Apparatus for checking leakage of pipe through which high-temperature process water flows

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for checking leakage of a pipe through which high-temperature process water flows. The apparatus for checking leakage comprises: a first layer surrounding a pipe and facing the pipe; a second layer exposed to the outside; a heat insulating material layer positioned between the first layer and the second layer; a leakage checking unit having at least a portion exposed to the outside, positioned on the first layer, and coming in contact with water to change the color thereof; and a guide unit positioned over the first layer and the second layer and guiding the process water leaked from the pipe to the leakage checking unit.

Description

Leak detection device for piping carrying high-temperature process water

[0001] The present invention relates to a leak detection device for a pipe through which high-temperature process water flows.

[0002] Nuclear power plants maintain temperature by covering high-temperature equipment, such as pipes and valves, with insulation to prevent a decrease in thermal efficiency caused by heat loss. Due to the nature of nuclear power plants, which require periodic removal of insulation and equipment inspection, fiberglass insulation is used inside fabric jackets manufactured to the shape of the equipment.

[0003] The cooling water of a nuclear power plant contains a small amount of boric acid for efficient heat generation and reactivity management. If a large amount of leakage occurs in the equipment, the boric acid in the leaked cooling water can be detected by precipitating on the outer surface of the insulation jacket.

[0004] However, conventional thermal insulation jackets have a problem in that it is difficult to detect small leaks, and in nuclear power plants in a boron-free environment, boron precipitation does not occur, making detection impossible.

[0005] Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to provide a leak detection device for a pipe through which high-temperature process water flows.

[0006] The objective of the present invention is achieved by a leak detection device for a pipe through which high-temperature process water flows, wherein the leak detection device comprises: a first layer surrounding the pipe and facing the pipe; a second layer exposed to the outside; an insulating layer located between the first layer and the second layer; a leak detection part located on the first layer with at least a portion exposed to the outside and changing color upon contact with water; and a guide part located across the first layer and the second layer and guiding the process water leaked from the pipe to the leak detection part.

[0007] The above guide section may include: a guide pipe located in the second layer and comprising an inlet through which the process water flows in from the first layer and an outlet for discharging the flowed process water to the leak detection section; and a horizontal waterproof layer located between the first layer and the insulation layer, which prevents the process water flowing in from the first layer from flowing into the insulation layer.

[0008] The above guide may further include a one-way valve located within the guide tube that prevents the process water from flowing back toward the inlet.

[0009] The above leak detection sections are provided in multiple numbers spaced apart along the longitudinal direction of the pipe, and the guide pipes may be provided in multiple numbers corresponding to each leak detection section.

[0010] Each of the above guide tubes may have the inlet port provided in a greater number than the outlet port.

[0011] The above guide section further includes a vertical waterproof layer that separates the first layer into a plurality of regions corresponding to the guide tube, and the flow of the process water can be separated between adjacent regions of the first layer separated by the vertical waterproof layer.

[0012] The leak detection unit may include a capsule cover that forms an internal space and breaks upon contact with water above a certain temperature; and a leak detection material located in the internal space that changes color upon contact with water.

[0013] The above leak detection material may include cobalt chloride.

[0014] It may further include a filter layer located between the above piping and the above first layer to prevent components other than process water from flowing into the above first layer.

[0015] The above thermal insulation material may include glass fibers.

[0016] The above piping may be a primary high-temperature piping of a nuclear power plant to which boron-free operation is applied.

[0017] The objective of the present invention is achieved by a leak detection device for a pipe through which high-temperature process water flows, wherein the leak detection device comprises: a plate-shaped first layer facing the pipe, which surrounds the pipe; a second layer exposed to the outside; an insulating layer located between the first layer and the second layer; a plurality of leak detection parts located on the first layer, at least a portion of which is exposed to the outside, and which change color upon contact with water and are scattered therein; and a guide part that selectively guides the process water leaked from the pipe to any one of the plurality of leak detection parts.

[0018] According to the present invention, a leak detection device for a pipe through which high-temperature process water flows is provided.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a photograph of a leak detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and

[0020] FIG. 2 shows a form in which a leak detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed in a pipe, and

[0021] FIG. 3 is a cross-section along III-III' of FIG. 2, and

[0022] FIG. 4 shows the operation of a leak detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0024] To clearly explain the present invention, parts unrelated to the explanation have been omitted, and the same reference numerals are used for identical or similar components throughout the specification.

[0025] In addition, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are depicted arbitrarily for convenience of explanation, so the present invention is not necessarily limited to what is illustrated.

[0026] In the following description, the leak detection device may be referred to as an insulating jacket or an insulating jacket.

