11th European Conference on Non-Destructive Testing (ECNDT 2014), October 6-10, 2014, Prague, Czech Republic

Design of portable leak detector used for manned spacecraft based on

More Info at Open Access Database www.ndt.net/?id=16362

ultrasonic
Yan Rongxin, Sun Wei, Li Weidan
Beijing Institute of Spacecraft Environment Engineering
Beijing, Mail box:5142-66 100094

Abstract: To solve the possibly leak in manned spacecraft, it is necessary to quickly

and expediently locate the leak. This paper is written about the research on the
ultrasonic producing, ultrasonic transmitting and ultrasonic detection through
mathematical analysis. The mathematical model of leak diameter, detecting distance
and detecting orientation is built, the experimentation of different leak rate, detecting
distance and detecting has been done to validate the mathematical analysis result. The
principle prototype of the detector has been designed and developed, the detecting
leak rate could be 10-1Pa.m3/s, the locating precision is better than 20mm, the quality
of detector is 1.2kg and the power dissipation of the detector is less than 2.2W.
Keywords: leak detection leak detector ultrasonic manned spacecraft

1 Introduction
To ensure the spacecraft function and safety of astronauts, the cabin should
have good leak tightness. Before emission, leak testing could check the tightness. But
if the spacecraft is on orbit and fly for long time, complex environment such as space
debris and meteoroid could make the cabin start distortion, hurt, perforation and even
leak.
The sealed cabin is installed with cabin window, electric linker and pipeline,
which contact the cabin by airproof way. As the contact material has been working for
decades, it could be aging, stress relief, which lead to the decline of airproof tightness,
and the rigor space environment accelerates the aging of airproof which could induce
the leak. In addition, the cabin joint door, joint point, and transition cabin need to
work many times, which need reliable airproof tightness to avoid the leak
malfunction.
After designing the protection institution of spacecraft and finishing the leak
detection on ground to avoid the leak, at the same time, we should study the leak
detection technology to check the leak quickly, and then repair the leak to insure the
spacecraft work well and the astronaut live safety.
Manned spacecraft need to test the sealing performance in orbit, which
includes: the total leakage rate detection by pressure change technology[1],, EVA
vacuum sensor or directional vacuum gauge technology[2],, cabin acoustic sensor array
technology[3],. But the total leakage rate detection technology can only determine the
overall rate of sealed cabin leak, the leak location can’t be determined, and can’t be
used alone to locate the leak. The other two method need very complex equipment,
especially directional vacuum gauge technology requires astronauts get out of the
cabin which will increase risk. Therefore, the development of a detector can be used
in cabin is very necessary, so we carry the leak detection by ultrasonic method
technology and equipment research.
A lot of countries began early develop and use ultrasonic leak detector. Many
institution developed ultrasonic leak detection equipment, and some detectors have
been applied to the International Space Station. A collaboration by NASA and a
company developed an ultrasonic leak detector which is shorten as ULD[4], the United
States Kennedy Space Center has developed a set of ultrasonic leak detection
equipment Ultraprobe9000[5], France LEAKSHOOTER latest produced a LKS1000
leak detector[6], Belgium SDT company produced a portable ultrasonic leak detector
SDT270[7], the United States Inficon has developed a whisper handheld ultrasound
leak detector[8], University of Iowa NDT Centre has done acoustic sensor array
[9]~[12]
technology research In China, Shanghai Jiaotong University[13]~[15], Beijing
University of Aeronautics and Aerospace[16], Tsinghua University [17]
, Xi'an Institute
of Technology[18] and other institution also utilize acoustic theory to do research, but
study little about the spacecraft leak detection technology in orbit. Beijing Institute of
Environmental Engineering based on the long and rich experience in spacecraft leak
detection, do research work on portable ultrasound leak detector for spacecraft in orbit
[19]~[23].
2 Theory analysis
2.1 The signal production from leak
When the cabin leak, the air path along the leak from cabin to the vacuum
under gas pressure difference. While passing through the tiny aperture, in the case
of turbulent, the flow velocity is very high and a number of vortex form turbulent.
The interaction of vortex makes the volume elements push each other by the equal
and opposite force, causing the production of quadrupole jet. In the early 1950s,
Lighthill built a mathematical model of jet noise by similarity theory, in the model,
left side of the equation has the same expression with classical acoustic wave equation,
which uses the Alembert operator as acoustic parameter, and all the items caused by
hydrodynamic fluctuations are moved to the right side as sound source item. As these
sound source items, people could acquire by experiment or DNS, LES and even
turbulence model. Lighthill expression can be shown as[24]:
2
  2 )     Tij
c02 t 2
( (1)

