ULTRASOUND RESOURCE LIBRARY

The power of ultrasound at your fingertips.
Industry Case Studies & Resources
CLIENT CASE STUDIES
From state-of-the-art ultrasound detection instruments to world-class training and support, UE Systems has been leading the ultrasonic inspection revolution for the past 35 years. Over this period of time, we have seen our clients save millions of dollars in production loss prevention, energy conservation, and overall asset availability.

But don’t take our word for it. Below, please find a few recent case studies provided by service partners and clients. If you are experiencing any of these challenges or have a custom challenge and are looking for some “sound” advice, please contact us today. 15 minutes with UE on the phone today may save you thousands of dollars tomorrow.
VIEW CASE STUDIES

Note: Some Case Histories are modifications of presentations from past Ultrasound World Conferences.

HOW-TO GUIDES
LUBRICATION HANDBOOK

Handbook for Ultrasound Condition Based Lubrication

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HOW TO LOCATE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS

Guide about using ultrasound to detect bearing wear, bearing failure, perform bearing history trending and inspect slow speed bearings.

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STEAM TRAP INSPECTION

Steam Trap Inspection Methods And Steam Cost Analysis

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ENERGY CONSERVATION

Ultrasonic Energy Conservation Guide: How Ultrasound Technology Helps to Reduce Energy Waste & Improve Plant Profitability

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CALCULATORS
COST OF AIR PER THOUSAND CUBIC FEET (MCF)

Formula to get the cost of air per thousand cubic feet (MCF).

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DOLLAR LOSS TABLES

 

Inverted Bucket Steam Traps

Steam Cost @ $6/1000
Due to the many different orifice sizes in the many different models of inverted bucket traps the guide below is a really “rough” estimate of the potential steam loss.

For example: one model listed as 3/4″ bucket trap made for 15 psig steam will utilize a 1/2″ orifice for high condensate capacity applications; whereas another model listed at 3/4″ bucket trap for 15 psig steam will utilize a 1/4″ orifice.

The differences in potential steam loss between the two are significant. Therefore, we have tried to be very conservative when assigning the orifice size in the table below. The actual dollar loss may be significantly different depending upon the specific model of the trap.

The orifice sizes in the table below are referenced from one manufacturer and are listed only as examples to consider the cost of steam leaking through a steam trap.

Pressure @ Trap 2 psig 5 psig 10 psig 15 psig 25 psig 50 psig
PIPE SIZE * Assigned orifice sizes employed in the traps below when under the differential steam pressure shown.
1/2″ *1/4″ *1/4″ *1/4″ *1/4″ *1/4″ *5/32″
Dollar Loss/Month $22 $32 $40 $48 $65 $41
3/4″ *5/16″ *5/16″ *5/16″ *5/16″ *1/4″ *3/16″
Dollar Loss/Month $34 $50 $63 $76 $65 $60
1″ *1/2″ *1/2″ *1/2″ *1/2″ *3/8″ *11/32″
Dollar Loss/Month $86 $129 $162 $194 $145 $199

 

Pressure @ Trap 75 psig 100 psig 125 psig 150 psig 200 psig 250 psig
PIPE SIZE * Assigned orifice sizes employed in the traps below when under the differential steam pressure shown.
1/2″ *1/8″ *1/8″ *1/8″ *7/64″ *7/64″ *3/32″
Dollar Loss/Month $37 $47 $57 $53 $68 $72
3/4″ *5/32″ *5/32″ *5/32″ *1/8″ *1/8″ *7/64″
Dollar Loss/Month $57 $73 $89 $67 $87 $84
1″ *9/32″ *1/4″ *1/4″ *7/32″ *3/16″ *3/16″
Dollar Loss/Month $185 $187 $229 $206 $197 $244

Failed Steam Trap Dollar Loss Table for Radiator Traps

Steam Cost @ $6.00/1000 lbs.

Pressure balanced thermostatic radiator traps are most commonly found on low pressure (25 psig and under) steam heating systems. Located on radiators, convectors and other radiant heat units, there may be literally hundreds of these scattered throughout larger facilities.

The operating unit within the trap, a pressure-balanced disc or bellows, is filled with a distilled liquid to respond to the changes in temperature (i.e. pressure) within the trap. The disc or bellows will generally “fail open” after three to five years of hard work (after five years it has opened and closed hundreds of thousands of times).

The orifice sizes (*) shown, for all the steam traps, are conservative estimates of the average size found in these traps. Actual dollar loss may be more or less than shown.

