Airborne Ultrasound Technology

Airborne ultrasound is used throughout the world for condition monitoring, energy conservation and quality assurance programs.

Airborne ultrasound technology provides solutions for locating a variety of potential problems in plants.  The three main areas are leak detection, mechanical inspection/trending and electrical inspection.

Instruments based on airborne ultrasound sense high frequency sounds produced by leaks, electrical emissions and mechanical operations.  They translate these sounds down into the audible range by an electronic process called heterodyning where they are heard through headphones and observed as intensity increments, typically decibels, on a display panel.

Since ultrasound is composed of high frequencies that are not heard by the human ear, the heterodyning process allows users of airborne ultrasound instruments to “hear” an accurate translation of these sounds helping them identify subtle changes in operating equipment that might normally be overlooked, providing early warning capability.

In addition, the heterodyning process enables users to record sounds either on-board the instrument equipped for this process or by connecting an airborne ultrasound detector to a recording device.  These recorded sounds can then be used for sound analysis in spectral analysis software.

Portable airborne ultrasound instruments are available as either analog or digital models.  While data management is possible with both types, digital instruments provide on-board data logging and utilize software that automatically places the data in appropriate data fields when downloaded to a computer.  The software can be used to generate trend reports, for data analysis or to identify failure modes in equipment.

Portable Airborne Ultrasound Instruments

Analog:
Ultraprobe 100
Ultraprobe 201 Grease Caddy
Ultraprobe 550
Ultraprobe 2000

Digital:
Ultraprobe 9000
Ultraprobe 10,000 Ultrasonic Inspection System

On-line Continuous Monitors

Typical Applications for Airborne Ultrasound Instruments

Mechanical Inspection:
Bearing Analysis and Trending
Condition Based Lubrication (Prevent over lubrication, identify need for lubrication)
Gear & Gear Box testing
Cavitation
Pumps
Motors

Electrical Inspection:
Arc Flash prevention
Arcing, Tracking, Corona detection
Partial discharge
Test low, medium and high voltages

Leak Detection:
Air infiltration
Compressed Air Leaks
Generic gas leak detection
Negative pressure (vacuum) leaks
Valve leaks
Steam trap leaks 
Ultrasonic “Tone Test” (uses a transmitter in enclosures with no pressure or vacuum)
Tanks
Heat Exchangers
Condensers