The Perfect Candidate
When asked to set up a field trial for Flow Finders, one of thw first things we do
is evaluate routes to determine the best one for the installations. If PressureMAP is
being used in the area, this task is fairly easy. What we do typically is pull up the
System Quality Indexes (SQIs) by route for the wire center that has the worst SQI. A
route with an index less than 60 (90 is the standard) is a perfect candidate for the
installation of Flow Finders.
What we'll often see on the worst route is that the flow rate at the pipe alarm panel
is much higher than the listed Optimum Air Usage (OAU). For example, you might see
50 Standard Cubic Feet per Hour (SCFH) at the panel with an OAU of 10 SCFH. This type
of flow discrepancy will drop your SQI every time.
What Good Is It?
What good is a pegged flow transducer? Not much good at all, especially when the flow
transducer at the pipe panel is "maxed out." With a pegged flow transducer, there's no
way to tell if you're chasing a flow of 50 SCFH, for example, or 80 SCFH. Without knowing
the true flow rate, it is impossible to determine the size of the problem and identify
what you're chasing. The same is true for pegged flow transducers at air pipe manifolds.
One of the major advantages of using System Studies' Flow Finders and Flow Gauge is that
the Flow Gauge has a "times two" button. This feature enables accurate flow readings to
be taken at any Flow Finder location, even if the flow rate exceeds the flow range of
the device. For example, by using the "time two" button, a 0-47.5 SCFH Flow Finder can
accuately measure flow rates up to 95 SCFH.
What's the Problem Here?
Whenever you find a big difference between a Flow Fnder reading and a flow transducer
reading, there may be a simple explanation and fix. The first thing to do is check to
see that the flow range entered into the monitoring system for the flow transducer is
correct. For example, a 0-19 SCFH flow transducer inputted as a 0-9.5 SCFH will only
indicate half of the actual air flow.
Want More Information?
If you'd like to find more about using Flow Finders to leak locate and purify air pipes
in your system, there are some interesting and informative articles online here at
AirTalk.com. Simply click on the Home button located on the bottom of
this page, then the Documenation link, then Newsletter Articles. Many of
the articles there address one or more uses for Flow Finders. If you're interested in
viewing the various ranges of Flow Finders available and their respective System Studies
Part Numbers, go to our 2006 Purchasing Guide (also located in the
Documentation section).
