Automatic inflation / deflation device and implementation method during airtightness testing

Abstract

This invention provides an automatic gas filling and releasing device and its implementation method during airtightness testing, comprising: a gas supply pipeline for transmitting a gas source; an inlet pressure sensor for measuring the pressure value of the gas source at the inlet; a throttling orifice plate control system for reducing the pressure of the gas source fluid; a buffer container for storing the gas flowing out of the throttling orifice plate control system; a secondary inlet pressure sensor for measuring the pressure value at the inlet of an electronic pressure regulator; a secondary inlet valve for controlling the entry of an external gas source into the electronic pressure regulator; an electronic pressure regulator for controlling the outflowing gas pressure to a set target pressure value; a venting valve for releasing gas; a target container for collecting the outflowing gas; and a measurement and control system for controlling the outflowing gas pressure of the throttling orifice plate control system and the electronic pressure regulator. This device achieves precise control of the target pressure of the product through a combination of PWM control and PID control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of airtightness testing technology, and more specifically, to an automatic inflation / deflation device and its implementation method during airtightness testing. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing production of aerospace products year by year, higher requirements have been placed on airtightness testing at the final assembly site. Currently, airtightness testing at the production site consumes a lot of human resources and has low testing efficiency.

[0003] Patent document CN102928180A (application number: 201210498713.6) discloses a portable automated testing instrument for quantitative measurement of airtightness of aerospace and military products. The PC host is bidirectionally connected to a monitor, touchscreen, data acquisition module, conditioning control module, buttons, and indicator lights. The pneumatic pressure holding system and pneumatic control system are internally linked, and the pneumatic control system is bidirectionally connected to the conditioning control module. The pressure sensor is unidirectionally connected to the data acquisition module. Several USB ports and RS232 ports are connected to a mouse, keyboard, printer, and a comprehensive product testing system, respectively. This patent features automatic constant-pressure inflation, automatic real-time pressure detection, automatic timed measurement, automatic deflation, automatic qualification index judgment, automatic replacement inflation, recording of test data and curves, printing of test reports, safety monitoring, and alarm functions. It is portable, can operate independently, and is usable as long as there is electricity.

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an automatic inflation / deflation device and method for airtightness testing. This automates the inflation process during airtightness testing, ensuring product safety and enabling functional backup through series connection with an electronic pressure regulator via a throttling orifice plate adjustment matrix. If one device malfunctions, it can be removed or shut down to disable it, allowing the remaining device to complete the airtightness test. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic inflation / deflation device and implementation method for airtightness testing.

[0006] An automatic inflation and deflation device for air tightness testing according to the present invention includes: an air supply pipeline, an inlet pressure sensor, a throttling orifice plate control system, a buffer container, a secondary inlet pressure sensor, a secondary inlet valve, an electronic pressure regulator, a deflation valve, a target container, and a measurement and control system.

[0007] The ventilation pipe is used to transmit the gas source;

[0008] The inlet pressure sensor is used to measure the pressure value of the gas source at the inlet;

[0009] The orifice plate control system is used to reduce the pressure of the gas source fluid;

[0010] The buffer container is used to store the gas flowing out of the control system of the orifice plate.

[0011] The secondary inlet pressure sensor is used to measure the pressure value at the inlet of the electronic pressure regulator;

[0012] The secondary inlet valve is used to control the entry of external air into the electronic pressure regulator;

[0013] The electronic pressure regulator is used to control the pressure of the outflowing gas to a set target pressure value;

[0014] The vent valve is used to release gas;

[0015] The target container is used to collect the outflowing gas;

[0016] The measurement and control system is used to control the outflow gas pressure of the orifice plate control system and the electronic pressure regulator;

[0017] During transmission, the gas source passes sequentially through the inlet pressure sensor, the orifice plate control system, the buffer container, the secondary inlet pressure sensor, the secondary inlet valve, the electronic pressure regulator, the venting valve, and the target container via the venting pipeline.

[0018] Preferably, the orifice plate control system includes: an orifice plate control matrix and an orifice plate matrix controller;

[0019] The orifice plate control matrix includes an intake main pipe and an exhaust main pipe;

[0020] The orifice plate control matrix is ​​composed of multiple branches connected in parallel, consisting of fast-switching solenoid valves and orifice plates.

