February 2007Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
The EXAIR ultrasonic leak detector (ULD) is a handheld, high quality instrument that can locate costly leaks in a compressed air system. A person using the ULD need only aim it in the direction of a suspected leak. When a leak is present, an audible tone can be heard with the use of the headphones, and the LED display will light. Testing the various unions, valves and fittings of a complete installation can be done quickly and effectively at distances up to 6,1 m away.
Plants that are not maintained can easily waste up to 30% of the compressor output through leaks that go undetected. Compressing air is an expensive operation. Saving the wasted compressed air reduces overall operating costs. In large plants, the cost of a small air leak may be insignificant, but many small leaks when located and repaired can amount to huge energy savings.
In plants where loud noise levels exist, it is very difficult to locate leaks by merely listening for them. Most plant noises are in the normal audible range of human hearing, while air escaping from a small orifice is ultrasonic. The ULD can be adjusted to filter out background noise using the three sensitivity settings of X1, X10 and X100 along with an on/off thumb wheel for fine sensitivity adjustment. The parabola or tubular extension can also be attached to mask out intense background noise. The ULD detects only the ultrasonic sounds that are generated.
Ultrasound is directional in transmission and is loudest at the source. Turbulence by the air forced through a small orifice generates ultrasonic sound. This sound is called 'white noise' and occurs when the air moves from a high pressure area such as a pipe or vessel and escapes to a low pressure such as the room. The ULD converts the turbulent flow to a frequency that can be heard using the headphones. As the ULD moves closer to the leak, more LEDs on the display light up to confirm the source of the leak.
In some cases, the suspected leak is in a hot area and/or close to moving parts. The tubular extension and parabola make it possible to probe difficult locations from a distance to isolate the leak.
Applications:
* Locate leaks in air, steam and non-flammable gas systems, including pipes, fittings, valves, cylinders and pressure vessels.
* Find the source of bearing and gear wear.
* Locate arcing in an electrical system.
* Detect refrigeration and airconditioning system leaks.
* Locate leaks in brake systems, tubes, tyres and radiators.
* Sense cracks in moving rubber v-belts.
* Detect leaks in vacuum systems.
* Check condition of engine seals.
Advantages:
* Detects any pressurised air leaks up to 6,1 m away.
* Converts ultrasound to an audible frequency.
* LED display confirms the leak location.
* Detects leaks in noisy industrial environments.
* Not affected by contaminants or windy conditions.
* Includes accessories to detect leaks in hard to reach areas.
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