System and method for measuring a quantity of a known gas

A method for continuously monitoring and measuring a quantity of a reference gas in a mixture of gases, comprising the steps of:

• providing a reference gas and measuring a thermal conductivity of the reference gas via a gas analyzer,
• calculating via a controller a purity threshold value based on the measured thermal conductivity of the reference gas,
• providing the mixture of gases containing the reference gas and continuously measuring a thermal conductivity of the mixture of gases via the gas analyzer,
• comparing the measured thermal conductivity of the mixture of gases to the purity threshold value via the controller, and
• indicating a purity threshold level of the reference gas in the mixture of gases once the measured thermal conductivity of the mixture of gases reaches the purity threshold value.

A method for detecting a quantity of hydrogen gas during a purge of at least one other gas with the hydrogen gas, comprising the steps of:

• providing a substantially pure hydrogen gas and measuring a thermal conductivity of the substantially pure hydrogen gas via a thermal conductivity detector,
• calculating a purity threshold value via a controller coupled to the thermal conductivity detector based on the measured thermal conductivity of the substantially pure hydrogen gas,
• supplying the substantially pure hydrogen gas to a vessel containing the at least one gas,
• providing a mixture of gases from the vessel to the thermal conductivity detector and measuring a thermal conductivity of the mixture of gases,
• comparing the measured thermal conductivity of the mixture of gases to the purity threshold value via the controller, and
• indicating a purity threshold level of the hydrogen gas in the mixture of gases once the measured thermal conductivity of the mixture of gases reaches the purity threshold value.