JPH0439607B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[Technical field to which the invention pertains] The present invention relates to an oil storage container, mechanical equipment that uses oil,
Detection of oil leakage from oil-filled electrical appliances and their piping systems,
The present invention relates to an oil leak detection device particularly intended for cases where the oil leak rate is slow. [Prior art and its problems] Generally speaking, there are two types of oil storage or storage equipment: those installed above ground and those buried underground. The first method for detecting oil leaks in these facilities is to perform visual inspection or monitoring using instruments such as oil level gauges and oil pressure gauges for facilities installed on the ground. However, there are some parts of underground equipment that cannot be visually observed, and accidents such as slow oil leakage that cannot be detected by oil level gauges or oil pressure gauges, for example, can contaminate underground water are conceivable. Therefore, as a second method, a method is known in which soil or water is collected from a place where oil leakage may occur and the oil is separated and extracted. This method can detect oil leaks when the equipment is installed in a small space, but in the case of pipelines, oil-immersed cable lines, or large-scale oil refineries, soil sampling and analysis requires a lot of time and effort. Therefore, there is a need for a device that can automatically and centrally monitor the presence or absence of oil leakage in a simple manner in each fixed area. The third method, which meets the above-mentioned needs, is to coat the surface of an optical fiber with an oil-soluble resin and bury it parallel to a pipeline, etc., to prevent oil leakage. A known method is to centrally monitor oil leaks by detecting changes in the signal, in which the resin film melts when connected to an oil leak and the reflectance of the optical signal changes. However, in this method, although there are resins that dissolve in oils with strong solubility such as crude oil or naphtha, it is difficult to select resins that dissolve in oils with weak solubility such as insulating oil at room temperature or lower temperatures. Therefore, there are limits to the types of oil that can be used, and there are technical problems that must be solved in order to install optical fibers so that they will not break due to earthquakes. As mentioned above, a simple and reliable method suitable for automatically and centrally monitoring oil storage tanks, oil-filled equipment, and their piping systems for oil leaks has not been established. [Object of the invention] The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned situation, and
To provide an oil leakage detection device that can automatically and reliably centrally monitor oil leakage from equipment for storing, containing, or transferring oil, and is simple in structure and inexpensive. [Summary of the Invention] According to the present invention, the above-mentioned object is to provide equipment for storing, encapsulating, or transporting oil by utilizing a piece of rubber as an oil leakage sensor by focusing on the phenomenon that rubber immersed in oil absorbs oil and expands. The oil leakage sensor and a switch that opens and closes by mechanically or magnetically detecting deformation of the oil leakage sensor due to oil absorption and expansion are installed in a collecting container arranged at a nearby important point and formed to collect leaked oil. Internally installed,
This was achieved by installing an alarm at the monitoring location that detects an oil leak and alerts you to the oil leak when a switch is activated. [Examples of the Invention] Table 1 shows an example of the experimental results of an oil immersion experiment of various rubber samples conducted by the inventors. In the experiment, various rubber test pieces were placed in polybutene oil at room temperature for 24 hours.
The longitudinal dimensions of the specimens were measured after soaking for 72 hours. The numerical values in the table indicate the dimensional changes due to oil absorption and expansion of the test pieces as a percentage of the dimensions before immersion. As is clear from the table, natural rubber showed a change rate of several tens of percent, followed by silicone rubber and butyl rubber, which showed a change rate of several percent, and acrylic rubber did not absorb oil and expand.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The present invention focuses on oil absorption and expansion of rubber, and utilizes a piece of rubber as an oil leak sensor, converting the expansion or deformation of the oil leak sensor due to oil absorption and expansion into mechanical or electromagnetic force to open and close electrical contacts. The system is configured to notify of oil leakage using an alarm that is activated by opening and closing a switch. As a result, a simple, compact, and inexpensive oil leak detection device can be provided. In addition, since the oil leakage collection container is configured with a water-blocking layer or float, if the collection container is installed in a place where rainwater, groundwater, or drainage water accumulates, water may enter the collection container and cause oil to leak. It is possible to provide a highly reliable device that can reliably detect oil leakage by arranging the oil leakage sensor regardless of whether it is above ground, underground, or indoors or outdoors. Furthermore, by configuring the electrical contacts to be wrapped with means such as partitions, covers, and seals to prevent the switch's spark discharge from coming into direct contact with leaked oil or its vapor, spark discharge is prevented from becoming an ignition source, and ignition is prevented. It is possible to provide a device that can be applied to a wide range of fields, including oil leakage detection in equipment that stores, encapsulates, or transports easily contaminated oil. In addition, by integrating the above-mentioned configuration, oil leakage monitoring of oil storage, containment, or transfer equipment spread out over a wide area can be automatically and centrally monitored using a simple, compact, and inexpensive device. This makes it possible to eliminate the labor and time required for collecting and analyzing soil and water in conventional methods, as well as problems associated with the optical fiber method, such as failures due to optical fiber breakage and the selection of coatings that are soluble in oils with different solubility. This will also help prevent environmental pollution caused by oil leaks and the loss of resources.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing a modification of the embodiment, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic sectional views showing different embodiments. 1... Collection container, 1a... Small hole, 2, 20, 3
0... Oil leak sensor, 4, 23, 24, 33... Switch, 5... Airtight terminal, 7... Alarm, 8...
Water-shielding layer, 11...Float, 21, 31...Rubber plate (large oil absorption expansion), 22...Rubber plate (small oil absorption expansion), 32...Rubber magnet.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A device that detects and reports oil leaks by being placed at important points near oil containers and piping systems installed above or below ground, and which detects and reports oil leaks in a part of the container. A collection container having a plurality of small holes for collecting oil leakage, and rubber pieces that are installed inside the collection container and have different oil absorption and swelling properties that expand and deform when they come into contact with leaked oil are brought into close contact with each other. The oil leakage sensor consists of an oil leakage sensor whose end face is fixed to the bottom of the collection container, and whose other free end curves to one side of oil-absorbing and swellable rubber when it comes into contact with oil leakage, and the curvature of this oil leakage sensor An oil leak detection device comprising: a switch to be operated; and an alarm connected to the switch and provided outside the collection container to issue an oil leak alarm in response to closing or opening of the switch. . 2. In the device according to claim 1,
The rubber piece on the side with less oil absorption and swelling is magnetic rubber containing magnetized magnetic powder, and this magnetic rubber is curved to operate a reed switch placed on the magnetic rubber side. Oil leak detection device.