Sensor to Detect Air Escaping From Product 1

[RMG143]

Hi all,

I'm looking for some direction on a sensor which could be used to detect air leaking out of a plastic cylindrical shaped product. The product can be pressurized so that any small holes would be emitting some type of stream of air.

I've looked into vane and hot-wire anemometers and though they seem promising I haven't found any standalone analog type sensors which would be great when used in conjunction with a PLC.

Any thoughts?

 

[IRstuff]

What do you intend to do with the information, assuming such a sensor exists?

It's unlikely that the sensors mentioned can read flow rates that correspond to "leakage"

TTFN
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!
faq731-376 forum1529

 

[3DDave]

If you can pressurize it you can do a leak-down test and see if the pressure is falling.

 

[tygerdawg]

Other parameters to add to the selection/specification matrix that will help to clarify a possible solution:
[ul]
[li]production volume/quantity to be serviced by this test (which dictates cycle time required)[/li]
[li]accuracy/tolerance requirements[/li]
[li]response time needed[/li]
[li]test reliability limits (6-sigma levels, or something less...how many false readings are you willing to accept in your production stream?)[/li]

[/ul]

Your solution could range from a simple water tank dunk test in which the operator observes bubbles to a more sophisticated helium leak rate test.

TygerDawg
Blue Technik LLC
Virtuoso Robotics Engineering

http://www.bluetechnik.com

 

[ornerynorsk]

Ultrasonic is a possibility and lends itself to automation.

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.

 

[MikeHalloran]

If you pressurize the product with refrigerant gas, or a fuel gas like propane, you can use an electronic leak detector.

Is the product normally pressurized, or are you just doing a leak check for envelope integrity?




Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[sreid]

Some thoughts from Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracer-gas_leak_testing_method

 

[Stella John]

May this instrument can be helpful to you. Link

 

[jraef]

Dunk it in soapy water and look for bubbles...


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