Compressed air leakage detection and quantification through infrared thermography

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

1-1-2020

Abstract

The energy loss due to compressed air leakages depends on a flow rate (cfm: cubic feet per minute) and an air leakage pressure (psi: pounds per square inch). A flow rate has been conventionally estimated by measuring a sound level (dB) of leakages with an ultrasound detector. However, this method has a limitation in a place with higher background noise. Thus, the result may be overestimated and inaccurate. Besides, pressure measurement at leakages is challenging, especially in the facility having a hazardous manufacturing process. In order to address such issues, this paper proposes a method for estimating a flow rate at air leakages by using an infrared thermography method. Using infrared images, we estimate the temperature difference between leakage and non-leakage areas. A leak diameter is also estimated with an image processing technique for the infrared image. Both the temperature difference and leak diameter are then used to estimate pressure values at leakages. Finally, a flow rate of a leakage is estimated by using both a leak diameter and pressure of the leakage. From five case studies, we show that our proposed infrared thermography method provides approximately 4% to 6% deviations in electrical energy loss estimations from actual values, and the ultrasound method provides approximately 50% to 89% deviations in electrical energy loss estimations from actual values. Thus, our proposed method presents more accurate results than those of the ultrasound method in the case studies.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Proceedings of the 2020 IISE Annual Conference

First Page

299

Last Page

304

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