UE Systems Ultraprobe 100 Instruction Manual Download Page 19

Version 1 

 

19 

 

 

In checking a trap ultrasonically, a continuous rushing sound will often be the key indicator of live 
steam passing through. There are subtleties for each type of trap that can be noted. 
Use the sensitivity levels of the Sensitivity election Dial to assist your test. If a low pressure system

 

is 

to be checked, adjust the sensitivity UP toward 8; if a high pressure system (above 100 psi) is to be 
checked, reduce the sensitivity level. (Some experimentation may be necessary to arrive at the most 
desirable level to be tested.) Check upstream and reduce the sensitivity so that the meter reads about 
50% or lower, then touch the trap body downstream and compare readings.

 

 

General steam/condensate/flash steam confirmation  

 

In 

instances where it may be difficult to determine the sound of steam, flash steam or 

condensate, 

 

 

1.  touch at the immediate downstream side of the trap and reduce the sensitivity to get a mid-line 

reading on the meter (about 50%).  

2.  Move 15-30 cm downstream and listen. Flashing steam will show a large drop off in intensity 

while leaking steam will show little drop off in intensity.  

 

Inverted bucket traps 

INVERTED BUCKET TRAPS normally fail in the open position because the trap loses its prime. This 
condition means a complete blow-through, not a partial loss. The trap will no longer operate 
intermittently. Aside from a continuous rushing sound, another clue for steam blow-through is the 
sound of the bucket clanging against the side

 

of the trap. 

 
 
 
 

bucket trap drawing 

 

 
 
 
 

Float and thermostatic 

A FLOAT AND THERMOSTATIC

  

trap normally fails in the "closed" position. A pinhole leak produced 

in the ball float will cause the float to be weighted down or water hammer will collapse the ball float. 
Since the trap is totally closed - no sound will be heard. In addition, check the thermostatic element in 
the float and thermostatic trap. If the trap is operating correctly, this element is usually quiet; if a 
rushing sound is heard, this will indicate

 

either steam or gas is blowing through the air vent. This 

indicates that the vent has failed in the open position and is wasting energy.

 

 

Thermodynamic 

THERMODYNAMIC

 

(

DISC) traps work on the difference in dynamic response to velocity change in 

the flow of compressible and incompressible fluids. As steam enters, static pressure above the disc 
forces the disc against the valve seat. The

 

static pressure over a large area overcomes the high inlet 

pressure of the steam. As the steam starts to condense, the pressure against the disc lessens and 
the trap cycles. A good disc trap should cycle (hold-discharge-hold) 4-10 times per minute. When it 
fails, it usually fails in the open position, allowing continuous blow through

 

of steam.

 

Summary of Contents for Ultraprobe 100

Page 1: ...Version 1 1 ULTRAPROBE 100 Instruction Manual ...

Page 2: ...ching the equipment with your hands or fingers Be sure to use appropriate lockout procedures when attempting repairs Be careful with loose hanging parts such as the wrist strap or headphone cord when inspecting near moving mechanical devices since they may get caught Don t touchmoving parts with the contact probe This may not only damage the part but cause personal injury as well When inspecting e...

Page 3: ...harge the Warble Tone Generator 9 Ultraprobe applications 10 leak detection 10 How to locate leaks 11 To confirm a leak 11 Overcoming difficulties 11 Shielding techniques 12 Low level leaks 12 Tone test Ultratone 13 Do not use the Tone test in a complete vacuum 14 Electric arc corona tracking detection 15 Detecting bearing wear 16 Detecting bearing failure 17 For comparative test 17 Slow speed bea...

Page 4: ...ps 19 Float and thermostatic 19 Thermodynamic 19 Thermostatic traps 20 Locating faulty valves 20 Procedure for valve check 21 Confirming valve leakage in noisy pipe systems 21 Ultrasound technology 22 Ultraprobe 100 Specifications 23 ...

Page 5: ...Ultraprobe 100 provides easy accurate leak detection and mechanical inspection through advanced ultrasonic technology Before you begin testing it isadvisable to familiarize yourselfwith the basic components of your kit ...

Page 6: ...0 the sensitivity decreases A low level ultrasound emission produces low amplitude For this reason the instrument should be in a high sensitivity position 0 is the high sensitivity position 0 is a dB indication of threshold detection for the instrument For higher amplitude signals move the sensitivity to the left towards 70 The dial dB indications along withthe LED indications in the bar graph may...

Page 7: ...ltrasound in the area reduce the sensitivity place the RUBBER FOCUSING PROBE described below over the scanning module and proceed to follow the test sound to its loudest point If it is difficult to locate the sound due to a high intensity signal keep reducing thesensitivity and following themeter to the loudest point Rubber focusing probe The Rubber Focusing Probe is a circularshaped rubber shield...

Page 8: ...ded to use UE Systems model UE DHC 2HH Hard Hat Headphones which are specifically designed for hard hat use For those situations in which it is not possible or difficult to wear the standard headphones described above UE Systems has two options available 1 the DHC 1991 Earpiece which loops around the ear and 2 the SA 2000 Speaker Amplifier which is a loud speaker that is compatible with the Ultrap...

