Automated vapor generating machine

An automatic vapor generating machine for leak size estimation in a fluid system of a vehicle comprising:

• a housing;
• a vapor generating chamber having a liquid reservoir for holding a supply of liquid and a heating element disposed within the chamber for vaporizing the liquid;
• a gas inlet for connection to the source of pressurized gas;
• an electrically controllable valve controllably connecting the gas inlet to the vapor generation chamber;
• an outlet conduit in fluid communication with the chamber and configured to convey one of a vapor or a gas from the chamber;
• an at least one of a flow sensor and a pressure sensor in fluid connection with the chamber for measuring at least one of a flow measurements and a pressure in the chamber and generating at least one electronic signal to a controller;
• a heating switch for controlling the heating element;
• a display mounted to the housing;
• the controller connected to the electrically controllable valve, the at least one of the flow sensor and the pressure sensor, the heating switch and to the display,
• the controller having a memory and a data processor, the processor being able to execute at least two leak test programs stored in the memory for controlling the machine,
• the at least two leak test programs executing commands to:
• perform at least three pressure tests, each pressure test including opening and closing the electrically controllable valve to provide a gas flow to pressurize the chamber and the fluid system to a predetermined pressure at least once during test,
• receive and analyze the at least one electronic signal to estimate a leak size of the fluid system of the vehicle during each test,
• the at least two leak test programs including at least one of a vapor test and a gas test, wherein during the vapor test the controller actuating the heating element and the machine generating vapor, and wherein during the gas test the machine pressurizing the chamber and the fluid system of a vehicle with gas from the source of the pressurized gas,
• the at least two leak test programs of the controller being manually actuated,
• the display being configured to display a selection of the at least two programs, initial parameters for any one of the at least two leak test programs, one of a real-time processed data from any one of the flow sensor and the pressure sensor, and a historical processed data from any one of the flow sensor and the pressure sensor,
• data displayed on the display upon operating one of the at least two leak test programs providing an estimation of the leak size.

A method for leak size estimation in a fluid system of a vehicle using an automatic vapor generating machine connected to a source of pressurized gas, the method comprising:

• filling a liquid reservoir for holding a supply of liquid with a vapor generating liquid, powering on the vapor generating machine,
• selecting a leak test program from a selection on a display mounted on the housing of the vapor generating machine by manually commanding a controller,
• setting a test pressure for the test program of the vapor generating machine manually commanding the controller,
• setting a test time manually commanding the controller,
• having the controller run the leak test program with selected test pressure and test time,
• reading results of the leak test on the display, the results including a graphical representation of a pressure decay,
• observing one of a pressure drop indicated in the graphical representation and a flow measurement of one of a gas or vapor flowing from the chamber into the fluid system of the vehicle,
• determining at least one of a leak size in the fluid system of the vehicle, a time of occurrence of a leak, a pressure difference registered by the machine as a result of the leak, a first data for calculating a pressure average, a second data for calculating flow measurement average, an indication to run additional tests.