METHOD FOR LOCATING LEAKS THROUGH CLOSED WICKET- GATE MECHANISM OF HYDRAULIC TURBINE Russian patent published in 2001 - IPC

FIELD: hydraulic turbines and pump-turbine units for hydroelectric and pumped-storage plants. SUBSTANCE: method involves use of penstock or scroll-case aeration pipe as checkpoint section for determining reduction in water level, detection of gate-valve shut-off moment, and location of leak point by multiplying sectional area of aeration pipe by derivative of experimental curve showing water level decrease at gate-valve shut-off moment. Aeration pipe is ideal section for taking measurements due to its small volume and high-precision workmanship. Gate-valve shut-off moment is the only moment when component of leak through gate valve is absent as water level before and after this moment is the same. In this way one can dispense with locating and recording this component during experiment. Location of leak at shutoff point of gate valve provides for obtaining instant amount of leaks at working head and eliminates reduction of measurement results to head. In this way measurements take a few minutes without producing any impact on operation of other pieces of power-plant equipment. EFFECT: facilitated procedure for condition inspection of wicket-gate mechanism. 3 cl, 3 dwg