https://www.engineeringnews.co.za

Early leak detection equipment installed at power plants

IAN FRASER 
Early leak detection is essential as it prevents expensive secondary damage

IAN FRASER Early leak detection is essential as it prevents expensive secondary damage

9th September 2016

By: Kimberley Smuts

Creamer Media Reporter

  

Font size: - +

Local engineering company RTS Africa Engineering is currently focused on the commissioning of manufacturing company Procon's boiler tube leak detection equipment, which tests and inspects the sound of leaking steam tubes within the boiler, at both the Medupi and Kusile power stations, owned by State-owned power utility Eskom.

The company explains that early leak detection is essential as it prevents expensive secondary damage and unscheduled outages in boilers, feedwater heaters, headers, steam pipes and valves.

Additionally, the detection system is designed to identify a steam leak the moment it begins, allowing time for a planned schedule to shut down the boiler at an optimum time, such as during the weekend. The early detection of a tube leak will ensure financial savings that will easily exceed the initial capital cost of the detection system.

Procon Southern Africa agents RTS Africa Engineering MD Ian Fraser explains that the equipment’s primary objective is to diagnose and identify minor leaks in boiler tubes so that these can be repaired during scheduled shutdowns, rather than causing unexpected tube bursts that will shut down the boiler, resulting in unnecessary delays and expense.

The boiler tube leak detection equipment incorporates specially designed acoustic sensors which are about the size of a hand-held microphone. These are mounted on 50-mm-diameter acoustic (hearing) tubes, which are open to the inside of the boiler space. The signals from the acoustic sensors are modified and amplified by an adjacent amplifier, from where they are transmitted to the monitoring software resident in the control room.

The acoustic microphone is shock heat and vibration resistant and 30 to 50 times more sensitive than piezo-electric microphones. “This sensitivity enables the system to locate even very small leaks and gives you the time you need to plan a proper course of action for repair,” he notes.

Fraser asserts that RTS Africa has become renowned locally for providing innovative technologies and solutions, and globally sourced, quality products to clients in the mining, steel and energy industries. The long-standing relationship between the two companies has had an extremely positive impact on both organisations, allowing Procon and RTS Africa to work in synergy on many successful projects.

Edited by Zandile Mavuso
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor: Features

Comments

Showroom

Rittal
Rittal

Rittal is a world leading provider of top-quality integrated systems for enclosures, power distribution, climate control, IT infrastructure and...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Booyco Electronics
Booyco Electronics

Booyco Electronics, South African pioneer of Proximity Detection Systems, offers safety solutions for underground and surface mining, quarrying,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.339 0.393s - 161pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now