[0027] The leak detection device according to the present invention may be applied to the primary high-temperature piping of a nuclear power plant or to a nuclear power plant (e.g., SMR) where boron-free operation is applied, but is not limited thereto.

[0028] The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. A leak detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a view of a leak detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 shows the form in which a leak detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed in a pipe, and FIG. 3 is a cross-section along III-III' of FIG. 2.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the leak detection device (1) is in the form of a flexible rectangular plate. In other embodiments, it may be in various shapes such as a square plate, a polygonal plate, etc.

[0031] A leak detection unit (40) is provided on the outer surface of the leak detection device (1). When a leak occurs, the leak detection unit (40) reacts with water and changes color. Multiple leak detection units (40) are provided and spaced apart along the longitudinal direction of the leak detection device (1). In another embodiment, multiple leak detection units (40) may also be arranged in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0032] Each leak detection unit (40) changes color only due to leaks in the corresponding area as shown in FIG. 2, and is explained in detail below.

[0033] The connecting part (70) is provided at both ends and is connected in a state where the leak detection device (1) wraps around the pipe as shown in FIG. 2, thereby fixing the leak detection device (1). When inspection of the pipe is required, the connecting part (70) can be separated to easily detach the leak detection device (1).

[0034] The fastening part (70) can be provided in various forms such as a button-type connection or Velcro, and in other embodiments, the leak detection device (1) can be fixed to the pipe using a separate fastening member instead of using the fastening part (70).

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3, the leak detection device (1) includes a first layer (10), a second layer (20), an insulation layer (30), a leak detection section (40), a guide section (50), and a filter layer (60). Each layer may be in close contact with or in contact with one another.

[0036] One side of the first layer (10) faces the pipe, and the other side is covered with a horizontal waterproof layer (520). The first layer (10) can be made of fabric, and in particular, can be made of fabric made of glass fiber to prevent deformation due to high temperature.

[0037] One side of the second layer (20) is in contact with the insulation layer (30), and the other side is exposed to the outside. The second layer (20) is partially removed, and a leak detection section (40) is located in the removed portion. In another embodiment, the leak detection section (40) may be located on the second layer (20), in which case the guide tube (510) extends to the second layer (20).

[0038] The second layer (20) can also be made of fabric, and in particular, can be made of fabric made of glass fiber to prevent deformation due to high temperature.

[0039] The thermal insulation layer (30) is located between the first layer (10) and the second layer (20) and is made of a thermal insulation material such as glass fiber. The thermal insulation layer (30) is provided to be thicker than the first layer (10) and the second layer (20).

[0040] The leak detection unit (40) consists of a capsule cover (41) and a leak detection substance (42). The capsule cover (41) forms an internal space, and the leak detection substance (42) is located in the internal space.

[0041] The capsule cover (41) is damaged and exposes the leak detection material (42) when it comes into contact with water at a temperature higher than room temperature or high temperature, for example, 40°C or higher, 50°C or higher, 60°C or higher, or 70°C or higher. The capsule cover (41) may be made of natural polymer or synthetic polymer, etc. The capsule cover (41) may be made transparent or translucent so that the discoloration of the leak detection material (42) can be easily checked.

[0042] The leak detection material (42) changes color when in contact with water, allowing the leak to be easily detected from the outside. The leak detection material (42) may include cobalt chloride, though it is not limited to this.

[0043] Cobalt chloride is blue, and when it comes into contact with water, it becomes cobalt chloride hexahydrate as shown below and turns red.

[0044] CoCl2 (blue) + 6H2O ↔ CoCl2·6H2O (cobalt chloride hexahydrate, red)

[0045] The guide section (50) guides the process water that has leaked due to a damaged pipe toward the leak confirmation section (40). The process water may be high-temperature water or steam and may contain other impurity components.

[0046] The guide section (50) includes a guide tube (510), a horizontal waterproof layer (520), and a vertical waterproof layer (530).

[0047] The guide tube (510) is mainly located in the insulation layer (30) and includes an inlet (511), an outlet (512), and a one-way valve (513).

[0048] The inlet (511) is provided in multiple numbers compared to the outlet (512). That is, process water introduced through two or more inlets (511) is discharged through one outlet (512). The inlet (511) is in contact with the first layer (10), and the outlet (512) is in contact with the leak detection section (40).

[0049] A one-way valve (513) is provided with a valve or the like to prevent the incoming process water from flowing back toward the inlet (511).

[0050] A horizontal waterproof layer (520) is provided on the upper part of the first layer (10) to prevent process water flowing into the first layer (10) from flowing into the thermal insulation layer (30).

[0051] The vertical waterproof layer (520) divides the first layer (10) into multiple areas corresponding to the leak detection section (40). The vertical waterproof layer (520) restricts the movement of process water between adjacent areas of the first layer (10).

