SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COMPENSATED BARRIER PERMEABILITY TESTING

• US 20140070827A1
• Filed: 09/13/2013
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alliance For Sustainable Energy LLC
• Original Assignee: Alliance For Sustainable Energy LLC
• Inventors: REESE, Matthew, DAMERON, Arrelaine, KEMPE, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/026,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20140070827A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/720
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/08 Investigating permeability, pore-volume, or surface area of porous materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/048 for determining moisture content of the material

Abstract

Systems and methods for compensated barrier permeability testing are provided. In one embodiment, a method for testing water vapor penetration through a barrier material comprises: obtaining a first series of resistance measurements from a first moisture sensor located on a substrate surface of a test card, wherein the first moisture sensor is exposed to a testing chamber sealed onto the substrate surface of the test card; obtaining a second series of resistance measurements from a second moisture sensor, wherein the second moisture sensor is isolated from the testing chamber, wherein the testing chamber is defined by a cavity within a spacer element that separates the first moisture sensor from a test barrier; and determining a measurement of water vapor penetration through the test barrier by adjusting the first series of resistance measurement based on the second series of resistance measurement.

Claims

1. A method for testing water vapor penetration through a barrier material, the method comprising:

obtaining a first series of resistance measurements from a first moisture sensor located on a substrate surface of a test card, wherein the first moisture sensor is exposed to a testing chamber sealed onto the substrate surface of the test card;

obtaining a second series of resistance measurements from a second moisture sensor, wherein the second moisture sensor is isolated from the testing chamber, wherein the testing chamber is defined by a cavity within a spacer element that separates the first moisture sensor from a test barrier; and

determining a measurement of water vapor penetration through the test barrier by adjusting the first series of resistance measurements based on the second series of resistance measurements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second moisture sensor is located either:

on the substrate surface of the test card;

internal to the spacer element;

or

sealed within a seal material between the test barrier and the spacer element.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an integrity of a seal material between the spacer element and the test card based on the second series of resistance measurements.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second moisture sensor is sandwiched between the spacer element and the test substrate surface;

wherein the second moisture sensor is sealed within a witness chamber formed within the spacer element; and

wherein the spacer element comprises a first aperture sealed by the test barrier and a second aperture sealed by the test card.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first resistance measurement is calculated from a plurality of measurement samples collected from the first moisture sensor;

and

wherein the second resistance measurement is calculated from a plurality of measurement samples collected from the second moisture sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment is calculated at least in part from a geometry of the first moisture sensor and a geometry of the second moisture sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first moisture sensor and the second moisture sensor are both Calcium moisture sensors.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first moisture sensor and the second moisture sensor are fabricated from the same material.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a known current through the second moisture sensor and reading a voltage across the second moisture sensor to obtain a compensation factor for adjusting the first series of resistance measurements.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the first series of resistance measurements based on the second series of resistance measurement further comprises:

calculating a compensation factor based on normalizing measurement data from the second series of resistance measurements.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the first series of resistance measurements based on the second series of resistance measurement further comprises:

calculating a compensation factor based on a rate-of-change analysis applied to the second series of resistance measurements.

12. An apparatus for testing water vapor penetration through a barrier material, the apparatus comprising:

a spacer element having a first chamber that connects a first aperture of the spacer element to a second aperture of the spacer element;

a test card comprising a substrate with at least one moisture sensor deposited onto a surface of the substrate, and a witness sensor deposited onto the surface of the substrate, wherein the spacer element is sealed to the test card by a seal material such that the at least one moisture sensor is exposed to the first chamber through the second aperture, and the witness sensor is isolated from the first chamber;

the test card further including;

a first set of electrical connections coupled to the at least one moisture sensor; and

a second set of electrical connections coupled to the witness sensor.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein one or both of the first set of electrical connections and the second set of electrical connections have a four-wire configuration.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are both Calcium moisture sensors.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are fabricated from the same material.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a test barrier material that seals the first aperture.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, the spacer element further comprising a second chamber isolated from the first chamber, wherein the witness sensor is located within the second chamber.

18. A system for testing water vapor penetration through a barrier material, the system comprising:

a moisture penetration apparatus comprising;

a first moisture sensor located on a substrate surface of a test card, wherein the first moisture sensor is exposed to a testing chamber sealed onto the substrate surface of the test card; and

a second moisture sensor located on the substrate surface of the test card, wherein the second moisture sensor is isolated from the testing chamber, wherein the testing chamber is defined within a spacer element that separates the first moisture sensor from a test barrier; and

a measurement assembly coupled to the moisture penetration test apparatus, wherein the measurement assembly is configured to determine a measurement of water vapor penetration through the test barrier by adjusting the first series of resistance measurements based on the second series of resistance measurements.

19. The system of claim 18, the test card further including:

a first set of electrical connections coupled to the first moisture sensor; and

a second set of electrical connections coupled to the second moisture sensor.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the second moisture sensor is sandwiched between the spacer element and the test substrate surface;

and

wherein the second moisture sensor is sealed within a witness chamber formed within the spacer element.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the measurement assembly processes a first plurality of measurement samples collected from the first moisture sensor to calculate the first resistance measurement;

and

wherein the measurement assembly processes a second plurality of measurement samples collected from the second moisture sensor to calculate the second resistance measurement.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are both Calcium moisture sensors.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are fabricated from the same material.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the measurement assembly applies a known current through the second moisture sensor and reads a voltage across the second moisture sensor to obtain a compensation factor for adjusting the first series of resistance measurements.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the measurement assembly stores compensated water vapor penetration data into a memory.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein adjusting the first series of resistance measurements based on the second series of resistance measurements further comprises:

calculating a compensation factor based on normalizing measurement data from the second series of resistance measurements.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein adjusting the first series of resistance measurements based on the second series of resistance measurements further comprises:

calculating a compensation factor based on a rate-of-change analysis applied to the second series of resistance measurements.