U.S. patent application number 14/339826 was filed with the patent office on 2015-01-29 for multi-angle sludge lance.
The applicant listed for this patent is Babcock & Wilcox Nuclear Energy, Inc.. Invention is credited to Samuel B. Crabtree, Christopher J. Farrell, Benjamin D. Fischer, Rajendra P. Persad.
Application Number | 20150027499 14/339826 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52389428 |
Filed Date | 2015-01-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150027499 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fischer; Benjamin D. ; et
al. |
January 29, 2015 |
MULTI-ANGLE SLUDGE LANCE
Abstract
A lancing crawler or head crawls along a no-tube lane (NTL) on a
floor defining a reference plane oriented transverse to tubes of a
steam generator, and has nozzles that generate lancing fluid jets
along at least two different angles in the reference plane spaced
apart by at least 45.degree.. A rotational drive rotates the
nozzles about an axis of rotation that may be offset from an axis
of thrust imposed by the jets from the nozzles. An on-board
sighting laser may be mounted with the nozzles, along with an
on-board camera. A bladder expands to secure the lancing crawler or
head between steam generator tubes adjacent the NTL. Each nozzle
may include a taperlock seat. A nozzle tilt drive is configured to
tilt the one or more nozzles respective to the reference plane.
Inventors: |
Fischer; Benjamin D.;
(Hixson, TN) ; Persad; Rajendra P.; (Lynchburg,
TN) ; Crabtree; Samuel B.; (Chattanooga, TN) ;
Farrell; Christopher J.; (Chattanooga, TN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Babcock & Wilcox Nuclear Energy, Inc. |
Charlotte |
NC |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
52389428 |
Appl. No.: |
14/339826 |
Filed: |
July 24, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62027511 |
Jul 22, 2014 |
|
|
|
61858106 |
Jul 24, 2013 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
134/18 ; 122/390;
134/22.12; 29/890.143 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F22B 37/48 20130101;
F28G 3/166 20130101; F28G 15/003 20130101; F28G 15/04 20130101;
Y10T 29/49433 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
134/18 ; 122/390;
134/22.12; 29/890.143 |
International
Class: |
F28G 1/16 20060101
F28G001/16; F28G 15/04 20060101 F28G015/04; F28G 15/00 20060101
F28G015/00 |
Claims
1. A sludge lancing apparatus comprising: a lancing crawler or head
configured to crawl along a no-tube lane (NTL) on a floor defining
a reference plane oriented transverse to tubes of a steam
generator; and one or more nozzles mounted on the lancing crawler
or head and configured to generate lancing fluid jets along at
least two different angles in the reference plane spaced apart by
at least 45.degree..
2. The sludge lancing apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a
rotational drive configured to rotate the one or more nozzles about
an axis of rotation that is transverse to the reference plane over
an angular range spanning the at least two different angles.
3. The sludge lancing apparatus of claim 2 wherein the at least two
different angles in the reference plane spaced apart by at least
45.degree. include the angles 90.degree. and one of 30.degree. and
150.degree. respective to a 0.degree. reference along the NTL.
4. The sludge lancing apparatus of claim 2 wherein the at least two
different angles in the reference plane spaced apart by at least
45.degree. include the angles 90.degree., 30.degree., and
150.degree. respective to a 0.degree. reference along the NTL.
5. The sludge lancing apparatus of claim 2 further comprising: a
drive track configured to move the lancing crawler or head along
the NTL; and a center slide separate from the drive track on which
the one or more nozzles are mounted, the center slide providing
translation of the one or more nozzles respective to the lancing
crawler or head.
6. The sludge lancing apparatus of claim 2 wherein the axis of
rotation is offset from an axis of thrust imposed by the jets from
the nozzles.
7. The sludge lancing apparatus of claim 2 further comprising: an
on-board sighting laser mounted with the one or more nozzles and
aligned to generate a laser beam parallel with a jet beam output by
the nozzle.
8. The sludge lancing apparatus of claim 7 further comprising: an
on-board camera mounted with the one or more nozzles and aligned to
view along a jet beam output by the nozzle.
9. The sludge lancing apparatus of claim 2 further comprising: an
on-board camera mounted with the one or more nozzles and aligned to
view along a jet beam output by the nozzle.
10. The sludge lancing apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a
bladder configured to expand when filled with a fluid to secure the
lancing crawler or head between tubes of the steam generator
located adjacent the NTL.
11. The sludge lancing apparatus of claim 1 wherein each nozzle
includes a taperlock seat comprising a conical seat of the nozzle
that seats in a mating conical recess of a nozzle manifold.
12. The sludge lancing apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a
nozzle tilt drive configured to tilt the one or more nozzles
respective to the reference plane.
13. A sludge lancing method comprising: moving one or more nozzles
along a no-tube lane (NTL) on a floor defining a reference plane
oriented transverse to tubes of a steam generator; and using the
one or more nozzles, generating lancing fluid jets along at least
two different angles in the reference plane spaced apart by at
least 45.degree..
14. The sludge lancing method of claim 13 wherein the tubes of the
steam generator have a hexagonal pattern and the at least two
different angles in the reference plane spaced apart by at least
45.degree. include the angle of 90.degree. respective to a
0.degree. reference oriented along the NTL and at least one of the
angles 30.degree., 150.degree. respective to the 0.degree.
reference oriented along the NTL.
