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WO1998009147A1 - Procede d'essai de l'etancheite a l'air d'un contenant - Google Patents

Procede d'essai de l'etancheite a l'air d'un contenant Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1998009147A1
WO1998009147A1 PCT/SE1997/001381 SE9701381W WO9809147A1 WO 1998009147 A1 WO1998009147 A1 WO 1998009147A1 SE 9701381 W SE9701381 W SE 9701381W WO 9809147 A1 WO9809147 A1 WO 9809147A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
chamber
evacuation
low pressure
period
pressure level
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/SE1997/001381
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Jan Amberntsson
Original Assignee
Getinge Skärhamn AB
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Getinge Skärhamn AB filed Critical Getinge Skärhamn AB
Priority to EP97935975A priority Critical patent/EP0920612A1/fr
Priority to AU38752/97A priority patent/AU3875297A/en
Publication of WO1998009147A1 publication Critical patent/WO1998009147A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
    • B01J3/00—Processes of utilising sub-atmospheric or super-atmospheric pressure to effect chemical or physical change of matter; Apparatus therefor
    • B01J3/006—Processes utilising sub-atmospheric pressure; Apparatus therefor
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
    • B01J3/00—Processes of utilising sub-atmospheric or super-atmospheric pressure to effect chemical or physical change of matter; Apparatus therefor
    • B01J3/002—Component parts of these vessels not mentioned in B01J3/004, B01J3/006, B01J3/02 - B01J3/08; Measures taken in conjunction with the process to be carried out, e.g. safety measures
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01M—TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G01M3/00—Investigating fluid-tightness of structures
    • G01M3/02—Investigating fluid-tightness of structures by using fluid or vacuum
    • G01M3/26—Investigating fluid-tightness of structures by using fluid or vacuum by measuring rate of loss or gain of fluid, e.g. by pressure-responsive devices, by flow detectors
    • G01M3/32—Investigating fluid-tightness of structures by using fluid or vacuum by measuring rate of loss or gain of fluid, e.g. by pressure-responsive devices, by flow detectors for containers, e.g. radiators
    • G01M3/3236—Investigating fluid-tightness of structures by using fluid or vacuum by measuring rate of loss or gain of fluid, e.g. by pressure-responsive devices, by flow detectors for containers, e.g. radiators by monitoring the interior space of the containers

Definitions

  • the invention concerns a method of performing a test inside a low pressure chamber, such as an autoclave, in order to verify whether air is present or leaks into the chamber during an ongoing process in said chamber.
  • Tests of this kinds are performed regularly with respect to autoclaves intended for sterilization of goods of the most disparate nature.
  • the process is divided into several part processes, such as a pretreatment during which the chamber is evacuated, a sterilizing period during which sterilization is carried out at a vapour overpressure, and a post-treatment during which the sterilizing goods is dried at a low pressure.
  • a pretreatment during which the chamber is evacuated a sterilizing period during which sterilization is carried out at a vapour overpressure
  • a post-treatment during which the sterilizing goods is dried at a low pressure.
  • vapour it is most essential that no air remains in any trapped air-pockets in the goods to be sterilized, preventing the vapour from completing the sterilizing in these traps. Should this happen, the consequences could be serious when the equipment, believed
  • One method widely employed today for testing the airtightness of low pressure ' chambers, such as autoclaves, is performed in the following manner. After stabilization of the temperature in a chamber which is empty apart from stationary equipment, such as e.g. manometers, manometer tubes and measuring sensors of other kinds, the testing process is initiated and lowers the pressure inside the chamber at least down to a pre- determined level. This level being reached, the evacuation is stopped and all valves are closed. The time and the absolute pressure are registered. After the lapse of a few minutes to allow the condensate inside the chamber to evaporate, the pressure and the time are again registered. A renewed registration of the pressure and the time is made after another couple of minutes. At the end of this test period the magnitude of the pressure increase during the last operational phase is calculated, which pressure increase must not exceed a predetermined value in order for the chamber to be considered allowable.
  • This conventional airtightness test requires a knowledgable as well as a skillful servicing operator to perform the test, in addition to which the test must be carried out over a comparatively long period in order to ensure a trustworthy result, i.e. to make it possible to verify to which extent the pressure increase, after evacuation, could be considered the result of evaporation of the condensate or of air leakage.
  • the present invention provides a method by means of which it becomes possible to perform leakage tests in quicker and at the same time easier manner without foregoing the requirements on accuracy. To this end, the invention is based on the use of an ejector which is adapted to pump vapour rapidly but to pump air at a lower rate. A water jet pump meets this description.
  • Fig. 1 is a graph of a conventional leakage method and illustrates the pressure as a function of time
  • Fig. 2 is a corresponding graph illustrating the method in accordance with the present invention.
  • the conventional leakage method will initially be described with reference to Fig. 1.
  • the testing process is initiated by lowering the pressure inside the chamber to a level corresponding to a satisfactory "vacuum" pressure.
  • This level could for instance be an absolute pressure of 70 mbar or slightly below.
  • the pressure pi and the time t are registered, once the evacuation has been interrupted and all valves have been closed. Some minutes are allowed to lapse, in the example of the drawing figure 300 s, whereupon the pressure p 2 and the time t 2 are measured.
  • the pressure p 3 and the time t 3 are registered, whereafter the valves of the chamber are opened.
  • the pressure from time t 2 to time t 3 must not exceed 1.3 bar/min, i.e. in accordance with the shown embodiment the pressure p 3 minus pressure p 2 must not exceed about 13 mbar in order for the leakage test to be allowable. In this case the described graph thus shows a non-allowable leakage.
  • the process starts in an identical manner by stabilization of the temperature inside the chamber. Vapour is then blown into the chamber, which is shown by an increase of the pressure to a level slightly above the atmospheric pressure, whereupon the chamber, in the same manner as hitherto, is evacuated to a level of a strong low pressure, ' which could be e.g. 70 mbar or slightly below. Measurement point A in Fig. 2 thus corresponds to point p a in Fig. 1. The autoclave is then allowed to be inactive for some minutes during which period the pressure rises as a result of the evaporation of the condensate in the chamber, e.g. along the continuous line from point A to point B in Fig. 2.
  • dashed lines define a first time period between point A and point B, denoted leakage period, and a second time period, denoted measuring period. Should, during the evacuation from point B, point C be reached within this measuring period, this is an indication that no or only insignificant air leakage occurs in the autoclave.
  • a dash-and-dot line indicates a second measurement from point A to point B 1( the latter being at a somewhat higher level than point B. During the evacuation from point Bx the same dash-and-dot line indicates that the level of point C is not reached within the prescribed measuring period. As a result, the test may be interrupted, and the fact that the airtightness of the autoclave is unsatisfactory is verified.
  • the method according to the invention is applicable to automatic autoclave airtightness testing programmes according to which the programme ends by e.g. the emission of a red signal indicating 'error' and a green signal 'passed' .
  • the method is well suited for automatic operation because of its sensitivity to detection of air.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Examining Or Testing Airtightness (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un procédé permettant d'effectuer un essai d'étanchéité à l'air dans une chambre basse pression, ce procédé consistant à purger la chambre jusqu'à l'obtention d'un niveau de pression bas déterminé, niveau auquel on arrête le processus de purge et on ferme complètement la chambre. Après une période d'inactivité suivant l'obtention dudit niveau, période pendant laquelle on laisse la pression augmenter à l'intérieur de la chambre, on recommence à nouveau la purge, au moyen d'un éjecteur plus apte à pomper vers l'extérieur la vapeur que l'air, et on effectue cette purge jusqu'à ce que l'on obtienne à nouveau un niveau de pression bas déterminé.
PCT/SE1997/001381 1996-08-26 1997-08-22 Procede d'essai de l'etancheite a l'air d'un contenant WO1998009147A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP97935975A EP0920612A1 (fr) 1996-08-26 1997-08-22 Procede d'essai de l'etancheite a l'air d'un contenant
AU38752/97A AU3875297A (en) 1996-08-26 1997-08-22 A method of testing the airtightness of a container

