EP0070758B1 - Générateur de vapeur comprenant un dispositif détecteur de fuites - Google Patents

Générateur de vapeur comprenant un dispositif détecteur de fuites Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0070758B1
EP0070758B1 EP82401251A EP82401251A EP0070758B1 EP 0070758 B1 EP0070758 B1 EP 0070758B1 EP 82401251 A EP82401251 A EP 82401251A EP 82401251 A EP82401251 A EP 82401251A EP 0070758 B1 EP0070758 B1 EP 0070758B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
sodium
tubes
space
steam generator
conduits
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP82401251A
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German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0070758A1 (fr
Inventor
Jean-Pierre Fabregue
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Electricite de France SA
Original Assignee
Electricite de France SA
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Electricite de France SA filed Critical Electricite de France SA
Publication of EP0070758A1 publication Critical patent/EP0070758A1/fr
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Publication of EP0070758B1 publication Critical patent/EP0070758B1/fr
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F22—STEAM GENERATION
    • F22B—METHODS OF STEAM GENERATION; STEAM BOILERS
    • F22B1/00—Methods of steam generation characterised by form of heating method
    • F22B1/02—Methods of steam generation characterised by form of heating method by exploitation of the heat content of hot heat carriers
    • F22B1/06—Methods of steam generation characterised by form of heating method by exploitation of the heat content of hot heat carriers the heat carrier being molten; Use of molten metal, e.g. zinc, as heat transfer medium
    • F22B1/063—Methods of steam generation characterised by form of heating method by exploitation of the heat content of hot heat carriers the heat carrier being molten; Use of molten metal, e.g. zinc, as heat transfer medium for metal cooled nuclear reactors

