Innovating leak detection on conducting fluid pipelines

CEA (French Commission for Atomic and Alternative Energies) has launched a R&D program focused on leak detection of sodium on industrial ducts aiming at detecting and pinpointing the exact location of fluid leakage along pipelines or on tanks quickly. This R&D program is focused on the development of innovating detectors, Multilayer-type and Optical Fiber Distributed Sensors, involving tests on mock-ups in a dedicated sodium loop settled at CEA-CADARACHE, France. This loop named FUTUNa, is designed to produce very accurate sodium leak rates within a range around 1 cm3/min, the tests being performed at various temperatures (from 180 degrees C up to 550 degrees C) on large-diameter pipe mock-ups (DN 800) under ambient or nitrogen environment. This paper presents the advantages of each innovating detector and series of tests carried out with various materials of the Multilayer-type Detector and different routings of the Optical Fiber Sensor. The relevant results are compared and discussed as well as the observations made after removing the mock-ups. The most interesting result of the overall tests is a rapid detection time for the two types of detectors less than the other conventional wire type leak detection systems.