Pressure
@ Trap
2 psig 5 psig 10 psig 15 psig 25 psig 50 psig 75 psig 100 psig 125 psig 150 psig
PIPE SIZE *Assigned orifice size in the steam trap styles and sizes
per differential operating pressures as shown.
1/2″ *1/4″ *1/4″ *1/4″ *1/4″ *1/4″ *7/32″ *7/32″ *7/32″ *7/32″ *3/16″
Dollar Loss/Month $22 $32 $40 $48 $65 $81 $112 $143 $175 $151
3/4″ *5/16″ *5/16″ *5/16″ *5/16″ *5/16″ *1/4″ *1/4″ *1/4″ *1/4″ *7/32″
Dollar Loss/Month $34 $50 $63 $76 $101 $106 $147 $187 $229 $206
1″ *3/8″ *3/8″ *3/8″ *3/8″ *3/8″ *5/16″ *5/16″ *5/16″ *5/16″ *9/32″
Dollar Loss/Month $48 $72 $91 $109 $145 $165 $229 $294 $357 $341

Dollar Loss Table for Float and Thermostatic Traps

Steam cost @ $6.00/1000 lbs.

Float & Thermostatic (F&T) traps are found where higher levels of condensate are produced (Unit heaters, end-of-mains, heat exchangers, etc.).

The modulating control provided by the float allows for continuous discharge of condensate when necessary. The air vent in this trap will generally “fail open” after three to five years of hard work.

The mechanism and float assembly, which allows the condensate to discharge, may operate efficiently for eight to ten years, and will normally “fail closed” after this time. However, sludge and debris accumulation may cause the assembly to fail open and waste “big bucks” as shown. Actual dollar loss may be more or less than shown.

Pressure @ Trap 2 psig 5 psig 10 psig 15 psig 25 psig 50 psig 75 psig 100 psig 125 psig 150 psig
LOSS FROM AIR VENT: The air vents in all the F&T traps generally utilize a 1/4″ discharge orifice.
Dollar Loss/ Month $22 $32 $40 $48 $105 $147 $187 $229 $270
PIPE SIZE *Assigned orifice size utilized by the mechanism assembly per sizes and differential pressures shown.
3/4 & 1″ *1/4″ *1/4″ *1/4″ *1/4″ *3/16″ *1/8″ *1/8″ *3/32″ *3/32″ *3/32″
Dollar Loss/ Month $22 $32 $40 $48 $37 $26 $37 $26 $32 $38
1 1/4″ *5/16″ *5/16″ *5/16 *5/16″ *1/4″ *3/16″ *3/16″ *1/8″ *1/8″ *1/8″
Dollar Loss/ Month $34 $50 $63 $76 $65 $60 $83 $47 $57 $67
1 1/2″ *13/32″ *13/32″ *13/32″ *13/32″ *5/16″ *7/32″ *7/32″ *5/32″ *5/32″ *5/32″
Dollar Loss/ Month $57 $85 $105 $129 $101 $81 $112 $73 $89 $105
2″ *1/2″ *1/2″ *1/2″ *1/2″ *15/32″ *7/16″ *7/16″ *5/16″ *5/16″ *5/16″
Dollar Loss/ Month $86 $129 $162 $194 $228 $324 $516 $294 $357 $421
LOSS PREVENTION

Looking to demonstrate how much your program is saving?

This handy calculator will help you document the net savings for each of your department’s “finds” and repairs.

It will help management understand how your efforts are helping improve the company’s bottom line. If you are a manager, this tool will help you in your reporting and analysis activities.

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CASES
ULTRASOUND PAY BACK ANALYSIS

 

Steam Leaks

At Sun Co.’s Toledo, Ohio refinery, the Ultraprobe identified 188 malfunctioning steam traps.

Savings from replacing these traps have been in the range of $56,000 per year based on reducing 450 p.s.i. steam consumption by about 1,000 lb./hr.

Chevron USA, Perth Amboy NJ has six to eight thousand steam traps throughout the plant. The plant generates close to 500,000 lb./hr. of steam.

A steam trap audit with the Ultraprobe revealed the trap failure rate was up to 28%. The refinery has increased its steam trap reliability by 15% within two years after the Ultraprobe was put into use. The reduction in steam losses is savings at least $50,000 a month.

Indiana University-Perdue University campus at Indianapolis has three to four thousand steam traps. Technicians using the Ultraprobe to monitor steam traps and bypass valves estimate they are saving $300,000 per year.