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a steam generator equipped with a leak detection device.
  • a boiler In power plants, a boiler provides heat to the fluid in a primary circuit. This fluid then circulates in a steam generator in order to transfer its heat to water in a secondary circuit which is transformed into steam. This vapor is then sent to the turbines.
  • the steam generator In nuclear power plants, for example of the fast neutron type, it is known to use liquid sodium as the primary fluid.
  • the steam generator consists of a heat exchanger, the primary circuit of which contains liquid sodium and the secondary circuit of which contains water transformed into vapor.
  • Steam generators of the “sodium-water” type generally comprise a primary circuit of liquid sodium and a secondary circuit consisting of a multitude of tubes immersed in liquid sodium and connected by welding to tube plates, the water introduced into these tubes turning into vapor.
  • the risk of leaks is located at the welds connecting the tubes to the tube plates.
  • a known leak detection device consists in analyzing the liquid sodium sampled in the vicinity of the tube plates. During this sampling, a difficulty lies in the fact that the liquid sodium circulates at high speed, which results in a great dilution of the chemicals present in the sodium when the appearance of a leak.
  • EP-A-57 643 which belongs to the state of the art referred to in Article 54, 3 of the EPC, is however known to have a steam generator equipped, on the side of the tube plate adjacent to the chamber sodium introduction, a perforated tubular collector to collect and analyze the liquid sodium contained in a space defined between this tube plate and an anti-thermal screen parallel to it.
  • a depression is created at the periphery of this space by means of tubes which connect this periphery to a zone connected by orifices to the zone surrounding the tubes. A circulation of sodium from the center of the space to its periphery is thus obtained.
  • the present invention relates to a steam generator equipped with a leak detection device different from that which is described in document EP-A-57643 and eliminating the drawbacks of known devices.
  • a steam generator comprising a primary circuit comprising an enclosure for circulation of liquid sodium between an introduction chamber and a sodium discharge chamber, each chamber being limited on the side opposite to the enclosure by a tube plate, a first heat shield being arranged parallel to the tube plate limiting the introduction chamber and separated from the latter by a space of confinement of a volume of sodium for the protection of this tube plate against thermal shock, a secondary circuit comprising a plurality of water circulation tubes fixed in leaktight manner at their ends to the tube plates and opening out, on the other side of these, respectively into an evacuation chamber of steam and in a water supply chamber, said tubes leaking through the heat shield, and a device for detecting leaks by means of a sodium sample comprising a collector perforated tubular sodium sample placed in said space at the periphery of the tube plate and connected by at least one pipe to analysis means, and means for creating a circulation of liquid sodium from the center of the space to its periphery, characterized in that said means for creating a sodium circulation comprise a distribution grid
  • the steam generator according to the invention further comprises a second screen anti-thermal device arranged parallel to the tube plate limiting the evacuation chamber and separated from the latter by a second space, the tubes passing through this second anti-thermal screen in leaktight manner, and a second leak detection device comprising a second perforated manifold, a second distribution grid defining a pressure drop between the interior of the enclosure and the evacuation chamber and channels passing through the evacuation chamber to communicate the interior of the enclosure with the second space, near the center of the tube plate.
  • a second leak detection device comprising a second perforated manifold, a second distribution grid defining a pressure drop between the interior of the enclosure and the evacuation chamber and channels passing through the evacuation chamber to communicate the interior of the enclosure with the second space, near the center of the tube plate.
  • This steam generator comprises a cylindrical enclosure 1 of elongated shape, filled with circulating liquid sodium constituting the primary circuit. This enclosure is fixed in sealed manner a closed cylindrical enclosure 2 provided with an inlet for liquid sodium 3 and defining an introduction chamber 4. On the other end of the cylindrical enclosure 1 is fixed in sealed manner a cylindrical enclosure closed 5 provided with a liquid sodium outlet 7 and defining an evacuation chamber 6. The liquid sodium constituting the primary circuit of this steam generator completely fills the space delimited by the closed envelope 2, the cylindrical enclosure 1 and the closed envelope 5.
  • the liquid sodium heated by the primary exchangers of the nuclear reactor enters through the introduction chamber 4 inside the cylindrical enclosure 1, gives up its heat to a secondary circuit placed inside this cylindrical enclosure 1, then leaves through the evacuation chamber 6 and returns to the primary exchangers of the nuclear reactor.
  • the secondary circuit arranged inside the cylindrical enclosure 1 is composed of a plurality of straight tubes 8 arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical enclosure 1 and regularly spaced from one another. These tubes pass through the entire interior of the cylindrical envelope 1 as well as the introduction 4 and discharge 6 chambers. The ends of these tubes are connected on either side to two tube plates 9, 10 which constitute the sealed bottom of the closed cylindrical envelopes 2 and 5. The faces opposite to the tubes of the tube plates 9, 10 communicate with chambers 11, 12.
  • the secondary water circuit is established as follows: water is introduced through the chamber introduction 12 located on the side of the sodium discharge chamber 6 inside the tubes 8, turns into vapor thanks to the hot liquid sodium which surrounds the tubes 8 and leaves the tubes 8 through the discharge chamber 11 located on the side comprising the introduction chamber 4 of the liquid sodium.
  • This steam generator further comprises grids 13, 14 which are applied respectively to the inlet and outlet of the cylindrical enclosure 1 and which are intended to cause a uniformly distributed distribution of the flow of liquid sodium circulating inside the enclosure cylindrical 1, so that this liquid sodium gives up substantially the same amount of heat to all the tubes 8.
  • This steam generator also comprises anti-thermal screens 15, 16 located respectively in the sodium introduction chambers 4 and sodium evacuation 6 and arranged respectively, parallel to a small distance from the tube plates 9 and 10.
  • FIG. 2 which is an enlarged view of the part situated on the right in FIG. 1, we mainly find the introduction chamber 4 of the liquid sodium, the space of protection 17 against thermal shocks and the evacuation chamber of steam 11.
