Shelter equipped with leak detection device

Abstract

To provide a shelter that can further reduce the risk of fuel leakage from consumer equipment. [Solution] The fuel tank body 321 has a multi-layer structure including a primary tank 3211 into which fuel is injected, and a secondary tank 3212 that covers the entire primary tank. The discharge section 324 provided at the bottom of the fuel tank body 321 has a double-pipe structure to match its structure. Pipe 37 is connected to the discharge section 324 using flanges 401 and 402. Pipe 37 has a double-pipe structure in which the secondary pipe 372 covers the primary pipe 371 through which the fuel flows. The other end of the secondary pipe 372 is filled with a sealant 375 between it and the primary pipe 371. As a result, the outside of the primary pipe 371 in the area covered by the secondary pipe 372 is isolated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a shelter equipped with a fuel tank inside the shelter or a shelter equipped with a leakage detection device for piping to the fuel tank.

Background Art

[0002] A shelter is a facility for protecting people from dangers such as natural disasters or attacks by weapons, and can isolate people seeking refuge from the outside. For example, a nuclear shelter, which is one type of shelter, is a facility for protecting people from nuclear attacks, and there are places where the penetration rate is 100% in foreign countries.

[0003] A dangerous situation usually continues for a certain period. Therefore, a shelter is considered to be a place where people can stay without going outside for a certain extent. While being isolated from the outside by the shelter, people who have taken refuge in the shelter (hereinafter referred to as "refugees") need to take food. In addition, it is desirable for refugees to maintain an environment where they can collect necessary information. This is because by collecting necessary information, more appropriate actions can be taken. For example, by collecting information, refugees can know the situation where they should evacuate from the current shelter or the arrival of a situation where they can leave the shelter. Here, in order to avoid confusion, hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, food is used in the meaning including beverages such as water.

[0004] Information collection is generally considered to be carried out using electronic devices such as radio receivers and communication devices such as smartphones. Therefore, it is desirable to maintain the electronic devices in a usable state as much as possible. In addition, in many shelters, there are devices for allowing refugees to stay. Examples of such devices include an air filter and a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) device. For these reasons, there are also shelters equipped with a power generation device so that such devices can be used.

[0005] In renewable energy generation such as solar or wind power, equipment such as solar panels or wind turbines must be placed outdoors. In situations where people are at risk, such as during wartime or natural disasters, such equipment may not be able to maintain its integrity. For this reason, shelters in which power generation equipment is installed inside the shelter itself have been considered (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-82046 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] The power generation equipment installed inside the shelter itself may be an internal combustion engine such as a diesel generator, or a fuel cell. Such power generation equipment typically uses flammable fuel to generate electricity. Therefore, when installing such power generation equipment, it is also necessary to provide a fuel tank for storing the fuel.

[0008] A shelter is designed to provide a place for evacuees to stay while isolated from the outside world. To achieve this isolation, the interior of the shelter is typically a sealed space. Therefore, the danger posed by a fuel leak from a fuel tank or the piping connected to it becomes significantly more serious. Some fuels are harmful to human health. For these reasons, it is crucial to minimize the risk of fuel leaks in shelters that house fuel storage tanks.

[0009] Therefore, this invention provides a shelter equipped with a leak detection device that can further reduce the risk of fuel leakage used in power generation equipment and the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A shelter according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a shelter body capable of isolating evacuees from the outside, a fuel tank installed inside the shelter body and used for storing fuel, a power generation device capable of consuming the fuel, piping for supplying the fuel from the fuel tank to the power generation device, and a leak detection device comprising a covering member for covering at least a portion of the piping from the outside and isolating the portion thereof. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The present invention provides a shelter equipped with a leak detection device that can further reduce the risk of fuel leakage from power generation equipment and the like. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a shelter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a plan view showing an example of a shelter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of a cross-sectional view along line A-A' in Figure 2. [Figure 4] A perspective view of a double-walled piping system. [Figure 5] (a) is a cross-sectional view of the piping (cross-sectional view of line BB in Figure 4), and (b) is an enlarged view of the dotted circle A in Figure (a). [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of a cross-sectional view along the line B-B' in Figure 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the figures. The embodiments described below, including modifications, are merely examples, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. The technical scope of the present invention includes various modifications.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a shelter according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a shelter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] This shelter 1 is an underground buried type shelter assuming a nuclear war. The shelter body 10 in which a staying space for evacuees taking refuge in the shelter 1 is secured is entirely buried below the ground surface G as shown in FIG. 1. From the ground surface G, an entrance / exit part 2 allowing evacuees to enter and exit protrudes. An explosion-proof door (not shown) is provided at the entrance / exit part 2, and a space 20 for the ascent and descent of evacuees is formed inside the entrance / exit part 2 that can be isolated from the outside by the explosion-proof door. A staircase 21 is arranged in the space 20, and evacuees can move (ascend and descend) between the entrance / exit part 2 and the shelter body 10 using the staircase 21.

