Measurement of gas leaks into gas lines of a plasma reactor
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorGabriel G. Barna
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for testing for gas leaks in plasma reactors and gas lines introducing gas into the reactor, includes: measuring the intensity of the plasma reactor light emission; introducing known increments of a test gas into the reactor; measuring the intensity of the plasma reactor light emission after each introduction of an increment of test gas into the reactor; producing a curve resulting from the intensity readings vs increments of introduced gas; and performing a regression analysis on the curve to determine a value of gas at which the intensity is equal to zero, which value of gas is the amount of gas that has been leaked into the reactor.
Claims15
A method for testing for gas leaks in plasma reactors and gas lines introducing gas into the reactor, comprising the steps of:
- measuring the intensity of the plasma reaction light emission;
- introducing known increments of a test gas into the reactor;
- measuring the intensity of the plasma reaction light emission after each introduction of an increment of test gas into the reactor;
- producing a curve resulting from the intensity readings vs increments of introduced gas;
- performing a regression analysis on the curve to determine a value of gas at which the intensity is equal to zero, which value, multiplied by -1, of gas is the amount of gas that has been leaking into the reactor;
- and
- determining from the regression analysis whether there exists a gas leak.
A method for testing for gas leaks in plasma reactors and gas lines introducing gas into the reactor, comprising the steps of:
- measuring the intensity of the plasma reaction light emission;
- introducing known increments of a nitrogen containing test gas into the reactor;
- measuring the intensity of the plasma reaction light emission after each introduction of an increment of test gas into the reactor;
- producing a curve resulting from the intensity readings vs increments of introduced gas;
- performing a regression analysis on the curve to determine a value of gas at which the intensity is equal to zero, which value, multiplied by -1, of gas is the amount of gas that has been leaking into the reactor;
- and
- determining from the regression analysis whether there exists a gas leak.
An apparatus for testing for and determining an amount of leaked gas in plasma reactors and gas lines introducing gas into the reactor utilizing plasma emission light, comprising:
- a plasma reactor;
- a detector for measuring the intensity of the plasma emission light;
- means for injecting known amounts of a test gas into the plasma reactor;
- and
- a test system for recording the measured intensity of the plasma emission light prior to and each time an amount of test gas is injected into the plasma reactor, and for performing a regressive analysis on the measured intensity and injected amounts of test gas data to determine the amount of gas that has been leaking into the reactor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.