Leak detection: measuring the presence of liquid

It is clearly important to know if the boiler in your engine room is leaking or if liquid is dripping from a pipe or hydraulic cylinder in a cabinet. Knowing that these kinds of leaks exist allows you to take action before a real problem or dangerous situation can arise.

Sensor mat vs. infrared detection system

The simplest solution is to place a sensor mat under the boiler or at the bottom of the cabinet. These mats consist of a network of conductive wires, which short-circuit in the presence of moisture. This can be linked to an alarm. Although a sensor mat is excellent at detecting leaks, the disadvantage of this option is that it has to be replaced after every leak.

If you think that leaks will occur regularly, a detection system based on infrared light is a better solution. In this case, a plate is placed underneath the equipment and illuminated with a beam of light. If liquid falls on the plate, the refractive index and the reflection of the beam change. An alarm is then triggered quickly.

There is very little difference between the two leak detection methods in terms of price. The advantage of the infrared sensor is that it is reusable. Drying the plate is all that needs to be done. The disadvantage is that it only detects in one spot, while a sensor mat can cover a large surface. You could use multiple infrared sensors of course, which would then get more expensive. One plus point here is that it would reveal the exact location of any leak, because one of the sensors would trigger an alarm before the others. That could prove useful information for a technician who has to solve the leak.

Coming soon: lekdetectie oplossingen

Achter de schermen wordt hard gewerkt om de lekdetectie oplossingen voor te bereiden voor plaatsing in onze online sensordatabase. Wil je nu meer weten over de technische specificaties van lekdetectie oplossingen? Dat begrijpen we. Ondertussen kan je informatie opvragen bij onze sensorexperts. Stuur een e-mail met jouw vraag.