[0016] Inside the shelter body 10, it can be isolated from the space 20 by, for example, a wall provided with an iron door. The isolatable space is divided into a plurality of compartments (staying possible spaces) 3 to 5 as shown in FIG. 2. Compartment 3 and compartment 4 are partitioned by a wall, and both compartment 4 and compartment 5, and compartment 3 and compartment 5 are partitioned by, for example, a wall provided with an iron door.

[0017] Compartment 3 is assumed for installing various facilities and the like. In FIGS. 1 and 2, as examples of facilities, a generator 31, a fuel tank 32, a storage battery 33, a power conditioner 34, a distribution board 35, and an alarm 36 are shown. As the generator 31, for use inside the shelter, it is required to have low fuel consumption, be able to operate for a long time, be easy to maintain, and have low running costs. For example, in this example, a diesel generator is used.

[0018] When a diesel generator is used as the generator 31, light oil is stored in the fuel tank 32. On the other hand, a generator using gasoline as fuel is also conceivable, but when using gasoline, since it is easy to ignite and has a high risk for use inside the shelter, it is safe to use light oil. It is still possible to use a generator that uses kerosene and is small in size.

[0019] The fuel tank 32 includes a fuel tank main body 321 and two support bases 322 that support the fuel tank main body 321. Further, an injection part 323 for injecting fuel (light oil) is provided at the upper part of the fuel tank main body 321. A detector 39 for detecting leaked fuel is attached near the injection part 323. Here, the upper part is a positional expression assuming the case where the fuel tank 32 is installed in an appropriate state. Unless otherwise specified, positional expressions will be made based on this assumption.

[0020] The fuel (light oil) stored in the fuel tank 32 is supplied to the generator equipment 31 through the pipe 37. A detector 38 for detecting leaked fuel is attached below the pipe 37.

[0021] In the case of a diesel generator adopted as the generator equipment 31, the fuel adopted is light oil, and the fuel leaked from either the fuel tank main body 321 or the pipe 37 is to be detected by the detector 39 or 38.

[0022] In FIG. 2, the connection relationships by various electric wires including signal wires are shown by dotted lines. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the detectors 38, 39 is connected to the alarm 36 by signal wires 211, 212. When each of the detectors 38, 39 detects fuel, for example, it activates a signal (hereinafter referred to as a "detection result signal") output to the signal wires 211, 212. Thereby, each of the detectors 38, 39 notifies the alarm 36 of the fuel detection result.

[0023] When the alarm 36 detects fuel, it sounds an alarm, for example. The alarm sounds, allowing evacuees to become aware of the fuel leak. In this embodiment, the alarm 36 can also notify evacuees, by sound, voice, or displayed information, which of the detectors 38 and 39 detected fuel. In this embodiment, detector 38 corresponds to a detector, detector 39 corresponds to another detector, and alarm 36 corresponds to an alarm and other alarms.

[0024] The electricity generated by the power generation equipment 31 is supplied to the power conditioner 34 via the power line 201. The power conditioner 34 converts the electricity supplied from the power generation equipment 31 into a state suitable for the storage battery 33 and supplies the converted electricity to the storage battery 33. The power line 202 is used for this power supply. As a result, the electricity generated by the power generation equipment 31 is temporarily stored in the storage battery 33. The exhaust gas generated during power generation by the power generation equipment 31 is discharged to the outside via the exhaust gas piping 311, which protrudes above the ground surface G.

[0025] The electricity generated by solar panels or wind turbines used in renewable energy generation can be supplied to the power conditioner 34 and stored in the battery 33. In this case, renewable energy may not be available depending on the ground conditions.

[0026] The battery 33 and the distribution board 35 are electrically connected by a wire 203. As a result, the power stored in the battery 33 is supplied to the distribution board 35 via the wire 203. The distribution board 35 is an electrical facility where circuit breakers, earth leakage circuit breakers, and other electrical devices are installed together. Various devices (not shown) installed in shelter 1 can be supplied with power stored in the battery 33 via the distribution board 35. Examples of such devices include air filters, heating and cooling equipment, communication equipment, pumps, and cooking equipment.

