Acoustic leak detection

Acoustic emission is a technique widely used in industry for leak detection. The method is more sensitive in gas than in liquid and has often been used successfully. However, its sensitivity is uncertain and depends on many factors (nature of the fluid, geometry of the defect, surrounding noise, etc.). As a general rule, sensitivity is in the order of liters per hour.

This result was confirmed by tests carried out at the Sealing Technologies site, using equipment with specifications similar to those of commercial instruments.

This suggests that "classical" acoustic emission is difficult to transfer to the case of low flow rates of fugitive emissions.

On the other hand, alternative acoustic methods, such as acoustic nosing or photoacoustics, appear to be promising.