  • This figure 2 shows on the other hand a set of means constituting the leak detection device which is the subject of the present invention and which we will now describe.
  • This leak detection device comprises a sampling device located near the tube plate 9 in order to analyze the liquid sodium situated in contact with the welds connecting the tubes 8 to this tube plate 9.
  • This sampling device consists of a tubular collector 19 in the form of a torus disposed inside the protective space 17, a short distance from the tube plate 9 and at its periphery. All the tubes 8 are therefore arranged inside the collector 19.
  • This collector 19 is provided with a plurality of sampling orifices distributed uniformly and arranged radially inwards, the collector 19 is further connected by a set of pipes 21 to a pump external to the steam generator 22 which sends the liquid sodium sampled in a unit 23 intended to chemically analyze this liquid sodium in order to determine whether there has been during the operation of the steam generator an introduction of water inside this liquid sodium.
  • the leak detection device by sample Sodium ment further comprises a plurality of channels 20 which create a communication between the protective space 17 and the interior of the cylindrical chamber 1. These channels thus pass, at one end, the thermal screen 15 and at the other end, the distribution grid 13.
  • the liquid sodium collection device works as follows. If a leak occurs at the weld connecting one of the tubes 8 to the tube plate 9, since the pressure of the secondary circuit is very much higher than the pressure of the primary circuit, this leak will result in an introduction of water or vapor inside the liquid sodium, at the level of the tube plate 9.
  • the liquid sodium comprising this water will therefore be that located in the protection space 17, since this liquid sodium is confined in this space, it It is advisable to take the sodium sample contained in this space since the impurities revealing the leak are not immediately diluted in all of the sodium constituting the primary circuit. To understand the operation of this sampling device, we must take stock of the different pressures prevailing in the different chambers constituting the primary circuit of this steam generator.
  • the liquid sodium enters the chamber 4 with a pressure P1; when it passes through the distribution grid 13, a pressure drop is created and, inside the cylindrical enclosure 1, a pressure P2 prevails less than P1.
  • P1 a pressure drop
  • P2 a pressure prevails less than P1.
  • the pressure prevailing in the protection space 17 is therefore the same as that prevailing in chamber 4, that is to say P1.
  • This second sampling device operates in a completely identical manner to the first, it comprises a tubular collector placed in the protective space at the periphery of the tube plate in the same way as above. There are also channels 24 connecting the protection space and the interior of the cylindrical enclosure 1. The only difference is that these channels 24 are arranged so as to open into the central zone of the protection space. .
  • FIG. 3 shows a particular embodiment of a sodium sampling device according to the present invention.
  • This partial section is located in the steam generator in the region extending from the distribution grid to the tube plate, in the peripheral zone in which the tubular manifold and the circulation channels are mainly located.
  • the end of the cylindrical enclosure 1 on which a distribution grid 13 is fixed radially there is also a distinction between the tube plate 9 arranged parallel to the distribution grid 13.
  • the sodium introduction chamber 4 Between the grid 13 and the plate 9 are the sodium introduction chamber 4, and, in parallel and at a small distance from the plate 9, an anti-thermal screen 15 which defines between it and the tube plate 9 a protective space 17
  • the tubular collector 19 disposed at the periphery of the tube plate is rigidly held by means of support elements 25 which rigidly hold at the same time l anti-thermal screen 15.
  • the circulation channels 20 distributed at the periphery of the tube plate are arranged concentrically around some of the tubes 8 located at the periphery of the tube plate. These channels 20 are tightly welded to the faces of the grid 13 and of the screen 15 which are in contact with the introduction chamber 4.
  • annular space 26 Between the channels and their corresponding concentric tubes there is an annular space 26.
  • the tubes 8 normal or those surrounded by a channel 20 pass successively through the distribution grid 13 and the heat shield 15 passing through orifices formed in this grid and this screen, these orifices having a diameter greater than outside diameter of the tubes 8 so that the liquid sodium can pass through the annular space left between these orifices and these tubes.
  • the orifices 27 of the distribution grid 13 corresponding to the tubes surrounded by a channel 20 have a diameter greater than the orifices 28 of the distribution grid 13 corresponding to the other tubes. The purpose of this difference in diameter is to compensate for the pressure drop created by the channel 20 so that the flow of liquid sodium which leaves through the orifices 27 in the enclosure 1 is identical to the flow which leaves the other orifices 28 in this same enclosure 1.
  • the liquid sodium circuit is established as follows: the sodium in the chamber 4 crosses the central zone of the screen 15 through the annular space defined by the orifices 30, then propagates radially outward in the chamber 17, spring from the chamber 17 through the annular space left by the orifices 29, circulates in the channel 20 and leaves in the enclosure 1 through the annular space left by the orifices 27.
  • the manifold tubular 19 permanently sucks part of the sodium which propagates towards the outside of the chamber 17, then this sodium is brought by pipes to the outside of the steam generator from where it is chemically analyzed.
  • the distribution grid 13 is not directly fixed to the cylindrical enclosure 1, but is rigidly fixed by welding to the channels 20 themselves welded to the anti-thermal screen 15 which is itself welded by spacers 25 around the tube plate 9.
  • the channels 20 thus behave like spacers. In this way the expansions resulting from temperature variations allow a certain displacement of the distribution grid 13 relative to the end of the enclosure 1, thus avoiding the stresses in the structure.
  • the present invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 nor to the type of steam generator illustrated in FIG. 1. It would be possible, without departing from the scope of the invention, to imagine its application to other types steam generators, for example with helical tubes or U-shaped tubes.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Monitoring And Testing Of Nuclear Reactors (AREA)
  • Examining Or Testing Airtightness (AREA)
EP82401251A 1981-07-08 1982-07-02 Générateur de vapeur comprenant un dispositif détecteur de fuites Expired EP0070758B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR8113427 1981-07-08
FR8113427A FR2509433A1 (fr) 1981-07-08 1981-07-08 Dispositif de detection de fuites dans un generateur de vapeur

