Fluid leak and microleak detector and method of detecting leaks and microleaks

A procedure for detecting fluid leaks and microleaks where an electronic board (7) which contains a computer application receives flow readings from a flowmeter (5) and pressure readings from a pressure switch (6), wherein there are two simultaneous and complementary process lines and two computer routines in the electronic board, a routine for leaks above 3 l/h (12) and a microleak routine (13) for leaks above 0.15 l/h, where:

• 1) the leak routine (12) includes a non-programmable variable Tt:
• Total time elapsed since the start of the routine, which is reset to 0 when the flow rate is 0, and at least three programmable variables:
• Qmax:
• Maximum recordable flowrate depending on the network characteristics;
• TQmax:
• Maximum time that a flow value can be registered, with the value of time Tn being inversely proportional to the flow value Qn;
• and
• Tmax:
• Maximum time during which network consumption can be detected continuously;
• 2) the microleak routine (13) includes the following variables:
• Pn:
• Pressure value registered in the network in real time;
• Pn−1:
• Pressure value of the network before Pn;
• Tt:
• Total elapsed time since the start of the routine;
• and
• Tp:
• Time interval for the recount of the results
• 3) the microleak routine (13) establishes at least:
• 1. a procedure for detecting fluid leaks and microleaks, comprising a microleak detection routine algorithm (13) that establishes at least the following actions:
• 2. a process of closing the solenoid valve (4), leaving the network pressurised;
• 3. opening of the network pressure record (Pn) and the time record (Tt);
• 4. a first decision-making process that provides for two possible outcomes:
• [Pn=Pn−1] and [Pn≠Pn−1];
• 5. a recounting process of the identical results obtained during the time interval (Tp) and memory storage;
• 6. a second decision-making process, relating the number of repeated results recorded during (Tp) with the total elapsed time (Tt) where two results are established:
• there is a microleak, activate the alarm;
• there are no microleaks;
• and
• 7. a process of opening the solenoid valve and ending the routine.

A procedure for detecting fluid leaks and microleaks, comprising a leak detection routine algorithm (12) that provides the following possible results:

• 1) if Qn>=Qmax:
• the leak subroutine is activated;
• 2) if Tt>=Tmax:
• the leak subroutine is activated;
• 3) if Qmax>Qn−1>Qn:
• 3.1 for the cases with Q>Qn−1, the relationship Qn/Tn becomes Qn/(Tn+x) where x is the total time recorded for Qn−1;
• 3.2 for cases with Q=<Qn−1, the relationship Qn/Tn is maintained;
• 3.3 if Tt>=Tmax, the leak subroutine is activated;
• 3.4 if Tt<Tn, there are no leaks;
• 4) if Qmax>Qn=Qn−1:
• 4.1 if Tt>=Tn−1, the leak subroutine is activated;
• 4.2 if Tt<Tn, there are no leaks;
• 5) if Qmax>Qn−1>Qn:
• 5.1 if Tt>=Tn, the leak subroutine is activated;
• 5.2 if Tt<Tn, there are no leaks;
• 6) if Qn=0:
• there are no leaks and the process ends.