Ultrasonic Leak Detection Benefits, Usage and Evaluation NP – 00E01561

Reginald Crowe BSc Mechanical Engineering with Marine Engineering Option – University of Surrey, UK 35 years design and manufacture of industrial material handling equipment Professional Engineer (MI) – 1980 RETAP Analyst for 3 years

Ultrasonic Technology Offers many opportunities to dramatically cut energy consumption, improve bottom line, and improve “carbon footprint” Four common areas are Compressed air leaks Steam leaks, .i.e. traps Valves inspection Motor/bearing wear Electrical fault detection Mechanical efficiencies [NOTE: Electrical faults, motor/bearing wear and steam trap inspection works well in conjunction with infrared thermography] Ultrasound detection is a cost effective, accurate and safe method for locating sources of energy waste and for preventing unplanned downtime

Ultrasonic Leak Detection UE Systems Ultraprobe 3000SC (UP-3000SC) is a digital ultrasonic inspection, information, storage and retrieval system in a pistol-grip housing UP-3000SC can quickly and accurately locate potential problems

UP-3000SC Features include: Wide, dynamic sensitivity range “Spin and Click” operations to customize inspection modes, store and view data, and adjust instrument settings Easy-to-read display panel with calibrated decibel readout 400 memory locations hold all of test data Scanning and stethoscope plug-in modules for coarse to fine detection

Ultrasonic Leak Detection What produces ultrasound in a leak Gas passing through a restricted orifice (leak) moves from pressurized laminar flow to low pressure turbulent flow Turbulence creates broad spectrum of sound called “white noise” Some components of “white noise” are ultrasonic Detection of these signals is usually simple to detect UP-3000SC can sense any type of gas leak

Compressed Air: The Problem Compressed air isn’t free Compressed air accounts for 10% of all electricity used in U.S. manufacturing industries Average facility loses an average of 30% of its compressed air to leaks Much is undetectable by ear, to touch or sight As of the end of 2007, the DOE reported that as many as 57% of facilities have taken little or no action to fix this problem

Leak Detection Survey Walk through the plant – pay attention to obvious problems such as loud leaks you can spot and tag without the aid of an ultrasonic detector Determine the best route for the inspection Use the Ultraprobe to scan for leaks. Always wear the headphones during scanning. Start at the compressor/supply side and work to the use side Create a series of inspection “zones” to ensure all sections are covered Tag all leaks

Leak Detection Survey (cont’d) Be ready to fix as you go – a lot can be repaired on the spot Test all leaks after they have been repaired Calculate your savings Report the results – let management know how much money you are saving Maintain a program to reduce compressed air use and eliminate the use of unneeded compressors

Incorporating Ultrasonic Leak Detection into an Assessment During the Onsite Assessment: Assessment team determines if there are opportunities for locating and quantifying compressed air leaks. “Listen for Leaks” Completes data collection checklist as needed, for example: Air compressor system identifier Compressed air system operating pressure Operating hours per year Data collection (see next page)

How to Locate an Air Leak Use the UP-3000SC SCANNING MODULE, while wearing the headphones Start off with sensitivity at Maximum (70) Begin to scan by holding in the module “trigger”, pointing the module towards the test area Adjust the sensitivity down if the ultrasound level is too high to tell the direction of the leak Go from the “gross” (highest sensitivity) to the “fine “ (lowest sensitivity) Move closer to the test area as you scan Continue to make adjustments with the sensitivity to determine the direction of the leak sound If necessary, place the RUBBER FOCUSING PROBE over the scanning module and get closer to the test area

Locating a Leak (cont’d) Listen for a “rushing” sound while observing the meter dB display Follow the sound to the loudest point. The meter will show a higher reading as the leak is approached Adjust the sensitivity setting and move the instrument closer to the suspected leak site until you are able to confirm the leak When loudest point has been determined position the module about 12 inches back and press down on the “sensitivity control/storage entry” dial to store the dB data. The screen will note that the “Record is Stored” and location number. Repeat the process for other suspected leaks and store the reading in the UP-3000SC Storage Location for each leak found

Incorporating Ultrasonic Leak Detection into the RETAP Assessment After the Onsite Assessment Download data from UP-3000SC into the DMS software to calculate leak cost, size of leak and energy avoidance, such as – CO2, NO and SO2. Note savings opportunities in the report

Example Show how the dB readings are converted into quantified results (See the DSM software)

Based on 100 psig, $0.18/MCF, 8,760 Hours/Year Air Leak Costs Diameter OfLeak Cubic Feet/Minute CubicFeet/Day Loss/DayDollars Loss/MonthDollars Loss/Year Dollars 1/64″ .45 576 $0.10 $3.15 $38.00 1/32″ 1.60 2,304 $0.41 $12.60 $151.00 3/64″ 3.66 5,270 $0.95 $28.85 $346.00 1/16″ 6.45 9,288 $1.65 $50.50 $610.00 3/32″ 14.50 20,880 $3.75 $114.30 $1,372.00 1/8″ 25.80 37,152 $6.70 $203.40 $2,441.00 3/16″ 58.30 83,952 $15.10 $459.60 $5,516.00 1/4″ 103.00 148,320 $26.70 $812.00 $9,745.00 5/16″ 162.00 233,280 $42.00 $1,277.00 $15,326.00 3/8″ 234.00 336,960 $60.65 $1,844.85 $22,138.00 Based on 100 psig, $0.18/MCF, 8,760 Hours/Year

Useful Links Ultraprobe 3000 http://www.uesystems.com/products/digital-ultrasound-detectors/up-3000 Plant Reliability & Ultrasound Technology Resources http://www.uesystems.com/resources NP – 00E01561