Equipment and Accessories

(M. Anees Akhtar)

Vacuum Boxes

Vacuum Boxes are used for Bubble Leak testing in the field Vacuum boxes are available for rounded surfaces, corner seams and vertical seams. The box should be able to withstand an external pressure of 100 kPa. Flexible gaskets are provided to seal the enclosure to the test surface when pressure is applied to the vacuum box. The vacuum box should be of convenient size such as 15 cm by 75 cm (6 inches wide by 30 inches long). Each box contains a window in its top opposite the open bottom. Suitable connections, valves, lighting and gauges are the accessories of the vacuum boxes.

Vacuum Boxes

Vacuum Boxes

Desirable features of Vacuum Boxes

Desirable features for a vacuum box are.

A vacuum box for bubble leak testing should be checked for workability before performing leak testing to determine that the condition of the box components is such that it is capable of attaining a higher pressure differential than is required for the test.

Ability to readily admit natural or artificial light Close proximity of viewing window to the surface of the weldment being inspected. Capability for easy initial seating when starting evacuation, and good sealing properties to hold the vacuum. Equipped with a highly portable, readily available evacuation device with sufficiently high flow to be able to overcome a certain amount of seal leakage and rapidly evacuate the box to the required pressure differential. Easily read dial gauge Quick acting valve for either shutting off the evacuation device or controlling the level of pressure differential.

Application of Foaming Solutions

following

are the methods listed in order of decreasing preference

Spray application using a pump-type garden spray can with a fine orifice. Spray application using a plastic squeeze bottle or an oil squirt can Brush application using a short handle painters brush, 1 to 3 cm in width.

Gaskets
The

gasket system used with a vacuum box is critical to the ease with which the box can be handled and sealed to the test surface so as to be able to hold a vacuum. The gasket must be shaped so that the initial area of the gasket contact with the test surface is small to make seating of the vacuum box easier. Neoprene gaskets of 20 to 40 durometer provide good flexibility.

Dial Gauges for Vacuum Box

A

pressure or vacuum dial gauge must be readily visible to the operator controlling the pressure within the vacuum box during leak testing. Pressure indicating gauges used in testing should preferably have dial graduations covering a range of about double the intended maximum pressure. In no case should the range be less than one and one half not more than four times that pressure. All gauges used shall be calibrated against a standard dead weight tester a calibrated master gauge, or a mercury column, and recalibrated at least once each 12 months.

Pirani Guages

Pirani Guages

Pirani gauges employ a wheatstone bridge circuit, which serve to heat a filament and to balance its resistance against a standard resistor sealed off in high vacuum. A change of pressure causes a change of filament temperature and, consequently, of the filament resistance, thus unbalancing the bridge. The pressure can then be measured in terms of the unbalanced voltage. Alternatively, the power required to maintain the filament temperature at a constant level is a measure of pressure. The temperature in this case is kept constant by means of a feedback circuit. produce fairly accurate absolute pressure readings from atmosphere to 0.1 or 0.01 Pa (1.0 or 0.1 mtorr).

Ionization Gauges

Measure pressure by using the principle of gas ionization. The positive ions produced by ionization are collected which give an indication of pressure. More the gas, more will be the positive ions produced and collected and more will be the pressure. Various types of ionization gauges are available which are distinguished on the basis of method of ionization. common types are:

Hot cathode ionization gauge. Cold cathode ionization gauge. Radioactive ionization gauges.

Hot Cathode Ionization Guage

Ions

are produced by collision of gas molecules by hot filament. These ions are accelerated by an electric field. Gas ions are attracted to negatively charged ion collector where they pick up electrons and become neutral molecule. This neutralizing electron current is called ion current. The magnitude of the ion current is an indication of pressure. A conventional hot cathode ionization gauge measures pressures in the range of 10-3 to 10-10 mbar.