15. The sludge lancing method of claim 13 wherein the tubes of the
steam generator have a hexagonal pattern and the at least two
different angles in the reference plane spaced apart by at least
45.degree. include the angles of 30.degree., 90.degree., and
150.degree. respective to a 0.degree. reference oriented along the
NTL.
16. The sludge lancing method of claim 13 wherein the generating
comprises: positioning the one or more nozzles in a first position
with the nozzles directed along a first angle of the at least two
different angles; with the one or more nozzles in the first
position, generating a lancing fluid jet along the first angle;
positioning the one or more nozzles in a second position with the
nozzles directed along a second angle of the at least two different
angles that is at least 45.degree. away from the first angle in the
reference plane; and with the one or more nozzles in the second
position, generating a lancing fluid jet along the second
angle.
17. The sludge lancing method of claim 16 wherein the positioning
operations each comprise: rotating the one or more nozzles about an
axis of rotation transverse to the reference plane to a first angle
of the at least two different angles.
18. The sludge lancing method of claim 17 wherein the positioning
operations each further comprise: translating the one or more
nozzles using a translation mechanism that is separate from a
mechanism for moving the one or more nozzles along the NTL.
19. The sludge lancing method of claim 17 wherein the positioning
operations each further comprise: sighting the one or more nozzles
along a tube lane to be lanced using a laser sight mounted with the
one or more nozzles.
20. A method comprising: positioning a nozzle assembly comprising a
plurality of nozzles proximate a proximal end of a tube sheet
bundle comprising a plurality of tubes; positioning a first sensor
proximate a distal end of the tube sheet bundle; and aligning the
nozzle assembly, wherein spray paths between each of the plurality
of nozzles and the distal end of the tube sheet bundle are
unobstructed by one or more of the plurality of tubes.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the nozzle assembly is
positioned 90 degrees with respect to the tube sheet bundle.
22. The method of claim 20 further comprising positioning an
additional nozzle assembly at a second position with respect to the
tube sheet bundle.
23. The method of claim 21, wherein the nozzle position is less
than ninety degrees.
24. The method of claim 21, wherein the nozzle position is greater
than ninety degrees.
25. The method of claim 20 further comprising spraying water
through the nozzle assembly at a first pressure.
26. The method of claim 25 further comprising measuring
conductivity of the spraying water.
27. The method of claim 25, wherein aligning the nozzle assembly is
performed prior to spraying water through the nozzle assembly.
28. The method of claim 20, wherein the nozzle assembly comprises
at least one laser.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 62/027,511, filed Jul. 22, 2014 entitled
"Multi-Angle Sludge Lance". This application claims priority to
U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/858,106, filed Jul. 24,
2013 entitled "Multi-Angle Sludge Lance".
[0002] U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/027,511, filed Jul.
22, 2014 entitled "Multi-Angle Sludge Lance" is incorporated by
reference herein in its entirety. U.S. Provisional Application Ser.
No. 61/858,106, filed Jul. 24, 2013 entitled "Multi-Angle Sludge
Lance" is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The following relates to the steam generator maintenance
arts, sludge removal arts, sludge lancing arts, and related
arts.
[0004] Sludge lancing is used in the commercial power industry to
remove accumulations and deposits of debris and other matter,
referred to as sludge, between individual tubes in an arrangement
of a group of tubes, i.e., a tube sheet bundle, in various power
plant components, such as steam generators and heat exchangers. The
accumulation of sludge in between individual tubes in tube sheet
bundles may result in reduced efficiencies of power plant
components. Sludge accumulation can also result in mechanical
impingement or damage to tubes and chemical degradation or
corrosion of tube walls in such components. Failure of one or
multiple tubes can result in a power plant being taken out of
service to repair or replace damaged tubes.
[0005] Typically, sludge lancing is performed during a power plant
outage or when particular equipment (e.g., steam generator) is
placed out of service. Sludge lancing involves directing a high
pressure stream of water through a tube sheet bundle to remove
accumulated sludge from between individual tubes.
[0006] In a conventional system, a nozzle is mounted or secured to
a pipe or other structure to provide stability and to allow the
nozzle to translate along a horizontal axis. The nozzle can
translate along a vertical axis by raising or lowering the pipe on
which the nozzle is mounted. Aligning the nozzle prior to
initiating the lancing operation is typically attempted by spraying
a stream of water through a tube sheet bundle and visually
observing the stream of water as it exits the bundle. Once the
nozzle is aligned, there is no disruption to the water stream
itself. Aligning the nozzle is an iterative and time consuming
process that involves spraying water through the nozzle, visually
observing the stream of water as it travels through the tube sheet
bundle, and manipulating the position of the nozzle until the
stream of water exits the tube sheet bundle without disruption of
the stream of water.
