Refrigerant gas leak detector
US5351037A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 22, 1993 |
| Grant date | Sep 27, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 22, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01M3/228
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A refrigerant gas leak detector for detecting the location of leaks of refrigerant gas such as halogen has a sensing tip with a pair of electrodes across which a relatively high voltage is generated to cause a corona current to pass through the electrodes. The voltage applied across the electrodes is varied to maintain the corona current through the electrodes at a substantially constant magnitude. The leak detector includes a gas sensing circuit that detects changes in the concentration of refrigerant gas by sensing the voltage applied to the electrodes. The sensitivity of the gas sensing circuit is automatically varied based on the concentration of refrigerant gas present. The leak detector includes a signal generating circuit that causes a number of audible and visual indications to be generated based on the concentration of refrigerant gas sensed as well as other operating conditions. The leak detector also has a circuit for detecting the presence of an abnormal operating condition, which is assumed to occur when the corona current falls below its substantially constant magnitude.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.