KR102857750B1 - Leak inspection device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a leak test device capable of simultaneously testing for leaks in a plurality of test objects, comprising: an air supply module; a first on-off valve for controlling the flow of air supplied from the air supply module; a first regulator for regulating the air supplied when the first on-off valve is opened to a first set pressure; a manifold for distributing the air transported from the first regulator; a plurality of test lines, one end of which is connected to a discharge side of the manifold and the other end of which is equipped with a test object; a second regulator for regulating the air transported along the test lines to a second set pressure; a second on-off valve for controlling the flow of air transported along the plurality of test lines; and a pressure gauge installed on the discharge side of the second on-off valve for measuring the pressure of the test lines.

Description

Leak inspection device and method

The present invention relates to a leak detection device and method, and more particularly, to a leak detection device and method for detecting leaks in components for transporting and controlling fluids.

Typically, manufacturing plants are equipped with various industrial automation equipment to produce and assemble parts, as well as to transport assembled parts. Since this equipment operates pneumatically and/or hydraulically, facilities capable of supplying air and/or oil are essential for factories equipped with such equipment.

Equipment for supplying air and/or oil includes piping for fluid transport, manifolds for fluid distribution, and valves for fluid flow control. These components must be sealed to prevent fluid leakage and require periodic inspection to prevent leakage.

A leak detection device is a device that tests for leaks in various parts of fluid supply equipment such as pipes, manifolds, and valves. It connects the test object to a line through which air at a certain pressure is transferred to determine whether air is leaking.

In the past, a submersion inspection method was used in which the inspection target connected to the air transport line was immersed in water and the presence or absence of bubbles was visually determined.

However, the immersion inspection method has the problem of low accuracy because it observes leaking air bubbles with the naked eye, and the number of inspection targets that can be inspected at one time is limited.

In addition, there are problems such as the need to control the air pressure or conduct inspection at different pressures depending on the type of inspection target, but it is difficult to control the air supply pressure, making it impossible to apply to various equipment.

The present invention is intended to solve the problems of the above-mentioned prior art, and its purpose is to provide a leak inspection device and method capable of simultaneously inspecting a plurality of inspection objects for leaks.

In addition, the present invention aims to provide a leak inspection device and method capable of simultaneously inspecting a plurality of inspection objects at different pressures.

In addition, the present invention aims to provide a leak inspection device and method that can selectively perform rapid inspection and precise inspection as needed.

In order to achieve the above object, the leak inspection device according to the present invention comprises: an air supply module; a first opening/closing valve for controlling the flow of air supplied from the air supply module; a first regulator for adjusting the air supplied when the first opening/closing valve is opened to a first set pressure; a manifold for distributing the air transported from the first regulator; a plurality of test lines having one end connected to the discharge side of the manifold and the other end having a test object mounted thereon; a second regulator for adjusting the air transported along the test lines to a second set pressure; a second opening/closing valve for controlling the flow of air transported along the plurality of test lines; and a pressure gauge installed on the discharge side of the second opening/closing valve for measuring the pressure of the test lines.

In addition, the present invention may be configured to include a bypass line arranged in parallel with the test line, a third opening/closing valve for controlling the flow of air transported along the bypass line, and a differential pressure gauge for measuring the pressure difference between the supply side and the discharge side of the bypass line.

The present invention, configured as described above, can simultaneously test for leaks in multiple test objects through multiple test lines connected to a manifold. In particular, by differently adjusting the second set pressure using a second regulator installed on each test line, multiple test objects with different test reference pressures can be simultaneously tested for leaks.

In addition, the present invention can more precisely inspect whether there is a leak in the inspection target through a bypass line arranged in parallel with the test line, a third opening/closing valve installed in the bypass line, and a differential pressure gauge.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a leak detection device according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a part of Figure 1.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a leak detection method using a leak detection device according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a leak detection device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a leak detection method using a leak detection device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The above-described objects, features, and advantages will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the technical idea of the present invention. In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of known technologies related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar components.

Although terms like "first" and "second" are used to describe various components, these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one component from another, and unless otherwise specified, a "first" component may also be a "second" component.

Throughout the specification, unless otherwise specifically stated, each element may be singular or plural.

Hereinafter, the phrase "any configuration is placed on the "upper (or lower)" part of a component or "upper (or lower)" part of a component may mean that any configuration is placed in contact with the upper surface (or lower surface) of the component, and that another configuration may be interposed between the component and any configuration placed on (or below) the component.

