One of the main functions of the UNISCOPE device is the detection of leaks that have occurred in any elements of the valves and an estimation of the volume of liquid or gas losses caused by these leaks.
The main requirement for the valve is to ensure tightness. Tightness in relation to the external environment provides protection against the entry into the atmosphere of explosive, fire and toxic substances. At the same time, the internal tightness of the valve guarantees the exact observance of the technological process and avoids losses during transportation of the product to the consumer. In the leak detection mode, UNISCOPE confidently allows you to detect any breach of the tightness of the valve, determine the location of the leak and estimate the amount of liquid or gas loss:
- for various types of shut-off valves (slide and wedge gate valves, ball valves, disk closures);
- in cases of reinforcement of an underground or above ground installation;
- for various working environments: natural gas, oil, water, etc .;
- in a wide range of passing diameters of reinforcement from 15 to 1400 mm.
Leak Detection Method: The essence of the method is that the outflow of a liquid or gas is accompanied by the emission of acoustic waves that propagate in the monitoring object and are recorded by sensors mounted on the valve body. With the help of special data processing, the separation of characteristic flow signals is carried out, the presence and parameters of which characterize the fact and amount of leakage. To estimate the volume of liquid or gas losses, the empirical dependence obtained during the testing and testing of hundreds of stop valves is used. The established dependencies allow to take into account not only the type of stop valves, its size and operating conditions, but also different types of working media.
Application: The method of application of "UNISCOPE" for the search for leaks in the elements of the stop valves is fully automated and does not require additional operator training. The general view of the valve body is displayed (visualized) on the instrument screen. The tested points in which measurements are to be taken are indicated by indicators. The operator, by consistently resetting the sensor, conducts acoustic noise measurement at tested points. The number of tested points for reinforcement of different diameters varies from 1 to 8, and the entire measurement procedure takes no more than 15 minutes. After the data acquisition is complete, automatic processing is performed. The result of the processing is a confirmation of leakage or the establishment of the fact of the presence of leakage of the stop valves and an estimate of the volume of product losses for defective equipment.
Advantages: The method of acoustic detection and estimation of the consumption of leaks is simple in application. It does not require expensive pneumatic and hydrotesting. All measurements are carried out directly on the valve body, without contact with explosive and fire hazardous substances. The application of this technique allows to provide high performance testing, with its help you can check for the replacement of several dozen cranes, valves and valves.