Patent classifications
F22B37/42
METHOD OF PREDICTING WEAR ON TUBES OF STEAM GENERATOR
A method predicts an amount of wear that is expected to occur on the tubes of a steam generator as a result of vibration against another structure within the steam generator. The method includes determining a volumetric amount of material that has been worn from a location on a tube over a duration of time and employing that volume as a function of time to determine the volume of material of the tube wall that is predicted to be worn from the tube or another tube at a future time. The volumetric-based analysis enables more accurately prediction of the wear depth at a future time. This enables the plugging of only those tubes that are determined from a volumetric analysis to be in risk of breach at the future time, thus slowing the rate at which tubes of a steam generator will be plugged.
METHOD OF PREDICTING WEAR ON TUBES OF STEAM GENERATOR
A method predicts an amount of wear that is expected to occur on the tubes of a steam generator as a result of vibration against another structure within the steam generator. The method includes determining a volumetric amount of material that has been worn from a location on a tube over a duration of time and employing that volume as a function of time to determine the volume of material of the tube wall that is predicted to be worn from the tube or another tube at a future time. The volumetric-based analysis enables more accurately prediction of the wear depth at a future time. This enables the plugging of only those tubes that are determined from a volumetric analysis to be in risk of breach at the future time, thus slowing the rate at which tubes of a steam generator will be plugged.
CIRCUIT FOR DETECTING A LEAK IN A WATER HEATER DEVICE AND ACTIVATING AN ALARM DEVICE
This disclosure is related to devices, systems, and techniques for outputting an alarm signal in response to detecting a leak in a water heater device. For example, a water heater device includes a leak sensor, an intermittent pilot light, and a circuit. The circuit includes processing circuitry configured to receive, from the leak sensor, an electrical signal including information indicative of a leak in the water heater device, activate, based on the electrical signal including information indicative of the leak, an alarm device, where the alarm device is powered for at least a period of time by a power source, where the power source is configured to receive energy from a thermoelectric device, and maintain an amount of energy stored by the power source so that the amount of energy is sufficient for the power source to supply energy to the alarm device.