Ultrasonic leakage testing technology

Ultrasonic leak detectors are very sensitive to sound. This type of leakage test can be performed in an open or closed area and can be calibrated to isolate the sound produced by the leak. Ultrasonic leak detection focuses on a particular bandwidth; therefore, wind noise, voices and most normal operating sounds can be filtered and will not affect the accuracy of the test. Depending on the application, ultrasonic detectors will detect the pressure and vacuum leaks.

Big leaks are usually stronger, provide lower frequency sound and are easier to find than smaller leaks. The ultrasonic detectors use a microphone system that senses the sound generated by the effluent gas in the range of 38 to 42 kHz. Some acoustic leakage test devices are limited to the bandwidth bandwidth; these devices may sound false alarms for leaks that are not there or no leakage at all. Qualitative ultrasonic detectors use an electronic process called “heterodyning” to convert high-frequency emitting sounds to a lower range, allowing the sounds of leaks to be heard through a set of headphones while manually moving the microphone to determine its leakage.