The other day I performed a Google search for ‘How to detect an air leak’. Not surprisingly it came up with millions of results, over 18 million in fact. Whether solving the problem in a commercial establishment or a domestic home environment, the majority of search results pointed to one solution. Namely, soapy water! Before Read more
heating
The other day I performed a Google search for ‘How to detect an air leak’. Not surprisingly it came up with millions of results, over 18 million in fact.
Whether solving the problem in a commercial establishment or a domestic home environment, the majority of search results pointed to one solution. Namely, soapy water!
Before we all ridicule the idea as belonging to a bygone era, take a vehicle with a slow puncture to a tyre fitting depot and the chances are they remove the wheel and spin it in water to determine the leak. It’s a simple time proven method for determining leaks from pressurized systems.
But of course, not all equipment can be placed in soapy water. What if a system is known to be losing pressure and yet the lines carrying the compressed air from the source are located 10 metres above the ground, and dismantling the system is out of the question? Thankfully there is a fast and effective solution to hand.
Each time air or indeed any gas, leaks from a pressured system there is an associated sound. If the leak is significant, it can be audible to the human ear and therefore easily identified and rectified accordingly. However, most leaks in high pressure systems are extremely small and are out of the range of a human ear.
Think about a pressured air system on a large factory delivering compressed air from a bank of compressors to various stages of production throughout the manufacturing process. The chances are there are hundreds if not thousands of connections in the form of joints, reducers, valves, elbows, condensers etc. Each of these has the potential to leak small amounts of air, reducing the pressure of the system.
One leak might make very little difference but multiply this by the number of potential leaking joints and efficiency can be significantly compromised. The compressor will seek to compensate for any pressure loss by simply working harder. However, as any engineer will know, compressors can be expensive to operate in terms of energy and therefore will certainly increase an operators energy consumption.
With electricity costs being so much higher in Europe due to geopolitical factors in recent years, most companies are seeking to reduce the amount of energy used. Having a compressor work overtime to compensate for leaking joints is certainly not something senior management would smile about!
These scenarios are certainly not uncommon, in fact one European compressor manufacturer has stated that in some industrial settings, up to 80% of air generated is lot in leaks. So clearly identifying these small leaks can make a real difference to a company’s energy bills.
Although the sound produced by a small leak is inaudible to the human ear a high performance acoustic imaging camera such as the FLIR Teledyne Si2 – LD will have absolutely no problem identifying the source. Launched earlier this year the camera is capable of detecting leaks of 0.05 litres per minute at a distance of 10 metres, meaning those elevated air lines pose no problem for this latest instrument in the FLIR acoustic imaging camera line up.
For closer work the camera is even more sensitive and can detects minute leaks of 0.0032 litres per minute at a distance of 2.5 metres. Coupled with this improvement, the third-generation camera has improved microphones now capable of detecting sounds over an extremely wide frequency range, namely 2 – 130 kHz.
Areas of plant are often dark or dimly lit. for this reason FLIR have fitted the FLIR Si2-series of cameras with two powerful LED lights to make component identification easy even in poorly lit conditions.
Of course, it’s not just compressed air that the camera is capable of detecting; noise emitted by any escaping gas is identified by the powerful microphones. However that’s only part of the story.
The FLIR Si2-LD has built in software termed Industrial Gas Quantification. If the leaking gas is ammonia, hydrogen, helium, or carbon dioxide, very commonly used gases in a number of industries, the software is capable of quantifying the financial loss caused by the leak. By simply entering factors such as the cost per litre, the software identifies the amount each leak is causing over a given period of time. Such data is invaluable to financial analysts and senior management within an organisation.
It goes without saying that the financial considerations are only one aspect of leaking gas. The gases mentioned above all carry significant health hazards and can present a variety of dangers to personnel if allowed to leak for any period of time. Ammonia and carbon dioxide can cause serious breathing problems and asphyxiation even in smaller concentrations, whereas hydrogen can explode in the presence of oxygen. Clearly the cost of such problems goes way beyond any financial considerations.
We’ve come a long way since the ‘soap and water’ approach. See how the latest technology from FLIR Teledyne can help in reducing downtime, lower energy bills and improve safety in your organisation.
