For industrial installations compressed air, gas and vacuum systems are an essential source of converted energy. Compressors are simpler than other sources of energy such as electricity, and they are everywhere in today’s factories. They power machines, tools, lasers, robots, product handling systems and so much more. Many compressed air, gas and vacuum systems suffer from wear and poor maintenance, contributing to the biggest waste which are leaks. These leaks can be hidden behind machinery or located at connection points, in fixed overhead lines or in cracked pipes. The waste increases rapidly and can even lead to downtime. This blog will explain more about this.

Detecting and fixing leaks

Many factories and installations do not have a leak program. Detecting and fixing leaks is not easy unfortunately. Quantifying the amount of waste and determining costs requires energy specialists or consultants who use energy analyzers and loggers to monitor the air systems. By systematically calculating the annual cost savings from fixing leaks, they can make a strong business case. 

Energy audits of compressed air systems are often conducted through industry, government and nongovernmental organization partnerships. One such partnership is the compressed air challenge. That’s also a voluntary collaboration between these groups. The purpose is to provide product-neutral information and educational materials to help industries generate and use compressed air with maximum sustainable efficiency. 

Ultrasonic leak detection is not efficient

Unfortunately the most common leak detection practices are rather primitive. An old-fashioned method is to listen for hissing sounds, which are virtually impossible to hear in many environments, and spray water with soap on the area of the suspected leak. 

The current tool for detecting compressor leaks is an ultrasonic device that recognizes high frequency sounds related to air leaks. Typical ultrasonic detectors help find leaks, but their use is time-consuming and people can only use them during scheduled downtime, while maintaining other critical machinery, may be a better use of time. These things also require the operator to be close to the equipment to find leaks, making these things difficult to use in places that you can’t easily reach. Companies like by pressure controle solutions, make it easier for you to detect leaks and fix them on time.