Additionally, when it is described that a component is "connected," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the components may be directly connected or connected to one another, but that other components may also be "interposed" between the components, or that each component may be "connected," "coupled," or "connected" through another component.

As used herein, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "consisting of" or "comprising" should not necessarily be construed to include all of the components or steps described in the specification, and should be construed to mean that some of the components or steps may not be included, or that additional components or steps may be included.

Throughout the specification, when we refer to "A and/or B", this means A, B, or A and B, unless otherwise stated, and when we refer to "C to D", this means C or more and D or less, unless otherwise stated.

A leak detection device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a device that detects whether there is a leak in various parts of a fluid supply facility, such as a pipe, a manifold, a valve, or other inspection target.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a leak detection device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a leak inspection device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention is configured to include an air supply module (110), a plurality of opening/closing valves (120, 130), a plurality of regulators (140, 150), a manifold (160), a pressure gauge (170), and a plurality of transport lines (180, 190) through which air is transported.

The air supply module (110) is a device for supplying air, which is a gas for testing an inspection object (T), and may include a compressor (not shown) for compressing air and a high-pressure tank (not shown) for storing the compressed air.

The compressed air from the compressor (not shown) is transferred to a high-pressure tank (not shown) and stored. At this time, it is preferable that the high-pressure tank (not shown) be composed of two or more tanks connected in series so that the stored air can maintain a constant pressure and temperature.

Meanwhile, compressed air from the air supply module (110) is transported to the inspection object (T) along the transport line (180, 190).

The transfer line (180, 190) of the present embodiment is composed of a supply line (180) connecting the air supply module (110) and the manifold (160), and a test line (190) connecting the manifold (160) and the inspection object (T). At this time, the test line (190) is configured in a plurality of parallel connections to the manifold (160) so that a plurality of inspection objects (T) can be inspected simultaneously, and a mounting port (192) for mounting the inspection object (T) is provided at the end of the test line (190).

The on-off valve (120, 130) is a valve that controls the flow of air transported along the transport line (180, 190). That is, the on-off valve (120, 130) allows or blocks the flow of air transported along the transport line (180, 190) or regulates the amount of air transported along the transport line (180, 190).

The opening/closing valves (120, 130) of this embodiment are composed of a first opening/closing valve (120) that controls the flow of air transported along the supply line (180) and a second opening/closing valve (130) that controls the flow of air transported along the test line (190). At this time, the second opening/closing valves (130) are installed in each of the plurality of test lines (190).

The regulator (140, 150) is a device that controls the pressure of air transported along the transport line (180, 190). The regulator (140, 150) is composed of a first regulator (140) that controls the pressure of air transported along the supply line (180) and a second regulator (150) that controls the pressure of air transported along the test line (190).

It is preferable that the first regulator (140) of the present embodiment be a regulator including a filter function and an oil-water separation function to remove foreign substances and moisture contained in the air supplied from the air supply module (110).

Additionally, it is preferable that the second regulator (150) be installed for each of the plurality of test lines (190) so that the pressure of the air transported along the plurality of test lines (190) can be adjusted differently.

For example, it is preferable that the first set pressure of the supply line (180) controlled by the first regulator (140) be adjusted to be 10% higher than the inspection reference pressure of the inspection object (T), and the second set pressure of the test line (190) controlled by the second regulator (150) be adjusted to be the same as the inspection reference pressure of the inspection object (T).

A manifold (160) is a means for distributing air transported through a supply line (180) to a plurality of test lines (190). This manifold (160) has one supply port connected to the supply line (180) and a plurality of discharge ports connected to the test lines (190).

Meanwhile, when the second opening/closing valve (130) is opened while the manifold (160) is filled with air at a certain pressure, vibration, i.e., pulsation, occurs due to the movement of air, making it impossible to accurately inspect whether the inspection object (T) is leaking.

In this embodiment, a damper (162) is provided inside the manifold (160) to solve the problem caused by the aforementioned pulsation.

The damper (162) is composed of a damper body (164) having a discharge passage (163) formed therein, a diaphragm (165) that opens and closes the discharge passage (163), and a spring (166) that elastically supports the diaphragm (165).

A manifold (160) equipped with a damper (162) prevents the occurrence of pulsation by opening the discharge path (163) through a diaphragm (165) elastically supported by a spring (166) when air moves due to the opening of the second opening/closing valve (130), i.e., when the internal pressure of the manifold (160) changes. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a decrease in accuracy in determining whether or not the inspection target (T) leaks due to pulsation.

