Method for detecting coolant leaks in generators

摘要

A system and method for detecting a gas leak in a generator is provided. The system includes a source of a non-corrosive tracer gas, and a subsystem for introducing the non-corrosive tracer gas into the hydrogen cooled generator. An infrared imaging device is adapted to communicate with a notification device to display an image of at least a portion of the hydrogen cooled generator and the non-corrosive tracer gas. The infrared imaging device includes a cooled detector, and a filter with a spectral response between about 3 μm and about 5 μm. The detector and/or the filter is cooled to between about −80° C. and about −200° C. The gas leak will be indicated on the notification device. The generator may hydrogen cooled, and on-line or on-grid.

主权项

1. A method for detecting a gas leak in a generator, the method comprising:
disposing an infrared imaging device having a cooled detector with a filter having a spectral response between 3 μm to 5 μm with a field of view encompassing at least a portion of the generator; introducing a tracer gas into the generator, the generator is on-line and the tracer gas has an absorption spectrum of between 3 μm and 5 μm; filtering radiation received by the infrared imaging device in the absorption spectrum of the tracer gas; displaying a notification on a notification device, the displaying step including displaying a moving cloud on the notification device if a leak is detected, comparing one or more previous video frames with a current video frame, identifying a predetermined difference between the one or more previous video frames and the current video frame, assigning a foreground color to pixels having the predetermined difference, the foreground color having a contrast to the other pixels in a display of the notification device, displaying the pixels having the predetermined difference in the foreground color on the display, overlaid with the current video frame, and wherein the gas leak will be indicated by the notification on the notification device.