A TECHNIQUE TO IMPROVE LOW LEAK RATE MEASUREMENT WITH A CONSTANT-VOLUME FLOWMETER

F. Boineau, M. D. Plimmer
Abstract:
Calibrating leak rates using a constant-volume flowmeter consists in measuring the pressure rise rate produced by the leak throughput in a measurement volume. When the leak rates to be determined are low, the latter should be as small as possible, and since it is composed of dead volumes of the tubing, the valves, the gauge, etc., one needs to determine this dead volume accurately. This paper describes an original and simple technique which provides a relative uncertainty in the calibration of the dead volume of a constant-volume flowmeter (~ 60 cm³) of approximately 0.1 % (k = 1). In turn, the bottom end of the calibration range of the flowmeter has been brought down to about 5 × 10-8 Pa∙m³∙s-1.
Keywords:
vacuum; low leak rate calibration; constant-volume flowmeter
Download:
IMEKO-TC16-2022-120.pdf
DOI:
10.21014/tc16-2022.120
Event details
IMEKO TC:
TC16
Event name:
TC16 Conference 2022
Title:

6th Conference on Pressure and Vacuum Measurement (together with the 24th TC3 Conference on the Measurement of Force, Mass and Torque, the 14th TC5 Conference on the Measurement of Hardness, and the 5th TC22 Conference on Vibration Measurement)

Place:
Cavtat-Dubrovnik, CROATIA
Time:
11 October 2022 - 13 October 2022