The pressure gauge (170) is a pressure gauge that measures the pressure of the test line (190), and measures the pressure of the discharge side test line (190) of the second opening/closing valve (130) to check for leakage of the inspection object (T).

Meanwhile, a thermo-hygrometer (not shown) for measuring air temperature and humidity may be installed in the test line (190). The thermo-hygrometer (not shown) is used to determine whether the pressure change measured by the pressure gauge (170) is due to temperature and/or humidity or a leak.

The leak inspection device (100) according to the present embodiment configured as described above can simultaneously inspect for leaks in a plurality of inspection objects (T) through a test line (190) connected to a manifold (160).

In particular, by adjusting the second set pressure of the second regulator (150) installed in each test line (190) differently, it is possible to apply different pressures to each inspection object (T) to check for leaks. In other words, it is possible to simultaneously perform a leak test on multiple inspection objects (T) having different inspection reference pressures.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a leak detection method using a leak detection device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, a leak inspection method using a leak inspection device (100) according to the present embodiment will be described as follows.

First, the compressor (not shown) of the air supply module (110) is operated to store air at a constant pressure in a high-pressure tank (not shown) (S110). At this time, the high-pressure tank (not shown) is composed of two or more high-pressure tanks connected in series so that the stored air can be maintained at a constant pressure and temperature.

In this state, when the first opening/closing valve (120) is opened, air stored in the high-pressure tank (not shown) is transported along the supply line (180) (S120). At this time, the second opening/closing valve (130) is closed to prevent the air transported along the supply line (180) from being discharged to the outside through the test line (190).

Next, the pressure of the air transported along the supply line (180) is adjusted to the first set pressure using the first regulator (140), and the pressure of the air transported along the test line (190) is adjusted to the second set pressure using the second regulator (150) (S130).

As described above, the first set pressure regulated by the first regulator (140) must be 10% higher than the inspection reference pressure of the inspection object (T), and the second set pressure regulated by the second regulator (150) must be equal to the inspection reference pressure of the inspection object (T).

When the pressure setting using the regulator (140, 150) is completed, the test object (T) is mounted on the test line (190) and the second opening/closing valve (130) is opened (S140).

Then, Snoop solution is applied to the inspection target (T) and the connection part of the inspection target (T) and visually checked for the presence of bubbles (S150).

Finally, the pressure fluctuation of the pressure gauge (170) is checked to check for leakage (S160). At this time, if the pressure of the pressure gauge (270) fluctuates, a thermo-hygrometer (not shown) is used to check whether the pressure fluctuation is due to temperature or/and humidity.

Meanwhile, in the process of adjusting the pressure of the regulators (140, 150), if the second set pressure of the second regulator (150) is adjusted differently, different pressures can be applied to each inspection object (T) to check for leaks. In other words, leak tests can be performed simultaneously on multiple inspection objects (T) having different inspection reference pressures.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a leak detection device (200) according to another embodiment of the present invention.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, a leak detection device (200) according to another embodiment of the present invention is configured to include an air supply module (210), first and second on-off valves (220, 230), first and second regulators (240, 250), a manifold (260), a pressure gauge (270), a supply line (280) and a test line (290), a bypass line (310) connected in parallel with the test line (290), an on-off valve (320, 330) and a differential pressure gauge (340) installed in the bypass line (310), a pulsation detection sensor (350) provided at a branch point of the test line (290) and the bypass line (310), and a control unit (not illustrated) for controlling the second to fourth on-off valves (230, 320, 330).

A detailed description of the configuration that overlaps with one embodiment of the present invention among the configurations described above will be omitted.

The bypass line (310) is connected in parallel with the test line (290), and the third and fourth opening/closing valves (320, 330), a differential pressure gauge (340), and a pulsation detection sensor (350) are installed in the bypass line (310).

The third and fourth opening/closing valves (320) allow or block the flow of air transported along the bypass line (310) or control the amount of air transported along the bypass line (310). The third opening/closing valve (320) is installed on the supply side of the differential pressure gauge (340), and the fourth opening/closing valve (330) is installed on the discharge side of the differential pressure gauge.

The differential pressure gauge (340) is a means for determining whether there is a leak in the inspection object (T) through a change in pressure in the bypass line (310), and checks whether there is a leak in the inspection object (T) through the pressure difference between the supply side and the discharge side of the differential pressure gauge (340).

A pulsation detection sensor (350) is provided at the branch point of the test line (290) and the bypass line (310) to detect whether pulsation occurs when the second opening/closing valve (230) is opened.