[0027] The fuel stored in the fuel tank 32 is usually flammable and often harmful to humans. When the shelter 1 is in use, the inside of the shelter body 10 becomes a sealed space shielded from the outside. Therefore, fuel leakage inside the shelter body 10 is extremely dangerous. For this reason, in this embodiment, fuel leakage is made less likely to occur as follows. This will be explained in detail with reference to Figures 3 and 4.

[0028] Figure 3 shows an example of a cross-sectional view along line A-A' in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the fuel tank body 321 has a multi-layer structure in which the entire primary tank 3211 is covered by the secondary tank 3212. The inside of the primary tank 3211 is isolated from the inside of the secondary tank 3212, and the fuel is stored in the primary tank 3211. Therefore, even if corrosion or cracks occur in a part of the primary tank 3211, the fuel tank body 321 is designed so that fuel will not leak to the outside as long as the secondary tank 3212 is not damaged. As a result, fuel leakage from the fuel tank 32 is less likely to occur.

[0029] Since the fuel tank body 321 has a multi-layer structure, the filling section 323 includes a protruding portion 3231 that extends from the secondary tank 3212, and a lid 3232 attached to the end of the protruding portion 3231, as shown in Figure 3. A hole 3233 is formed within the protruding portion 3231, allowing fuel to be injected into the primary tank 3211 from the outside. This hole 3233 is formed from a cylindrical molded object, and the end located on the inside of the cylindrical molded object is, for example, joined to the primary tank 3211 to prevent fuel leakage.

[0030] The cylindrical molded part is entirely covered by another cylindrical molded part, and the outer ends of the two molded parts are connected. The other end of the other cylindrical molded part is entirely joined to the secondary tank 3212. This creates a double-pipe structure in the protrusion 3231 that allows the inside of the primary tank 3211 to remain isolated within the secondary tank 3212. The opening located outside the hole 3233 can be sealed by the lid 3232 to prevent fuel leakage.

[0031] A discharge section 324 for discharging fuel is provided at the bottom of the fuel tank body 321. As shown in Figure 3, this discharge section 324 has a double-pipe structure similar to the protruding section 3231. Inside the discharge section 324, there is a cylindrical molded object with a hole 3741 formed therein, which allows the fuel in the primary tank 3211 to be discharged to the outside. The end of the cylindrical molded object located on the inside is joined to the primary tank 3211 to prevent fuel leakage.

[0032] The cylindrical molded part is entirely covered by another cylindrical molded part, and the outer ends of the two molded parts are connected. The other end of the other cylindrical molded part is joined to the secondary tank 3212. As a result, the discharge section 324, like the protruding section 3231, maintains a state of isolation within the secondary tank 3212 from the primary tank 3211.

[0033] On the outer surface of the other end 3742 of another cylindrical molded product, for example, a screw thread is formed. This screw thread is intended for attaching a flange 401, which has a screw thread formed on its inner surface, to the discharge section 324, as shown in Figure 3. In the example shown in Figure 3, the pipe 37 has a flange 402 attached to its end. The flange 402 is connected to the flange 401 by the same number of bolts 411 and nuts 412, with a packing (not shown) in between.

[0034] The piping 37 has a double-pipe structure to match the structure of the discharge section 324. This structure includes a primary pipe 371 through which fuel flows, and a secondary pipe 372 that covers the primary pipe 371. One end 374 of the secondary pipe 372 has, for example, threads formed on its outer surface, and these threads allow the flange 402 to be attached to the piping 37.

[0035] The primary piping 371 is spatially isolated from the secondary piping 372. One end 373 of the primary piping 371 is exposed from the secondary piping 372 for connection to other pipes. Therefore, the other end of the secondary piping 372 is filled with a sealant 375 to prevent any gaps between the primary piping 371 and the secondary piping 372. This filling with sealant 375 isolates the area outside the primary piping 371 within the range where the secondary piping 372 covers the primary piping 371, creating a closed space. As a result, even if corrosion or cracks occur in a part of the primary piping 371, fuel will not leak as long as the secondary piping 372 is undamaged. This makes fuel leakage from the piping 377 less likely.

