Smart Ultrasonic leak detectors are extremely valuable in any manufacturing facility or plant. Compressed air leaks are very common, persistent, and can be very costly when left undetected.
Traditional Leak Detection Methods
Traditional ways of finding compressed air leaks include a well-trained ear of an experienced facility employee, spraying soapy water onto the pipe, component, or joint area being investigated and looking for bubbles to form, or through sound using ultrasonic microphones, heterodyned to an audible level, allowing a trained user with headphones to pick up the high-frequency noise associated with leaking compressed air.
Another approach to overall system integrity assessment, and hence determination of system leakage, involves a system pressure decay test. These are typically performed at shutdown (and require an isolated system), with all operational systems maintained at a set and monitored pressure. If there is no pressure drop in the system over time, there are no leaks. If there is a pressure drop, that would indicate that there is likely a leak (or leaks) somewhere in the system, and by monitoring the decay over time, the overall loss can be determined. However, this method only confirms that there is system leakage but does not detect the source of the leak(s). It can also be an approach that is difficult to schedule as facilities generally plan shutdowns for critical operational maintenance and repair activities which cannot be easily completed online, hence requesting to pressure and hold the system in that state for a set number of hours would generally be met with resistance.
These traditional methods can all help to detect leaks, but all have challenges and rarely support a user with the complete leak management life cycle, I.e. detection through to repair and improvement.
Leak Life cycle
The image demonstrates the leak management life-cycle that is the foundation of a smart leak. Smart leak detectors do all the hard work for you and more. Ultrasonic leak detection is a popular technique used to identify and locate leaks in industrial and commercial settings. The ultrasonic microphone can detect the high-frequency sound produced by the leak and can direct the user to where the leak is located with a high degree of great accuracy.
Smart Benefits
Smart ultrasonic leak locators have added features that extend beyond locating a leak. Along with being able to locate the leak, the smart device has a cutting-edge software solution that allows the user to visually locate the leaks, quantify them in real-time, calculate the flow accurately, and capture all the technical leak data required for prioritization and loss analysis. It also allows the user to take picture records, will create a location tag, and stores it as a leak record. This data will then be synced into the dashboard and the total annual savings can be calculated. The leak can then be tracked through to repair, revalidated with a post-repair scan and savings quantified to see the benefits of the repair action taken.
Leak Tracking
All leaks are kept as records so administrators can review and look at the progress and trends over time. They can also track the status of leaks (when they were recorded, fixed, and checked on). Administrators can assign leaks to other users to manage. The user can keep track of all leaks assigned to them and communicate with the administrator through the app.
The annual monetary loss is computed, measuring the company’s financial loss corresponding to the amount of air leaking from the compressors and system. Users can choose to download and analyze the leak data, which enables them to show clients or company executives the facility’s leak report over a period of time. It can also help show areas that need improvement in the facility.
Conclusion
Investing in smart ultrasonic leak detection technology offers businesses a reliable and efficient solution for detecting and locating leaks in industrial and commercial settings. By quickly pinpointing leaks, it enhances safety, reduces energy waste, and outperforms existing detection methods. This not only saves time and money but also enables businesses to maintain their operations efficiently. Prosaris' OL series devices embody all the necessary aspects of a smart ultrasonic leak detector, including excellent leak detection skills and a comprehensive leak management system for capturing, analyzing, and managing leaks. With the ability to identify and repair leaks early on, these detectors help businesses reduce energy waste, prevent costly maintenance, lower energy bills, and avoid expensive repairs, ultimately leading to significant long-term cost savings.