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Whether you’re looking for a
leak on a routine basis or you have to find a leak that just happened,
leak detection is not easy. It takes planning, skill and even a bit of
luck. Sometimes you just happen upon the leak. You scan around, hear it
and there it is. Other times, it can take a long, long time. It is
important to note that one technology isn’t applicable for every type of
leak. You have to be aware of the type of leak you are looking for and
the type of system in which leak is occurring. We all know how effective
ultrasonic technology is when it comes to locating leaks. The problem is
that many users, especially those who have no experience or training,
often mistake their instrument for a magic wand. They assume that all
they have to do is wave the “wand” around and they’ll locate the leak
instantly. Knowledge, planning, experience, training and using the right
tool for the job all come in to play when looking for a leak. |
Knowledge: If you understand how leaks
form, what types of leak have a better chance of producing
ultrasound and the various methods for leak detection, then you have
a good probability of success. Planning:
One common mistake is that an inspector starts to look for a leak
without any planning. Planning is a very important element for
success, whether the leak detection process is for a leak that must
be found immediately or as part of a scheduled PdM check. The first
step is to understand the type of leak as well as the system or
component in which the leak may be. The next step is to review the
leak system. Check blue prints or pipe layouts to get a better
understanding of how and where leaks might occur. The next is to
walk through the areas you will test to be sure the diagrams and
prints match up. This is also a good opportunity to view what
additional equipment you will need to bring such as keys to open
locked cabinets, flashlights, ladders or any special modules or
tools such as the flexible probes, Long Range Module, Close Focus
Module or Liquid Leak Amplifier. This walk through will also help
you plan your inspection route.
Experience: The more you use your
ultrasound instrument, the better you’ll get. It’s that simple. As
you gain experience you will learn what techniques work in specific
cases and what won’t work, you’ll have a better understanding of how
to look for the leak, confirm the leak and extrapolate the potential
savings of your test. You’ll develop shielding techniques and
possibly short cuts that will take you directly to the leak. In
essence you’ll be come more efficient and more effective.
Training: To help you start off in the right direction and,
even if you do have experience, to help you re-discover techniques
and concepts that can help, training is always advisable. As you are
probably aware, UE Systems has been offering training courses, some
to help with certification, for over ten years. Our course
curriculum has increased to provide courses that meet specific
needs. To review all the courses offered, try this link:
http://www.uesystems.com/training.asp
The Right Tool for the job: Ever since our
first Ultraprobe, we have been modifying the product and adding
accessories to help meet specific inspection needs. There are always
unique problems that inspectors encounter. Over the years we have
developed a number of accessories based on recommendations from
users. The
Close Focus Module was created to met the need for locating
vacuum leaks in vacuum bags used by the composite industry, the
Ultrasonic Wave Form concentrator (Parabolic Dish) came
about to help locate leaks at a distance. The
Long Range Module (LRM) actually was designed by a scientist
working for the National Aeronautics Space Administration: NASA to
help locate leaks on the space shuttle. Our flexible probes (U-Bend
and
TeleBend) were suggested as a way to help some
inspectors locate leaks occurring at odd angles in difficult areas
and the concept of
Liquid Leak Amplifier came about to help locate low level
leaks that were out of the normal detection range of standard
ultrasonic equipment.
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Ultraprobe
Tip- Effective Sound Recording |
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Recording Sounds
Depending on the Ultraprobe you are using, there are two ways to
record sounds; via an external device and internally. If you are
using an
Ultraprobe 10,000 you can use the on-board sound recording
feature otherwise all others must use an external device such as an
MP3 player, lap top computer or quality cassette tape recorder.
Whatever device you use, be sure that it has a low frequency range
that can display the low frequency peaks of 60 or even 50 Hz on
UE Spectralyzer. For this reason digital voice recorders are
not recommended.
When recording sounds, it is important that the signal is not
distorted. On the Analogue instruments, you should not let the
signal go over 50% of full scale on the signal strength indicator.
On the Digital Instruments, should try to maintain the signal
strength to between 4 to 6 segments on the bar graph indicator. Use
a RF shielded cable that has a “miniphone to miniphone” plug to
match the headphone jack on the back of your instrument and to plug
into the microphone jack of your recording device.
For 10,000 users, you have the option to record sound samples
manually or to pre-set the record time in the setup mode. When
recording, move the cursor to the function bar and select Record
Wav. Follow the on screen instructions and when through, be sure to
follow the on-screen instructions to save the sound recording to
your compact flash card.
Whatever method you use, if you are going to want to compare sound
levels as well as sound patterns over time, be sure to note the
sensitivity levels you are using to record your baseline sound. This
will assure repeatability. Even if the dB level on the digital is
the same, the sound level is outputted through the audio channel and
therefore will be effected by the sensitivity level, not the dB
reading.
For more tips on Ultrasonic Leak Detection, visit
www.davidson.com.au
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You may notice that the name of the UE
newsletter is changing from Tech Tips to Sound Advice. The reason is
quite simple. UE Systems has and will continue to offer “sound advice” to
all our customers. UE prides itself in providing you with the most reliable
means of achieving success in your inspection routines. This includes a
number of quality components: our products (hardware and software),
training, product support (over the phone from our highly knowledgeable
in-house support group and in the field from our regional managers) from our
information-filed web site and from our affiliated service providers; the
Service Partners. As an extension of this concept, we will be offering
“Sound Advice” with our email newsletter. |
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Every month UE Systems is going to set up a new
sound for you on their web site. All you have to do is read the clue
and identify it. All successful entries will be placed in a monthly
drawing for a prize. This month’s prize is a UE Watch.
To participate in the contest,
Click Here Send us one of your
sounds with a brief description. If we select it for use we’ll put
your name up on the site to give you the recognition you deserve
plus we’ll happily send you one of our famous UE shirts as a thank
you. info@uesystems.com
Last Month’s winners: Congratulations to last
month’s winners. You all had great sound recognition. The sound was
listed as non-industrial and was recorded on an Ultraprobe 10,000.
The clue was: “A flying mammal gets sound advice.” The answer: A
bat’s sonar. While many of the contestants identified the bat, they
did not specifically identify the sonar, which was the clicking
sound we heard. However, there were many of you who did and for that
reason there were 17 winners!
Winners that have entered their mailing address will receive a
famous UE watch as their prize. |
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Ultrasound
Training Schedule 2007: |
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The schedule below lists our standard
Level I and Level II airborne/structure borne ultrasound
technology course plus the new 1-day software courses and
the Steam Examiner course. Please be sure to register early
for the course of your choice to be sure to save your place.
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DATES and CLASS LOCATION: |
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Level I and Level
II
July 9 - 13 Level I
Singapore
July 16 - 20 Level I Seattle, WA
August 6 - 10 Level II Elmsford, NY
September 3 - 7 Level I Mexico DF, Mexico
September 10 - 14 Level I Houston, TX
October 15 - 19 Level I Louisville, KY
November 12 - 16 Level I Birmingham, AL
December 3 - 7 Level I Honolulu, HI
To register:
email: info@uesystems.com
or register on-line:
http://www.uesystems.com/forms.asp?frmID=10 |
1-Day Software Class Ultratrend DMS & UE Spectralyzer
June 20 Software I Day Detroit MI
July 25 Software I Day Albany, NY
August 15 Software I Day Springfield, MA
September 19 Software I Day Philadelphia, PA
October 24 Software I Day St. Louis, MO
To register: email:
info@uesystems.com
or register on-line:
http://www.uesystems.com/forms.asp?frmID=21 |
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