Hot Cathode Ionization Gauge(Bayard Alpert Ionization gauge)

Cold Cathode Ionization Gauge (Penning Gauge) Measuring Range 10-2 10-7 mbar

The ions are produced by cold cathode discharge. The discharge takes place in the presence of magnetic field which lengthens the path of electrons between cathode and anode. The discharge tube is a transparent tube in which colour and form of the cold cathode discharge gives an indication of pressure and nature of gas. The Phillips ionization gauge is cold cathode ionization gauge in which the magnetic field is directly parallel to the axis of annular electrode located between two plate electrodes perpendicular to the axis. Various modifications of penning gauges are named after the inventors. The penning gauge is not a precision instrument but gives a rough indication of pressure.

cold Cathode Ionization Gauge (Penning Gauge)

Radioactive Ionization Gauge

The

ions are produced by radiations (usually alpha particles) emitted from a radioactive source.

Evacuation system for Vacuum Box Leak Testing

A

small box mounted air ejector connected to a compressed air supply. A small portable vacuum pump. The vacuum box, when placed over the examination area, should be evacuated at least 35 kPa pressure differential with respect to atmospheric pressure. The 35 kPa pressure differential can be verified by the dial gauge.

Lighting

Good lighting is necessary for the safety and reliability of the test results. Two general sources of lighting:

Artificial Lighting
For continuous shift operation, artificial light is essential. For other types of operation, it must be relied upon from 20 to 50% of the total working hours, excluding overtime work or night work.

General Lighting
General lighting is the base or minimum amount of light required. The uniform distribution of light to produce equivalent seeing conditions throughout an interior. Localized general lighting sources are arranged 3 meter or more above the work to provide sufficient light for general safety and for ordinary visual needs.

Instruments for Pressure Measurement

Dead

Weight Tester

The deadweight tester is a calibration standard for measuring pressures. Pressure or force per unit area is provided by known weights acting on the known area of the cylinder. Fluid pressure to be measured is applied against the bottom of the piston, developing enough force to lift the weights. Thus, the two factors of primary importance are the weights used and the effective area of the piston cylinder combination.

Instruments for Pressure Measurement

Manometers

Manometers are used to measure the fluid pressure. The accuracy with which the fluid pressure can be measured depends on.
Several

factors that effect the weight of the fluid column The accuracy with which the column height can be measured.

Difference in heights of mercury column in the two legs of U tube manometer is used measure the fluid pressure.

Instruments for Pressure Measurement

Manometers

The difference in heights of the liquid in the two legs of U-tube mercury manometer is exactly the same whether:
The

diameter of the glass tube is the same in both legs. The legs have different diameters, provided the diameters of the smaller tube does not approach capillary where surface tension effects come into play.

Difference in u tube liquid column heights depends on:

External

pressure applied to the two sides of the u-tube Density of liquid within the u-tube.

U Tube Manometer

Absolute Pressure Dial Guages

Aneroid

Capsules

Upto 350 kPa

Bourdon

Tube Pressure Gauge

Above 350 kPa

Absolute Pressure Dial Guages

Types of pressure gauges that provide visible indications during leak testing include;

Absolute pressure dial gauges. Aneroid barometers. Ordinary dial gauges indicating pressure relative to ambient atmospheric pressure as well as water. Manometer , U Tube mercury manometers and mercury column barometer.

Absolute pressure dial gauges cost five or more time than ordinary dial gauges. The ordinary dial pressure gauge has typical accuracies in the range of 0.25 to 0.33% of full scale indication when recently calibrated.

Barometers

Can be used to measure absolute pressure. The simplest barometer consists of a long tube which is sealed at one end. The tube is filled with mercury, then inverted and placed in a pan filled with mercury. The mercury in the tube settles down, leaving a vacuum above it. The height of mercury column in the tube above the level of the mercury in the pan indicates the atmospheric pressure in inches of mercury. The height of mercury column indicates atmospheric pressure.

Barometers

Normal atmospheric pressure supports a mercury column about 30 inches high. Local weather conditions can cause variations in atmospheric pressure and these changes are observable as changes in the height of mercury column. As the outside pressure rises above normal, the height of mercury column increases. As the outside pressure falls, the mercury column drops to a low level. The height of mercury column indicates atmospheric pressure.. These pressure measurements are absolute, because the pressure inside the sealed end of the tube is always zero. There is only vacuum above the mercury column, so there is no contribution due to air pressure.