[0052] The filter layer (60) is provided with a mesh or the like to filter out impurities other than process water. The filter layer (60) prevents impurities from flowing into the first layer (10) to the guide tube (510) and blocking the flow path.

[0053] The operation of the leak detection device is shown below with reference to Fig. 4.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 4, if a leak occurs in area A of the piping, the process water flows into the first layer (10) through the filter layer (60). Only the process water other than foreign substances flows into the first layer (10) through the filter layer (60).

[0055] Process water flowing into the first layer (10) is not supplied to the insulation layer (30) by the horizontal waterproof layer (520), and is not supplied to another area by the vertical waterproof layer (530), but flows into the inlet (511) of the area.

[0056] Process water introduced through the inlet (511) moves to the outlet (512), but reverse movement is restricted by the one-way valve (513). The one-way valve (513) is particularly useful when a leak detection unit (40) is located at the top of the piping, as shown in FIG. 4. In this case, the process water can move back to the inlet (511) by gravity, but is moved only in the direction of the outlet (512) by the one-way valve (513).

[0057] Process water leaked from the outlet (512) damages the lower part of the capsule cover (41) and comes into contact with the leak detection substance. The leak detection substance changes color upon contact with water, and the leak can be easily detected through visual inspection or image analysis by a worker.

[0058] According to the present invention, it is easy to detect leakage even when only a small amount of leakage occurs. This is because a significant amount of the leaked process water is supplied to the guide pipe (510) by the horizontal waterproof layer (520).

[0059] In addition, according to the present invention, it is easy to identify the location where a leak has occurred. This is because the leaked process water is supplied only to the leak verification section (40) in the corresponding area by the vertical waterproof layer (530).

[0060] In addition, the problem of the leak detection material discoloring due to moisture in the air is reduced by the capsule cover (41), and the risk of malfunction is greatly reduced.

[0061] Since the leak detection material (42) changes color upon contact with water, the process water does not need to contain boron.

[0062] The aforementioned embodiments are examples for explaining the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Since a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can implement the present invention by making various modifications therefrom, the technical scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. In a leak detection device for a pipe through which high-temperature process water flows, The above leak detection device surrounds the pipe, and A first layer facing the above piping; The second layer exposed to the outside; A thermal insulation layer located between the first layer and the second layer; A leak detection part that is at least partially exposed to the outside, is located on the first layer, and changes color upon contact with water; A leak detection device comprising a guide section located across the first floor and the second floor, which guides the process water leaked from the piping to the leak detection section.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above guide section is, A guide pipe located on the second floor and comprising an inlet through which the process water flows in from the first floor and an outlet through which the flowed process water is discharged to the leak detection unit; and A leak detection device comprising a horizontal waterproof layer located between the first layer and the thermal insulation layer, which prevents process water flowing in from the first layer from flowing into the thermal insulation layer.

3. In Paragraph 2, The above guide section is, A leak detection device further comprising a one-way valve located within the guide tube and preventing the process water from flowing back toward the inlet.

4. In Paragraph 3, The above leak detection unit is provided in multiple units spaced apart along the longitudinal direction of the pipe, and The above guide tube is a leak detection device provided in multiple numbers to correspond to each of the above leak detection sections.

5. In Paragraph 4, Each of the above guide tubes is, A leak detection device having more inlets than outlets.

6. In Paragraph 5, The above guide section is, It further includes a vertical waterproof layer that separates the first layer into a plurality of regions corresponding to the guide tube, and A leak detection device in which the flow of process water is separated between adjacent areas of the first layer separated by the above vertical waterproof layer.

7. In Paragraph 6, The leak verification unit is, A capsule cover that forms an internal space and breaks when in contact with water above a certain temperature; and A leak detection device located in the above internal space and comprising a leak detection substance that changes color upon contact with water.

8. In Paragraph 7, The above leak detection material is a leak detection device containing cobalt chloride.

9. In Paragraph 7, A leak detection device located between the above pipe and the above first layer, further comprising a filter layer to prevent components other than process water from flowing into the above first layer.

10. In Paragraph 7, The above thermal insulation material is a device containing glass fibers.

11. In Paragraph 1, The above piping is a device that is a primary high-temperature piping of a nuclear power plant to which boron-free operation is applied.

12. In a leak detection device for a pipe through which high-temperature process water flows, The above leak detection device is in the form of a plate that surrounds the pipe, and A first layer facing the above piping; The second layer exposed to the outside; A thermal insulation layer located between the first layer and the second layer; A plurality of scattered leak detection sections, at least a portion of which is exposed to the outside and is located on the first layer, and which change color upon contact with water; and A leak detection device comprising a guide section that selectively guides the process water leaked from the pipe to one of the plurality of leak detection sections.

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