Compressed Air Leaks

In a 75 p.s.i. system with a production cost of $0.14/m cu. ft., a number of leaks totaling 1/4″ will cost $5,734.15 in a year. Double that to 1/2″ and the cost of wasted air will be $22,940.25.

In a 100 p.s.i. system, based on nozzle coefficient of .65, and a production cost of $0.10 per thousand cubic feet, a number of leaks totaling 1/8″ will result in the loss of 740,210 cubic feet of air per month, at a cost of $74.01 per month. Triple that to 3/8″ and the waste will be 6,671,090 cu. ft. per month and $667.19.

Bearings

A bearing on one of our client’s two 500 H.P. motors froze up and did $2,500 damage. Using the stethoscope (contact) module, they picked up a bad bearing noise on the second motor . . . resulting in immediate repair and avoiding a complete shutdown in one area of the plant.

Related to another client, on a Saturday, when the shop was shut down, maintenance personnel used a regular stethoscope and picked up a bearing noise with the machine running at low speed.

The housing they listened to contained two bearings at a cost of $1,500 each. Their stethoscope could not determine which bearing was going bad. With the plant back in operation on Monday, and all other machinery running the Ultraprobe was brought in to check the machine in question, while running at top speed.

The Ultraprobe identified the front bearing as being the culprit while the back bearing was okay. They immediately replaced only the front bearing at a cost of $1,500, and were back into production much sooner than would have been the case had they replaced both bearings.

And again another client, one of the largest construction companies in the Southwest USA uses an Ultraprobe to check the hydraulic systems on earth moving equipment, tower cranes, etc.

In a recent case, ten minutes of PM prevented the destruction of two pumps worth $2,000 each, two or three days down time in the midst of a project with operators and other worker standing idly by; the cost of eight hours maintenance time (at overtime rates); air freight charges to fly in new pumps; and even the possibility of a penalty for the delay in completing the project.

CHARTS
LEAKAGE RATE MEASURES
Std cm3/s Pascal m3/s Torr Liter/s Oz/year (freon) Psi cu in./s (Skims)Std cu in/min Time to Fill 1 cu. in.
1 .1 7.6 x 10-1 5555 8.96 x 10-1 3.66 16.6 sec.
1 x 10-1 1 x 10-2 7.6 x 10-2 555 8.96 x 10-2 3.6 x 10-1 166 sec.
5 x 10-2 5 x 10-3 3.8 x 10-2 277 4.48 x 10-2 1.83 x 10-1 332 sec.
1 x 10-2 1 x 10-3 7.6 x 10-3 55 8.96 x 10-3 3.6 x 10-2 27.7 min.
5 x 10-3 5 x 10-4 3.8 x 10-3 27.7 4.48 x 10-3 1.83 x 10-2 55 min.
1 x 10-3 1 x 10-4 7.6 x 10-4 5.0 8.96 x 10-4 3.6 x 10-3 277 min.
5 x 10-4 5 x 10-5 3.8 x 10-4 2.77 4.48 x 10-4 1.83 x 10-3 9.2 hours
1 x 10-4 1 x 10-5 3.8 x 10-5 0.50 8.96 x 10-5 3.6 x 10-4 39.7 hours
5 x 10-5 5 x 10-6 7.6 x 10-5 0.27 4.48 x 10-5 1.83 x 10-4 3.8 days
1 x 10-5 1 x 10-6 3.8 x 10-6 0.05 8.96 x 10-6 3.6 x 10-5 16.5 days
5 x 10-6 5 x 10-7 7.6 x 10-6 0.027 4.48 x 10-6 1.83 x 10-5 38 days
1 x 10-6 1 x 10-7 3.8 x 10-7 0.005 8.96 x 10-7 3.6 x 10-6 165 days
5 x 10-7 5 x 10-8 7.6 x 10-7 0.0027 4.48 x 10-7 1.8 x 10-6 380 days
1 x 10-7 1 x 10-8 7.6 x 10-8 5 x 10-4 8.96 x 10-8 3.6 x 10-7 4.5 years
1 x 10-8 1 x 10-9 7.6 x 10-9 5 x 10-5 8.96 x 10-9 3.6 x 10-8 45 years
1 x 10-9 1 x 10-10 7.6 x 10-10 5 x 10-6 8.96 x 10-10 3.6 x 10-9 451.7 years
1 x 10-10 1 x 10-11 7.6 x 10-11 5 x 10-7 8.96 x 10-11 3.6 x 10-10 4517 years
1 x 10-11 1 x 10-12 7.6 x 10-12 5 x 10-8 8.96 x 10-12 3.6 x 10-11 45170 years
1 x 10-12 1 x 10-13 7.6 x 10-13 5 x 10-9 8.96 x 10-13 3.6 x 10-12 451700 years
1 x 10-13 1 x 10-14 7.6 x 10-14 5 x 10-10 8.96 x 10-14 3.6 x 10-13 4517000 years
STEAM LOSS