The control unit (not shown) controls the second to third opening/closing valves (230, 320, 330) depending on whether pulsation occurs as detected by the pulsation detection sensor (350). That is,

When no pulsation occurs, the second opening/closing valve (230) is opened and the third and fourth opening/closing valves (320, 330) are closed, and when pulsation occurs, the third and fourth opening/closing valves (320, 330) are opened and the second opening/closing valve (230) is closed.

The leak detection device (200) of the above-described configuration can improve the inspection precision by quickly or precisely inspecting the inspection object (T) depending on whether pulsation occurs. That is, by inspecting the inspection object (T) through a rapid inspection when no pulsation occurs and inspecting the inspection object (T) through a precise inspection when pulsation occurs, the deterioration of the inspection precision due to pulsation can be prevented.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a leak detection method using a leak detection device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

First, let's look at the rapid inspection using the leak inspection device (200) as follows.

The compressor (not shown) of the air supply module (210) is operated to store air at a certain pressure in a high-pressure tank (not shown) (S210).

In this state, when the first opening/closing valve (220) is opened, air stored in the high-pressure tank (not shown) is transported along the supply line (280) (S220). At this time, the second to fourth opening/closing valves (230, 320, 330) are closed to prevent the air transported along the supply line (280) from being discharged to the outside through the test line (290) and the bypass line (310).

Next, the pressure of the air transported along the supply line (280) is adjusted to the first set pressure using the first regulator (240), and the pressure of the air transported along the test line (290) is adjusted to the second set pressure using the second regulator (250) (S230).

As described above, the first set pressure regulated by the first regulator (240) must be 10% higher than the inspection reference pressure of the inspection object (T), and the second set pressure regulated by the second regulator (250) must be equal to the inspection reference pressure of the inspection object (T).

After the pressure setting using the regulator (240, 250) is completed, the inspection object (T) is mounted and the second opening/closing valve (230) is opened (S240). At this time, the third and fourth opening/closing valves are closed.

The occurrence of pulsation is confirmed through a pulsation detection sensor (350) installed at the branch point of the test line (290) and the bypass line (310) (S250).

When no pulsation occurs, apply Snoop solution to the test object (T) and the connection part of the test object (T) and visually check for bubbles (S260).

The pressure fluctuation of the pressure gauge (270) is checked to determine whether the inspection object (T) is leaking (S270). At this time, if the pressure of the pressure gauge (270) fluctuates, a thermo-hygrometer (not shown) is used to determine whether the pressure fluctuation is due to temperature and/or humidity.

Next, let us look at a precise inspection using a leak inspection device (200).

The compressor (not shown) of the air supply module (210) is operated to store air at a certain pressure in a high-pressure tank (not shown) (S210).

In this state, when the first opening/closing valve (220) is opened, air stored in the high-pressure tank (not shown) is transported along the supply line (280) (S220). At this time, the second to fourth opening/closing valves (230, 320, 330) are closed to prevent the air transported along the supply line (280) from being discharged to the outside through the test line (290) and the bypass line (310).

Next, the pressure of the air transported along the supply line (280) is adjusted to the first set pressure using the first regulator (240), and the pressure of the air transported along the test line (290) is adjusted to the second set pressure using the second regulator (250) (S230).

As described above, the first set pressure regulated by the first regulator (240) must be 10% higher than the inspection reference pressure of the inspection object (T), and the second set pressure regulated by the second regulator (250) must be equal to the inspection reference pressure of the inspection object (T).

After the pressure setting using the regulator (240, 250) is completed, the inspection object (T) is mounted and the second opening/closing valve (230) is opened (S240). At this time, the third and fourth opening/closing valves are closed.

The occurrence of pulsation is confirmed through a pulsation detection sensor (350) installed at the branch point of the test line (290) and the bypass line (310) (S250).

When pulsation occurs, the second opening/closing valve (230) is closed and the third opening/closing valve (320) is opened (S360).

After that, the fourth opening/closing valve (330) is opened and the third opening/closing valve (320) is closed.

Apply Snoop solution to the inspection target (T) and the connection part of the inspection target (T) and visually check for the occurrence of bubbles (S380).

The pressure difference of the differential pressure gauge (340) is checked to determine whether the inspection object (T) is leaking (S270). At this time, if the pressure of the pressure gauge (270) fluctuates, a thermo-hygrometer (not shown) is used to determine whether the pressure fluctuates due to temperature and/or humidity.