[0007] Because current methods rely on visual alignment of the
nozzle, as described above, lancing sludge between tubes (i.e.,
sludge lancing) is generally performed with the nozzle positioned
90 degrees with respect to the tube sheet bundle, i.e., "head-on"
to tube sheet bundle. In some cases, lancing is performed around an
outer periphery of the tube sheet bundle. Such known methods are
recognized as inefficient, time consuming, and having varying
effectiveness.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
[0008] In some illustrative embodiments disclosed herein, a sludge
lancing apparatus comprises a lancing crawler or head configured to
crawl along a no-tube lane (NTL) on a floor defining a reference
plane oriented transverse to tubes of a steam generator, and one or
more nozzles mounted on the lancing crawler or head and configured
to generate lancing fluid jets along at least two different angles
in the reference plane spaced apart by at least 45.degree.. In some
embodiments the sludge lancing apparatus further comprises a
rotational drive configured to rotate the one or more nozzles about
an axis of rotation that is transverse to the reference plane over
an angular range spanning the at least two different angles. Some
embodiments further comprise a drive track configured to move the
lancing crawler or head along the NTL, and a center slide separate
from the drive track on which the one or more nozzles are mounted,
the center slide providing translation of the one or more nozzles
respective to the lancing crawler or head. In some embodiments with
the aforementioned rotational drive, the axis of rotation is offset
from an axis of thrust imposed by the jets from the nozzles. In
some embodiments with the aforementioned rotational drive, an
on-board sighting laser is mounted with the one or more nozzles and
aligned to generate a laser beam parallel with a jet beam output by
the nozzle. An on-board camera may be mounted with the one or more
nozzles and aligned to view along a jet beam output by the nozzle.
A bladder may be provided, which expands when filled with a fluid
to secure the lancing crawler or head between tubes of the steam
generator located adjacent the NTL. In some embodiments, each
nozzle includes a taperlock seat comprising a conical seat of the
nozzle that seats in a mating conical recess of a nozzle manifold.
In some embodiments a nozzle tilt drive is configured to tilt the
one or more nozzles respective to the reference plane.
[0009] In some illustrative embodiments disclosed herein, a sludge
lancing method comprises moving one or more nozzles along a no-tube
lane (NTL) on a floor defining a reference plane oriented
transverse to tubes of a steam generator, and, using the one or
more nozzles, generating lancing fluid jets along at least two
different angles in the reference plane spaced apart by at least
45.degree.. The generating may comprise: positioning the one or
more nozzles in a first position with the nozzles directed along a
first angle of the at least two different angles; with the one or
more nozzles in the first position, generating a lancing fluid jet
along the first angle; positioning the one or more nozzles in a
second position with the nozzles directed along a second angle of
the at least two different angles that is at least 45.degree. away
from the first angle in the reference plane; and, with the one or
more nozzles in the second position, generating a lancing fluid jet
along the second angle. The positioning operations may include
rotating the one or more nozzles about an axis of rotation
transverse to the reference plane to a first angle of the at least
two different angles, and may further include translating the one
or more nozzles using a translation mechanism that is separate from
a mechanism for moving the one or more nozzles along the NTL. The
positioning may employ sighting of the one or more nozzles along a
tube lane to be lanced using a laser sight mounted with the one or
more nozzles.
[0010] In some illustrative embodiments disclosed herein, a method
comprises: positioning a nozzle assembly comprising a plurality of
nozzles proximate a proximal end of a tube sheet bundle comprising
a plurality of tubes; positioning a first sensor proximate a distal
end of the tube sheet bundle; and aligning the nozzle assembly,
wherein spray paths between each of the plurality of nozzles and
the distal end of the tube sheet bundle are unobstructed by one or
more of the plurality of tubes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The following is a brief description of the drawings, which
are presented for the purposes of illustrating embodiments
disclosed herein and not for the purposes of limiting the same.
[0012] FIG. 1 diagrammatically shows a perspective sectional view
of a sludge lancing system performing sludge lancing on a steam
generator.
[0013] FIG. 2 diagrammatically shows sludge lancing suitably
performed by the system of FIG. 1 along tube lanes at 90.degree.
respective to the no-tube lane (NTL).
[0014] FIG. 3 diagrammatically shows sludge lancing suitably
performed by the system of FIG. 1 along tube lanes at 90.degree.
respective to the NT and at 30.degree. respective to the NTL.
[0015] FIG. 4 diagrammatically shows sludge lancing suitably
performed by the system of FIG. 1 along tube lanes at 90.degree.
respective to the NT and at 30.degree. respective to the NTL and at
150.degree. respective to the NTL.
[0016] FIG. 5 diagrammatically shows the effect of a misalignment
of the lancing water jet respective to the tube lane being
lanced.
[0017] FIG. 6 shows compact exit water jets in a case in which the
water jets are precisely aligned with the tube lane being
lanced.
[0018] FIG. 7 shows diffuse exit water jets in a case in which the
water jets are misaligned with the tube lane being lanced.
[0019] FIGS. 8, 9, and 10 show perspective, side, and top views,
respectively, of an illustrative lancing crawler or head.
[0020] FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of the spray head of the
lancing crawler or head of FIGS. 8-10 showing the axis of rotation
offset from the axis of thrust of the water jet nozzles.
[0021] FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of the lancing crawler or
head of FIGS. 8-10 (bottom) highlighting the air bladder gripping
system shown in Detail A.
[0022] FIG. 13 shows a perspective isolation view of one nozzle of
the lancing crawler or head of FIGS. 8-10.