[0021] The orifice plate matrix controller is used to control the throttling orifice plate by controlling the fast-switching solenoid valve, thereby reducing the inlet pressure.

[0022] Preferably, the multi-path matrix branches are distributed with orifice plates with diameters ranging from 0.5 mm to 2 mm.

[0023] Preferably, the throttling orifice plate is a concentric sharp orifice plate.

[0024] Preferably, the orifice plate matrix controller and the measurement and control system transmit data via an RS485 bus. The measurement and control system sets a pressure regulation target value and transmits it to the orifice plate matrix controller. Based on the acquired pressure regulation target value, the orifice plate matrix controller controls the throttling orifice plate through the fast-switching solenoid valve.

[0025] Preferably, the electronic pressure regulator includes: an electronic pressure regulator and a pneumatic actuator;

[0026] The pneumatic actuator is located in the main circuit of the electronic pressure regulator and is used to adjust the intake air volume;

[0027] The electronic pressure regulator is located in the bypass of the electronic pressure regulator and is used to control the pneumatic actuator.

[0028] According to the present invention, an automatic inflation / deflation device for air tightness testing is implemented using the aforementioned automatic inflation / deflation device for air tightness testing, comprising the following steps:

[0029] When the gas source passes through the automatic inflation / deflation device during the airtightness process, the PWM control system of the orifice plate is used to achieve automatic coarse adjustment of the target pressure front value; then the electronic pressure regulator is used to achieve automatic fine adjustment of the target pressure through PID control.

[0030] Preferably, the automatic coarse adjustment of the target pressure pre-stage paper using PWM control via the orifice plate control system includes: setting a secondary inlet pressure setpoint through a measurement and control system and reading the corresponding pressure value through the secondary inlet pressure sensor; and repeatedly controlling the rapid switching solenoid valve according to the secondary inlet pressure setpoint, thereby controlling the orifice plate so that the pressure in the buffer gas cylinder matches the secondary inlet pressure setpoint.

[0031] Preferably, the step of using the electronic pressure regulator for PID control to achieve automatic fine-tuning of the target pressure includes:

[0032] The target pressure is set through the aforementioned measurement and control system;

[0033] The outlet feedback pressure of the electronic pressure regulator is read by the outlet feedback pressure sensor.

[0034] Based on the target pressure and the feedback pressure at the outlet of the electronic pressure regulator, the pneumatic actuator is controlled by the electronic pressure regulator to adjust the intake air volume so that the feedback pressure at the outlet of the electronic pressure regulator matches the target pressure.

[0035] Preferably, if the outlet feedback pressure of the electronic pressure regulator is lower than the target pressure, the electronic pressure regulator will activate the intake valve to allow pilot pressure to enter the actuator of the electronic pressure regulator until the outlet feedback pressure of the electronic pressure regulator is equal to the target pressure.

[0036] If the feedback pressure at the outlet of the electronic pressure regulator is higher than the target pressure, the electronic pressure regulator will activate the exhaust valve to release the pilot pressure from the electronic pressure regulator, and the feedback pressure at the outlet of the electronic pressure regulator will be equal to the target pressure.

[0037] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0038] 1. This invention automatically adjusts the outlet dynamic pressure through a throttling orifice plate matrix and an electronic pressure regulator, thereby automating the gas filling and discharging process and eliminating the production mode that relies on manual adjustment of the pressure reducing valve for gas filling.

[0039] 2. This invention avoids the instability present in single-stage control by connecting the orifice plate matrix and the electronic voltage regulator in series, thereby improving control accuracy and reducing the risk of product damage due to system failure.

[0040] 3. This invention avoids the high cost caused by multi-stage PID control systems by utilizing the simple and inexpensive structure of the orifice plate adjustment matrix.

[0041] 4. This invention uses a throttling orifice plate control matrix as a front-end device to complete coarse adjustment, thereby stabilizing the inlet pressure of the downstream stage and ensuring the stability of the electronic pressure regulator.

[0042] 5. This invention achieves automatic inflation and deflation of the product during the airtightness test through two different pressure control methods. During the automatic pressurization process, a pressure matrix composed of flow-limiting orifice plates is used first to achieve coarse adjustment of the front-end pressure, and then an electronic pressure regulator and downstream pressure sensor are used to achieve precise control of the target pressure.