In this way, when using a differential pressure gauge (340) installed in the bypass line (310), the influence of pulsation can be reduced compared to when using a pressure gauge (270) installed in the test line (29), enabling more precise inspection.

Meanwhile, when the second set pressure of the second regulator (250) is adjusted differently during rapid inspection and precision inspection, different pressures can be applied to each inspection target (T) to check for leaks. In other words, leak tests can be performed simultaneously on multiple inspection targets (T) with different inspection reference pressures.

The present invention has been described above through preferred embodiments. However, the above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical idea of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that various changes may be made without departing from the technical idea of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be interpreted not by specific embodiments, but by the matters described in the claims, and all technical ideas within a scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the rights of the present invention.

100: Leak detection device 110: Air supply module
120: First shut-off valve 130: Second shut-off valve
140: 1st regulator 160: 2nd regulator
160: Manifold 170: Pressure gauge
180: Supply line 190: Test line

Claims (10)

An air supply module, a first on-off valve for controlling the flow of air supplied from the air supply module, a first regulator for adjusting the air supplied when the first on-off valve is opened to a first set pressure, a manifold for distributing the air transported from the first regulator, a plurality of test lines having one end connected to the discharge side of the manifold and the other end having a test object mounted on it, a second regulator for adjusting the air transported along the test lines to a second set pressure, a second on-off valve for controlling the flow of air transported along the plurality of test lines, a pressure gauge installed on the discharge side of the second on-off valve for measuring the pressure of the test lines, a bypass line connected in parallel with the test lines, a differential pressure gauge installed on the bypass line, third and fourth on-off valves installed on the supply and discharge sides of the differential pressure gauge, a pulsation detection sensor installed at a branch point of the test line and the bypass line for detecting whether pulsation occurs, and a control unit for controlling the second to fourth on-off valves. In a leak detection method using a leak detection device including:
A step of generating compressed air by operating the air supply module;
A step of opening the first opening/closing valve to supply air from the air supply module to the first regulator side;
A step of adjusting the first regulator to the first set pressure and adjusting the second regulator to the second set pressure;
Step of mounting the inspection object and opening the second opening/closing valve;
A step of detecting whether pulsation occurs at the branch point of the test line and the bypass line;
A leak detection method comprising the step of closing the third and fourth valves when no pulsation occurs and quickly checking for leaks by checking the pressure fluctuation of a pressure gauge.
An air supply module, a first on-off valve for controlling the flow of air supplied from the air supply module, a first regulator for adjusting the air supplied when the first on-off valve is opened to a first set pressure, a manifold for distributing the air transported from the first regulator, a plurality of test lines having one end connected to the discharge side of the manifold and the other end having a test object mounted on it, a second regulator for adjusting the air transported along the test lines to a second set pressure, a second on-off valve for controlling the flow of air transported along the plurality of test lines, a pressure gauge installed on the discharge side of the second on-off valve for measuring the pressure of the test lines, a bypass line connected in parallel with the test lines, a differential pressure gauge installed on the bypass line, third and fourth on-off valves installed on the supply and discharge sides of the differential pressure gauge, a pulsation detection sensor installed at a branch point of the test line and the bypass line for detecting whether pulsation occurs, and a control unit for controlling the second to fourth on-off valves. In a leak detection method using a leak detection device including:
A step of generating compressed air by operating the air supply module;
A step of opening the first opening/closing valve to supply air from the air supply module to the first regulator side;
A step of adjusting the first regulator to the first set pressure and adjusting the second regulator to the second set pressure;
Step of mounting the inspection object and opening the second opening/closing valve;
A step of detecting whether pulsation occurs at the branch point of the test line and the bypass line;
A step of closing the second opening/closing valve and opening the third opening/closing valve when pulsation occurs;
A leak inspection method including a step of opening the fourth opening/closing valve, closing the third opening/closing valve, and then precisely inspecting for leaks by checking the pressure difference through a differential pressure gauge.
In claim 1 or claim 2,
A leak inspection method further comprising a step of applying Snoop solution after mounting the inspection object and checking whether bubbles are generated.
In claim 3,
A leak inspection method characterized in that the first set pressure of the first regulator is set 10% higher than the reference pressure of the inspection object, and the second set pressure of the second regulator is set equal to the reference pressure of the inspection object.
In claim 3,
A leak inspection method characterized in that when the second set pressure of the second regulator is set differently, different pressures can be applied to each inspection target to inspect for leaks. delete delete delete delete delete