Glovebox for a double wall containment module

Abstract

A double-glove system for use in a double-walled containment module is provided herein. More specifically, a double-glove system that includes an inner glove and an outer glove that are interconnected to respective glove rings for interconnection to an inner containment module and an outer containment module is provided. An annulus is provided between the gloves wherein purge gasses may flow therebetween. Further, a plurality of detection systems may be employed within containment volumes of the containment module to rapidly detect leaks.

1 . A double-walled glove box, comprising:
 an outer containment module with an aperture;   an inner containment module with an aperture spaced a distance from an outer containment module thereby defining an inter-space;   an outer gasket interconnected about the periphery of said aperture of the outer containment module;   an inner gasket interconnected about the periphery of said aperture of the inner containment module;   a housing having at least one aperture interconnected to said outer gasket and said inner gasket;   an inner ring interconnected to a portion of said housing that is positioned adjacent to said inner gasket;   a first glove interconnected to said inner ring that extends into an interior area of said containment module;   an outer ring interconnected to a portion of said housing that is positioned adjacent to said outer gasket;   a second glove interconnected to said outer ring that extends into said first glove; and   wherein said outer glove ring includes at least one gap that coincides with said at least one aperture of said housing that allows fluid from said inter-space to enter the volume between said first glove and said second glove.   
     
     
         2 . The double-walled glove box of  claim 1 , wherein said inner module contains a gas and a tracer gas at a pressure higher than the pressure of a gas in said inter-space and lower than the pressure outside of the outer containment module, wherein the gas that is located in said inter-space is at a pressure less than the pressure outside of the outer containment module, and further comprising a means for sensing located in said inter-space that is adapted to detect the tracer gas thereby indicating a breach in said first glove. 
     
     
         3 . The double-walled glove box of  claim 2 , wherein the gas in said inner module is Nitrogen and the tracer gas is Helium. 
     
     
         4 . The double-walled glove box of  claim 2 , wherein the pressure inside of said inner containment module is less than about -0.009 psig and the gas in said inter-space is less than about -0.018 psig and greater than about -0.009 psig. 
     
     
         5 . A method of identifying a leak in a glove employed in a containment module that includes an outer wall, an inner wall and an inter-space therebetween, comprising;
 providing a first glove interconnected to the inner wall;   providing a second glove interconnected to the outer wall;   placing said second glove into said first glove such that a volume therebetween is defined that is in fluidic communication with the inter-space; and   sensing the conditions of the space between the outer wall and the inner wall.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 pressurizing an inner volume of said containment module defined by said inner wall to a first pressure; and   pressurizing said inter-space to a second pressure.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said first pressure is less than about -0.009 psig and wherein said second pressure is less than about -0.018 psig and greater than about -0.009 psig. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said inner volume includes an inert gas. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said inert gas is at least one of helium and argon. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising issuing a warning if the amount of inert gas being sensed is greater than a predetermined level. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein at least one of an inner surface of said first glove and an outer surface of said second glove includes a means for spacing that maintains the separation between said first glove and said second glove.