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This case study was written by John Wilkinson at EDF Energy. Based at West Burton Power Station, John is a user of the Ultraprobe 2000, and has been very successful in finding those elusive air in-leakage problems.
"I regularly use the Ultraprobe to track down condenser air in-leakage in the lead-bursting diaphragms on low-pressure turbine cylinders. These cylinders consist of twelve, three foot diameter lead discs at the bottom of a two foot tall chimney (with a top safety grill secured by twelve set screws)."
"Under normal operation, these discs are subject to pressure fluctuations, which can cause fine cracking and air in-leakage, and in turn reduces the performance of the turbine condenser."
"Removing the 100 plus safety grill set screws has always been a chore for us, until I hit upon the idea of using the Ultraprobe, the rubber focusing probe and an additional twelve inch tube pushed into the end (a glass thermometer plastic storage tube)."
"This tube could be quickly inserted through the grills close to the suspect leakage areas. The leaking discs could then be quickly indentified for repair, without the time-consuming exercise of removing the safety grills. Previously, high levels of extraneous turbine noise caused difficulties, unless we were close to the leak, which in turn required removal of the safety grill."
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