Ensuring accurate and reliable leak rate measurements by regularly calibrating the test leaks (reference and test leaks) used

Measuring and calibrating (adjustable) test leaks or reference leaks ensures reliable reference measurements using the test leak during leak tests or leak detection.

Test leaks are indispensible when performing leak tightness testing or leak detection. The measuring instruments used (e.g. portable leak detectors, benchtop unit or mass spectrometers) must be calibrated to the refrigerant and measurement range prior to testing. To cover various measurement ranges (leakage rates), adjustable test leaks are advisable. To ensure the reliability of the measurement method, the (adjustable) test leaks must be calibrated. For this purpose, the test leaks are measured at various pressures using helium as the test gas in conjunction with a helium mass spectrometer. The measured leakage rates can be converted to various refrigerants. From this data, calibration curves are generated, which indicate the leak rates to be expected at given pressures for the specified refrigerant at the respective test leak.