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE9603074-7 1996-08-26
SE9603074A SE507197C2 (sv) 1996-08-26 1996-08-26 Metod att testa luftläckage

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1998009147A1 true WO1998009147A1 (fr) 1998-03-05

Family

ID=20403646

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/SE1997/001381 WO1998009147A1 (fr) 1996-08-26 1997-08-22 Procede d'essai de l'etancheite a l'air d'un contenant

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0920612A1 (fr)
AU (1) AU3875297A (fr)
SE (1) SE507197C2 (fr)
WO (1) WO1998009147A1 (fr)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0916350A1 (fr) * 1997-11-08 1999-05-19 Smiths Industries Public Limited Company Autoclaves
EP1469295A3 (fr) * 1997-05-26 2007-07-04 Martin Lehmann Méthode et appareil pour tester une fuite
US7260981B2 (en) 1997-03-26 2007-08-28 Martin Lehmann Method for leak testing and leak testing apparatus

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4172477A (en) * 1977-07-20 1979-10-30 Leybold-Heraeus Gmbh & Co. Kg Generation of high vacuums
DD215634A1 (de) * 1983-05-13 1984-11-14 Orgreb Inst Kraftwerke Verfahren und einrichtung zur lecksuche an vakuumsystemen von dampfturbinenanlagen
WO1996014561A1 (fr) * 1994-11-04 1996-05-17 Ab Volvo Procede et dispositif permettant de tester l'etancheite d'un recipient ferme

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4172477A (en) * 1977-07-20 1979-10-30 Leybold-Heraeus Gmbh & Co. Kg Generation of high vacuums
DD215634A1 (de) * 1983-05-13 1984-11-14 Orgreb Inst Kraftwerke Verfahren und einrichtung zur lecksuche an vakuumsystemen von dampfturbinenanlagen
WO1996014561A1 (fr) * 1994-11-04 1996-05-17 Ab Volvo Procede et dispositif permettant de tester l'etancheite d'un recipient ferme

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7260981B2 (en) 1997-03-26 2007-08-28 Martin Lehmann Method for leak testing and leak testing apparatus
EP1469295A3 (fr) * 1997-05-26 2007-07-04 Martin Lehmann Méthode et appareil pour tester une fuite
US7454957B2 (en) 1997-05-26 2008-11-25 Martin Lehmann Method for leak testing and leak testing apparatus
US9091612B2 (en) 1997-05-26 2015-07-28 Wilco Ag Method for leak testing and leak testing apparatus
US8459099B2 (en) 1997-05-27 2013-06-11 Wilco Ag Method for leak testing and leak testing apparatus
EP0916350A1 (fr) * 1997-11-08 1999-05-19 Smiths Industries Public Limited Company Autoclaves

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU3875297A (en) 1998-03-19
SE9603074D0 (sv) 1996-08-26
EP0920612A1 (fr) 1999-06-09
SE507197C2 (sv) 1998-04-20
SE9603074L (sv) 1998-02-27

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