LEAKS WILL SINK THE FLOAT

By Randy Warner, CKF Inc. with Liane Harris, SDT North America

Typical manufacturing plants use a variety of open or closed storage tanks or vessels in its operation. These

tanks may contain solid, liquid, slurry or gas depending on the requirements. In most likelihood, a level

indicator is in place to monitor the amount of substance inside the vessel. Since level measurement is vital to the

safety and plant operations, it is important to ensure that the method chosen for level measurement is accurate

and reliable.

There are many methods of continuous direct liquid level measurement in a vessel. These methods range from

the very simple to quite complex. One of the simplest methods is using a float. Widely accepted where it

applies, the float method is simple, accurate, and easy to operate. The operating principle of the float is based on

Archimedes’ bouyancy principle which states that a body that is wholly or partly submerged in a liquid

experiences an upward force which is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the downward force of the

liquid displaced by the body. The primary device is a float which by virtue of bouyancy, will follow the

changing level of the liquid, and a mechanism that will transmit the motion of the float to a pointer usually

placed outside the vessel, to indicate the level of liquid inside.

CKF Inc., a North American manufacturer of disposable paper plates using

virgin and/or secondary fibers, depending on the product being made, is one of

the millions of users of the float. A specific application is in one of their

recovery tanks. The float is basically made of rolled sheet metal 8”in

diameter. The seam, top and bottom is silver solder welded to make a

leak proof canister or float. On the top of the tank, a ¼” pipe nipple is

welded on to allow a stainless chain to be attached to this float. The other

Leaks Will Sink The Float Page 1 of 3

end of the chain is connected to a mechanism, which is connected to an electrical switch that gets

activated when the tank float rises with the tank level contents to a set point, which will then start a

pump that will drain the recovery tank into a larger tank used to make the product. When the recovery

tank is drained, the float lowers to the bottom of the tank turning the pump off until the float starts

rising again.

“Recently we had a float fail in one of our recovery tanks. The float had

several holes in the welded joints, which allowed it to fill with water and pulp.

The float could not rise with the tank level which made the pump required to

drain the recovery tank contents back into the system, not start. As a result, the

recovery tank overflowed,” said Randy Warner. “I removed the float, cleaned it, and had our plant welder re-

weld all of the seams and joints. I then hooked up a small compressed air line to the float while I had it on the

bench to leak test the welded joints. I filled the float with compressed air and all seemed okay. I ran my hand

over the float to feel for any air leaks and felt nothing. I then used the SDT Ultrawave unit and found three

rather small leaks that I did not find earlier just running my hand over the seams feeling for air leaks. I had the

earphones on as well and I was able to pinpoint the location of the air

leaks quickly and easily. I then sprayed the areas with a little water and

the leaks were accented even more on the earphones and the SDT

Ultrawave unit. A loud popping noise could be heard through the

earphones connected to the SDT Ultrawave ultrasonic detector. I was

really impressed. We re-welded the le aking spots and retested for leaks

using the SDT Ultrawave. No leaks this time. Very little air was required inside the float for it to be detected

through the leak paths. It shows how sensitive the SDT170 Ultrawave can be. If I had not used the SDT

Ultrawave unit to leak test this float, I would have reinstalled it after welding and it definitely would have filled

with water and slurry again and obviously fail,” recounted Randy Warner.

Leaks Will Sink The Float Page 2 of 3

 “Thanks to the SDT Ultrawave unit, I only had to do the job once and

I am confident the float will work as intended without failure. This

makes the SDT 170MD my choice for leak detection from now on

along with the many other uses for this unit,” he stated.

Leaks will sink a float, indeed. When the float fills up with water,

the downward force becomes greater than the upward force. The resulting effect of the sunk float for this

particular situation, is wasted pulp. For other situations, it could be catastrophic. Proper re-testing after repair

should be done as CKF Inc. does, to ensure that the problem has been corrected.

Other uses of the SDT Ultrawave includes Bearing Condition Monitoring using AVM principles, Valves

Inspections to check for flow or no flow conditions, Bearing Lubrication, Electrical Inspections to detect and

locate corona, tracking, and arcing discharge, and Steam Traps inspections. The SDT

Ultrawave only detects high frequency sound or ultrasound which is above human

hearing capability. If you hear the sounds in your facility, the SDT Ultrawave will not

detect it. A digital display on the screen and 60,000 points memory capability with true

RMS datalogging makes the SDT Ultrawave a valuable tool for PDM inspections,

energy management applications, and quality control. And the best part? It’s easy to use and it works!

For additional information on the SDT Ultrawave, call SDT at 1(800) 667-5325.

Randy Warner is a practicing Level 1 Certified Ultrasonic Inspector. He has worked for CKF Inc. for over 15 years
as industrial millwright. He is very pleased with the proactive spirit at CKF Inc. The benefit of their collective efforts
is showing up in their increased operational uptime and knowledge of their equipments.

Liane Harris, BSChE, MSE, is a Chemical Engineer by profession and has worked as a Process and Energy
Engineer in Food and Chemical Industries in the Philippines and in Pulp and Paper Mills in the U.S. and Canada. She
has helped hundreds of companies worldwide become successful in the applications of Airborne and Structure-borne
Ultrasound Technology since 1996. She is SDT North America’s Corporate Trainer and Ontario’s District Manager.
Call (905) 785-1474 or e-mail at Lianesdt@sympatico.ca to contact her directly.

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