Leak Detector

Leaks are always bad and always undesirable. Nevertheless, depending on where they are, the level of damage caused of them may be different. Industrial facilities are usually complicated, enormously big and complex constructions, which, unless something goes wrong, run perfectly well and productively. The application of compressed air and gases is widely spread, especially in industry. These systems make often an essential part in the production process and the amount of energy produced, in fact, by the compressed air in the system, makes many processes happen and machines run. Leak detection in the pneumatic systems is for sure an issue of paramount importance, since unplanned and undesirable air/gas loss though the leaks, damages the whole process and causes energy losses. Maintenance and regular control of the pneumatic systems is an obligatory part and the costs spent on the equipment for the detection are absolutely nothing in comparison to the repair costs of the system or even the loss from shutdown, caused by the necessity to find out the problem. Leaks, no matter, of what size, always indicate a problem. If to ignore the tiny crack or hole, it will get only worse with the time. Not only the system does not function well, a certain amount of air or gas is vented into the environment and, in the same way, harmful particles may get into the system from outside.

Whether it is corrosion, crack, wear-out, extreme vibration, wrong maintenance, the result will always be the same – damage and breakage of the equipment, as minimum. A human ear is not always capable of catching the strange sound the gas makes when coming out of the system (which is even more complicated at the enterprises where the level of noise in standard is very high), the problematic spot in the case of air and gases is absolutely not visible, as against to oil or water. The only solution is regular checks conduction and continuous monitoring with the help of the auxiliary measuring equipment for leaks detection, ultrasonic devices and flow meters.

The systems with compressed air and gases are often consisting of parts that are beyond easy reach and sporadic application of the common devices may be complicated. Ultrasonic detectors allow reaching for the spots that are inaccessible to the personnel. An advantageous feature about ultrasonic detectors is that they “hear” perfectly well and much better than the human ear, no matter how noisy the environment is. Thus, a professional technician equipped with the a good ultrasonic leaks detector may literally rescue a huge system by detecting the dangerous spots in the whole system, and in no time at all.

Heat exchangers are used in many modern devices for heating, cooling or ventilation in order to achieve the highest possible energy efficiency. Heat pumps also have heat exchangers, which usually use special refrigerants. Because of their harmful effect on the climate, heat pumps in which the refrigerant has a CO2 equivalent of more than 5 tons, or 10 tons in the case of hermetically sealed systems, must undergo an annual leak test.

The majority of synthetic refrigerants used in the past are non-flammable and non-toxic. But once released into the environment, many of these gases have a very negative impact on global warming. The GWP (Global Warming Potential) value indicates the greenhouse effect of a gas compared to carbon dioxide. The EU Regulation No. 517/2014 (F-Gas Regulation) is intended to help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from the industrial sector by 70 percent by 2030 compared to 1990. The requirements of the regulation are intended to reduce the emissions of the particularly harmful fluorinated greenhouse gases in particular by 70 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent to just 35 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent in the period remaining until 2030.

To achieve this ambitious target, it was decided on three regulatory approaches:

1. restriction (phase down) of the quantities of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) available on the market to one-fifth by 2030,
2. prohibition of the use and marketing of refrigerants if better alternatives are available,
3. regulations on leak tests, automatic leak detection, certification, labelling and disposal.

Mandatory leak tests
Refrigerant leaks, like other gases, can be detected via test foams, pressure monitoring, or by inspections with a leak detector. Most leak detectors either locate the sound or ultrasonic waves generated by the leakage, or they detect the refrigerant in the ambient air via special sensors. The mobile leak detector with infrared sensor is usually suitable for various types of refrigerant. The electronic leak detectors with heating element, which make the molecules of the refrigerant react to ions, may only be used for non-flammable refrigerants.

Leak detection systems
Leak detection systems are required for the systems containing refrigerants with a CO2 equivalent of more than 500 tons. These systems include a fixed gas detector or several and visual or audible alarm devices to continuously monitor the refrigeration or air conditioning equipment. Often, the fixed leak detectors are equipped with a sensor optimized to detect and measure the refrigerant used in the system. Once a leak has been detected, it must be responded to as quickly as possible and the leak must be repaired. The mobile leak detector is then often used again to detect the exact location of the leak.

If small leaks are not detected, the refrigerant can escape from the system unnoticed. The consequences, after deterioration of efficiency and higher energy demand, include in the worst-case dry running of the system with total failure and costly repairs. Regular checks and leak tests prevent the major damage.