Ultrasonic Leak Detection

Leak Detection For Compressed Air And Gases

Leaks are the leading cause of wastage of a significant part of electric energy in the compressed air systems, which cause an energy loss of about 15 – 20 percent every year. Therefore, finding, monitoring, and fixing up the leaks present in a compressed air system is essential in becoming a better energy-efficient compressed air consumer

Ultrafilter offers ultrasonic leak detectors that are easy to use and an easy-to-operate cloud-based software system to monitor leaks and offer audit reports for better energy management.

The Importance Of Compressed Air Leak Detection

So, the leakages are a vital factor to cause the electric energy loss in industrial and domestic compressed air systems. This wastage can sometimes account for about twenty to thirty percent of the total output of the compressor. Also, these leakages in a compact air system can cause other specific issues such as the pressure drop in the design and compel the compressor to keep running for a longer than required time. 

A conventional way of leakage detection in these compressed air or other gas systems is spraying the pipes with soapy water and then detect the leakages with the help of the bubbles formed due to the soapy water. However, this old practice is not functional in today’s era of advanced technology due to its time-consuming operation and less efficiency of leakage detection.

In the following, we have collected all the important information about leak location in compressed air systems.

Where can leakages occur?

The uncanny leaks are the most occurring maintenance issues that can appear in any part of the system. Such kinds of leaks require proper detection of the location of the leak and a repair.

Although leakage can occur in any part of the system, generally, the most common problem areas are:
  • Fittings, tubes, hoses, and coupling: Push-to-lock and tubes are among various typical problems.
  • Open condensate traps: Improperly operating dirty seals and solenoids are often major problem areas.
  • Regulators, lubricators, and filters: Improper installation can also cause such leakage.
  • Disconnects: Maybe O-rings are missing to complete the sealing.
  • Shut-off and control valves: Worn packing of the stem can also cause leakage.
  • Point of use devices: Poorly maintained or old tools can have several internal leaks.
  • Thread sealants: Improperly applied or incorrect thread sealants can result in leaks. 
  • Flanges: Missing welds are among a common problem.
Consider using the highest quality materials besides applying them according to the instructions.
  • Pipe joints: If welds are missing, they can also trigger this kind of leakage.  
  • Cylinder rod packing: If packing materials are worn out, they can cause leakage.

S531 Ultrasonic Leak Detector For Compressed Air And Gases

 

Finding leaks in the compressed air system is the first step into energy saving. The leaking compressed air causes immense electrical costs, as your compressors are running more than they would actually need to run.

The S531 is an ultrasonic leak detector for compressed air and gases that helps users quickly find and record leakages in their system. The built-in touch screen assists the user easy operation in leak detecting. With the built-in camera and microphone, users can take photographs and record voice memos for each found leak, this makes the follow-up repair of the leaks as easy as possible.

S531 is designed to work with the ULTRAFILTER Leak Management Software (LMS) to enable companies to properly manage their leakage detection and repair activities.

Why Use Ultrasonic Detectors For Leakage Detection?

Since air leakages are nearly invisible, so we devise other ways to see them. The best method to find leakages is using an ultrasonic leakage detector, which can sense the high-frequency sounds of the compressed air leakages. These portable devices include directional microphones, audio filters, and amplifiers, and most have either earphones or visual indicators to detect the leakages.

Ultrasonic leakage detection is nowadays the most predominant form of leakage detection. Due to its efficient built-up, it adapts to several leakage detection situations. The principle of this leak detection is more than superficial. The leak moves from a high-pressure laminar flow towards low-pressure turbulence in a vacuum or pressure leak. This disturbance causes a noise that usually has inaudible frequencies; hence the human ears cannot detect them. The ultrasonic leakage detector converts these inaudible noise signals to audible ones while ignoring the loud background noise with the help of audio filters. So, you can hear leakages with the use of wireless headsets even at the noisiest places.

What are the advantages of ultrasonic leak detection?

The benefits of ultrasonic leak detection include speed, versatility, and ease of use. Moreover, it provides the ability to find a wide variety of leakages, to perform tests while equipment is running. They need a minimum of training, and operators mostly become competent after only 15 minutes of activity. 

Because of the nature of ultrasound, it is directional in transmission. Due to this reason, signals are loudest near the source. By scanning the test area, it is straightforward to pinpoint the exact location. Hence, it is a very accurate and fast process.

New Features​

 

-Finds leaks in the compressed air or gas system easily even from distance.

-High resolution 3.5” colour touch screen, easing operations in leak detection.

-Almost unlimited memory for leak records.

-Wireless connection with headset.

-Built-in camera to take photo of leak locations.

-Voice recorder for voice memos.

-Laser pointer to pinpoint leak locations.

-Records leak information for statistics and repair.

-Calculates air loss in l/min, m3/h or cfm and in the local currency.

-Integrated noise reduction technology.

-Battery capacity for up to 8 hours.

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