Visit www.flir.com or contact you local FLIR Teledyne agent or distributor.
Author: Darrell Taylor
Email: Darrell.Taylor@teledyne.com
The Ask Caleffi team is back with another insightful Coffee with Caleffi webinar, focusing on pressure-reducing valves (PRVs) and their role in plumbing systems. Cody Mack and Kevin Freidt will explore the various options PRVs offer to designers and installers, highlighting how these valves can assure reliable water pressure in a variety of plumbing applications. Join Read more
The Ask Caleffi team is back with another insightful Coffee with Caleffi webinar, focusing on pressure-reducing valves (PRVs) and their role in plumbing systems. Cody Mack and Kevin Freidt will explore the various options PRVs offer to designers and installers, highlighting how these valves can assure reliable water pressure in a variety of plumbing applications.
Join Kevin and Cody to discover how PRVs contribute to achieving peak performance in domestic water systems. They’ll dive into their benefits and provide practical tips for maximizing efficiency and minimizing water waste. Don’t miss this session packed with valuable insights for improving your plumbing systems.
→Can pressure-reducing valves help building owners control operating costs?
→How does a pressure-reducing valve work?
→How do you size a pressure-reducing valve?
→What symptoms will you see when they’re not sized correctly?
→What are the common signs that a pressure-reducing valve might be malfunctioning?
Cody is the National Training Manager at Caleffi North America. He has nearly 20 years of experience in several roles, which include installation contractor, service technician, application engineer and product manager, across the plumbing and heating industry.
Kevin is the Director of Product Management and Technical Support at Caleffi North America. He has 40 years of engineering experience in the commercial HVAC, plumbing and heating industry.
Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical (Hiller), the region’s premier provider of residential and commercial service and repair, is proud to announce a five-year partnership with The University of Alabama’s Athletic Department and Crimson Tide Sports Marketing. As part of the sponsorship, Hiller was named the “Official Plumbing and HVAC Provider of the Crimson Tide®” Read more
Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical (Hiller), the region’s premier provider of residential and commercial service and repair, is proud to announce a five-year partnership with The University of Alabama’s Athletic Department and Crimson Tide Sports Marketing. As part of the sponsorship, Hiller was named the “Official Plumbing and HVAC Provider of the Crimson Tide®”
The University of Alabama is one of the most established public institutions across the Southeast. In addition to its exceptional academic and research offerings, the Crimson Tide’s sports programs are deeply ingrained in the history and traditions of families across the state. With 28 national team championships in football, men’s and women’s golf, gymnastics and softball combined, and countless Southeastern Conference titles, the Crimson Tide is universally recognized as one of the biggest powerhouses among collegiate athletic programs.
Since opening its Huntsville branch in 2015, Hiller has earned a reputation among Alabama homeowners for outstanding customer experiences. As a direct result of this success, Hiller launched its second Alabama location in Birmingham earlier this year. As Hiller’s presence across the state continues to expand, a partnership of this magnitude offers a great avenue to participate in and support the areas that are sustaining the business’s growth.
“We are very excited to partner with The University of Alabama’s Athletic Department,” remarked Jimmy Hiller, Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “At Hiller, we always strive to be active participants and supporters of the communities we serve. We have been invested in serving homeowners across Alabama for many years now”, he continued, “And could not be more excited to partner with an organization that creates so many opportunities for so many across the state.”
“Businesses that actively serve families in our area are ideal partners for us. We are so excited to welcome Hiller as a partner,” remarked Jim Carabin, Vice President and General Manager of Crimson Tide Sports Marketing. “Developing exciting experiences for fans and supporting our athletic endeavors for our student-athletes is so important to us. Long-term partnerships with organizations like this are one of the ways that we achieve those goals.”
Launched in 1990 with a single employee and just $500, Hiller has grown exponentially across the past three decades. Today, Hiller includes over 800 associates and 600 trucks across 17 locations and has responded to over 1.7M service calls across 7 states.
