Method and apparatus for detecting leaks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for detecting leaks in a test chamber utilizing pressurization of the chamber with a gas, compares the rate of change of the gas pressure in the test chamber with the rate of change of the temperature of that chamber with the difference in such rates of change being read as a function of test chamber leakage.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. The method of quickly determining leakage of a test chamber in a production environment comprising the steps of: applying gas pressure to the test chamber and generating a signal whose slope varies with the rate of change of the pressure;   sensing the infrared radiation from the test chamber and generating a signal whose slope varies with the rate of change of the radiation; and   comparing the slopes of the two signals and reading a divergence therebetween as a function of chamber leakage.   
     
     
       2. The invention defined by claim 1 wherein one of the generated signals is of opposite polarity to the other generated signal and before testing a chamber for leakage one of the generated signals is adjusted to be equal but of opposite polarity to the other generated signal for a non-leaking test chamber, and thereafter during a test algebraically adding the signals and reading a departure from zero as a measure of chamber leakage. 
     
     
       3. The method defined by claim 1 wherein the radiation generated signal is of the same polarity as the pressure generated signal and before testing a chamber for leakage at least one of the generated signals is adjusted to be equal to the other generated signal for a non-leaking test chamber, and thereafter during testing reading the difference between the signals as a function of chamber leakage. 
     
     
       4. The invention defined by either claim 2 or 3 wherein a pressure generated signal indicative of no pressure being held in the test chamber is read as a gross leak of the test chamber aborting the test. 
     
     
       5. The invention defined by claim 1 including the step of first adjusting the slopes of the generated signals so that the slopes are substantially equal when the test chamber is non-leaking, and thereafter reading a divergence in slopes as a function of chamber leakage. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus for detecting leaks in a test chamber comprising, in combination: means for applying a gas pressure to the test chamber;   means for generating a signal whose slope varies as the pressure change of the gas in the test chamber;   means for sensing the infrared radiation of the test chamber;   means for generating a signal whose slope varies as the rate of radiation of the test chamber; and   means for comparing the respective signals and reading a divergence of their slopes as a function of chamber leakage.   
     
     
       7. The invention defined by claim 6 wherein the means for generating the signals generates signals of opposite polarity and for a non-leaking test chamber of equal magnitude. 
     
     
       8. The invention defined by claim 6 wherein the means for generating the signals generates signals of the same polarity and of equal magnitude for a non-leaking chamber. 
     
     
       9. The invention defined by claim 6 wherein means are provided for adjusting the generated signals so that for a non-leaking test chamber the slopes of the signals are substantially equal. 
     
     
       10. The invention defined by claim 6 wherein means are provided responsive to a pressure generated signal indicative of a no-pressure condition in the test chamber for indicating a gross leak. .Iadd. 
     
     
       11.  A method of quickly determining leakage of a succession of parts being manufactured in a production environment comprising the steps of: a. temporarily attaching a releasible connector successively to each part to sealingly define a test chamber at least partially bounded by the part;   b. applying gas pressure to the test chamber;   c. generating a pressure signal representative of the pressure in the test chamber;   d. remotely sensing the infrared radiation from a surface of the part and generating a radiation signal representative of the radiation;   e. comparing the two signals at at least two points in time to determine chamber leakage; and   f. disconnecting the releasible connector from the part. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. The method of claim 11 wherein the comparison between the two signals is made by registering the relationship between the two signals at a first point in time and reading a variation in the relationship at a subsequent time as a function of chamber leakage. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. An apparatus for quickly determining leaks in a succession of parts being manufactured in a production environment comprising:   a. releasible connector means for sealing connection to each part to define a test chamber at least partially bound by the part;   b. means for applying gas pressure to the test chamber;   c. means for generating a pressure signal representative of the pressure of the gas in the test chamber;   d. means for sensing the infrared radiation of a surface of the part;   e. means for generating a radiation signal representative of the radiation of the part; and   f. means for comparing the two signals at at least two points in time to   
     
     
        determine chamber leakage. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14.  The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the means for comparing the two signals includes means for registering the relationship between the two signals at a first point in time and for reading a variation in the relationship at a subsequent time as a function of chamber leakage. .Iaddend.