[0043] 6. This device achieves precise control of the target pressure of the product by combining PWM control and PID control. Attached Figure Description

[0044] Other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a throttling orifice plate control system.

[0046] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an electronic pressure regulator.

[0047] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an automatic inflation / deflation device during the airtightness test.

[0048] Among them, 1-inlet pressure sensor; 2-throttling orifice plate control system; 3-buffer container; 4-secondary inlet pressure sensor; 5-secondary inlet valve; 6-electronic pressure regulator; 7-vent valve; 8-target container; 9-measurement and control system; 10-fast switching solenoid valve; 11-throttling orifice plate; 12-outlet feedback pressure sensor; 13-target container pressure sensor; 14-outlet pressure valve; 15-bypass pressure reducing valve; 16-pilot valve; 17-safety valve. Detailed Implementation

[0049] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but do not limit the invention in any way. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several changes and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention. These all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0050] Example 1

[0051] An automatic inflation / deflation device for airtightness testing provided by the present invention, such as... Figures 1 to 3 As shown, it includes: a venting pipeline, an inlet pressure sensor 1, a throttling orifice plate control system 2, a buffer container 3, a safety valve 17, a secondary inlet pressure sensor 4, a secondary inlet valve 5, an electronic pressure regulator 6, an outlet feedback pressure sensor 12, a venting valve 7, an outlet pressure valve 14, a target container 8, a target container pressure sensor 13, and a measurement and control system 9.

[0052] The ventilation pipe is used to transmit the gas source;

[0053] The inlet pressure sensor 1 is used to measure the pressure value of the gas source at the inlet;

[0054] The orifice plate control system 2 is used to reduce the pressure of the gas source fluid;

[0055] The buffer container 3 is used to store the gas flowing out of the orifice plate control system.

[0056] The safety valve 17 is used to control the buffer container 3;

[0057] The secondary inlet pressure sensor 4 is used to measure the pressure value at the inlet of the electronic pressure regulator 6;

[0058] The secondary inlet valve 5 is used to control the entry of external air source into the electronic pressure regulator 6;

[0059] The electronic pressure regulator 6 is used to control the pressure of the outflowing gas to a set target pressure value.

[0060] The outlet feedback pressure sensor 12 is used to measure the outlet pressure of the electronic pressure regulator;

[0061] The vent valve 7 is used to release gas;

[0062] The outlet pressure valve 14 is used to connect to the target container. After the target container is filled with gas, this valve is closed and the target container can be removed.

[0063] The target container 8 is used to collect the outflowing gas;

[0064] The target container pressure sensor 13 is used to measure the pressure of the target container;

[0065] The measurement and control system 9 is used to control the outflow gas pressure of the orifice plate control system and the electronic pressure regulator;

[0066] During transmission, the gas source passes sequentially through the inlet pressure sensor 1, the orifice plate control system 2, the buffer container 3, the secondary inlet pressure sensor 4, the secondary inlet valve 5, the electronic pressure regulator 6, the outlet pressure sensor 12, the venting valve 7, the outlet pressure valve 14, the target container 8, and the target load pressure sensor 13 via the ventilation pipeline.

[0067] The orifice plate control system 2 includes: an orifice plate control matrix, an inlet / outlet main gas pipe, and an orifice plate matrix controller.

[0068] The orifice plate control matrix includes an intake main pipe and an exhaust main pipe;

[0069] The orifice plate control matrix is ​​composed of multiple branches connected in parallel, consisting of fast-switching solenoid valves 10 and orifice plates 11.

[0070] The orifice plate matrix controller is used to control the throttling orifice plate 11 by controlling the fast-switching solenoid valve 10, thereby reducing the inlet pressure.

[0071] The orifice plate 11 is a concentric sharp orifice plate used to reduce inlet pressure.

[0072] The maximum upstream working pressure of the matrix is ​​38 MPa, and the downstream output pressure range is 5–15 MPa, with a maximum working fluid supply flow rate of 10 L / s. Ten matrix branches are arranged, each equipped with a solenoid valve and orifice plate to achieve pressure reduction. Simultaneously, the orifice plate matrix controller and control system transmit data via an RS485 bus. The pressure regulation target value is set by the measurement and control system and transmitted to the orifice plate matrix controller; the orifice plate matrix controller, based on the acquired pressure regulation target value, controls the orifice plate via the fast-switching solenoid valve.