[0023] FIG. 14 shows a sectional view of the nozzle manifold of the
lancing crawler or head of FIGS. 8-10 showing a taperlock seat
configuration for mounting nozzles of the configuration of FIG. 13
in the nozzle manifold.
[0024] FIG. 15 shows a side view of the spray head of the lancing
crawler or head of FIGS. 8-10 including an on-board sighting
(alignment) laser diode, an on-board inspection camera also
optionally used in the alignment, and an on-board fill light.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] Disclosed herein are various improvements in sludge lancing
for steam generator maintenance. In some illustrative embodiments,
a plurality of nozzle assemblies is disposed about a tube sheet
bundle at several different angles or positions with respect to the
tube sheet bundle. For example, a first nozzle assembly can be
positioned 90 degrees with respect to the tube sheet bundle. A
second nozzle assembly can be positioned 30 degrees with respect to
the tube sheet bundle, while a third nozzle assembly can be
positioned 150 degrees with respect to the tube sheet bundle. Thus,
sludge lancing can be performed at multiple angles with respect to
the tube sheet bundle. Sludge lancing operations using multiple
nozzles at multiple angles can result in increased amounts of
sludge removal compared to known systems and methods.
[0026] Each nozzle assembly can comprise a plurality of nozzle
manifolds and nozzles, which regulate water pressure, stream flow,
and direction. In an embodiment, water pressure is about 3000
pounds per square inch (psi). Each nozzle assembly is coupled to a
stationary structure for stability. Each nozzle can move or
translate along the x, y, and z axes, and angularly. Thus, the
nozzles can spray water along the height or longitudinal axis of
the tube sheet bundle. Each nozzle assembly can also comprise at
least one laser, which as will be described herein, can be used to
align the nozzles.
[0027] The plurality of nozzle assemblies can be disposed or
positioned near or proximate to a proximal end of the tube sheet
bundle. The proximal end may also be referred to as an inlet end.
Disposed or positioned near or proximate a distal end of the tube
sheet bundle is a sensor. The distal end can alternately be
referred to as an outlet end. In one embodiment, the sensor can
determine whether the laser beam travels between the proximal and
distal ends of the tube sheet bundle without interference from one
or more tubes comprising the tube sheet bundle. In another
embodiment, the sensor can comprise a camera. Thus, proper
alignment can be determined prior to spraying water through the
nozzle and the tube sheet bundle.
[0028] In one embodiment, a second sensor is disposed proximate the
distal end of the tube sheet bundle to measure or monitor the
effluent, that is, the water spray at the outlet end of the tube
sheet bundle. The second sensor can identify whether and to what
extent sludge is present in the effluent. Such monitoring can aid
in determining whether the lancing operation is completed and/or
whether the sludge lancing operation has been successful. In one
embodiment, the sensor can comprise a conductivity meter.
[0029] With reference to FIG. 1, a sludge lancing system is
illustrated in the context of a typical steam generator 10 which
includes a vessel 12 through which tubes 14 pass so as to allow
heat transfer between fluid contained in the vessel 12 and fluid
flowing in the tubes 14. Depending upon the steam generator design,
heated water, steam, or steam/water mixture (possibly superheated,
subcooled or in another thermodynamic state) flows in the tubes 14
and feed water is fed into the vessel 12 and converted to steam (an
arrangement known as shell-side boiling since the feedwater that
boils is outside the tubes); or vice versa (tube-side boiling). In
a typical steam generator used in conjunction with a nuclear
reactor of the pressurized water reactor (PWR) variety, coolant in
the nuclear reactor (called "primary" coolant) is heated by the
nuclear reactor core to an elevated temperature and pressure (e.g.
a sub-cooled or other thermodynamic state), and is piped from the
nuclear reactor to the steam generator 10 where the primary coolant
flows through the tubes 14. Secondary coolant flows outside the
tubes and boils shell-side. The vessel 12 is a pressure vessel
which contains the pressurized steam (that is, boiled secondary
coolant), which is piped out of the steam generator to drive a
turbine that in turn drives an electrical generator (in a nuclear
power plant), or the secondary coolant steam may be used to perform
other useful work. FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates a sectional
perspective view of the steam generator 10 including portions of
the vessel 12 and tubes 14. The tube configuration may be various,
e.g. once-through steam generator (OTSG) tubing (optionally
employing a counter-flow design in which primary coolant flows
downward through the tubes 14 and secondary coolant flows generally
upward in the vessel 12), U-shaped steam generator tubing, or so
forth. The steam generator may also include various other
components that are not illustrated in the diagrammatic partial
sectional view of FIG. 1, such as (by way of non-limiting
illustrative example) steam separator or dryer units, flow control
features, etc.