Instruments for Temperature Measurement

An electrical resistance temperature detector (RTD)

Thermocouple

Used to measure internal air temperature in pressurized systems Works on the principle of variation of electrical resistance with variation in temperature. It is a bimetallic junction which produces an output electromotive force (emf) that varies with its temperature. The millivolt readout of the thermocouple junction is measured by means of a potentiometer and used to determine a temperature reading from tables for that type of thermocouple The thermocouple is less desirable than resistance temperature measuring devices from a stability and accuracy standpoint.

Instruments for Temperature Measurement

Dew

point sensor

The dew point is the temperature below which the water vapor in a volume of humid air at a constant barometric pressure will condense into liquid water. Vapor pressure due to moisture adds to the total pressure measured by the pressure measurement instruments. It works on the principle of balancing the moisture content in the element with the moisture content of the surrounding atmosphere. Used to test volume subject to pressure change leakage rate measurement tests.

Instruments for Temperature Measurement (surface thermometer)

Surface thermometers may be used for small volume systems during leak testing, where it would be impractical to attempt to measure the internal air temperature. Procedures and test reports for pressure hold tests should specify the number and location of the surface thermometers used during each test.

Vacuum Pumps
Gas Transfer Pump
Rotary vane pump Rotary pump Mechanical boosters Turbomolecualr pump Diffusion pump

Capture pumps
Sorption pump Sublimation pump cryopump

Low and Medium Vacuum Pumps

The rotary van, rotary piston and mechanical booster are all positive displacement types and are used to create low and medium level vacuum. They (positive displacement pumps) reduce the pressure in a system by repeatedly taking samples of gas into the pump. The pump mechanism isolates the gas from the inlet, compresses it and then expels through an outlet.

(for creation of low to medium vacuum)

Most generally adopted in the vacuum industry today for the production of pressure down to 10-2 to 10-3 mbar. The mechanism, which is lubricated by oil, consists of a housing with a cylindrical bore into which is fitted a rotor. The rotor is offset in a relation to the stator bore and fits closely against the stator in one position. The stator bore in this area has a curvature equal to that of the rotor accurately machined across the whole width of the stator bore.

Rotary Vane Pump

The rotor contains two blades which slide in diametrically opposed slots. Thus, as the rotor turns, the tips of the blades are in contact with the stator wall at all times.

(for creation of low to medium vacuum)

The cycle is divided into induction, isolation, compression and exhaust phases. During operation gas molecules entering the inlet of the pump pass into the volume created by the eccentric mounting of the rotor in the stator.
The crescent shaped gas volume is then compressed, forcing the exhaust valve open and permitting gas discharge.
In another version of this pump, improved performance is achieved by using two stages in series to produce are two stage pump. The first or high vacuum stage, is backed by the second or low vacuum stage via an internal transfer duct. With this arrangement the pressure at the exhaust port of the high vacuum stage is considerably less than atmospheric pressure when the inlet pressure is low.

Rotary Vane Pump

 Rotary

Vane Pump

High and Ultra High Vacuum Pumps

Diffusion Pump Turbomolecular Pump

Diffusion Pump
Here gas transport is achieved by a series of high velocity vapour jets, emerging from an assembly within the pump body. In normal operation a portion of any gas arriving at the inlet jet is entrained, compressed and transferred to the next stage.

Diffusion Pump

Turbomolecular Pump
Turbo molecular pump consists of a rotor with inclined blades moving at high speed between corresponding stationary blades in a stator. Gas molecules entering the inlet port acquire a velocity and preferred direction superimposed on their velocity by repeated collisions with the fast moving rotor. Rotational speeds for small pumps are typically 60,000 revolutions per minute.
All high vacuum pumps operate in the molecular flow region. The pump must be rough pumped before they can be started. High Vacuum pumping system for general purpose or fast cycling duties would most likely employ diffusion or Turbomolecular pumps. For dirty conditions the diffusion pump would be the first choice.

Turbomolecular Pump

Vacuum Valves

Valves are required to isolate either part or all of the pumping group from the system which is being evacuated or are necessary to control the pumping sequence. Vacuum valves must be free from leakage. Offer minimum flow resistance and Contain materials that do not outgas.

