Detection of leaks

On many occasions combustible gas detectors have detected a leak soon after it started, and action to control it has been taken promptly. Installation of these detectors is strongly recommended whenever liquefied flammable gases or other flashing liquids are handled or when experience shows there is a significant chance of a leak [3]. Detectors are also 

On one plant, liquid leaks drained into a sump that was fitted with a level detector. When a leak actually occurred, it dripped onto a hot pipe and evaporated and was not detected for many hours (see Section 20.2.4). 

A similar incident occurred on another plant. The liquid in the plant was cold, so a low-temperature alarm was installed in the sump. It was tested with cold water and worked well. When a leak occurred, the leaking liquid, which was acidic, reacted with the steelwork on its way to the sump and warmed up the temperature element could not, of course, tell the difference between warm air and warm liquid and failed to detect the leak. 

Whenever possible we should measure directly what we need to know and not some other property from which it can be deduced (see Section 14.6). 

Electric cables that detect liquid leaks are available. They can be run through areas where leaks are possible, and they indicate the presence and location of a leak. 

---

Accident Mitigation 28 Detection of leaks/ruptures 29 Emergency shutdown switch locations 30 Accessibility of isolation valves 31 Potential for fire/explosion in unit affecting other equipment 32 Critical controls, mitigation, communication, and fire protection sy stems functional and accessible after initial explosion or release 33 Back-up power supply/redundant feeds for critical electrical systems 34 Water supply for fire fighting 35 Routing of utilities... 

The State of New York [11 -14,55] has promulgated rules and regulations for the early detection of leaks or potential leaks of petroleum bulk storage by plant owners and operators. In the State of New York [14], underground tanks shall be checked for leakage using one or more of the following ... 

For this reason analysis of plant air is of the utmost importance. Air analysis is also necessary for the detection of leaks or other abnormal conditions of manuf... 

Melting of reactor tubes during runaway reaction is only to be feared in multitubular reactors if the respective tube is not surrounded by liquid heat transfer medium. Thus, appropriate design must ensure that running dry of reactor tubes cannot occur. In the case of corrosive reaction gases, provision for the detection of leaks causes by corrosion must be made, particularly when pressurized or boiling water is used as coolant. 

Traces of organic sulfur compounds such as mercaptans, thiosulfides, and alkyl sulfides are added to natural gas to impart odor for safety detection of leaks. Because sulfur compounds are poisons to the downstream catalysts they must be removed. The... 

The Prevention and Detection of Leaks in Ampoules, Vials and Other Parenteral Containers Parenteral Society Technical Monograph No. 3 Parenteral Society Swindon, UK, 1992. 

It provides very rapid detection of leaks in the primary line by the use of monitors. 

They re probably the lowest cost option - and they serve the purpose well. They operate at exactly the same frequency range that is needed for basic ultrasonic detection of leaks. 

Before handling carbonyl difluoride, personnel should be equipped with suitable leak detection equipment and HF Antidote Gel (see Section 13.1.5). A solution of concentrated aqueous ammonia enables the detection of leaks by forming copious white fumes on contact of the respective vapours. Larger leaks are apparent from the formation of white fumes resulting from the hydrolysis of the COFj in moist air, and from the detection of the irritating and pungent odour. Any areas of equipment exposed to a COFj leakage should be cleaned up to remove any acid formed. 

Insulation should be covered with an aluminum jacket, and the joints should be caulked. This protects the insulation from fluid leaks and accidental spills. It also prevents accumulation of the hot fluid in the porous insulation, which is very dangerous. Likely sources of leaks such as flanges, pump seals, and valve stems should not be insulated because exposure facilitates the early detection of leaks. 

The perceived advantages of the pM S 3 system are its inherent simplicity (only one type of substrate, the basic building block, used throughout and standard collection of tubesets), ease of assembly (only two hex-head screw sizes and same size o-ring for all seals), easy detection of leaks (due to visible tubeset connections under the system), and easy adaptation to any flow configuration required by customer s application. 

Pennodorant . [Atochem N. Am.] Tetrahydrothiophene odtnant for natural gas to permit detection of leaks. 

Use of the chromatograph with gas samples at an absolute pressure of 1 mm Hg has been possible. This has allowed in some special cases the detection of leaks in a system that could not be evacuated to a better pressure than this. The manway between the inner and outer shells of one of the dewars had such a leak. Since the inner shell was filled with nitrogen at the time and the outer flange would leak air, a sample analysis readily provided information that an inner flange leak was present. 

The sensitivity inherent to the radiotracers techniques makes them extremely precious for the detection of leaks in pipes, heat exchangers, condensers and valves. The measures are realized while the units stay on operation and without interfering with the process. 

---