TECHNICAL REFERENCE GUIDE

LEAK TESTING
VISCOUS VS. MOLECULAR FLOW EQUIVALENT LEAK RATES
LEAKS
FREON R12 HELIUM LEAK BUBBLE AIR
IMMERSION
The flow regime encountered in leak testing is often difficult to LEAKAGE RATE LEAK RATE*
(TIME TO FORM 1
determine. It can, however, be estimated by calculating the average (OZ/YEAR) BUBBLE) (ATM-CC/SEC) (ATM-CC/SEC)
mean free path of the gas molecule (l) divided by the estimated leak
10.00 13.3 seconds 1.8 x 10-3 6.7 x 10-4
path diameter (d). Use the following guidelines to determine the
3.00 44.3 seconds 1.5 x 10 -3
2.0 x 10-4
flow regime:
1.00 133 seconds 1.8 x 10-4 6.7 x 10-5
VISCOUS FLOW leaks typically occur in systems leaking at
0.50 266 seconds 9.0 x 10 -5
3.3 x 10-5
atmosphere or larger pressures (l/d < 0.01). Viscous leaks are
typically larger than 10-5 atm-cc/sec, but can occur at lower leak 0.10 22.2 minutes 1.8 x 10-5 6.7 x 10-6

rates. 0.01 222 minutes 1.8 x 10 -6

6.7 x 10-7

MOLECULAR FLOW leaks typically occur under vacuum conditions NOTE: Leak rates are approximate and based on similar test conditions.
* Leak rates calculated based on molecular flow.
(l/d > 1.00). Molecular leaks are typically smaller than 10-5 atm-cc/
sec.
TRANSITIONAL FLOW occurs between viscous and molecular flow HELIUM LEAK RATE VS. OTHER GASES
regimes (0.01 < l/d < 1.00).
MULTIPLY HELIUM LEAK RATE BY:
CONVERT TO VISCOUS FLOW MOLECULAR FLOW
LEAK RATE CONVERSIONS ARGON 0.883 0.316
CONVERT FROM MULTIPLY BY CONVERT TO
NEON 0.626 0.447
atm-cc/sec 1.013 mbar-liter/sec
HYDROGEN 2.23 1.41
atm-cc/sec 0.76 torr-liter/sec

torr-liter/sec 1.33 mbar-liter/sec

NITROGEN 1.12 0.374

Pa-M3/sec 9.87 atm-cc/sec AIR 1.08 0.374

Air oz/yr 6.96 x 10-4 atm-cc/sec
WATER VAPOR 2.09 0.469

COMPARISON OF LEAK DETECTION METHODS LEAK RATE VS. PRESSURE

MIN. Viscous Flow: QV = K/n (P12 - P22)
LEAK RATE LEAK
METHOD DETECTABLE
LEAK*
MEASUREMENT LOCATION Molecular Flow: QM = K(T/M)1/2 (P1 - P2)
Where:
PRESSURE Time Limited,
DECAY Typically 0.01
Yes No • Q = Leak Rate • T = Absolute Temperature
• K = Constant relating • P1�2= Upstream and
ULTRASONIC 0.01 No Yes
leak path geometry Downstream Absolute
CHEMICAL
0.001 No Yes • n = Gas Viscosity Pressure
PENETRANTS
• M = Gas Molecular Weight
BUBBLE
10-4 No Yes
IMMERSION Example: A helium leak in the viscous flow regime with 10
THERMAL
atmupstream (internal) and 1 atm downstream pressure has
CONDUCTIVITY 10-5 Yes Yes a leak rate of 0.001 atm-cc/sec. If the upstream pressure was
SNIFFING doubled to 20 atm the new leak rate would be:
HALOGEN
10-9 Yes Yes QV�NEW = QV�OLD ((P1�NEW 2 - P2�NEW2)/(P1�OLD2 - P2�OLD2))
SNIFFING
QV�NEW = 0.001((202 -12)/(102 - 12)) = 0.004 atm-cc/sec
HELIUM MASS
10-11 Yes Yes
SPECTROMETER Using the table above the equivalent leak rate for air under
*atm-cc/sec the same conditions is: QV�AIR = 0.004(1.08) = 0.0043
 TECHNICAL REFERENCE GUIDE
VACUUM TECHNOLOGY
VACUUM /PRESSURE
TO CONVERT FROM PASCAL TORR ATM MBAR MICRON PSIA IN. HG

PASCAL 1 7.5x10-3 9.87x10-6 0.01 7.5 1.45x10-4 2.95x10-4

TORR 133 1 1.315x10-3 1.333 1000 0.01934 0.0394

ATMOSPHERE 1.013x105 760 1 1013 7.6x105 14.7 29.92 Standard

Atmospheric
MILLIBAR (MBAR) 100 0.75 9.87x10-4 1 750.1 0.0145 0.0295

MICRON 0.1333 0.001 1.316x10-6 1.333x10-3 1 1.934x10-5 3.94x10-5

PSIA 6.89x103 51.71 0.068 68.9 5.17x104 1 2.036

IN. HG ABS 3.39x103 25.4 0.03342 33.9 2.54x104 0.4912 1

PUMPING SPEED/LEAK RATE

CFM - SCFM - ACFM
FROM MULTIPLY BY PUMP SPEED TO
TERM DEFINITION
ft3/min 1.697 m3/hr
Cubic feet per minute, displacement of pump chamber at
CFM m /hr
3
0.589 ft3/min
100% efficiency
Standard cubic feet per minute, mass flow of air at standard liters/sec 3.6 m3/hr
SCFM
conditions liters/sec 2.12 ft3/min
Actual cubic feet per minute, volumetric flow of gas that has FROM MULTIPLY BY LEAK RATE TO
ACFM
been expanded
atm-cc/sec 1.013 mbar-liter/sec
ACFM = SCFM x 760 P = pressure in Torr
atm-cc/sec 0.76 torr-liter/sec
P
torr-liter/sec 1.33 mbar-liter/sec

ELEVATION VS. VACUUM

ELEVATION MAX. RELATIVE
PERCENT LOSS ABSOLUTE VS. RELATIVE PRESSURE
(FT.) VACUUM (IN. HG)
0 (sea level) 29.92 0 Pressure

1,000 28.85 3.6% Standard Atmospheric Pressure (sea level) Gauge

Pressure
2,000 27.82 7.0% Local Atmospheric Pressure
3,000 26.82 10.4%
Gauge
4,000 25.84 13.6% Pressure
Absolute
1 atm
5,000 24.89 16.8% Pressure
14.7 psia Vacuum
6,000 23.98 19.9% 760 torr
Absolute
7,000 23.06 22.9% Pressure

8,000 22.20 25.7%

Absolute Zero (Perfect Vacuum)
9,000 21.38 28.5%
10,000 20.58 31.2%

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CREATING VACUUM AND LEAK TESTING SOLUTIONS Technical Referance-A2