Leak detector of liquid, a process for measuring the rate of change of the volume of a liquid, and a liquid leak detector to detect the presence of a liquid contaminant

摘要

A precision liquid leak detector 10 free of mechanical moving parts is disclosed herein. The liquid leak detector 10 of the present invention is disposed to measure the rate of change of the volume of a liquid within a container 14. The leak detector 10 includes a light guide 16, implemented as an optical fiber, which is disposed within the container 14 and at least partially immersed in the liquid. The optical fiber 16 includes a fiber core circumscribed by a fiber cladding selected such that evanescent wave loss occurs as a result of immersion of the cladding within the liquid. The optical fiber 16 is positioned in optical alignment with a laser source 26, which injects optical energy therein. The leak detector 10 of the present invention further includes an arrangement 24 for measuring the decrease in the intensity of the injected optical energy occurring over a length of the fiber 16 immersed in the liquid. The measuring arrangement 24 then generates an intensity loss signal indicative of this intensity decrease. The inventive leak detector 10 also includes a network 36 and 38 for measuring the rate of change of the intensity loss signal and for calculating the rate of change of the liquid volume on the basis of the change in the intesity loss signal.