[0073] The multi-path matrix branches are equipped with orifice plates with diameters ranging from 0.5mm to 2mm. Based on the upstream pressure feedback value, when the feedback value differs from the set pressure by more than 50%, the orifice plate with the largest diameter is opened first. When the feedback pressure gradually approaches the set pressure, the orifice plate with the large diameter is closed and the orifice plate with the small diameter is opened to reduce the flow rate and slow down the inflation rate. When the set value is equal to the feedback value, all solenoid valves are closed.

[0074] Specifically, the electronic pressure regulator includes: an electronic pressure regulator and a pneumatic actuator;

[0075] The pneumatic actuator is located in the main circuit of the electronic pressure regulator and is used to adjust the intake air volume;

[0076] The electronic pressure regulator is located in the bypass of the electronic pressure regulator and is used to control the pneumatic actuator.

[0077] By opening the secondary inlet valve 5, external air enters the electronic pressure regulator 6. The main air source enters the regulating valve, and the bypass air source enters the pilot valve 16 after passing through the bypass pressure reducing valve 15.

[0078] According to the present invention, an automatic inflation / deflation device for air tightness testing is implemented using the aforementioned automatic inflation / deflation device for air tightness testing, comprising the following steps:

[0079] When the gas source passes through the automatic inflation / deflation device during the airtightness process, the PWM control system of the orifice plate is used to achieve automatic coarse adjustment of the target pressure front value; then the electronic pressure regulator is used to achieve automatic fine adjustment of the target pressure through PID control.

[0080] The automatic coarse adjustment of the target pressure of the pre-stage paper using PWM control via the orifice plate control system includes: setting a secondary inlet pressure setpoint through the measurement and control system and reading the corresponding pressure value through the secondary inlet pressure sensor; and repeatedly controlling the fast-switching solenoid valve according to the secondary inlet pressure setpoint, thereby controlling the orifice plate so that the pressure in the buffer gas cylinder matches the secondary inlet pressure setpoint.

[0081] The step of using the electronic pressure regulator for PID control to achieve automatic fine-tuning of the target pressure includes:

[0082] The target pressure is set through the aforementioned measurement and control system;

[0083] The outlet feedback pressure of the electronic pressure regulator is read by the outlet feedback pressure sensor.

[0084] Based on the target pressure and the feedback pressure at the outlet of the electronic pressure regulator, the pneumatic actuator is controlled by the electronic pressure regulator to adjust the intake air volume so that the feedback pressure at the outlet of the electronic pressure regulator matches the target pressure.

[0085] The measurement and control system reads the feedback value every 25 milliseconds and compares it with the target pressure.

[0086] If the feedback value is lower than the set value, the electronic pressure regulator will activate the intake valve, allowing pilot pressure to enter the regulator's actuator. This will cause the regulator's main valve to open, thereby increasing the downstream system pressure. The TESCOM ER5000 electronic pressure regulator will continue to send pilot pressure to the regulator's pneumatic actuator until the feedback value and the set value are equal. Once these two values ​​are equal, the intake valve will close, and the system will be stabilized under pressure again.

[0087] If the feedback value is higher than the set value, the TESCOM ER5000 electronic pressure regulator will activate the vent valve to release pilot pressure from the regulator. The decrease in pilot pressure can cause the regulator's main valve to close and simultaneously open the regulator's vent port, thereby releasing excess system pressure until the feedback signal equals the set value. Once these two values ​​are equal, the vent valve will close, stabilizing the system at this pressure.

[0088] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0089] Specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essence of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