[0030] The arrangement of the tubes 14 in the vessel 12 is designed
to facilitate both operation and maintenance. In general, it is
desirable to have a high packing density of tubes to provide a
large total heat transfer surface area, but provision is also made
to provide access to tubes for maintenance. In the illustrative
steam generator 10, the tubes 14 are segregated (as viewed in a
cross-sectional plane transverse to the tubes 14) into two
hemispherical tube sections 16, 18 separated by a "no tube lane" or
NTL 20 which provides the maintenance access. The tubes 14 are
typically straight and mutually parallel (although some tube bends
are contemplated to accommodate components or so forth, and other
variants may exist such as an upper "U"-shaped turn in the case of
"U"-shaped tubing or so forth), and so this arrangement defines an
"instance" of the NTL 20 at each planar tubesheet or other
horizontal plate or surface intersecting the tubes 14. Without loss
of generality, a "floor" 22 is denoted in FIG. 1, where it is to be
understood that the floor 22 may be any upper surface oriented
transverse to the tubes 14. For example, the floor 22 may be the
upper surface of a lower tubesheet providing fluid communication to
the bottom ends of the tubes 14, or the upper surface of a middle,
upper, or other-elevation tubesheet. A vessel port, vessel
penetration, or manway 24 can be opened (after depressurization and
draining of the vessel 12, as in during a maintenance shutdown) to
provide access to the space above the floor 22. Preferably, the
manway 24 is aligned with the NTL 20 so that a lancing crawler or
head 40 can be inserted and moved along the NTL 20 to perform
lancing of the tubes 14. The floor 22 corresponds to a reference
plane that includes the NTL 20 and is transverse to the tubes
14.
[0031] With continuing reference to FIG. 1 and with further
reference to FIGS. 2-4, within each tube section 16, 18, the tubes
14 are arranged in a honeycomb or hexagonally symmetric pattern
(see FIGS. 2-4). Without loss of generality, the direction of the
NTL 20 is designated as reference 0.degree. as indicated in FIG. 1.
The honeycomb or hexagonal layout of the tubes 14 then defines: a
set of parallel tube lanes in the reference plane defined by the
floor 22 at 30.degree. respective to the 0.degree. reference angle
of the NTL 20; and a set of parallel tube lanes in the reference
plane defined by the floor 22 at 90.degree. respective to the
0.degree. reference angle of the NTL 20; and a set of parallel tube
lanes in the reference plane defined by the floor 22 at 150.degree.
respective to the 0.degree. reference angle of the NTL 20. Each
tube lane is a path (lane) in the reference plane defined by the
floor 22 that does not intersect any of the tubes 14. The tube
lanes are lines when referenced to the two-dimensional geometry
(reference plane) of the floor 22. When referenced to
three-dimensional space of the steam generator 10, the sets of tube
lanes at 30.degree., 90.degree., and 150.degree. are sets of planes
that are transverse to the floor 22 and oriented at angles of
30.degree., 90.degree. and 150.degree. respective to a "0.degree.
plane" that is transverse to the floor 22 and contains the NTL
20.
[0032] It is to be appreciated that the geometry of the steam
generator 10 shown in FIGS. 1-4 is illustrative, and other
geometries are contemplated. In such other geometries, it will be
advantageous to define a NTL (or possibly two or more NTLs, for
example oriented at 90.degree. to each other) to provide access for
maintenance, and to arrange the tubes on either side of the NTL in
a pattern that defines tube lanes. The illustrative honeycomb or
hexagonal pattern is advantageously a close packed lattice.
[0033] The sludge lancing systems and techniques are described
herein in conjunction with the maintenance of a steam generator for
a nuclear reactor. However, this is merely an illustrative example,
and it will be appreciated that the disclosed sludge lancing
systems and techniques may more generally be employed in the
maintenance of other types of steam generators which may for
example be used in conjunction with a fossil fuel boiler or the
like.
[0034] The primary and secondary coolants typically comprise
purified water, either one or both of which may contain additives.
For example, the primary coolant of a nuclear reactor may contain a
soluble boron additive acting as a neutron poison to control the
nuclear chain reaction. Furthermore, although purified, the primary
and secondary coolant may include some contaminants. The secondary
coolant does not contact the nuclear reactor core and (absent any
tube leakage in the steam generator) should be free of radioactive
contaminants. The secondary coolant may have a lower purification
level as compared with the primary coolant. Contaminants and/or
additives in the secondary coolant (or other coolant flowing
shell-side or in the vessel 12) may generate buildup of deposits
over time, which are commonly called "sludge". This sludge tends to
accumulate at or near certain elevations in the vessel 12, such as
at the upper surface of a tubesheet. Sludge may collect on (or
precipitate out onto, or react with, or so forth) the outsides of
the tubes 14 and/or on the tubesheets or other structures. Sludge
buildup can produce various problems. For example, sludge
comprising chemical formation of deposits can initiate stress
corrosion cracking in Inconel 600, and can cause denting in other
materials due to its growth. Other maintenance issues besides
sludge buildup can arise, such as degradation of some of the tubes
14 (either related to the sludge buildup or due to some other
cause), failure modes of other components such as steam separators,
etc.
[0035] Accordingly, the steam generator 10 is sometimes shut down
for maintenance. A shutdown may be performed in response to a
specific detected problem, or on a pre-determined schedule (such as
when the nuclear reactor is shut down for maintenance). During a
steam generator maintenance shutdown, coolant flow to the tubes 14
and the vessel 12 is terminated and the vessel 12 is drained.
Various maintenance operations are typically performed such as tube
inspection, plugging of any tubes found to be defective (so as to
remove the plugged tubes from service), inspection of ancillary
components such as cyclonic steam dryers, and so forth. One common
maintenance operation is sludge removal.