In the expression:
Tij  ui u j   ij   ij [( P  P0 )  c02 (    0 )]

is the Lighthill turbulent stress tensor, the first item is the Reynolds stress caused by
speed, the second item is fluid viscous stress caused by fluid viscousness, the third
item is influenced by thermal conductivity. Lighthill equation shows that the
quadrupole is the force by hydrodynamic stress, which indicates that when acoustic
wave influence little on fluid, we can solve the Lighthill equation by classical acoustic
theory and acquire acoustic solution.
Because the inhomogeneous term in the right side is a known quantity or
calculated quantity, so the solution can be acquired as:

 2 Tij ( y, t  x  y / c0 )
p( x, t ) 
4 
1
xi x j x y
3
dy (2)
R

The solution may also be referred to as the jet noise prediction formula,
which shows the sound pressure caused by the jet noise p(x,t) is the summation of
quadrupole sound source Tij(y,τ) which is transmitted τ and arrived at the same time t.
 According to Lighthill acoustic analysis, we can get the sound power PT

 
with the diameter d and the thickness l [24]:

 0 Vd l l   s  2
 
8

PT 
 0 
3
c05

c0 —acoustic propagation velocity in the cabin atmosphere

 0 —atmospheric density in cabin

 s —standard atmospheric density

V —gas jet velocity at the nozzle

As can be seen from (3), when the leak diameter is fixed, the inject power have
direct proportion to the power of 8 jet velocity. When the jet velocity and the length
of leak is fixed, the bigger the diameter is, the power of jet is bigger.
For a closed manned space cabin, its inside cabin pressure will change due to
leaks, so we can acquire the pressure equation by leak rate and cabin pressure pt

Pt  P0  Pout e  t   Pout

 C 
 V  (4)

C  1.34  103 
d4
l

V —cabin volume
d —leak diameter
l —leak length

P0 —The initial cabin pressure

Pout —EVA vacuum pressure

Usually manned cabin volume is 10~100m3, the probably leak diameter appear
between 0.1~1mm, the conductance is small. The formula (4) tell us: to the 0.1mm
leak, 10m3 cabin, the pressure decline 1 kPa because of air leak need 10.5 h. So in the
dimension of min time of leak testing, the pressure change little, the outlet pressure is
p out
in vacuum, so is very small, the flow velocity is[25]:
pt
 2 pt
 1

V  [1  ( out ) 
  1 0
p
]
pt
5


Cp
CV Cp
In the formula, , is cabin gas thermal capacity at constant

pressure ， CV is thermal capacity at constant volume in cabin，

 0 —Gas density cabin

Substituting (5) into (3), we have:

 2 pt  1

[1  ( out )  ] d 8  s
4


 
p
  
2

PT  
1 p
 0 c05l 7
0 t 6

0
0
pt pout
For the leak in large cabin, in the min dimension, l change little,
pt

so the inject power have direct proportion to the power of 8 leak diameter. So if the
sound power could be measured, the leak diameter could be ensured.
2.2 Sound propagation hole drain signal
The sound signal produced in leak should transmit to the sound sensor so that

it could be tested. Suppose the jet sound power PT as point source. In that way, the

point source could be assumed as a monopole source, shown in Figure 1, which is the
acoustic wave equation:
 2 (rp)  2 (rp)

c02 t 2 r 2
(7)

In the formula r —position of the receiving point

P —the sound pressure at the receiving point

the sound pressure at the receiving point

p(r,t)

origin

Fig.1 Pulsating sound field propagation due to point sources

Its sound field solution is
p(r , t )  p Ae i ( wtkr  ) (8)

pA 
A
In the formula, r is the sound pressure, when transmit to the receiving point

the sound strength is:

I r  
1
PT
2r 2

If the angle between the receiving surface and normal of leak is  , the
(9)

receiving sound strength is:

 2 p t  1

[1  ( out )  ] d 8  s
4


cos     1  0
p

2

 2 PT  cos   
pt (10)
 0 c 05 l 7
I rS 
1
2r 2r 2

d and thickness is l，in particular measure distance r and direction  , by the sound
Equation (10) shows that: if the manned cabin occurs a leak whose diameter is

pressure measurement, we can determine the leak size.

2.3 The center frequency of the ultrasonic signal
The leak acoustic spectrum is complex, the sensor cannot cover all wave band
in measurement. To measure acoustic wave effectively and avoid noise disturbance,
we should find the sound pressure frequency. According to the research, the ultrasonic
sound power spectrum is a function of Strouhal number fd/V, f is the ultrasonic
frequency, d is the leak diameter, V is the outlet velocity. A lot of experiments shows
that[26], the normalized Strouhal number S  fd  C , c/ c0 is the correct coefficient,
V C0

the ordinate is the power level 10 log( 1 dW V c )dB . The normalized power spectrum
W df d c0

is shown as fig.2, and the curve is experience curve.

