ACOUSTIC LEAK LOCATION AND DETECTION SYSTEM

A system for locating and detecting acoustic noise sources such as liquid or gas leaks in the presence of conflicting ambient (i.e., background) noise by implementing one point correlation. In a preferred embodiment the device employed comprises a pair of spaced sensors mounted on a movable connecting arm, each of which provides an output signal representative of a noise source which is sent to an electronic circuit including correlator wherein the signal is processed and the correlator output is monitored on a meter. The time average of the instantaneous product of the detected signals will be very low except when nearly identical signals are processed. When the sensors are equidistant from the noise source the correlator output signal is at a maximum, thus providing an indication that the noise source is located in a central plane normal to the axis of the mounting arm. By scanning the suspect area in two or more planes, the noise source may be precisely located from a distance.