Gas leak search using a test gas spray device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10837857-B2
Application number	US-201716089665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2017
Priority date	Mar 31, 2016
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to a gas leakage search device including a test gas spray device for spraying a test object with a test gas, a vacuum assembly for evacuating the test object, wherein the vacuum assembly has a vacuum pump and a gas detector downstream of the test object for measuring the test gas proportion, and an analysis unit which evaluates the measurement signal of the gas detector. The invention is characterized in that a data communication connection is established between the spray device and the analysis unit; the spray device is designed to detect at least one point in time of the spraying process and to transmit same to the analysis unit, and the analysis unit is designed to output the corresponding measured test gas proportion at the transmitted point in time of the spraying process.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for gas leak detection, comprising a test gas spraying device including a housing for spraying test gas onto a test object, a vacuum system for evacuating the test object, wherein said vacuum system comprises a vacuum pump, and, downstream of the test object, a gas detector for measuring a test gas content, and an evaluation unit for evaluating a measurement signal of the gas detector,
wherein a data communication connection is provided within the housing between the spraying device and the evaluation unit,
wherein the spraying device is configured to capture at least one time point of a spraying process and to communicate said at least one time point via the data communication connection to the evaluation unit, and
wherein the evaluation unit is configured to indicate the test gas content corresponding to said at least one time point.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the data communication connection is configured to transmit measurement values from the evaluation unit to the spraying device.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the spraying device is provided with an output device for outputting the measurement values.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the spraying device is configured for pulsed discharge of the test gas, and wherein time points of a start and end of a test gas pulse or of a series of successive test gas pulses are respectively transmitted to the evaluation unit.

5. A method for gas leak detection by use of a test gas spraying device and a vacuum system connectible to a test object, said vacuum system comprising a vacuum pump for evacuating the test object and a gas detector arranged downstream of the test object, the method comprising:
detecting a test gas content in a gas flow evacuated from the test object;
capturing, by electronics housed within the spraying device, at least one time point of a spraying process;
communicating the at least one time point to an evaluation unit evaluating a measurement signal of the gas detector; and
correlating the at least one time point with the measurement signal for detecting at least the test gas content at a respective time point of the spraying process.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein a time point of a start of the spraying process and/or a time point of an end of the spraying process is communicated from the spraying device to the evaluation unit and are correlated with the measurement signal of the gas detector.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein, during measurement, the measurement signal is transmitted to the spraying device or to an output unit arranged near the spraying device.

8. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the test gas is discharged from the spraying device in short pulses, and wherein time points of a start and end of a test gas pulse or of a series of successive test gas pulses are respectively communicated to the evaluation unit for correlation with the measurement signal.

Assignees

• Inficon Gmbh

Inventors

• Bruhns Hjalmar
• Franke Ernst
• Kilian Ralf
• Liebich Jörn
• Moser Norbert
• Puchalla-König Jochen
• Rolff Norbert
• Rolff Randolf
• Wetzig Daniel

Classifications

• G01M3/205 Primary

  Accessories or associated equipment; Pump constructions · CPC title

• G01M3/207

  calibration arrangements · CPC title

• G01M3/226

  for containers, e.g. radiators · CPC title