  High Sensitivity External Leak Detection (HSELD)
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When containment is optional, but detection is not. For some applications such as fueling systems and transport oil pipelines, a sensor system that detects small leaks in the piping may be preferable or more economically viable compared to a full
double containment piping system, dependent on regulatory consent.
This is a typical installation showing the main fuel oil carrier pipe and the laser slotted PVC conduit located side by side in the trench. Standard backfill and compaction is used to cover the pipe and conduit. TraceTek TT5000 fuel oil sensor
cables are later pulled into the conduit.
How it Works
The amount of backfill contaminated in the first 24 hours is not that large, even for a leak rate of 10 liters per hour (2.6 GPH). Because the native compacted soil is less porous than the back fill in the trench, the leak will tend to saturate
the backfill faster than it leaches into the surrounding soil. Every trench/backfill/moisture combination is a little different. These test results show the general concept and point out that in the early stage of a small leak there is not a huge
volume of soil contamination.
The trench becomes quite saturated hours or days before the spill is visible on the surface or has spread too deeply underground or laterally. The
liquid fuel in the backfill is drawn into the slotted conduit via capillary action. The TT5000 is such a good scavenger of liquid hydrocarbons that detection occurs even when there is not an abundance of flowing fuel in the soil. The TT5000
ignores the presence of groundwater.
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| TraceTek TT5000 for Single Wall Fuel Piping Gains Florida Approval 6/23/03
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The Florida State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently approved the use of the TraceTek TT5000 fuel leak detection system for single wall pipeline applications.
After a review of third party testing of the TraceTek system, the DEP agreed that the system will provide environmental protection "equivalent to that provided by compliance with
the requirements" of the Florida regulations. The TraceTek system is a high sensitivity, external leak detection system that operates independently of pipeline or storage tank operations.
Large numbers of pipeline and above ground storage tank leaks start very slowly and go undetected for weeks or months. Often, it is not until a large volume of fuel has contaminated the
ground that these slow leaks are finally found. The TraceTek system detects these leaks within hours, before fuel has spread into the surrounding environment, and notifies maintenance
personnel of the exact location of the leak. By detecting these leaks while they are still very small, TraceTek minimizes environmental damage and substantially reduces leak remediation costs.
Find out how TraceTek can help improve your environmental record and reduce your environmental risk.
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