[0036] Known approaches for sludge removal include chemical
cleaning and lancing using a high-pressure water beam. Lancing
using a 10 kpsi water beam or a 3 kpsi water beam are two
conventional approaches. To this end, the lancing crawler or head
40 suitably includes one or more water ejection nozzles oriented
horizontally. Preferably, the nozzle also can be tilted to a
non-zero (that is, non-horizontal) tilt (or elevation angle). Such
tilting reduces the effectiveness of the lancing since the path
length increases with increasing tilt or elevation angle--however,
since the sludge buildup is expected to be greatest near the floor
22 and is expected to decrease with increasing elevation above the
floor 22, this reduced lancing effectiveness with increasing tilt
is expected to be offset by the reduced amount of sludge at higher
elevations.
[0037] With particular reference to FIG. 2, a conventional sludge
lancing approach for honeycomb patterned tubes 14 orients the water
beam at 90.degree. respective to the direction of the NTL 20. This
orientation is suitably determined visually, by rotating the water
ejection nozzle until a strong beam is observed exiting from the
tube bundle. Then, the beam is locked into this angle and the
lancing crawler or head 40 is moved along the NTL 20 to lance the
various 90.degree. tube lanes. FIG. 2 shows the 90.degree. beams
B.sub.90 passing along the 90.degree. tube lanes to remove sludge
S. However, as illustrated in FIG. 2, this approach can leave
large, typically hourglass-shaped, sludge remnants
[0038] With particular reference to FIG. 3, it is recognized herein
that performing the sludge lancing along two tube lane angles,
namely the 90.degree. and 30.degree. tube lanes in illustrative
FIG. 3, provides some improvement in terms of reduced remnants. The
lancing of FIG. 3 differs from that of FIG. 2 in that additional
lancing is performed with successive 30.degree. beams B.sub.30
along with the 90.degree. beams B.sub.90. This leaves smaller,
typically triangular or trapezoidal sludge remnants 44 as seen in
FIG. 3.
[0039] With particular reference to FIG. 4, it is further
recognized herein that performing the sludge lancing along three
tube lane angles, namely the 90.degree., 30.degree., and
150.degree. tube lanes in illustrative FIG. 4, provides
substantially more improvement in terms of reduced remnants. This
approach uses lancing performed using 30.degree. beams B.sub.30,
90.degree. beams B.sub.90, and 150.degree. beams B.sub.150. This
approach leaves only minor remnants 46. Note that disengaged sludge
portions 48 are fully disengaged from the surrounding tubes 14 and
hence are not likely to remain as remnants.
[0040] In test simulations using a test mock-up with 3/4-inch tubes
on 1-inch tri-pitch, 0.100-inch lane width (typically
0.12-0.25-inch) with simulated sludge constructed with masonry
cement (with 24 hour cure to simulate soft sludge with durometer
80A, or 72 hour cure to simulate hard sludge with durometer 100A+),
and 90-inch long spray paths, and using 3 kpsi horizontal water
beams with a 30 second active cut time for the lancing, it was
found that the approach of FIG. 2 employing only the 90.degree.
beams B.sub.90 achieved 38% to 60% sludge removal. Adding the
30.degree. beams B.sub.30 as shown in FIG. 3 achieved between 88%
and 90% sludge removal. Further adding the 150.degree. beams
B.sub.150 as shown in FIG. 4 achieved between 93% and 95% sludge
removal.
[0041] For hard sludge, the approach of FIG. 2 employing only the
90.degree. beams B.sub.90 achieved 36% sludge removal. Adding the
30.degree. beams B.sub.30 as shown in FIG. 3 achieved 51% sludge
removal. Further adding the 150.degree. beams B.sub.150 as shown in
FIG. 4 achieved 71% sludge removal.
[0042] With reference to FIGS. 5-7, sludge lancing effectiveness
was found to depend strongly on precise alignment of the lancing
water beam with the tube lane. As indicated in the diagram at the
left side of FIG. 5, precise alignment requires precise
translational position and also precise rotational position. An
angular misalignment of as small as 0.6 degrees was found to
significantly degrade the sludge removal force of the water spray
beams. FIG. 5 right side diagrammatically shows how angular
misalignment can lead to a ricocheting of the beam that reduces its
sludge-removing force. FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate that the beam
alignment can be observed visually. As seen in FIG. 6, precise beam
alignment leads to a narrow beam exiting from the bundle of tubes
14. By contrast, as seen in FIG. 7 beam misalignment causes the
beam exiting from the bundle of tubes 14 to be diffuse and
scattered.
[0043] The illustrative embodiment employs the illustrative
honeycomb or hexagonal tube pattern having tube lanes at
30.degree., 90.degree., and 150.degree. angles respective to the
reference 0.degree. of the NTL 20, and lancing at two angles
(illustrative 90.degree. and 30.degree. as per FIG. 3) or all three
available angles (90.degree., 30.degree., and 150.degree. as per
FIG. 4) provides improved sludge removal. More generally, lancing
at two or more different angles is advantageous. Depending on the
tube pattern, these different angles may be other than the
illustrative 30.degree., 90.degree., and 150.degree. tube lane
angles of the honeycomb pattern. Typically, the different angles
will be at least 45.degree. apart, and in the illustrative
embodiment the different angles are at least 60.degree. apart (i.e.
the 30.degree. and 90.degree. different angles differ by a
60.degree. interval, the 90.degree. and 150.degree. different
angles differ by a 60.degree. interval, and the 30.degree. and
150.degree. different angles differ by a 120.degree. interval).
