Inficon Gmbh

Leybold Vakuum Gmbh

Rudi Widt

Rudolf Flosbach

Thomas Abelen

Sandra Seitz

Thomas B&ouml;hm

Markus Nothhelfer

Test leak device including a gas-filled container and a capillary extending through a container wall. The gas including at least 10% of atmospheric air.

Pico test leak

A stack () of fuel cells () is to be tested for tightness of the fuel cell membranes. For this purpose, a tracer gas is introduced into the fuel feed channel () of the stack (). The fuel discharge channel () is either open or it is closed. A carrier gas is fed to the feed air channel. () and led through the exhaust air channel () to a gas sensor () where a determination is made whether the carrier gas contains amounts of tracer gas. A defective fuel cell () can be located by introducing a lance comprising a sniffing probe into the corresponding channel () and determining the position of the probe.

Method for checking the seal of a stack of fuel cells

The invention relates to a chamber for the detection of leaks on foils (). Said chamber comprises two frames () which are connected together in an articulated manner, foils () which are mounted on said frames, a test chamber () composed of the foils, a seal () arranged between the frames and at least one bore hole (), preferably several bore holes, in at least one of the two frames (), which can be connected to the inlet of a vacuum pump (). In order to improve the chamber's closing features, said chamber comprises an edge zone () wherein a vacuum can be created independently of the test chamber () and into which said bore holes () open out.

Foil leak detection chamber

The invention relates to a method for operating a film leak indicator () comprising two films (), which are each tensioned inside a frame () and which delimit a testing space () when a test piece () is introduced. In addition, said film leak indicator is equipped with two vacuum pumps (). According to the invention, the testing space () is firstly evacuated and the film leak indicator is switched over to a leak search mode after the evacuation is completed. In order to prevent the search for leaks from being impaired by fluctuating helium concentrations in the ambient air, the invention provides that, before starting the leak search process, the helium concentration of the ambient air is measured and this measurement is taken into account during subsequent leakage measurements.

Method for operating a film leak indicator and a corresponding film leak indicator for carrying out said method

The invention relates to a method for the integral leak detection on test samples with relatively thin walls, in which the test sample ( ) comprising the test gas is tested for leaks in a test chamber; in order to test whether or not test samples are properly filled with test gas, it is proposed that for checking the test gas concentration in the test samples ( ), the test gas concentration in at least one of the test samples ( ) is measured thereby that its wall ( ) is provided with a leak ( ), and that with this test sample ( ) a leak detection process is carried out.

Method for integrally detecting leaks in test pieces with relatively thin walls

A test leak unit ( ) includes a supply of test gas, preferably helium, and an element ( ) for determining leakage rates. The aim of the invention is to create a simple, robust and easily refilled test leak unit, especially for detecting packaging leaks. To this end, the test gas supply is stored under substantially atmospheric pressure in a resealable reservoir ( ) including a closing part ( ), such that when the reservoir ( ) is closed, a test gas-impermeable seal is developed between the closing part ( ) and the reservoir ( ), and the leakage rate-determining element ( ) forms part of the closing part ( ).

Test leak unit

A method for operating a film leak detector ( ) which includes two films ( ) each stretched in a frame ( ), which, with a test sample ( ) emplaced, delimit a test chamber ( ). The detector is equipped with two vacuum pumps ( ), in which first the test chamber ( ) is evacuated and, after the evacuation operation, a leak detection operation takes place. In order to avoid test gas pollution and impurities during the first phase of the evacuation of the test chamber ( ), only one ( ) of the two vacuum pumps is operated and during the leak detection operation only the second vacuum pump ( ) is operated.

Method for operating a film leak detector and film leak detector suitable for carrying out this method

Method for operating, a helium leak indicator ( ) consisting of a helium detector ( ) with evacuation devices comprising at least a high-vacuum pump ( ), a backing pump ( ) and a valve ( ) whose level of flow conductance can be adjusted and serves to modulate the through-flow of test gas to be analyzed; in order to influence the sensitivity in a simple manner, the method provides that the modulation properties be changeable in such a manner that the effective pumping capacity at the inlet of the leak indicator is changed by the adjustment of the modulation properties.

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Kö'ln, Germany

Rudi Widt