[0036] The reason one end 373 of the primary piping 371 is exposed from the secondary piping 372 is to allow existing power generation equipment 31 to be connected to the piping on the power generation equipment 31 side of the primary piping 371 without any special work. For parts not involved in such connections, a double-pipe structure may be used in which the outside of the primary piping 371 is pre-isolated by the secondary piping 372 without using a sealant 375 or the like. As a result, the piping 37 may be made up of multiple types of piping with different structures connected together. Even with such a piping 37, the presence of a primary piping whose outside is isolated by the secondary piping reduces the risk of fuel leakage. The double-pipe structure in which the outside of the primary piping 371 is pre-isolated by the secondary piping 372 may be, for example, one with flanges 402 attached to both ends.

[0037] A detection sensor 381 for detecting fuel is positioned between the primary piping 371 and the secondary piping 372. This detection sensor 381 is a sensor cable whose electrical properties, such as capacitance or electrical resistance, change upon contact with fuel, and is connected to a detector 38. The method of detecting fuel is not particularly limited and can be arbitrarily selected depending on the type of fuel intended for use. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the double piping 37 described above. As shown in the figure, in the double piping 37, a secondary piping 372 made of the same resin is installed over a primary piping 371 made of the same resin, and a gap 37' of a predetermined width is formed between the primary piping 371 and the secondary piping 372. A detection sensor 381 is installed in this gap 37'.

[0038] Figure 5(a) is a cross-sectional view of the piping 37 (cross-sectional view of line BB in Figure 4), and Figure 5(b) is an enlarged view of the dotted circle A in Figure 5(a). As described above, the double piping 37 has a double structure, with the secondary piping 372 covering the primary piping 371. Also, as shown in Figures 5(a) and (b), the detection sensor 381 is installed in the gap 37' between the primary piping 371 and the secondary piping 372 to detect leakage from the primary piping 371.

[0039] The detection sensor 381 is positioned at the bottom because the fuel is primarily assumed to be liquid. Since liquid moves downward due to gravity, positioning the detection sensor 381 at the bottom allows for earlier and more reliable detection of fuel leakage from the primary piping 371. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, positioning the detection sensor 381 over a wide area is effective in enabling even earlier and more reliable detection of small fuel leaks.

[0040] The detector 38 monitors the electrical characteristics of the detection sensor 381 and, based on changes in the electrical characteristics, determines whether or not there is contact between the detection sensor 381 and fuel, that is, whether or not there is a fuel leak from the primary piping 371. In accordance with the determination result, it changes the detection result signal output to the signal line 211. As a result, the alarm 36 is notified of the fuel detection result by the detector 38.

[0041] Fuel leakage from the secondary piping 372 occurs when the secondary piping 372 fails at approximately the same time as the primary piping 371, or when the secondary piping 372 fails earlier than the primary piping 371. However, the presence of the secondary piping 372 is expected to further reduce the amount of fuel that actually leaks from the secondary piping 372 due to the failure of the primary piping 371. In cases other than these, it is possible to take action assuming that fuel leakage is prevented by the secondary piping 372.

[0042] For these reasons, by adopting a double-pipe structure for the piping 37, not only can the risk of fuel leakage be further reduced, but the degree of that risk can also be further suppressed. If fuel leakage from the primary piping 371 is detected, the likelihood of actually preventing fuel leakage from the piping 37 can be greatly increased, and it becomes easier to take action at an earlier stage. Therefore, a higher level of safety can be ensured. The primary piping 371 corresponds to the piping in this embodiment, and the secondary piping 372 corresponds to the covering member in this embodiment.

[0043] Figure 6 shows an example of a cross-sectional view along the line B-B' in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 6, in the fuel tank body 321, a detection sensor 391 for detecting fuel is positioned between the primary tank 3211 and the secondary tank 3212. This detection sensor 391 is a sensor cable whose electrical properties, such as capacitance or electrical resistance, change upon contact with fuel, similar to, for example, a detection sensor 391, and is connected to a detector 39.

[0044] The detection sensor 391 is positioned to surround the primary tank 3211, extending along its entire longitudinal direction on the plane of the fuel tank body 321. The reason for positioning the detection sensor 391 below the primary tank 3211 is to enable detection of fuel leaking from the primary tank 3211 and moving downwards. By positioning the detection sensor 391 below the primary tank 3211, even a short detection sensor 391 can detect fuel leaking from the primary tank 3211 with a very high probability.