Vacuum Valves
Diaphragm

Valves

Gate

Valve

Open

Closed

Vacuum Connectors
Demountable joints for vacuum in the range from atmospheric pressure down to 10-7 mbar normally utilize O ring for the sealing method. O Rings The O ring are made of an elastomer material which is trapped and compressed between two surfaces to form the seal. Demountable joints for vacuum in the range from atmospheric pressure down to 10-7 mbar normally utilize O ring for the sealing method.

Vacuum Connectors
Grooved flanges are used to issue the leak tight system and less compression such grooves should meet the following requirements. The cross-section of the groove should be of the order of 10 percent greater than the cross section of the O ring, to allow for a metal to metal flange contact without overcompressing the O ring. To provide positive retention of the gasket, when the seal is not made. To provide the minimum volume of trapped gas. To allow reuse of the O ring after the seal is broken. In this respect, overcompression or grooves with sharp corner or acute angles are of bad design as this leads to permanent deformation or cutting of the O ring. To permit easy flange machining end to wide machine tolerance. O rings generally provide better sealing than flat gaskets.

Vacuum Connector
Hinged

Clamps

These clamps are used for quick release applications

Mass Spectrometer

Common functions of commercially available mass spectrometer leak detector instruments are: Pumping tracer gas samples from leaks in test objects into the vacuum of the instrument. The ionization of gas sample molecules by electron impact. The sorting and identification of positive ions according to their massto-charge ratios.

Mass Spectrometer Tube

Sniffer
It is a simple tracer gas collection device

It is connected to leak detector with a pumping device.

The pump provides the suction necessary to draw tracer gas samples to the sniffer inlet through the connecting hose and into the sensing element of the leak detector.

Compound mastics for sealing to vacuum

Apiezon Type (hydrocarbon) Silicone type Fomblin

Good lubricant

Yes

No

Yes

Vapour (mbar)

pressure

Low

Approx. 10-6

Low

Temperature suitability

125C max.

-40 to 200C

-02 to 200C

Cost

Moderate

Low

High

Chemical stability

Moderate

Good

Very good

Tuning and calibration

Tuning a helium leak detector is a procedure of adjusting the electronic controls of the unit to achieve maximum signal strength, highest reading on the leak rate meter while admitting a known flow of helium to the leak detector.
Calibration of the instrument merely correlates the output signal with a known flow of helium standard calibration leak. Calibration is usually accomplished by adjusting the gain, or amplifier feed back, until the leak rate meter reading agrees with the value stamped on the standard leak. Tuning and calibration are separate, but related, functions in setting up a helium leak detector for valid testing. Tuning enables the operator to utilize maximum machine sensitivity, while calibrating it adjusts the peak reading to agree with a known value.

Calibrated Leak Standards

Reservoir Calibrated Leaks
The calibrated leaks with their own gas supplies are the only artificial leaks that are of absolute accuracy. These leaks are used to deliver gas into the leak detector at an absolute and known rate and are, therefore, very good for determining the absolute sensitivity of the leak detector.

Non Reservoir calibrated Leaks

Non-reservoir leaks to which tracer gas is added during testing. The non-reservoir type of leak provides only a hole or a series of holes and passages which permit gas to pass through at a known rate. The users of this type of calibrated leak must provide gas at a known concentration and pressure.

Calibrated Leak Standards

The sensitivity of the leak detector is checked frequently by calibrated leaks of reservoir types with internal gas supply.

For system sensitivity checks, a calibrated leak without a reservoir is preferable because it closely imitates the behaviour of an actual leak in the object or system under test.

Classification of Calibrated Leaks

LEAKS

Reservoir

Non Reservoir

Permeation

Capillary

Porous Plug

Capillary

Porous Plug

Fixed Value

Variable Value

Fixed Value

Variable Value

Properties of calibrated Leaks

An ideal calibrated leak should have the following properties:

The leakage rate should be constant, and should remain unaffected by ambient conditions. The calibration should be accurate. The physical size should be convenient. The calibrated leak should not be too delicate or fragile.

The calibrated leak should have its own gas supply.