 11. To facilitate the installation of the bosses, the water guiding fins 21 are arranged with a high middle (level with the height of the heat exchange tubes 11) and low ends (below the lower surface of the bosses). During installation, the starting end 221 and the ending end 222 of the water guiding groove 22 are located below the first boss 141 and the second boss 151, respectively. The water guiding fins 21 extend into the gaps between the heat exchange tubes 11. In the embodiment of this application, the height of the water guiding fins 21 is the same as the height of the heat exchange tube bundle 11. The water receiving tray 20 structure, which is aligned with the water guide channel 22 and the heat exchange tube 11, combined with the starting end 221 and the end end 222 sensors, accurately locates the leaking heat exchange tube 11 and provides real-time feedback of water flow signals, enabling rapid identification of the leak point.

[0028] The water guide fins 21 have matching clearance grooves 23 at positions corresponding to the first end cap 14 and the second end cap 15. The clearance grooves 23 extend along the width direction of the cuboid, and the bottom of the clearance grooves 23 is higher than the bottom of the water guide grooves 22. The clearance grooves 23 prevent the water guide protrusions from interfering with the end cap mounting structure, ensuring the compatibility between the water receiving tray 20 and the air cooler 10.

[0029] Furthermore, the water guide channel 22 has a sloping structure (inverted "V" shape) along its extension direction, which is higher in the middle and lower at the starting end 221 and the ending end 222, to guide the water flow towards the starting end 221 and the ending end 222. The inverted V-shaped structure is inclined at [5°, 15°], and the V-shaped slope design accelerates the water flow to both ends, reduces the risk of water accumulation, and improves the sensor detection efficiency. Since the starting end 221 and the ending end 222 are symmetrically set about the central plate surface, it is also possible to distinguish whether the leakage is in the front half, the rear half, or the middle.

[0030] Furthermore, the starting end 221 and ending end 222 of the water guide channel 22 form a water guide ditch 24 with the inner side of the water receiving tray 20 at intervals. The water guide ditch 24 extends along the width direction of the cuboid, and its arrangement is the same as that of the water guide channel 22, so it will not be described again. The bottom of the water guide channel 22 is higher than the bottom of the water guide ditch 24, that is, the lowest height of the bottom of the starting end 221 and ending end 222 of the water guide channel 22 is higher than the highest height of the water guide ditch 24. Each water guide ditch 24 has a drain outlet 241 penetrating the bottom of the water receiving tray 20. Specifically, each corner of the water receiving tray 20 has a drain outlet 241 located at the lowest point of the water guide ditch 24. An electromagnetic stop valve is connected to the drain outlet 241 to control its opening and closing. When the first / second sensor 40 detects a leakage signal, the electromagnetic valve opens and triggers the alarm module.

[0031] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 4 The first sensor 30 and the second sensor 40 are respectively disposed at the starting end 221 and the ending end 222 of each water guide channel 22, and are used to detect the water flow trigger signal of the corresponding water guide channel 22. The sensors can be installed on the inner sidewalls of the water receiving tray 20 corresponding to the starting end 221 and the ending end 222 of the water guide channel 22. In the embodiment of this application, the starting end 221 and the ending end 222 of the water guide channel 22 are respectively located below the first protrusion 141 and the second protrusion 151. The first sensor 30 is located on the bottom lower surface of the first protrusion 141, and the second sensor 40 is located on the bottom lower surface of the second protrusion 151. The sensors are aligned with the two ends of the water guide channel 22. The sensors can be infrared sensors, photoelectric sensors, ultrasonic sensors, etc. When a single heat exchange tube 11 leaks water, the water flow triggers the sensor signals at the starting end 221 and the ending end 222. The control module determines the location of the leak point by the signal time difference (for example, if the starting end 221 is triggered first, it is a leak in the first half).

[0032] In the description of this specification, the references to "certain embodiments," "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples" refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the described embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0033] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the stated features. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two or three, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0034] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this application. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of this application, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A monitoring device for air cooler leakage, used to monitor in real time whether the air cooler is leaking water, characterized in that, include: An air cooler, the air cooler comprising a plurality of parallel heat exchange tubes; A water receiving tray is located directly below the air cooler. The inner surface of the bottom of the water receiving tray is provided with a plurality of water guiding fins extending along the arrangement direction of the heat exchange tubes. A water guiding groove is formed between two adjacent water guiding fins. The water guiding groove is axially aligned with the heat exchange tubes. The water guiding fins extend into the gap between two adjacent heat exchange tubes. The first sensor is disposed at the starting end of each of the water guide channels and is used to detect the water flow trigger signal of the corresponding water guide channel; The second sensor, located at the end of each of the water guide channels, is used to detect the water flow trigger signal of the corresponding water guide channel.

2. The monitoring equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water guide channel has a sloping structure that is high in the middle and low at the beginning and end along its extension direction, which is used to guide the water flow to the beginning and end.

3. The monitoring equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The starting and ending ends of the water guide channel are spaced apart from the inner side of the water receiving tray to form a water guide ditch.

4. The monitoring device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The bottom of the water guide channel is higher than the bottom of the water guide ditch.

5. The monitoring device according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each of the water guide channels has a drainage outlet at its bottom that penetrates the bottom of the water receiving tray.

6. The monitoring device according to claim 5, characterized in that, An electromagnetic stop valve is connected to the drain outlet to control the opening and closing of the drain outlet.

7. The monitoring equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air cooler also includes a first end cap and a second end cap installed at both ends of the heat exchange tube. The first end cap extends outward to form a first protrusion, and the second end cap extends outward to form a second protrusion.

8. The monitoring device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The starting end and the ending end of the water guide channel are located below the first boss and the second boss, respectively. The first sensor is located at the bottom of the first boss, and the second sensor is located at the bottom of the second boss.

9. The monitoring device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The water guide fins have matching clearance grooves at positions corresponding to the first end cap and the second end cap, and the bottom of the clearance grooves is higher than the bottom of the water guide grooves.

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