Energy: Pressure Pipe Testing

Case study: SOFO, ADAM System

Cooling pipe circuits monitoring
Nuclear industry
SMARTape used
SOFO Pro and SOFO View used
On-line data dissemination

Project Description

Summary: Monitoring of reinforced concrete cooling pipe circuits for nuclear power plants in order to control alteration in structural behaviour due to ageing.

Clients: EDF

Place: Paris (France)

Period: 2004 - N/A

Installation: Oxand

Structure's short description: OXAND company (France) collaborates with EDF (Electricit?de France) on a project concerning the control of ageing of the cooling pipe circuits for nuclear power plants built on the coast. In this context, OXAND proposed a non-destructive monitoring of structural performance using the SOFO system.

Aim of monitoring: In order to test feasibility of the method the tests were performed on a different pipe specimen, in laboratory and on-site. The pipe specimen consisted of three coaxial layers of ordinary concrete, metallic layer and reinforced concrete. Different types of artificial damage, simulating the consequences of ageing, were introduced to the specimens, and afterwards the pressurisation tests were performed. One long and four short SOFO SMARTapes were installed by gluing over the circumference of the artificially damaged cross-section. Each of four short SMARTapes covered a different quarter of the section making full ring, while the long SMARTape, instilled in parallel with short ones, covered whole circumference itself. In addition to SMARTapes, two longitudinal Standard sensors were installed in order to monitor bending and thermocouples were used to control temperature variations. After a test on one specimen was finished, all the sensors were successfully uninstalled and reused for other tests. All the data was processed in quasi-real-time using the SOFO Pro and SOFO View software and displayed directly on Internet in order to make possible for involved EDF engineers in different offices in France to follow the test on-line.

Number of sensor: 15

Main Results: Average strain measurement performed on the pipe circumference provided for reliable data concerning the pipe structural behaviour and made possible simulated ageing damage detection.

View to sensors lay-out, detail

Example of results

Bibliography:

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