10
) dB

0
1 dWV c0
W dfd c

-10
10 log(

-20

-30
0.01 0.1 1 10
fd c
V c0

Fig.2 the normalized power spectra of leak noise

The curve in Figure 2 can approximate the curve equation:
y
 ( x  1 )2
4 1

x ………………………………………………(11)
y
In the formula 1 dW V c
W df d c0

x 
5 fd C .
V C0

In order to improve the detection sensitivity, and the peak power at the center
frequency has maximum sensitivity, so take the formula (11) derivative as 0, we have:
y    (1  )0
 ( x  1 )3
8 1 1
2
x
x …………………………………(12)
When x  1 , y could get the maximum value, so the sound power get peak

 1,
value when 5 fd C the flow velocity in the leak is about 302m/s. And if we
V C0

ignore the temperature correction c/ c0 , the relevant frequency is center frequency,

which is shown in table.1.

Table 1 No fix each leak leak under ideal conditions ultrasound data sheet

Leak diameter
0.30 0.40 0.80 1.00 1.50 2.00
(mm)

Center frequency
191 143 71.8 57.5 38.3 28.7
kHz)

As shown in Table 1, the frequency corresponding max sound power is all

bigger than 20kHz，which means that all the signal is ultrasonic. The noise sound in
the cabin can be avoided by detector, which can only check out ultrasonic signal.

3 Experimental verification
Design an ultrasonic leak detection system as fig.3, try to verify the
relationship between jet sound power and leak location, detector and receiving
direction. Using the subsistent environment simulation system, we build a test system
of ultrasonic. As the leak is the sound source, the dimension based on the sound
source as origin is shown in fig.3, and the assistant coordinate system is shown in
fig.4. Set the ultrasonic sensor and amplifier circuit as receiver in the 3-dimension
equipment. The fig.5 is the ultrasonic leak detection test verification device
schematic.
z

The vacuum
simulation system
Acoustic x
source

Fig.3 Ultrasonic leak detection system tests indicate

Fig.4 Ultrasonic leak detecting three-dimensional equipment

vacuum
gauge
amplifier
ultrasonic circuit
leak sensor
+

flapper valve AD

vacuum
container
flapper
valve

vacuum
pump
3-dimension equipment

Fig.5 Ultrasonic leak detection test verification device schematic

In the test, open the vacuum pump and evacuate the container as vacuum state.
After ensure the flapper valve closed, change the appropriate leak and open the
flapper valve, simulate the leak on orbit to produce ultrasonic. Put the ultrasonic test
system on the 3-dimension bracket, accommodate appropriate coordinate, acquire
ultrasonic and record spectrum (done by the PC software), 30 data collected at each
location, calculate the average, then get the maximum value and take along further
analysis.
3.1 The distance test and result analysis
The formula (10) shows that, if the sound signal from the leak do not attenuate,
the sound pressure received by sensor is inverse proportion to the square of receiving
distance.
During the test, the detection receiver is placed on the x shaft, moving on the
axis at different distances and record the spectrum. Control the distance between
sensor and leak by changing the distance from 20 mm to 500 mm. Measure the sound
pressure L’ changing from the distance and different diameter of 0.8mm, 1.5mm and
2.0mm different leak. Specific operations: open the vacuum pump and pumped to
balance state, change the required leak and unscrew the flapper valve, regulate the
sensor to an appropriate location, measure 30 times at each location, take the
maximum value at center frequency and then take the average value as table 3 shows.
Table 3 Sound pressure test results change with distance

The distance between Sound pressure of different diameter leak P’/mv

sensor and leak d/mm 0.8mm 1.5mm 2.0mm
20 69.94 162.44 665.70
40 53.03 200.09 429.26
60 42.45 167.81 418.04
100 38.49 130.25 270.59
150 24.14 102.29 226.29
200 20.25 68.80 223.92

300 16.22 41.64 144.15

400 17.14 31.02 127.73

500 17.77 41.08 99.48

Under the same boundary conditions, the leak pressure is only the function of
distance, the sound pressure decreases with the distance increases. Paint the data of
table 3 in a two-dimensional chart, fit the data to a polynomial equation and get the
curve of 3 different leaks as fig.6 shows.
500
0.8m
400
m
300
200 y = -8E-06x3 + 0.0086x2 - 3.1958x + 549.6
100
y = -2E-06x3 + 0.0028x
3
2 - 1.366x + 245.04
2
y = -1E-06x + 0.0011x - 0.4195x + 66.86
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Fig.6 Acoustic pressure curve with distance of different leaks

