Explain the ultrasonic frequency ranges and heterodyning process that airborne leak detectors rely on.
Engineering & Maintenance
Airborne Ultrasound Leak Surveys for Compressed Air and Steam Systems
Learn to use airborne ultrasound instruments to find compressed air and gas leaks, test steam traps by failure type, and build a survey programme that quantifies and tracks the savings found.
🗓️Duration5 training days
📚Content4 modules · 8 sessions
🎓On completionAccredited attendance certificate
About the programme
Course Overview
Compressed air and steam losses are among the most expensive faults on an industrial site precisely because they cannot be seen or, in a noisy plant, easily heard. Airborne ultrasound instruments detect the high-frequency turbulence generated by a leak or a failed steam trap and convert it into an audible and measurable signal long before the loss is large enough to notice by other means. This course covers the physics of ultrasonic detection and heterodyning, instrument selection and sensitivity settings, and the route planning and tagging discipline needed to run a repeatable survey across a compressed air or gas network. It gives separate attention to steam trap testing, teaching participants to distinguish mechanical, thermodynamic and thermostatic trap designs and their characteristic failure signatures, and to assess condensate recovery opportunities across a trap population. The course also covers extended ultrasound applications, including electrical fault detection such as corona and arcing, bearing lubrication checks, and valve leak-through testing. Teaching combines instrument practice in a working plant environment with survey planning and reporting exercises, so participants leave able to run a programme rather than a single one-off survey.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Select instrument sensitivity and settings appropriate to a noisy industrial environment.
Plan and execute a route-based ultrasonic survey of a compressed air or gas network, tagging leaks as they are found.
Estimate the volume and cost impact of detected leaks to build a repair prioritisation and business case.
Distinguish mechanical, thermodynamic and thermostatic steam trap failure signatures using ultrasound and temperature.
Assess condensate recovery opportunities across a steam trap population from survey results.
Apply ultrasound techniques to electrical fault detection, bearing lubrication checks and valve leak-through testing.
Who Should Attend
Energy and utilities engineers responsible for reducing compressed air and steam losses.
Maintenance technicians running ultrasonic leak detection and steam trap survey rounds.
Reliability engineers adding ultrasound to an existing condition monitoring programme.
Facilities and plant engineers managing compressed air networks and steam distribution systems.
Energy managers building the business case for leak repair and condensate recovery projects.
Electrical technicians using ultrasound to detect corona, tracking and arcing faults.
Course Modules
Select any module to see its sessions and points.
01Principles of Airborne and Structure-Borne Ultrasound Detection
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Ultrasonic Frequency Ranges and Heterodyning Detection Principles
- Explain why leaks, arcing and friction generate ultrasonic frequencies outside the range of human hearing.
- Describe how heterodyning converts ultrasonic signals into an audible and measurable output.
- Distinguish airborne ultrasound detection from structure-borne and contact ultrasound techniques.
- Relate signal strength and frequency content to the type and severity of the source generating it.
Session 2Instrument Selection, Sensitivity and Background Noise Control
- Select detector type, parabolic or contact probes appropriate to the target and required detection distance.
- Adjust sensitivity settings to separate genuine leak signals from general plant background noise.
- Use headphones and visual signal displays together to confirm a suspected leak before tagging it.
- Calibrate and maintain ultrasonic instruments so readings stay comparable across a survey programme.
02Compressed Air and Gas Leak Survey Methodology
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Route Planning and Leak Tagging for Compressed Air Networks
- Plan a survey route that covers compressors, receivers, distribution piping and point-of-use equipment systematically.
- Tag detected leaks with a unique identifier, location and severity for later repair tracking.
- Schedule surveys during periods of realistic background noise rather than only during planned shutdowns.
- Avoid duplicate tagging by cross-referencing new findings against the existing leak tag register.
Session 2Estimating Leak Volume and Building the Repair Business Case
- Estimate leak flow rate from ultrasonic decibel readings and orifice size using standard reference methods.
- Convert estimated leak volume into an ongoing operating cost figure to prioritise repair work.
- Rank tagged leaks by combined cost and repair difficulty to sequence a realistic repair campaign.
- Present survey findings to plant management in terms that justify allocating repair resources.
03Steam Trap and Condensate System Testing
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Distinguishing Mechanical, Thermodynamic and Thermostatic Trap Failures
- Identify the operating principle and typical failure mode of mechanical, thermodynamic and thermostatic traps.
- Interpret ultrasonic and temperature signatures that distinguish a trap failed open from one failed closed.
- Avoid common misdiagnoses caused by cycling traps or traps operating correctly under variable load.
- Record trap test results in a format that supports population-wide trend analysis over time.
Session 2Condensate Recovery Assessment and Trap Population Surveys
- Survey an entire steam trap population on a defined cycle rather than testing traps only after complaints.
- Assess condensate recovery potential from traps identified as failed open or blowing through.
- Prioritise trap replacement based on steam pressure, criticality and estimated loss per failed trap.
- Verify trap repairs with a follow-up ultrasonic and temperature check before closing the survey finding.
04Extended Applications and Programme Management
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Electrical Fault Detection: Corona, Tracking and Arcing by Ultrasound
- Detect corona, tracking and arcing faults in switchgear and overhead lines using airborne ultrasound.
- Combine ultrasonic electrical findings with thermal imaging to corroborate a suspected fault.
- Apply safe scanning distances and procedures when surveying live electrical equipment with ultrasound.
- Escalate suspected arcing findings for immediate electrical investigation rather than routine follow-up.
Session 2Valve Leak-Through Detection and Survey Reporting Systems
- Detect internal valve leak-through on control and isolation valves using contact ultrasound techniques.
- Distinguish normal valve flow noise from leak-through signatures indicative of seat damage.
- Set up a survey reporting system that tracks tagged findings from detection through to verified repair.
- Report programme-level results, including repeat offenders and cumulative losses avoided, to plant management.
What the participant receives
4 course modules
A structured syllabus
8 training sessions
across 5 days
32 detailed points
Applied, detailed content
Accredited attendance certificate
On completing the programme
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