초록 ▼

A system and method for detecting, and then specifically locating, a leaking tube or tubes from among a plurality of tubes which extend through a chamber and are accessible at their opposite ends from outside the chamber, such as, for example, cooling tubes of a steam condenser. The system includes

A system and method for detecting, and then specifically locating, a leaking tube or tubes from among a plurality of tubes which extend through a chamber and are accessible at their opposite ends from outside the chamber, such as, for example, cooling tubes of a steam condenser. The system includes a reservoir containing a supply of tracer fluid, a plurality of conduits forming a matrix which releases tracer fluid in a controllable manner into predetermined groups of tubes without interruption of the flow of normal process fluid through all of the tubes, and a detector for sampling process fluid normally flowing through the chamber for the presence of tracer fluid, the detection of tracer fluid being indicative of a leak and the capability of controllably releasing tracer fluid to the tubes permitting the localization of which specific tube is leaking. The tracer fluid-communicating conduits are preferably formed from elastomeric material and include resilient slits through which tracer fluid is released into the tubes.

대표청구항 ▼

A method for detecting and locating leaks from among a plurality of tubular members extending through a chamber and accessible at the opposite ends thereof from outside said chamber, there being a first process fluid communicating through said tubular members and a second process fluid communicating

A method for detecting and locating leaks from among a plurality of tubular members extending through a chamber and accessible at the opposite ends thereof from outside said chamber, there being a first process fluid communicating through said tubular members and a second process fluid communicating through said chamber, comprising the steps of releasing tracer fluid into one end of a predetermined group of tubular members while maintaining the flow of said first process fluid through all of said tubular members, then sampling said second process fluid in said chamber for the presence of said tracer fluid, then, if said sampling step reveals the presence of said tracer fluid, sequentially releasing tracer fluid into each of said tubular members of said predetermined group and sampling said second process fluid in said chamber after each such release for the presence of said tracer fluid, thereby locating which of said tubular members is leaking.