System and method for enabling calibration of sensors used for detecting leaks in compartments

• US 20070107488A1
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: QST Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: QST Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Farrell, Scott
• Application Number:
  US11/588,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20070107488A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/1.10
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/007 Leak detector calibration, standard leaks G01M3/207 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/24 using infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic vibrations

Abstract

A system for enabling calibration of sensors used for detecting leaks in compartments comprising a structure, a sensor, a test manager, an arm, a transducer, and logic. The sensor is mounted on the structure, and the test manager is configured to provide an indication as to whether a compartment has an abnormal leak based on data from the sensor. The data is indicative of an amount of acoustic energy sensed by the sensor within a specified frequency range while a transmitter in the compartment is emitting acoustic energy within the specified frequency range. The arm is detachably coupled to the sensor, and the transducer is mounted on the arm. The logic is configured to cause the transducer to emit acoustic energy within the specified frequency range thereby enabling the sensor to be calibrated without removing the sensor from the structure.

Claims

1. A system for enabling calibration of sensors used for detecting leaks in compartments, comprising:

a structure;

a sensor mounted on the structure;

a test manager configured to provide an indication as to whether a compartment has an abnormal leak based on data from the sensor, the data indicative of an amount of acoustic energy sensed by the sensor within a specified frequency range while a transmitter in the compartment is emitting acoustic energy within the specified frequency range;

an arm detachably coupled to the sensor;

a transducer mounted on the arm; and

logic configured to cause the transducer to emit acoustic energy within the specified frequency range thereby enabling the sensor to be calibrated without removing the sensor from the structure.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to provide a value indicative of the acoustic energy emitted by the transducer, and wherein logic is configured perform a comparison between the value and a predefined threshold.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the logic is configured to provide an output indicative of the comparison.

4. A method for enabling calibration of sensors used for detecting leaks in compartments, comprising the steps of:

sensing, via a sensor mounted on a structure, acoustic energy within a specified frequency range emitted by a transmitter within a compartment;

determining whether the compartment has an abnormal leak based on the sensing step;

detachably coupling an arm to the sensor or to the structure while the sensor is mounted on the structure, the arm having a transducer mounted thereon; and

causing the transducer to emit acoustic energy within the specified frequency range thereby enabling the sensor to be calibrated without removing the sensor from the structure.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of;

sensing, via the sensor, the acoustic energy emitted by the transducer thereby providing a value indicative of the of the sensed acoustic energy emitted by the transducer, and

comparing the value to a predefined threshold.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the predefined threshold is based on an expected distance of the transducer from the sensor, and wherein the detachably coupling step ensures that the transducer is at the expected distance from the transducer.