To establish the approximate dollar loss, take the lb./hr. figure X 24 hours (for a year X 8760) and multiply by your cost of steam. Ex: 1/8″ orifice @ 50 psi = 29.8 X 8760 = 261,048. At a cost of $5.00/1000 lb.: 261,048 X .005 = $1305.24.

 

Orifice Diameter 2 psi 5 psi 10 psi 15 psi 25 psi 50 psi 75 psi
Steam Loss, lb / hr
1/32″ 0.31 0.49 0.70 0.85 1.14 1.86 2.58
1/16″ 1.25 1.97 2.80 3.40 4.60 7.40 10.3
3/32″ 2.81 4.44 6.30 7.70 10.3 16.7 15.4
1/8″ 4.50 7.90 11.2 13.7 18.3 29.8 41.3
5/32″ 7.80 12.3 17.4 21.3 28.5 46.5 64.5
3/16″ 11.2 17.7 25.1 30.7 41.1 67.0 93.0
7/32″ 15.3 24.2 34.2 41.9 55.9 91.2 126
1/4″ 20.0 31.6 44.6 54.7 73.1 119 165
9/32″ 25.2 39.9 56.5 69.2 92.5 151 209
5/16″ 31.2 49.3 69.7 85.4 114 186 258
11/32″ 37.7 59.6 84.4 103 138 225 312
3/8″ 44.9 71.0 100 123 164 268 371
13/32″ 52.7 83.3 118 144 193 314 436
7/16″ 61.1 96.6 137 167 224 365 506
15/32″ 70.2 111 157 192 257 419 580
1/2″ 79.8 126 179 219 292 476 660
INDUSTRY RESOURCES
Looking for associations, schools and other professional assistance? We have a vast listing of resources for you here.

You will find links that will broaden your knowledge, improve your professional outlook and hopefully help you find answers to your maintenance related questions. We’re always adding new items and invite you to return as often as you want.
SCHOOLS AND ASSOCIATIONS
RELATED TECHNOLOGIES

COMPRESSED AIR

Atlas Copco – Compressor Manufacturer and related equipment
Energy Information Administration
Gardner Denver – Compressor Manufacturer and related equipment
Ingersoll-Rand – Compressor Manufacturer: Compressed Air Safety Nets: A Guide To Predictive Maintenance Programs
Kaeser Compressors – A Leading Innovator in Air System Technologies
Sullair – Compressor Manufacturer and related equipment
United States Department of Energy – Best Practices for Compressed Air

STEAM

Armstrong International, Inc. – Manufacturer of Steam Traps and related equipment. Training classes.
Enercheck Systems, Inc. – Steam and Steam Trap Audits
Energy Information Administration
Spence Engineering Company, Inc. – Manufacturer of Steam Traps and related equipment. Training classes.
Spirax Sarco – Manufacturer of Steam Traps and related equipment
Swagelok – Manufacturer of Steam Traps and related equipment
United States Department of Energy – Best Practices for Steam
Yarway – Manufacturer of Steam Traps and related equipment

LEAK SEALING

Colt Atlantic Services – High Temperature Leak Sealants
InduMar Products, Inc. – Leak Sealing Systems
Loctite – Leak Prevention, Sealants, Adhesives & Coatings and Training Courses

INFRARED

FLIR Infrared Camera Systems – FLIR is the global leader in infrared cameras, IR software, thermography training and support.
Infraspection Institute – Training Courses for Certification in Infrared
MSA – Thermal Imaging Camera
Snell Infrared – Training Courses for Certification in Infrared
Fluke Infrared Cameras

VIBRATION

Comtest
Fluke
SKF Condition Monitoring – Vibration Analysis Instrumentation & Software

LASER ALIGNMENT

Fluke
SKF
Vibralign

MOTOR CURRENT ANALYSIS

Commtest
PdMA

HEAR WHAT’S
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