WELDING GAS LEAK DETECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110284500A1
• Filed: 04/18/2011
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Rappl, James Francis, Ihde, Jeffery Ray, Lahti, Thomas Don
• Granted Patent: US 9,056,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/74
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1006 Power supply
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/164 making use of a moving fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 5/06 using electric or acoustic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/2815 using pressure measurements

Abstract

A method and system for detecting a welding gas leak is provided. One welding power supply includes a gas valve configured to control the flow of shielding gas to a welding device through a gas line. The welding power supply also includes a sensor coupled to the gas line and configured to detect a parameter of the shielding gas. The welding power supply includes control circuitry coupled to the gas valve and to the sensor, and configured to control the operation of the gas valve, and to receive device value representative of the detected parameter. The control circuitry is further configured to determine a leak test result based upon the parameter value, and to provide an operator indicator of the leak test result.

Claims

1. A welding power supply comprising:

a gas valve configured to control the flow of shielding gas to a welding device through a gas line;

a sensor coupled to the gas line and configured to detect a parameter of the shielding gas; and

control circuitry coupled to the gas valve and to the sensor, and configured to control the operation of the gas valve, to receive a value representative of the detected parameter, to determine a leak test result based upon the parameter value, and to provide an operator indicator of the leak test result.

2. The power supply of claim 1, comprising a user interface coupled to the control circuitry and configured to display the leak test result.

3. The power supply of claim 1, comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to the control circuitry and configured to enable wireless communication between the power supply and another welding device.

4. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor coupled to the gas line and configured to detect a pressure parameter of the shielding gas.

5. The power supply of claim 4, wherein the pressure sensor comprises a pressure transducer.

6. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a flow meter coupled to the gas line and configured to detect a flow parameter of the shielding gas.

7. A welding system comprising:

a welding power supply having a gas valve, a first sensor, and control circuitry, the control circuitry configured to control the gas valve to control the flow of shielding gas to a welding application through a gas line, the first sensor coupled to the gas line and configured to detect a first parameter of the shielding gas;

a welding component coupled to the gas line between the first sensor and the welding application and comprising a second sensor configured to detect a second parameter of the shielding gas; and

monitoring circuitry configured to receive first and second values representative of the first and second parameters, to determine a leak test result based upon the parameter values, and to provide an operator indicator of the leak test result.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the welding component comprises a wire feeder coupled to the gas line.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first sensor comprises a first flow meter configured to detect a first flow parameter of the shielding gas and the second sensor comprises a second flow meter configured to detect a second flow parameter of the shielding gas.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the first sensor comprises a first pressure sensor configured to detect a first pressure parameter of the shielding gas and the second sensor comprises a second pressure sensor configured to detect a second pressure parameter of the shielding gas.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the welding component comprises a pendant coupled to the gas line.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first sensor comprises a first flow meter configured to detect a first flow parameter of the shielding gas and the second sensor comprises a second flow meter configured to detect a second flow parameter of the shielding gas.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the control circuitry comprises the monitoring circuitry.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the welding component comprises a torch coupled to the gas line.

15. A method for detecting a gas leak in a welding system comprising:

detecting first and second parameters of a shielding gas within the welding system; and

detecting a gas leak based upon values representative of the detected parameters.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising inhibiting the flow of shielding gas within the welding system.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein detecting first and second parameters of a shielding gas within the welding system comprises detecting first and second pressure parameters of the shielding gas.

18. The method of claim 15, comprising flowing shielding gas within the welding system.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein detecting first and second parameters of a shielding gas within the welding system comprises detecting first and second flow parameters of the shielding gas.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein detecting a gas leak based upon values representative of the detected parameters comprises comparing the values to another value.

21. A welding system comprising:

a welding power supply having control circuitry configured to control a gas valve to control the flow of shielding gas to a welding application through a gas line;

a sensor coupled to the gas line and configured to detect a parameter of the shielding gas; and

monitoring circuitry configured to receive a value representative of the parameter, to determine a leak test result based upon the parameter value, and to provide an operator indicator of the leak test result.

22. The system of claim 21, comprising a wire feeder, the monitoring circuitry disposed in the wire feeder.

23. The system of claim 21, comprising a wire feeder, the sensor disposed in the wire feeder.

24. The system of claim 21, comprising a pendant, the monitoring circuitry disposed in the pendant.

25. The system of claim 21, comprising a pendant, the sensor disposed in the pendant.

26. The system of claim 21, comprising a torch, the sensor disposed in the torch.