[0045] Similar to detector 38, detector 39 monitors the electrical characteristics of detection sensor 391 and, based on changes in electrical characteristics, determines whether or not fuel is in contact with detection sensor 391, i.e., whether or not fuel is leaking from primary tank 3211. Based on this determination, it changes the detection result signal output to signal line 212. This notifies alarm 36 of the fuel detection result by detector 39. Note that fuel leakage may also be notified via alarm 36 to information equipment located inside or outside the shelter body 10.

[0046] Fuel leakage from the secondary tank 3212 usually occurs when the secondary tank 3212 fails at approximately the same time as the primary tank 3211, or when the secondary tank 3212 fails earlier than the primary tank 3211. However, the presence of the secondary tank 3212 is expected to reduce the amount of fuel that actually leaks from the secondary tank 3212 due to the failure of the primary tank 3211. In cases other than such, it is possible to respond to situations where fuel leakage is prevented by the secondary tank 3212.

[0047] For these reasons, by adopting a multi-layered (in this case, two-layered) fuel tank body 321, not only can the risk of fuel leakage be further reduced, but the degree of that risk can also be further suppressed. If fuel leakage from the primary tank 3211 is detected, the likelihood of actually preventing fuel leakage from the fuel tank body 321 can be greatly increased, and it becomes easier to take action at an earlier stage. Therefore, this also contributes to achieving a higher level of safety.

[0048] The primary tank 3211 corresponds to the fuel tank in this embodiment, and the secondary tank 3212 corresponds to the other covering member in this embodiment. The other covering member may cover the outside of a part of the primary tank 3211 that is prone to damage or would be significantly affected by damage, thereby isolating that part. This isolation may be achieved using a sealing material or the like.

[0049] Piping that allows fuel to be moved between different facilities is relatively susceptible to damage from vibrations or shocks caused by earthquakes or other external forces. In reality, parts of the piping are often located in narrow, hard-to-see areas. Pipe replacement and other maintenance often require work to be performed in confined spaces. For these reasons, it is often difficult to respond quickly to fuel leaks. Therefore, reducing the risk of fuel leakage from piping 37 is particularly desirable.

[0050] Although this embodiment is applied to a nuclear shelter, the shelter to which it can be applied is not limited to a nuclear shelter. The shelter may also be designed to withstand natural disasters, etc.

[0051] The equipment to be installed in a shelter may vary depending on the shelter's purpose. The length of time that people should take refuge in the shelter may also affect the equipment to be installed. However, most of the equipment to be installed requires electricity to operate. For this reason, in this embodiment, a power generator 31 is used as a power source to ensure a stable supply of electricity for a longer period of time. However, it is thought that the important power sources will also vary depending on the evacuees, the situation in which the evacuation is anticipated, or the location where the shelter 1 is installed. For these reasons, the types and number of power sources are not particularly limited.

[0052] In this embodiment, a portion of the piping and the entire fuel tank are covered in advance with a covering member to isolate the outside, but such isolation may be applied to structures already installed in a shelter. The members do not have to be limited to the covering member as described above. In other words, other members may be used in addition to the covering member. These other members may include not only sealing materials, but also members for stably attaching the covering member to the object (piping or fuel tank), members for sealing gaps between the covering member and the object, etc. Including these, various modifications can be made to the application of this invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0053] 1 Shelter, 10 Shelter body, 31 Power generation equipment, 32 Fuel tank, 33 Storage battery, 36 Alarm, 37 Piping, 38, 39 Detectors, 321 Fuel tank body, 371 Primary piping, 372 Secondary piping, 3211 Primary tank, 3212 Secondary tank.

Claims

1. A shelter body capable of isolating evacuees from the outside, A fuel tank installed inside the shelter body and used for storing fuel, A power generation device capable of consuming the aforementioned fuel, A piping for supplying the fuel from the fuel tank to the power generation equipment, A covering member for covering at least a portion of the aforementioned piping from the outside and for isolating the portion thereof. A shelter equipped with [features / equipment].

2. A detector for detecting the fuel present between the aforementioned part and the covering member, An alarm that notifies the detection result of the fuel by the detector, The shelter according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. Other covering members for covering at least a portion of the fuel tank from the outside and for isolating the portion thereof, The shelter according to claim 1, further comprising:

4. A detector for detecting the fuel present between the aforementioned part and the covering member, Another alarm device that notifies the fuel detection result by the other detector, The shelter according to claim 3, further comprising:

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