【Case Study】Making Gas Leaks "Visible" – Acoustic Imaging Technology Helps Enterprises Save Energy and Increase Efficiency

Compressed air pipes are a core piece of critical equipment in many manufacturing plants. If the compressed air duct is intact, then the equipment that depends on it will be able to function properly. However, once the compressed air pipeline is damaged, the resulting compressed air leakage will cause a lot of energy waste, which will bring great benefit loss to the enterprise.

In large factories, air compression systems and pipes can extend nearly 100 meters long and pass through various equipment operating systems. Compressed air leaks can occur anywhere in the system – including compressors, air dryers, main pipes or equipment piping. Leakage is the main cause of degraded performance of air compression systems. Leaks reduce the flow of air in the ducts, resulting in insufficient air pressure to support proper equipment operation. So, how do you plug leaks in a compressed air system?

The principle of solving a leak in a compressed air pipeline is simple – hear the sound of the leak and locate it. However, even in complete silence, most people can't hear the sound of compressed air leaks, let alone in noisy manufacturing plants. Even if you think you heard a leak, you must get close to the leak for further verification. However, in the actual factory environment, it is difficult for inspectors to approach the leakage point because the equipment will move and the compressed air duct may be suspended at a height of more than 15 meters.

【Case Study】Making Gas Leaks "Visible" – Acoustic Imaging Technology Helps Enterprises Save Energy and Increase Efficiency

Using the traditional soapy water method to locate and verify compressed air leaks is very inefficient and does not cover every part of the compressed air pipeline. Another, more comprehensive way to troubleshoot an air compression system is to scan it with an acoustic imager: a tool that "sees" sound. This comprehensive and thorough scanning of the compression system is efficient and effective for plants of any size. Efficient, as you no longer need to troubleshoot and troubleshoot individual components of your system during downtime; Effective because the high sensitivity of the acoustic sensor can detect leaks of any size, at any location. At the same time, this method also makes the inspection process safer.

Acoustic imaging based on ultrasonic monitoring makes compressed air leak detection more visualized and digitized. This digital leak detection not only helps us reduce energy waste, but also optimizes the manufacturing process and increases the company's operating revenue.

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Detection was performed using the II900 Acoustic Imager

An auto parts factory has an overhead compressed air pipeline leak (about 6 meters above the ground), and the leakage point can no longer be accurately and efficiently detected using traditional detection methods.

Using Fluke's ii900 acoustic imager, the technical staff quickly adjusted the frequency band for acoustic imaging via the touchscreen, which is typically above 20kHz for compressed air leaks, and the frequency band in this field is set to 30kHz-40kHz (yellow box), which clearly reflects the location of the leak point.

In addition, the II900 acoustic imager effectively shields against noise interference in the field. Even if there is a lot of noise in the field, the acoustic imager can accurately set the frequency band of the leakage, and the two do not interfere with each other.

Due to its many advantages, the II900 acoustic imager has been widely used in the industry. These include food, pharmaceutical, automotive, metallurgy, petrochemical, power plant and many other manufacturing units in compressed gas pipelines.

How the II900 Acoustic Imager works

The II900 Industrial Acoustic Imager is equipped with a highly sensitive microphone array to quickly and accurately locate gas leaks in compressed air systems, even in the noisiest environments. In the event of a compressed air leak, sonic currents are generated at the point of the leak, which is transmitted through the air to the acoustic imager's array of sound pressure sensors, which are visualized on the 7" LCD display, allowing engineers to quickly identify the leak point.

After a comprehensive scan of the entire air compression system and the location of all air leaks, the powerful software built into the industrial acoustic imager can help you identify the location of the leak in the system, and can also realize on-screen annotation and leak quantification (how big is the leak?). ) and report creation:

Asset tagging to make it easier for others to know where the leak is

On-screen annotations to provide more context and considerations for others

Leak quantification, which identifies the size of leaks, helps you prioritize points of failure and knows which leaks to focus on first

The inspection report can include images of the leak, asset tags, notes, leak size, etc., and can analyze and record the power loss caused by the leak. The generated professional reports can be shared with others, such as the maintenance team.

To sum up, the severity of the consequences of compressed air leakage can be imagined. Therefore, no matter how complex the on-site environment is, enterprises should actively look for energy-saving improvement points and measure the current situation of compressed air use on site. By using Fluke acoustic imagers to inspect, troubleshoot, and maintain compressed air equipment, you can reduce ineffective compressed air leaks, reduce ineffective energy consumption, and maximize profits.

【Case Study】Making Gas Leaks "Visible" – Acoustic Imaging Technology Helps Enterprises Save Energy and Increase Efficiency

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