 According to the experimental and the third-order polynomial fit to the data,
we can obtain consistent curve, the sound pressure change from distance fit to the
formula:
F ( x)  y  Ax3  Bx 2  Cx  D …………………………(13)

From the data in table, the fitted curve and the coefficients of the polynomial
equation, we can find that the model of sound pressure change with distance is accord
with the 3-order Taylor polynomial of . According to the sound strength formula (10)
and reduction as the relationship between sound pressure and distance:
P (r )  I rS  2  A1  f (r )  A' (1  (r  1)) 1  f ( x) ………(14)
1 1
r
Evolve 3-order Taylor polynomial equation of formula (14), we can get:

f ( x)  A'  a x 3 + bx 2 - cx + d
1
1 x
…(15)

In the formula (15): A', a, b, c, d are positive;

Test result formula (13) is match well with the theoretical analysis (15)
3.2 Receiving angle test and results analysis
The formula (10) shows that, if the angle between acoustic source of leak and the
receiving plane exists, the receiving sound pressure has cosine result.

source x

90°
60°
30° P 2(50,-200,0)
0°

Fig.7 A schematic view of the sound pressure test on leak detection direction
Figure 7 shows a test device we established to locate the ultrasonic signal
receiver. R is the radius, c is the rotation angle, L is the distance between detector
central axis to the leak central axis, L1 is the distance between detector and leak plane,
S is the area of receiver, Sc is the efficiency receiving area, a is the angle between
receiver normal to the connect line of leak and receiver center. So we can acquire the
formula (16):
 (16)

We tested sound pressure of sensor at the angle of 0 º, 30 º, 60 º, 90 º and the

results are shown in Table 4
Table 4 Sound pressure test results at point P2 change by angle

Sound source angle between Sound pressure of different diameters leak case L’/mv
the surface and the receiving
0.8mm 1.0mm 1.5mm 2.0mm
surface α
0° 13.18 10.75 19.171 24.94

30° 11.83 28.405 28.64 126.27

60° 34.65 46.21 113.53 159.79

90° 18.78 21.57 11.67 19.52

The sound pressure change by angle of different leaks can be drawn in the Fig.8,
in which the y coordinate is sound pressure and the x coordinate is the angle between
sound source and receiver surface.
180
160
140
120 0.8mm
100
1.0mm
80
1.5mm
60
40 2.0mm
20
0
0 1 2 3 4 5

Fig8 Sound pressure test results at receiving point P with angle changes
As shown in the test data, at the angle of 30°, the receiving signal increases
largely, and at the angle of 60° the sound pressure get the peak value, but at the angle
of 90º, the signal decreases rapidly.
We can conclude that: the corresponding value of α is 88.6 º, 50 º, 4 º, 47 º
when the test angle is 0º, 30º, 60º, 90º, and the effective test area is correlation with
cosine α, the corresponding value is 0.024 0.643 0.99 0.681, the biggest signal in
the test are acquired at the angle of 60º, which is the same with theoretical value.
4 The design of ultrasonic leak detector
Based on the theoretical analysis and test research, according to the inside test of
cabin, choose the high signal to noise spectrum as the leak character signal, and
amplified by a four-class amplifier circuit, extract the faint ultrasonic signal from the
environment noise background, send the analog signal to DSP circuit with embedded
control precision of 3M 16bit AD, FFT transformation, character spectrum
accumulation, character signal contrast and leak estimation. The theoretical detector
can show the result in LCD screen, and the sound pressure connects with distance
measurement by laser. The detector is portable to be used in convenience, which is
shown in figure 9, and the technical indicator of the detector is shown in Table5.

Fig. 9 Portable ultrasonic leak detector for spacecraft cabin

Table 5 Technical indicators
No. Technical indicators
1 1） air→vacuum， leak，Leak rate equivalent to 0.8Pa•m3/s; atmospheric side
measurement,
2） 0.2MPa→air ， leak ， Leak rate equivalent to 0.8Pa•m3/s; vacuum side
measurement,
3） 0.2MPa→air，better than leak,
2 air→vacuum，Sensing range up to 100mm × 100mm with a 0.3mm leak, and the
position accuracy is better than 20mm
3 Measured weight 1.2kg
4 Working power consumption: 2.2W

5 Conclusion
This article has provided for the development of manned spacecraft portable
leak detector with theoretical support, analyzed the principle of ultrasonic from leak,
verified the rationality of theory analysis, developed a portable ultrasonic leak
detector with high sensitivity used in cabin, which provides technology support for
spacecraft leak detection in orbit.
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