[0044] The sludge lancing approach of FIGS. 1 and 4 can be achieved
using a lancing crawler or head having water jet nozzles at
different fixed angles, e.g. 30.degree., 90.degree., and
150.degree.. Optionally, the water jet nozzles at different fixed
angles may have a small angular adjustment capability to precisely
align with the respective tube lane angles. In another approach, a
single water jet nozzle (or bank of water jet nozzles) may be
oriented in a single direction that is rotatable. In this
embodiment the lancing crawler or head is moved along the NTL 20
and the nozzles are rotated to each successive angle (e.g.
30.degree., 90.degree., 150.degree. for each tube lane). Thus, the
same nozzles provide sludge lancing at each angle in time
succession. In yet another contemplated approach, the nozzle (or
nozzle bank) is repeatedly swept over the angular range (e.g. from
25.degree. to 155.degree. back to 25.degree., and repeat, for the
illustrative embodiment). If the sweeping is fast enough compared
with the movement of the lancing crawler or head along the NTL 20,
then it is ensured that all tube lanes are lanced. However, this
approach is inefficient since most of the time the water jet beam
will not be along any tube lane.
[0045] With reference to FIGS. 8-16, an illustrative embodiment of
the lancing crawler or head 40 is described, which employs a
rotatable bank of nozzles to perform the lancing described with
reference to FIGS. 1 and 4. The illustrative lancing crawler or
head 40 includes a bank of nozzles 60 mounted on a precision center
slide 62 and including a precision rotation drive 64 and a nozzle
tilt drive 66. The rotation drive 64 rotates the nozzles 60 about
an axis of rotation 90 (see FIG. 11) that is transverse to the
reference plane defined by the floor 22. Water pressure is applied
to the nozzles 60 via a water inlet 70 that is connected to a hose
or tube that runs out the manway 24 (see FIG. 1) to a pressurized
water source (water pump, etc., not shown) typically located
outside of the steam generator 10. The lancing crawler or head 40
is moved with coarse precision along the NTL 20 via drive tracks
72, while the precision center slide 62 allows precise
translational positioning (cf. FIG. 5). To rigidly position the
lancing crawler or head 40 against the force imparted by the water
jets output from the nozzles 60, the lancing crawler or head 40
includes brake pads, namely in the illustrative design a front
break pad 80, a middle brake pad 82, and a rear brake pad 84. In a
suitable approach, the brake pads 80, 82, 84 are inflatable
bladders that are filled with air or water (optionally water from
the inlet 70, or air from a separate compressed air inlet not
shown) so as to compress against the tubes 14 adjacent the NTL 20.
In this way the lancing crawler or head 40 is wedged into place
during the lancing process between the adjacent tubes.
[0046] The illustrative lancing crawler or head 40 is designed to
meet the following criteria. The center rotation 64 is of high
precision, since testing has shown that only 0.6 degrees of
misalignment can significantly degrade the sludge removal force of
the water spray beams. The drive tracks 72 are of relatively low
precision, which enables movement of the lancing crawler or head 40
down the NTL 20 without using the precise movement of the center
stage slide 62 for that work. This enables the tracks 72 to be
designed for speed, which makes the lancing process faster.
[0047] With particular reference to FIG. 11, the center rotation 64
is designed to have an offset axis-of-rotation 90 as compared with
the axis of thrust 92 imposed by the water jets from the nozzles
60. As disclosed herein, if the center of the lancing head thrust
is on the same axis as the rotation, it is difficult to prevent
flutter or backlash related inaccuracies. The design shown in FIG.
11 in which the axis of rotation 90 is offset from the thrust axis
92 reduces backlash and flutter.
[0048] With particular reference to FIG. 12, and with particular
focus on Detail A, an air bladder gripping system is disclosed
which evens out load on the tubes 14 adjacent the NTL 20. Local
support on the adjacent tubes to the lanes being cleaned holds the
lancing crawler or head 40 steady so as to maintain accuracy. But
supporting tubes with individual air cylinders may overload a few
tubes. The illustrated integrated bladder 96 (for example, a
bladder hose) ensures that the load is distributed uniformly over
the tubes across the length of the crawler 40.
[0049] With particular reference to FIGS. 13 and 14, an
illustrative nozzle alignment system includes a taperlock seat that
helps straighten the waterjet beams. The taperlock seat includes a
conical seat 100 and threaded connector 102 of the nozzle 60 (see
FIG. 13). The threaded connector 102 is threaded into a mating
connector 104 of a nozzle manifold 106, and this threaded
connection draws the conical seat 100 to seat into a mating conical
recess 108 of the nozzle manifold 106. In experiments reported
here, it was found that even high-precision nozzles deviate from
perpendicularity at 20-inches to 60-inches away from the nozzle 60.
The taperlock seat of FIGS. 13 and 14 was found to provide improved
perpendicularity sufficient to obtain the desired angular precision
to maintain high lancing force.
