UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasound Detector Description
The UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasound Detector is optimised for quick, simple and accurate point-and-shoot troubleshooting. It utilises ultrasonic technology to find compressed air, leaks, faulty steam traps, failing mechanical components, and electrical discharge phenomena such as arcing, tracking and corona. The UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasound Detector can be used to inspect a wide variety of systems and equipment.
Monitoring ultrasound emissions to detect changes allows the user to identify potential issues such as leaks, blockages, electrical phenomena and mechanical failure before they become critical. Ultrasonic equipment can often detect failures, such as bearing failure, earlier than traditional vibration and heat apparatus. As such, the operator is able to affect the necessary repairs earlier and more efficiently and effectively, thereby reducing downtime and associated repair/ maintenance costs.
The UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasound Detector offers three methods of detecting failings through ultrasound. It can be connected to vibration or sound recording equipment via its heterodyned output allowing the user to view/ hear readings via these instruments, or he/she can monitor frequency readings via the ultrasonic detector’s bi-modal analogue meter.
Alternatively, as ultrasound is localised and directional, the operator can utilise the UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasound Detector and the included headset to monitor sound quality and amplitude changes, allowing him/her to trace the source of the leak, blockage or fault by following volume increases. This method is facilitated by the UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasound Detector’s ability to heterodyne ultrasonic frequencies into an audible range, thereby providing accurate sound reproduction.
The supplied headphones are acoustic-isolating and optimised for heavy-duty, industrial environments, allowing the user to follow the relevant ultrasonic frequency/ noise despite background noise. In addition to this, the UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasound Detector is designed not to respond to low-frequency noises, ensuring that it can be used effectively within plants and factories.
Moreover, the UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasound Detector’s Frequency Tuning function allows the user to tune the instrument to the problem-specific ultrasonic frequency, whilst simultaneously reducing interference from ultrasonic noise. This expands the UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasound Detector’s scope-for-use as it can be adapted to suit particular problems.
The UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasound Detector has a frequency range of 20 to 100 kHz and includes a ten-turn sensitivity dial facilitating an extensive and dynamic sensitivity range, again, allowing the user to fine-tune the detector to follow a particular frequency.
In addition to this, the Trisonic™ Scanning Module (included in a majority of kits, see ‘What’s Included?’) improves the sensitivity of the UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasound Detector when it is used to scan the atmosphere for ultrasounds. The Trisonic™ Scanning Module is comprised of a phased array of three transducers.
It is also possible to tailor the UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasound Detector to various applications using its bi-modal meter-switch. Using this switch the operator can set the UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasound Detector to either of the following modes:
- Logarithmic metering mode: enhanced for leak and fault detection, this function provides a real-time response
- Linear mode: this function is optimised for bearing and mechanical monitoring and provides a slow, averaging response to determine a stabilised reading
The UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasound Detector is an efficient, effective and easy-to-use ultrasonic troubleshooting instrument that can be tailored to suit a variety of applications.
APPLICATIONSEach of the UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasonic Inspection System Kits contains a different selection of equipment (see ‘What’s Included?’), making these kits suitable for a variety of applications. Please see the table below for a brief overview of the applications each kit is able to accommodate.
Application |
Kit |
UP2000KT |
UP2000CFM |
UP2000LRM |
UP2000SC |
UP2000C |
UP2000S |
Pressure & Vacuum Leak Detection |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
Hydraulic Valve Bypass |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
Exhaust System Leaks |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
Heat Exchangers, Boilers, Condensers |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
Valve & Steam Trap Inspection |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
Bearing Testing |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
Gear/Gear Box Inspection |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
Cockpit Window/Hatch Leaks |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
|
General Mechanical Inspection |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
Tanks, Pipes, Leak Testing, etc |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
Electrical Inspection |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
Pressure and Vacuum Leak Detection
The UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasonic Inspection System can be used to detect gas leaks. Turbulent flows with ultrasonic frequencies are created when gases such as air, oxygen or nitrogen pass through a leak. The UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasound Detector heterodynes these ultrasonic noises into an audible frequency allowing the user to listen to and follow the noise; it will get louder the closer he/she gets to the leak.
A rubber focusing probe can be used, along with the detector’s sensitivity dial and Frequency Tuning function, to shield the UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasound Detector from ambient ultrasonic noise. The rubber focusing probe does this by narrowing the ultrasonic detector’s reception field.
Valve Leak Detection
Check whether valves are blocked or leaking whilst they are in use.
Heat Exchanger, Boilers and Condensers
The UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasonic Inspection System can be used to check heat exchanger tubes and condenser tubes for leaks using the following three methods (the Ultratone method is specifically for checking heat exchanger tubes):
- Vacuum: listen for the sound caused by air being drawn into the leak
- Pressure: check the system while it is offline by utilising the air pressure around the system and scanning for the rushing sound caused by a leak
- Ultratone: use a powerful high-frequency transmitter to flood the shell side of the exchanger with ultrasound, the sound will follow the path towards the leak allowing the user to locate the faulty tube
Steam Trap Inspection
View ultrasonic frequencies via the bi-modal analogue meter and/or use the headset to listen to ultrasound converted into an audible range in order to trace and locate steam trap faults such as blow-by, machine-gunning and line blockages. The UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasonic Inspection System can also be used to identify oversized traps and is able to check steam traps for all the aforementioned faults whilst they are in operation.
Bearing Testing
As mentioned above the UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasonic Inspection System can be used to identify bearing failure earlier than traditional vibration and heat equipment. The UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasonic Inspection System is particularly well suited to preventing over-lubrication, the most common form of bearing failure.
The user can identify the earliest stages of bearing failure by monitoring sound quality and amplitude changes; this method of testing bearings requires no training and only one test point.
Mechanical Inspection
Check motors, pumps, compressors, gears and gearboxes for cavitation, compressor valve leakage and missing gear teeth.
Electrical Inspection
Electrical phenomena such as corona, arcing and tracking produce ultrasound at the point of emission. When heterodyned into an audible range, this can be heard as a frying/ buzzing noise; by following the volume increases the user can locate the source of electrical discharge.
The UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasonic Inspection System can be used to check switchgear, transformers, circuit breakers, busbars, relays, junction boxes and insulators.
The UE Systems Ultraprobe® 2000 Ultrasonic Inspection Systems are dynamic, accurate and fast ultrasonic point-and-shoot troubleshooting kits.