Visible gas to visually demonstrate compressed air leaks on industrial equipment? 1

[Harmonitron]

Some machines in our manufacturing facility have very bad air leaks. We can hear them and find them using ultrasonic listening, leak finder spray (soapy water), etc. but I would like some way of showing the scale of the problem using a 'smoke' or fog. The problem is that any smoke will leave a residue that may affect valves and fittings or affect product. DuPont, apparently, made a red dye many years ago but it did tend to affect valves and fittings and is no longer available.

I was wondering if I could put some dry-ice into the supply line (maybe in the filter bowl or similar) would I get a condensation cloud around the leaks? Crazy? Maybe. But it would be good fun if it worked.

Any other suggestions?

 

[Montemayor]

Your hopes for a "visible gas" are just that: hopes.

The best and most reliable method method I have found - and used - in the past 52 years is soap & water, plus a fine-haired brush. It never fails.

 

[BigInch]

A smelly gas would probably work.

What would you be doing, if you knew that you could not fail? Ans. Gov lobbyist.

 

[zeusfaber]

Couple of things I might have tried if asked this question thirty years ago:

A tablespoonful of bromine in the filter bowl.

or

A tablespoonful of .880 ammonia in the filter bowl, and a beaker of hydrochloric acid on to boil in the shop (which should create a visible plume of ammonium chloride smoke at the leak).

Don't suppose either would pass the risk assessment these days - or leave you with a reliable system afterwards.

A.

 

[DLite30]

The best way to demonstrate the problem to management is to monetize the issue. Leaking air costs money. If you can quantify the amount of leakage at all the points you find, like with a "calibrated" bag, sum all those leaks and determine amount power needed to compress that lost air, assume 10 cents a kWhr, multiply that out for a year...and that will get more attention than a smoke machine.

Here's an example of a calibrated bag method.

http://www.heathus.com/tasks/sites/_hc/assets/File/vent_bags.pdf

 

[btrueblood]

Dlite,

I like that thought. Now have the bags calibrated in $ amounts (yearly cost of the volume leak at standard pressures), and print the $ value right on the bags. Then have marketing sell valves as certified to be "$5.00 per year" etc. leak rates. Print the bags and sell them on the internet. I predict you will be rich very soon. And all I ask is a measly 1% of the profits...get crackin'!

 

[Harmonitron]

Thanks for all the responses. I guess the answer is, "No. There is no easy / safe way to make the leaks visible."

I have flowmeters on the line and am logging usage via the machine PLC and know what the cost is. Some theatre can help get the point across and this is why I asked.

 

[TPL]

Use a thermal imaging camera?