[0050] With particular reference to FIG. 15, the illustrative
lancing crawler or head 40 includes an on-board inspection camera
110 and a laser alignment system including an alignment laser diode
112. The camera 110 and the laser 112 are mounted with the bank of
nozzles 60 so that the camera 110 and the laser 112 moves with the
nozzles 60 in response to translation by the precision center slide
62, in response to rotation by the center rotation drive 64, and in
response to tilting by the nozzle tilt drive 66. The laser beam
generated by the laser diode 112 is pre-aligned parallel with the
water jet produced by the nozzles 60, so that the laser beam serves
as an optical sight for the water jet. The camera 110 is similarly
aligned to view along the jet beam output by the nozzles 60. By
turning the laser diode 112 on and viewing the laser spot generated
by the laser beam using the on-board camera 110, the operator can
see the laser dot imaged on the opposite shell or divider plate
wall. The operator then uses the precision center slide 62 and the
center rotation drive 64 to position the laser beam precisely down
the tube lane to be lanced, viewing the laser dot via the camera
110. Thereafter, when the operator applies the water pressure to
the nozzles 60 they precisely lance the tube lane aligned using the
laser 112. Optionally, a fill light 114, such as a light emitting
diode (LED) light or array of LEDs, provides illumination by which
the operator can view the aligned tube lane before, during, and/or
after the lancing. In a typical lancing sequence, the sludge
buildup in the tube lane may prevent a clear line-of-sight through
the entire tube lane, so that the laser alignment cannot be
performed with maximum precision. After turning on the water jet
some of this sludge is removed (lanced), thus permitting a longer
line of sight. The operator can then turn off the water jet and
repeat the laser alignment, or rely upon visual appearance of the
water jet as viewed by the camera 110 under illumination of the
fill light 114 to determine when the tube lane if sufficiently
lanced. In the latter approach, the appearance of the exit beam of
water (see FIGS. 6 and 7) can be utilized to perform beam angle and
translation adjustment (in addition to or in place of the laser
alignment). The fill light 114 and camera 110 can also be used to
acquire representative photographs of the tube lanes before and
after lancing so as to document the effectiveness of the lancing
process (or to document any problems with the lancing that may call
for further sludge cleanup processing by further lancing, chemical
removal, or so forth).
[0051] It is also contemplated to use the laser diode 112 with the
water jet on. In this case, a diffuse exit water jet (as in FIG. 7)
will manifest as a blurred or obscured laser dot due to laser
beam/diffuse water beam interaction. When the water beam (and the
sighting laser) are precisely aligned with the tube lane, the exit
water jet will be tight (as in FIG. 6) which reduces the laser
beam/water beam interaction resulting in a sharper laser dot being
observed via the camera 110.
[0052] Using approaches such as those just described, the
illustrative lancing crawler or head 40 can efficiently achieve
lancing of the tube lanes in all three angles: 30.degree.,
90.degree., and 150.degree.. The illustrative lancing crawler or
head 40 includes a single bank of nozzles 60 pointing in a single
direction--in a contemplated alternative embodiment, a separate
bank of nozzles can be provided for each angular direction (e.g.
30.degree., 90.degree., and) 150.degree. with each bank having
separate precision slide and rotation drives, so that lancing along
multiple directions can be precision-aligned and performed
simultaneously.
[0053] The illustrative lancing crawler or head 40 moves along the
NTL 20 by being driven across the floor 20 (for example, the upper
surface of a tubesheet) using the drive tracks 72. Thus positioned,
the illustrative lancing crawler or head 40 is near the floor 20,
so that having the tilt drive 66 set to orient the nozzles 60
horizontally provides sludge lancing at or near the floor 20. To
provide lancing at higher elevations, the tilt drive 66 is operated
to tilt the water jets upward. If the tubes 14 are straight tubes
(for example, as in a once-through steam generator, OTSG, or as in
a U-tube design except near the "U" shaped upper turnaround) then
this tilting may not require re-alignment of the water jet using
the laser diode 112. Optionally, however, such re-alignment can be
performed for the various tilt settings. Advantageously, the camera
110 and laser beam 112 (and also the fill light 114) tilt with the
nozzles 60 so that alignment and visual inspection can be performed
at any tilt angle.
[0054] With reference back to FIG. 1, in an alternative embodiment
the alignment is performed using sensors 130 located proximate to
the distal end of the tube sheet bundle, that is, distal from the
nozzles 60, i.e. at the outlet end where the exit water jet
discharges (as seen, for example, in FIGS. 6 and 7). Such sensors
130 can, for example, comprise optical sensors that detect the
laser beam from the laser diode 112, or can comprise pressure
sensors that directly detect the water pressure produced by the
water jet, or can comprise a charge coupled display (CCD) imaging
array that allows the operator to directly observe the exit water
jet. A difficulty with this approach is that placement of the
sensors 130 can be difficult as the periphery of the tube bundle is
not readily accessible from the NTL 20.
[0055] In the illustrative embodiments, the nozzles 60 output a
water jet as the lancing beam. In other embodiments, it is
contemplated for the lancing beam to comprise a different fluid,
for example a chemical (dissolved in water in some embodiments)
that chemically attacks the sludge.
[0056] The present disclosure as been described with reference to
exemplary embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations
will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding
detailed description. It is intended that the present disclosure be
construed as including all such modifications and alterations
insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the
equivalents thereof.
* * * * *