METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LEAK TESTING CONTAINERS AND PIPE LINES

摘要

1387877 Testing tanks, pipes and so on for leaks N G LINDEBERG 27 April 1972 [28 April 1971 24 May 1971] 19661/72 Heading G1S A tank 1 to be leak tested is connected to a vacuum pump 6 through a valve 3 and a non- return valve 4 and is in parallel with a flowmeter 12 having a float 13 normally preventing a photocell 15 and alarm 16 being energized by a light source 14. The pump 6 is also connected to a flow indicator 9 and a pressure control valve 10. A pressure meter 19 for indicating the pressure in the main conduit 2 behind the valve 4 is also provided. In operation, the valve 3 is closed and the pump 6 started until the required pressure is obtained in the conduit 2 by using the regulating control valve 10 and the flow indicator 9 to achieve a pressure balance of the required value. When this is obtained the valve 3 is opened and the tank subjected to this below atmospheric pressure, the flow from the tank passing through both conduits 2 and 11. If the tank is leak free then the flow through the conduit 11 will not be sufficient to lift the float 13 and give an alarm indication. In Figs. 2 and 3 both vacuum tests as before and above atmospheric pressure tests also may be made, the pump 6 acting both as a vacuum and a pressure pump and being connected to the conduit 2 through four way valves 20, 21 to enable a reversion of flow direction in the tank to be achieved whilst keeping constant flow direction in the pipe 11, the point a of the valve 21 being open to the atmosphere.