Improving reliability of pressure measurements of nuclear plants by impulse line diagnostic using statistical tools and wavelets

In nuclear reactors, there are large number flow, level, pressure and differential pressure measurements using pressure sensing. Pressure transmitters are especially used for these measurements which accepts a process signal as input and gives electronic signal output. From accessibility and maintenance point of view, the transmitters are located away from the process measurement points and the impulse lines as long as 100 meters are used to extend the signals upto the transmitters. It is reported that these impulse lines are one of the major cause of degradation of the associated measurements. The impulse lines like blockages, accumulation of voids in the lines and leakages mainly degrades the measurements, a major reliability concern of the measurements. This paper covers the review of the research on the subject a well as further research for the impulse line fault diagnostics and early detection of the deterioration of the measurements. The intention of the research is to improve reliability of the measurements by early detection of impulse line related faults. The research is focussed on Statistical parameters like skewness, kurtosis in-conjunction with wavelets and other signal processing tools. (author)