Method and apparatus for tube leakage testing

Abstract

A method and device for testing tube leakage, more particularly in a moisture-separator reheat superheater, to determine a tightness of separating walls between two flowing media which are separated from each other is disclosed. A test medium, e.g. an inert gas, such as helium, is introduced into a first medium whereby a lack of tightness in the separating walls can be quantitatively measured by a mass spectrometer in a sample taken from the second medium. In the event that the second medium consists of a number of phases, the nongaseous phases can be separated out by first condensing and, if necessary, by freezing the sample prior to testing. The test gas may furthermore be supplied to the second medium through a calibrated orifice to permit a determination of the extent of the tube leakage.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.