Page 9: ...he item to be tested is the seal around a window place theWarble Tone Generator on one side of the window close it and proceed toscan on the opposite side To test the condition of the Warble Tone Generator battery set to the LOW INTENSITY position and listen to the sound through the Ultraprobe headphones A smooth continuous warbling sound should be heard If a beeping is heard instead then a full r...

Page 10: ...e same flow rate The reason for this is that the turbulence produced by a vacuum leak is occurring within the vacuum chamber while the turbulence of a pressure leak is generated in the atmosphere Fig 2 What type of gas leak will be detected ultrasonically Generally any gas including air will produce a turbulence when it escapes through a restricted orifice Unlike gas specific sensors the Ultraprob...

Page 11: ...loseto the suspect leak site andmove it slightly back and forth in all directions If the leak is at this location the sound will increase and decrease in intensity as yousweep over it In some instances it is useful to position the rubber focusing probe directly over the suspect leak site and push down to seal it from surrounding sounds If it is the leak the rushing sound will continue If it is not...

Page 12: ...rrier is draped from ceiling to floor at other times it is hung over railings Low level leaks In ultrasonic inspection of leakage the amplitude of the sound often depends upon the amount of turbulence generated at the leak site The greater the turbulence the louder the signal the less the turbulence the lower the intensity of the signal When a leak rate is so low that it produces little if any tur...

Page 13: ...g in the direction of the area to be tested and close or seal so that the Tone Generator is enclosed within NOTE The size of the test area will determine the amplitude selection of the Tone Generator If the item to be tested is small select the LOW position For larger items use the HIGH position 3 Scan the test area with the Ultraprobe as outlined in LEAK DETECTION procedure i e start with the sen...

Page 14: ...ron beam microscope The test chamber has been fitted with a specially designed transducer to emit the desired tone and a partial vacuum is created A user then scans all seams for sonic penetration The Tone Test has also been effectively utilized to test tanks before they are put on line piping refrigerator gaskets caulking around doors and windows for air infiltration testing heat exchangers for l...

Page 15: ...as arcing tracking andcorona without taking the switchgear off line to perform an infrared scan However it is recommended that both tests be used with enclosed switchgear NOTE When testing electrical equipment follow all your plant or company safety procedures When in doubt ask your supervisor Never touch live electrical apparatus with the Ultraprobe The method for detecting electric arc and coron...

Page 16: ...and vibrationchanges An ultrasonic system based on detection and analysis of modulations of bearing resonance frequencies can provide subtle detection capability whereas conventional methods are incapable of detecting very slight faults As a ball passes over a pit or fault in the racesurface it produces an impact A structural resonance of one of the bearing components vibrates or rings by this rep...

Page 17: ...s over lubrication Normal bearing loads causes an elastic deformation of the elements in thecontact area which give a smooth elliptical stress distribution But bearingsurfaces are not perfectly smooth For this reason the actual stress distribution in the contact area will be affected by a random surface roughness In the presence of a lubricant film on a bearing surface there is a dampening effect ...

Page 18: ... of steam traps is a positive test The main advantage to ultrasonic testing is that it isolates the area being tested by eliminating confusing background noises A usercan quickly adjust to recognizing differences among various steam traps of which there are three basic types mechanical thermostatic and thermodynamic When testing steam traps ultrasonically 1 Determine what type of trap is on the li...

Page 19: ...complete blow through not a partial loss The trap will no longer operate intermittently Aside from a continuous rushing sound another clue for steam blow through is the sound of the bucket clanging against theside of the trap bucket trap drawing Float and thermostatic A FLOAT AND THERMOSTATIC trap normally fails in the closed position A pinhole leak produced in the ball float will cause the float ...

Page 20: ...rbulence generated except at bends or obstacles In the case of a leaking valve the escaping liquid or gas will move from a high to a low pressure area creating turbulence on the low pressure or downstream side This produces a white noise The ultrasonic component of this white noise is muchstronger than the audible component If a valve is leaking internally the ultrasonic emissions generated at the...

Page 21: ...gh pressure systems stray signals occur from valves that are close by or from pipes or conduits feeding into a common pipe that is near the downstream side of a valve This flow may produce false leak signals In order to determine if the loudsignal on the downstream side is coming from a valve leak or from some other source 1 Move close to the suspected source i e the conduit or the other valve 2 T...

Page 22: ...e nature of ultrasound amplification is a very important feature Although there are obvious audiblesounds emitted by most operating equipment it is the ultrasonic elements of the acoustic emissions that are generally the most important For preventative maintenance many times an individual will listen to a bearing through somesimple type of audio pick up to determine bearing wear Since that individ...

Page 23: ...e 150Ω Molded Connector Probes Scanning Module SCM 1 Stainless Steel Unisonic single transducer piezo electric crystal type Stethoscope Contact Module STM 1 Stainless Steel plug in type with 14cm 5 5 Stainless Steel Waveguide Rubber Focusing Probe Shields stray ultrasonic signals and focuses detected signals Transmitter Patented warble tone transmission Respons time Response time 300 msec Ambient ...

Page 24: ...ed further support Want information regarding products or training Contact UE Systems Europe Windmolen 22 7609 NN Almelo NL e info uesystems eu w www uesystems eu t 31 0 548 659 011 f 31 0 548 659 010 www uesystems eu ...

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