Claims

1. An automatic inflation / deflation device for airtightness testing, characterized in that, include: Ventilation piping, inlet pressure sensor, orifice plate control system, buffer container, secondary inlet pressure sensor, secondary inlet valve, electronic pressure regulator, venting valve, target container, and measurement and control system; The ventilation pipe is used to transmit the gas source; The inlet pressure sensor is used to measure the pressure value of the gas source at the inlet; The orifice plate control system is used to reduce the pressure of the gas source fluid; The buffer container is used to store the gas flowing out of the control system of the orifice plate. The secondary inlet pressure sensor is used to measure the pressure value at the inlet of the electronic pressure regulator; The secondary inlet valve is used to control the entry of external air into the electronic pressure regulator; The electronic pressure regulator is used to control the pressure of the outflowing gas to a set target pressure value; The vent valve is used to release gas; The target container is used to collect the outflowing gas; The measurement and control system is used to control the outflow gas pressure of the orifice plate control system and the electronic pressure regulator; During transmission, the gas source passes sequentially through the inlet pressure sensor, the orifice plate control system, the buffer container, the secondary inlet pressure sensor, the secondary inlet valve, the electronic pressure regulator, the venting valve, and the target container via the venting pipeline. The orifice plate control system includes: an orifice plate control matrix and an orifice plate matrix controller; The orifice plate control matrix includes an intake main pipe and an exhaust main pipe; The orifice plate control matrix is ​​composed of multiple branches connected in parallel, consisting of fast-switching solenoid valves and orifice plates. The orifice plate matrix controller is used to control the throttling orifice plate by controlling the fast-switching solenoid valve, thereby reducing the inlet pressure.

2. The automatic inflation / deflation device for airtightness testing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-path matrix branches are equipped with orifice plates with diameters ranging from 0.5mm to 2mm.

3. The automatic inflation / deflation device for airtightness testing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The throttling orifice plate is a concentric sharp orifice plate.

4. The automatic inflation / deflation device for airtightness testing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The orifice plate matrix controller and the measurement and control system transmit data via an RS485 bus. The measurement and control system sets the pressure regulation target value and transmits it to the orifice plate matrix controller. Based on the obtained pressure regulation target value, the orifice plate matrix controller controls the throttling orifice plate through the fast-switching solenoid valve.

5. The automatic inflation / deflation device for airtightness testing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electronic pressure regulator includes: an electronic pressure regulator and a pneumatic actuator; The pneumatic actuator is located in the main circuit of the electronic pressure regulator and is used to adjust the intake air volume; The electronic pressure regulator is located in the bypass of the electronic pressure regulator and is used to control the pneumatic actuator.

6. A method for implementing an automatic inflation / deflation device during an airtightness test, characterized in that, The automatic inflation / deflation device for the airtightness test process according to any one of claims 1 to 5 implements the following steps: When the gas source passes through the automatic inflation / deflation device during the airtightness process, the PWM control system of the orifice plate is used to achieve automatic coarse adjustment of the target pressure front value; then the electronic pressure regulator is used to achieve automatic fine adjustment of the target pressure through PID control.

7. The method for implementing the automatic inflation / deflation device during the airtightness test according to claim 6, characterized in that, The automatic coarse adjustment of the target pressure of the pre-stage paper using PWM control via the orifice plate control system includes: setting a secondary inlet pressure setpoint through the measurement and control system and reading the corresponding pressure value through the secondary inlet pressure sensor; and repeatedly controlling the rapid switching of the solenoid valve through the measurement and control system according to the secondary inlet pressure setpoint, thereby controlling the orifice plate so that the pressure in the buffer gas cylinder matches the secondary inlet pressure setpoint.

8. The method for implementing the automatic inflation / deflation device during the airtightness test according to claim 6, characterized in that, The automatic fine-tuning of the target pressure using PID control via the electronic pressure regulator includes: The target pressure is set through the aforementioned measurement and control system; The outlet feedback pressure of the electronic pressure regulator is read by the outlet feedback pressure sensor. Based on the target pressure and the feedback pressure at the outlet of the electronic pressure regulator, the pneumatic actuator is controlled by the electronic pressure regulator to adjust the intake air volume so that the feedback pressure at the outlet of the electronic pressure regulator matches the target pressure.

9. The method for implementing the automatic inflation / deflation device during the airtightness test according to claim 8, characterized in that, If the outlet feedback pressure of the electronic pressure regulator is lower than the target pressure, the electronic pressure regulator will activate the intake valve to allow pilot pressure to enter the actuator of the electronic pressure regulator until the outlet feedback pressure of the electronic pressure regulator is equal to the target pressure. If the feedback pressure at the outlet of the electronic pressure regulator is higher than the target pressure, the electronic pressure regulator will activate the exhaust valve to release the pilot pressure from the electronic pressure regulator, and the feedback pressure at the outlet of the electronic pressure regulator will be equal to the target pressure.

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