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0070758A1 EP0070758A1 (fr) 1983-01-26
EP0070758B1 true EP0070758B1 (fr) 1984-12-19

Family

ID=9260351

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP82401251A Expired EP0070758B1 (fr) 1981-07-08 1982-07-02 Générateur de vapeur comprenant un dispositif détecteur de fuites

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US4515748A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
EP (1) EP0070758B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS5866035A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE3261615D1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2509433A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2576708B1 (fr) * 1985-01-25 1987-04-30 Novatome Generateur de vapeur dont le fluide caloporteur est du metal liquide et dont la detection des fuites est effectuee par prelevement de ce metal liquide
GB2204942B (en) * 1987-04-07 1991-08-21 Nat Nuclear Corp Ltd Heat exchangers
CZ298660B6 (cs) * 2005-11-14 2007-12-12 Matal@Oldrich Zarízení pro provádení kontrol tesnosti teplosmenné plochy parního generátoru typu VVER v dobe odstávky
JP5106812B2 (ja) * 2006-09-05 2012-12-26 三菱重工コンプレッサ株式会社 ガスクーラにおけるガス漏れ検知システム
RU2706801C1 (ru) * 2018-12-14 2019-11-21 Российская Федерация, от имени которой выступает Государственная корпорация по атомной энергии "Росатом" Госкорпорация "Росатом" Парогенератор обратного типа для реактора на быстрых нейтронах со свинцовым теплоносителем

Family Cites Families (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US955004A (en) * 1909-07-31 1910-04-12 William O Singer Wrench.
US3812825A (en) * 1971-03-08 1974-05-28 Foster Wheeler Corp Sodium heated helical coil arrangement
FR2142139A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) * 1971-06-14 1973-01-26 Commissariat Energie Atomique
GB1472445A (en) * 1973-08-23 1977-05-04 Electricite De France Leak detection in heat-exchangers
FR2287668A1 (fr) * 1974-10-11 1976-05-07 Commissariat Energie Atomique Dispositif de protection thermique pour echangeur de chaleur
UST955004I4 (en) 1976-04-05 1977-02-01 Westinghouse Electric Corporation Method for heat exchanger leak detection in a liquid metal cooled nuclear reactor
US4090554A (en) * 1976-11-17 1978-05-23 The Babcock & Wilcox Company Heat exchanger
FR2379881A1 (fr) * 1977-02-04 1978-09-01 Commissariat Energie Atomique Bloc-pompe echangeur de chaleur pour reacteurs nucleaires
FR2449260A1 (fr) * 1979-02-14 1980-09-12 Commissariat Energie Atomique Echangeur thermique
FR2499212A1 (fr) * 1981-02-02 1982-08-06 Commissariat Energie Atomique Dispositif de protection de la plaque tubulaire a l'extremite chaude d'un echangeur de chaleur vertical

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS5866035A (ja) 1983-04-20
EP0070758A1 (fr) 1983-01-26
FR2509433A1 (fr) 1983-01-14
JPH0159558B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1989-12-18
FR2509433B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1984-05-11
DE3261615D1 (en) 1985-01-31
US4515748A (en) 1985-05-07

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