Automated timer and setpoint selection for pneumatic test equipment

An automated method of determining a time to measure changes caused by leakage within units subject to a pneumatic testing procedure, comprising

• supplying pressurized gas or fluid from a source to a sample unit for a fill time that will be used in subsequent pneumatic testing procedures,
• monitoring a variable within said sample unit,
• exhausting said sample unit of gas or fluid and repeating said supplying step,
• opening an orifice in fluid communication with said sample unit, said orifice simulating a leak in said sample unit,
• monitoring said variable within said sample unit with said orifice open,
• computing, from variable measurements measured in said first and second monitoring steps, a measurement performance factor at each of several possible times after the sample unit was filled,
• selecting a stabilization time based upon the computed performance factors, and
• filling subsequent units subject to pneumatic testing by supplying pressurized gas from a source to said subsequent units, for said fill time, and thereafter waiting until said stabilization time, and then measuring said variable within said subsequent units for acceptable performance.

An automated method of determining a time to measure changes within units subject to a pneumatic testing procedure, comprising

• supplying pressurized gas or fluid from a source to a sample unit for fill time that will be used in subsequent pneumatic testing procedures,
• monitoring a variable within said sample unit,
• exhausting said sample unit of gas or fluid,
• repeating said supplying, monitoring and exhausting steps for a plurality of sample units,
• opening an orifice in fluid communication with one of said sample units, said orifice simulating a leak in said sample unit,
• repeating said supplying and monitoring steps within said one sample unit with said orifice open,
• computing from measurements made in said monitoring steps performed without the orifice open, a variance of said variable at each of a plurality of possible times, and
• computing a gauge repeatability factor at each of said several possible times based on said computed variance at a possible time, and a change measured on said one sample unit with said orifice open at a possible time, and
• selecting a stabilization time at which said gauge repeatability factor indicates satisfactory performance,
• filling subsequent units subject to pneumatic testing by supplying pressurized gas from a source to said subsequent units, for said fill time, and thereafter waiting until said stabilization time, and then measuring said variable within said subsequent units for acceptable performance.