Device for securing a leak, premises equipped with such a device and associated leak-securing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9797537-B2
Application number	US-201415027194-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2014
Priority date	Oct 3, 2013
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for securing a leak of fluid from equipment containing a pressurised fluid. The device comprising a gas-tight containment device disposed around the equipment and defining a volume, Vconf, between the inner surface of the sealed containment device and the outer surface of the equipment. A vent is formed by one or more ports in the sealed containment device, each port being defined by its cross-section and shape. According to the invention, the volume, Vconf, the cross-section and the shape of each port are configured such that, in the event of a leak of flow rate Qf, the fluid is discharged through each port in the form of a turbulent jet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for securing a leak of a fluid that may occur in a pressure equipment containing that fluid, in which the device for securing a leak is configured to secure a leak having a given leakage flow rate a fluid Q f said securing device comprising:
a fluidtight containment device, arranged around the pressure equipment and defining a volume V conf between an internal surface of said fluidtight containment device and an external surface of the pressure equipment;
a vent made up of one or more orifice(s) in the fluidtight containment device, each orifice being defined by its cross section and by its shape;
and in which the volume V conf , and the cross section and the shape of each orifice are configured so that in the event of a leak with a flow rate Qf, the fluid is discharged through each orifice in the form of a turbulent jet
and in which at least one orifice in the fluidtight containment device is extended in a direction of discharge of the jet of fluid by a dilution device able to dilute the fluid of the jet using a gas situated beyond the external surface of the fluidtight containment device.

2. The device for securing a leak of a fluid as claimed in claim 1 , in which the fluid is a gas.

3. The device for securing a leak of a fluid as claimed in claim 1 , in which the fluid is a liquid.

4. The device for securing a leak of a fluid as claimed in claim 1 , in which the fluidtight containment device is formed essentially of a wall placed on a plinth on which the pressure equipment rests, and in which the wall is made of a deformable material.

5. The device for securing a leak of a fluid as claimed in claim 1 , in which the shape of the orifice in the fluidtight containment device is multilobed.

6. The device for securing a leak of a fluid as claimed in claim 1 , in which the dilution device is a Venturi-effect mixer or a succession of Venturi-effect mixers.

7. The device for securing a leak of a fluid as claimed in claim 1 , in which one or more component(s) of the dilution device is/are extended in a direction of discharge of the jet of fluid by a grating that generates a turbulence in the fluid of the jet.

8. A premises equipped with at least one device for securing a leak of a fluid as claimed in claim 1 .

9. The premises equipped with at least one device for securing a leak of a fluid as claimed in the claim 8 , comprising a plurality of walls and, in at least one wall, an opening device that can be actuated by a thrust exerted by the turbulent jet of fluid during the leak.

10. A method for securing pressure equipment in the event of a leak of a pressurized fluid therefrom, the method comprising:
implementing a device for securing a leak of a fluid as claimed in claim 1 ;
allowing the fluid to spread out in the gastight containment device; and
allowing the fluid to discharge in the form of a turbulent jet through each orifice of the vent.

11. The securing method as claimed in claim 10 , comprising the following additional step:
allowing the fluid to become diluted beyond an orifice in a direction of discharge of the jet of fluid by virtue of a dilution device so as to dilute the fluid of the jet with a gas situated beyond the external surface of the fluidtight containment device.

12. A method for calculating the characteristics of a device for securing a leak of a fluid as claimed in claim 1 , implemented by computer processing means in which:
inputting a fluid leakage flow rate Qf;
inputting the geometric characteristics of the pressure equipment;
calculating by iteration and/or by optimization the geometric characteristics of a gastight containment device and of the vent such that the fluid is discharged through each orifice of the vent in the form of a turbulent jet are calculated by iteration and/or by optimization.

13. The securing method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the use of at least one leak securing device is under conditions in which the outdoor temperatures are below or equal to −40° C.

14. The device for securing a leak of a fluid as claimed in claim 4 , in which the deformable material is a composite material containing carbon fiber and/or aramid fiber.

Assignees

• Total Sa

Inventors

• Alvini Gérard

Classifications

• Y10T137/5762

  With leakage or drip collecting · CPC title

• F17C2205/0332

  Safety valves or pressure relief valves · CPC title

• F16L55/07 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of devices, e.g. valves, for venting or aerating or draining (apparatus for draining F16T) · CPC title

• F17C13/12

  Arrangements or mounting of devices for preventing or minimising the effect of explosion (flame traps A62C4/00 ){; Other safety measures} · CPC title