Data processing: structural design – modeling – simulation – and em – Structural design
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-14
2002-06-11
Teska, Kevin J. (Department: 2123)
Data processing: structural design, modeling, simulation, and em
Structural design
C703S006000, C700S115000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06405156
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention is concerned with the field of planning, constructing and/or maintaining pipeline systems, in particular extensive and wide-ranging pipeline systems.
The invention relates to a method for planning and/or constructing and/or maintaining a pipeline system, in particular in a power plant, having a plurality of line sections each assigned a set of line parameters including, in particular, a maximum permissible pressure, a maximum permissible temperature and a rated diameter. The invention also relates to a data processing system.
Large technical systems frequently include very extensive, wide-ranging and complicated pipeline systems. Different line parameters are frequently assigned to the individual line sections of such a pipeline system. Such line parameters are, in particular, structural parameters and include, for example, a maximum permissible pressure, a maximum permissible temperature and a rated diameter. Then, the only pipe components installed in the line section must be ones having a physical stress limit that lies above the respective structural parameter.
In a technical article entitled “Projektierung des EPR [EPR Planning and Design]” in ATW-International Review of Nuclear Energy, 42nd year (1997), Issue 10—October, pp. 616 to 618, a method is described for fulfilling technical system requirements in the planning of pipe components. In that method the maximum bending radius, the external diameter and the wall thickness of the sections of pipe are determined automatically on the basis of pipeline input values, a control catalog and pipe classes corresponding automatically to a “boiler formula”.
In a book entitled “Dubbel-Taschenbuch für den Maschinenbau [Dubbel's Mechanical Engineering Manual]”, Springer Verlag, 1995, 18th Edition, a formula which can be used, inter alia, to calculate a necessary wall thickness from, inter alia, a calculated pressure and an external diameter of a pipe, is given on page K6.
For example, in a newly developed pressurized water reactor, the European Pressurized-water Reactor (EPR), a total of approximately 17,000 sections of pipe with a length of approximately 150 km and with a magnitude on the order of 10,000 pipe components are to be assumed in a reconstructed area alone. During the planning, construction and/or maintenance of such an extensive plant it is easy for errors to occur and the elimination thereof could entail additional costs or a delay. For example, two adjacent pipe components which are associated with a common section of pipe may have different or excessively low loading limits although uniform and/or relatively high structural parameters were provided for the section of pipe. Such an error, that is picked out by way of example from many thousands of possible errors, should be avoided from the outset, additionally in view of the completed safety technology which has been strived for at the EPR. Then the error does not have to be eliminated after a test run or a functional check before the reactor is started up, which would be cost-intensive or time-intensive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a method for optimizing, speeding up and/or simplifying the planning, constructing and/or maintenance of a pipeline system and a data processing system therefor, which overcome the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known methods and systems of this general type and with which a targeted production or renewal of a line section becomes possible without the possibility of errors occurring in the process.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a method for planning and/or constructing and/or maintaining a pipeline system, in particular in a power plant, which comprises assigning a set of line parameters including, in particular, a maximum permissible pressure, a maximum permissible temperature and a rated diameter, to each of a plurality of line sections in a pipeline system; on the basis of a selected set of the line parameters for a line section to be produced or renewed, specifying a material and a wall thickness of an available pipe component sufficient for loading in accordance with the selected set of the line parameters; and generating therefrom a pipe class uniquely defined for the line section, for identifying a sufficiently loadable pipe component for the line section using the pipe class.
The method is based, inter alia, on the fact that it is possible to produce or renew a line section in a targeted, largely error-free manner only if the line section is assigned a pipe class which, on one hand, combines a plurality of similar line sections, i.e. line sections with similar line parameters, and, on the other hand, permits an uniquely defined identification and/or selection of a pipe component. The assignment must take place by taking line parameters, one or more material characteristic variables and one or more pipe component dimensions into account.
The method therefore serves, for example, as a quality-assurance aid for an engineer, fitter or service technician who has to install a new pipe component or a replacement pipe component into a line section.
In accordance with another mode of the invention, the pipe class is generated by virtue of the fact that in each case a strength value and a use priority are assigned to at least one material in a first memory, the external diameter and wall thicknesses of available pipe components are stored in a second memory, and on the basis of the selected set of line parameters for the line section which is to be produced or renewed:
a) the material is specified by virtue of the fact that a material with the highest use priority and the strength value which is assigned to this material are selected from the first memory,
b) the maximum permissible transversal stress is determined for the material,
c) an external diameter is selected from the second memory,
d) a minimum wall thickness is determined from the external diameter and the transversal stress,
e) the wall thickness is specified by virtue of the fact that the next largest wall thickness of an available pipe component is determined from the second memory using the material and the minimum wall thickness, and
f) the pipe class which is uniquely defined for the line section is generated from the selected set of line parameters, the material and the next largest wall thickness.
Through the use of the rule provided according to this embodiment, the assignment, i.e. generation, of the pipe class to the line section is possible in a particularly easy, quick and reliable manner.
The generation of the pipe class and/or of a designation or of a code name for the pipe class, can be carried out, for example, by virtue of the fact that initial letters, abbreviations, code numbers and/or numerical values for the material, the line parameters and/or the next largest wall thickness which is specified are combined to form a pipe class designation.
Instead of the transversal stress, it is also possible, if appropriate, to use a different mechanical stress.
An available pipe component may, for example, be a pipe, in particular a linear pipe, a bent pipe (pipe bend, L element), a branch element (T element), a reducing element or a fitting.
The method is preferably carried out by using an electronic data processing system or a computer. The first and/or second memory is then part of the data processing system or a component of a larger magnetic, optical or electronic memory associated with the data processing system.
The first and/or second memory is preferably implemented in the form of one or more tables in the data processing system.
The use of an electronic data processing system for carrying out the method provides the additional advantage of ensuring that the method can be carried out in a largely automated manner without the involvement of human intelligence. This is advantageous particularly in the planning, construction and/or ma
Bickel Ruth-Margarete
Kern Reinhard
Pöschel Ernst-Eckhardt
Rusitschka Erwin
Ziegerer Manfred
Broda Samuel
Greenberg Laurence A.
Locher Ralph E.
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Stemer Werner H.
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