Taco Comfort Solutions is pleased to announce the appointment of Tony Furst as its newest Commercial Trainer. With over 40 years of distinguished experience in mechanical engineering and a comprehensive background in overseeing multimillion-dollar projects, Tony brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Taco team. Tony’s career spans significant roles across renowned organizations Read more
Taco Comfort Solutions is pleased to announce the appointment of Tony Furst as its newest Commercial Trainer. With over 40 years of distinguished experience in mechanical engineering and a comprehensive background in overseeing multimillion-dollar projects, Tony brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Taco team.
Tony’s career spans significant roles across renowned organizations within the HVAC industry, including Armstrong Fluid Technology, where he served as the US Director of Application Engineering. His responsibilities included providing extensive application engineering support and developing technical education content for commercial HVAC systems. Tony’s commitment to excellence and innovation has consistently resulted in the successful completion of projects on time and within budget.
“We are thrilled to welcome Tony to Taco Comfort Solutions,” said Cheryl Merchant, CEO of Taco Family of Companies. “His deep understanding of mechanical systems and his passion for educating others will be invaluable as we continue to enhance our training programs for the commercial sector,” added Merchant.
Tony holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Dayton and an MS in Education from Michigan State University. He is certified in Plumbing Design by the American Society of Plumbing Engineering (ASPE) and is a LEED Accredited Professional with the US Green Building Council. Throughout his career, Tony has been a dedicated member of ASPE and ASHRAE, contributing significantly to technical education committees and serving as a speaker at various industry events.
“I truly enjoy sharing knowledge with others to make modern hydronic systems better,” said Furst. His commitment to advancing industry standards aligns perfectly with Taco Comfort Solutions’ mission to provide innovative and efficient solutions for HVAC systems.
In his new role at Taco, Tony will join a team of esteemed trainers, including Brett Zerba and Rich Medairos, enhancing the company’s capability to deliver comprehensive training programs tailored to the needs of commercial clients.
“It’s rare when you get the opportunity to add someone with Tony’s background, experience, and knowledge to your team,” said John Barba, Director of Training at Taco Comfort Solutions. “Adding Tony to our commercial training team is like having three Hall of Famers in your outfield. I’m looking forward to seeing Tony, Brett, and Rich share their wit, wisdom, and knowledge with our industry,” concluded Barba.
Furst’s appointment marks a significant addition to Taco Comfort Solutions, reinforcing its commitment to excellence in commercial HVAC training and education.
Falls Church, Va. — Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association (PHCC) unveils Jeff Butler and Mary Kelly as the keynote speakers for CONNECT 2024 in Birmingham, Alabama, October 7-10, at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex. Jeff Butler is a workplace strategist, who has offered expertise to help companies like Amazon, Google and John Deere foster a harmonious Read more
Falls Church, Va. — Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association (PHCC) unveils Jeff Butler and Mary Kelly as the keynote speakers for CONNECT 2024 in Birmingham, Alabama, October 7-10, at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex.
Jeff Butler is a workplace strategist, who has offered expertise to help companies like Amazon, Google and John Deere foster a harmonious and high-performing workplace. Butler will present a keynote address, “Building an Effective Multi-Generational Workplace.” He will also lead a breakout session on the topic of “Winning the Talent War.”
Mary Kelly is a Council of Peer Award of Excellence speaker, best-selling author and Navy commander. At CONNECT, Kelly will share various stories and experiences of interest to p-h-c contractors during her keynote address, “Why Leaders Fail and the 7 Prescriptions for Success.” Kelly will also lead a breakout session, “Master Your World,” where she will emphasize effective tactics, practical strategies and innovative solutions that are tailored to dilemmas faced by today’s leaders.
“I know that many attendees, including myself, are anticipating the remarks that Jeff and Mary will share,” says Joe Cornetta, PHCC national president and co-owner of Cornetta Brothers, Inc., Elmont, New York. “We are excited to have these two leaders join us and help offer invaluable insights to the industry.”
For more details, including the schedule-at-a-glance, visit phccweb.org/CONNECT. This site offers information on education sessions, speakers, exhibitors, registration and hotel reservations, as well as the many attractions of Birmingham, known as “The Country’s Best Kept Secret.”