Recovery boiler leaks can lead to disastrous furnace explosions in pulp and paper mills. During 1997, forty-four leak incidents were reported to the Black Liquor Recovery Advisory Committee (BLRBAC), an industry alliance to promote recovery boiler safety. Most leaks were detected by operator observation, to date the most effective method of leak detection. When an operator detects a leak, the mill invokes emergency shutdown procedures(ESP) to prevent disaster and correct the tube rupture. If a leak is misdiagnosed, an unnecessary shutdown is very costly. Conversely, if a leak goes undetected it can cause a catastrophic explosion.

Due to the volatile nature of recover boiler tube leaks, BLRBAC's subcommittee on ESP (Emergency Shutdown Procedures) is recommending that mills consider installing tube leak detection systems. A reliable tube leak indication system will significantly improve the accuracy of detecting boiler tube leaks.

BetzDearborn and Automation Applications are jointly marketing LeakTrac, a new on-line boiler leak detection system. The system compiles all of the most up to date leak detection methods, including licensed mass-balance technology from Union Camp Corp., into one fast and accurate system. LeakTrac uses algorithms to filter out variation that occurs due to transient conditions and signal noise. The system can be installed on a Distributed Controls System (DCS) or on a PC and requires no additional hardware purchases.

BetzDearborn, headquartered in Trevose, PA, is a leading global supplier of engineered specialty chemical treatment programs for influent water, boiler, cooling, wastewater and industrial process systems. These treatment programs are applied in industrial, commercial and institutional establishments in over in over 90 countries, with particular emphasis on the petroleum refining, chemical, primary metals, power, paper, automotive and food processing industries, The company has annualized sales of over $1.2 billion, a global workforce of over 6,100 employees, 31 production plants strategically located worldwide, five research and development centers providing high-level technical support to customers in North America, Europe, South America, and Asia-Pacific.