Assessment of the State and Analysis of Damageability of Heating Grids Pipelines

Abstract

Heating grids are intended for transportation of thermal energy from heat sources to consumers. On the balance sheet of the power supply organizations of the state enterprise “Belenergo”, which is part of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Belarus, there is more than 6500 km of heating grids in one-pipe terms. Analysis of the results of complex surveys of heat supply enterprises in Belarus shows that heating grids are one of the most unreliable elements of the heating system of the city today. The main reason of disturbances in operation of heating grids (about 90 %) is the local external corrosion that manifests itself in the form of fistulas and breaks of metal of network pipelines. The most quickly, all other things being equal, external corrosion affects those pipelines in which there is a direct contact of the unprotected surface of the pipe with the ground. In addition, in the process of operation of heating grids possible damages might happen that are associated with the breakdown of stationary pillars, with the gaps of the buildings cast iron valves, with the breakdown of the thread of the discharge valves, with damage of compensators, etc. According to ORGRES statistical studies, most of the damages (up to 70 %) of pipelines in Russia (as well as in Belarus) are associated with corrosion. Despite the estimated service life of the pipelines (up to 30 years), the sources of centralized heat supply in Russia pipes are 70 % worn out. With this regard, losses significantly increased in heating grids. General wear and tear of the heating grids of Ukraine in 2010 was 70 %, while losses in heating grids reached up to 30 %. Every year, the situation will only get worse. Thus, external corrosion of heating grids is one of the main factors determining reliability of operation of systems of heat supply.