Tag: noise meter

Week 2 Back To Basics — Find & Fix

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

Last week, we started with step one of the Six Steps to Optimizing Your Compressed Air System: measuring and understanding your usage. Once you know how much air is being consumed, the next step is clear—find and fix the leaks.

If you search for “compressed air leaks,” you’ll find no shortage of articles on the topic. One from the Department of Energy highlights just how costly leaks can be. For example, fixing only ten leaks in a single compressed air system saved one company $57,069. That’s a huge number—and it came from just ten leaks.

Every joint or connection in your system is a potential leak point. The size of the leak determines how much money (and efficiency) is lost. The most effective approach is to locate leaks systematically and eliminate them permanently.

There are several methods for leak detection, but the tool we recommend is the Ultrasonic Leak Detector (ULD). It can detect leaks up to 20 feet away and works even in noisy industrial environments. In fact, fixing just one leak the size of a 1/16” hole can pay for the ULD in a year—and that doesn’t account for the many other leaks you’ll uncover and repair.

If you’re using a Digital Flowmeter from step one, you’ll also be able to quantify the air you’ve saved once those leaks are sealed. The combination of measurement and action creates a powerful cycle of optimization.

That wraps up step two. Next week, we’ll continue with step three in the series. In the meantime, if you’d like to talk through leak detection or optimization strategies for your own system, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Brian Farno, MBA – CCASS Application Engineer

BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

Is It Plugged In? Let’s Go Back To the Basics 1 of 6

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

Today, I want to kick off something a little different with the blog and start back at the basics. Over the next series of posts, we’ll walk through the Six Steps to Optimizing Your Compressed Air Systems. The goal is simple: to help you evaluate your current setup, identify opportunities for improvement, and put real numbers to the savings you can achieve.

Six Steps to Optimizing Your Compressed Air System

The first step to optimization is to measure and understand your compressed air consumption. There are several ways to do this, but one of the most effective is with our Digital Flow Meter paired with a Summing Remote Display or a USB Data Logger.

  • The Digital Flow Meter provides real-time data on compressed air usage.
  • The Summing Remote Display allows you to track cumulative usage over a 24-hour period (or longer).

By installing these tools, you can measure usage across your entire system or isolate a single machine. Once you start gathering data, you’ll quickly see the difference that EXAIR products can make in reducing consumption and improving efficiency.

With usage data in hand, you’re ready to move on to step two—stay tuned for the next installment. If you’d like to jump ahead or talk through your system directly, I’d be happy to connect.

Brian Farno, MBA – CCASS Application Engineer

BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

Eliminate Costly Leaks with the Ultrasonic Leak Detector

Published on by jasonkirbyLeave a comment

The generation of compressed air accounts for approximately one-third of energy costs in industrial environments. According to the Compressed Air Challenge, around 30% of this compressed air is lost due to leaks. As a result, nearly 10% of a facility’s energy expenses are wasted because of poor connections, faulty air valves, and improper installations. Beyond the financial implications, these leaks can cause significant operational inefficiencies. A drop in system pressure can adversely affect end-user performance, reducing production efficiency. Furthermore, this pressure decline may lead to increased cycling of equipment, potentially shortening the lifespan of compressors and other machinery. If leaks diminish the supply volume, it may create a misleading perception that additional compressor capacity is necessary, further driving up operating costs.

When a leak occurs, it produces ultrasonic noise due to turbulence, typically at frequencies exceeding 20 kHz, which are inaudible to humans. The EXAIR Ultrasonic Leak Detector, model 9207, is specifically engineered to identify these frequencies and transform them into audible sounds using a method called “heterodyning.” This device is equipped with a signal strength indicator and a bar graph display, allowing users to detect even the smallest leaks. It comes with two attachments: a parabolic microphone that can detect leaks from distances of up to 20 feet, and a tube attachment for accurately locating leaks among multiple connections within a pipe. Once a leak is detected, it can be marked for subsequent repair.

The ULD features specialized attachments that effectively reduce background noise typically found in industrial environments. It includes “+” and “-” buttons, allowing for precise sensitivity adjustments of the meter. This advanced model significantly improves leak detection in hard-to-reach areas and complies with the IEC 61326-1 standard, ensuring reliable performance in the electromagnetic conditions commonly encountered in industrial facilities.

Implementing a leak protection program in industrial facilities can lead to significant cost savings with relative ease. Should you have any inquiries regarding the integration of the Ultrasonic Leak Detector into your existing leak protection strategy, please feel free to contact us for assistance.

Jason Kirby
Application Engineer
Email: jasonkirby@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jk

Comparing and Combining Sound Levels

Published on by Al WooffittLeave a comment

Sound levels are an important safety consideration in most industrial facilities. OSHA has guidelines on allowable noise levels and exposure, covered in OSHA Standard 29CFR – 1910.95 (a). Sound levels are measured in decibels, or dB. It makes sense that a higher decibel value means a louder sound (as illustrated in the graphic below). What is not intuitive is how multiple sound levels interact and combine, or how they compare to one another.

The first thing to understand about sound levels is that they aren’t measured on a linear scale. Instead, they’re measured on a logarithmic scale. This can really throw off our intuition. For instance, a sound at 20dB is actually 10 times stronger than one at 10dB, and a sound at 30dB is 100 times stronger than 10dB. If it were a linear scale, 20dB and 30dB would only be 2 and 3 times stronger than 10dB, similar to how mass works—like 20kg being double the mass of 10kg.

You can see why this is the case with the formula for calculating sound levels, which is as follows:

It’s important to note that the sound pressure levels calculated using this formula are unweighted. To really grasp how loud something will seem to us, we have to consider how our ears pick up various frequencies. This means that low and extremely high frequencies are given less weight than on the standard decibel scale. This adjusted measurement is referred to as dBA. You can check out some typical sounds and their dBA levels in the chart below:

Because of this logarithmic scale, combining two sounds can be pretty counter-intuitive too. Our Model 1100 Super Air Nozzle generates a sound level of 74 dBA, but when you place two of them side by side, the sound level jumps to 78 dBA (and not 148dBA). This is determined using the formula below:

The specifics of this calculation are explained in this blog here, but OHSA provides a quick and easy way to calculate, as shown in the table below:

To see if you need to tackle the noise levels in your facility, you should start by taking a baseline measurement of the different processes and devices that are making the noise. EXAIR’s Sound Level Meter, Model 9104, is here to help. It’s super user-friendly and gives you a digital readout of the sound level (no need to deal with logarithms!).

If you would like to discuss sound levels in your facility, or any of your other compressed air needs, give us a call!

Al Wooffitt
Application Engineer

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