Airtightness testing system and airtightness testing method

Abstract

To provide an airtightness test system and an airtightness test method capable of easily performing an airtightness test of a clean room.SOLUTION: An airtightness testing system is provided with: a testing device having a shell section which covers, from the indoor side of a clean room, a differential pressure adjusting mechanism which is provided in the clean room and adjusts the differential pressure between the indoor side and the outdoor side, and a fixing section which presses and fixes the shell section to the wall on the indoor side of the clean room; and an air blowing device which generates a differential pressure in the clean room by guiding air from the inside of the clean room to the outside or air in the clean room through the differential pressure adjusting mechanism covered by the shell section. In addition, the airtightness test method includes steps corresponding to those described above.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an airtightness testing system and an airtightness testing method for conducting an airtightness test of a clean room. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an airtightness measuring device that measures the airtightness of a building. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3228288 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the airtightness measuring device of Patent Document 1 requires a separate mechanism for tightly fixing the airtightness measuring device. Also, since the airtightness measuring device of Patent Document 1 is attached to a window frame, it may not be applicable to clean rooms that do not have windows.

[0005] The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides an airtightness testing system and an airtightness testing method that enable easy airtightness testing of clean rooms. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The airtightness testing system of the present invention is an airtightness testing system for conducting airtightness tests of clean rooms, and comprises a testing device having a shell part that covers a differential pressure adjustment mechanism installed in the clean room to adjust the differential pressure between the inside and outside of the clean room from the inside of the clean room, and a fixing part that presses and fixes the shell part against the wall on the inside of the clean room, and a blower that guides air from the inside to the outside of the clean room, or from the outside to the inside of the clean room, through the differential pressure adjustment mechanism covered by the shell part, thereby generating a differential pressure in the clean room.

[0007] The airtightness testing method of the present invention is an airtightness testing method for conducting an airtightness test of a clean room, and includes the steps of using a shell portion of a testing device to cover a differential pressure adjustment mechanism that adjusts the differential pressure between the inside and outside of the clean room, from the inside of the clean room, using a fixing portion of the testing device to press and fix the shell portion against the indoor wall of the clean room, and guiding air from the inside to the outside of the clean room, or from the outside to the inside of the clean room, through the differential pressure adjustment mechanism covered by the shell portion, to generate a differential pressure in the clean room.

[0008] According to this configuration, the shell part covers the differential pressure adjustment mechanism, and the fixing part can bias and fix the shell part to the wall of the clean room, so no additional mechanism is required for performing an airtightness test. Therefore, an airtightness test system and an airtightness test method that can easily perform an airtightness test of a clean room can be provided.

[0009] In one aspect of the present invention, the fixing portion includes a support portion that is detachably attached to the wall on the interior side of the room so as to cover the shell portion, and a biasing portion that receives a reaction force from the support portion and biases the shell portion toward the wall.

[0010] According to this configuration, the biasing portion applies a reaction force to the support portion to bias the shell portion toward the wall, thereby ensuring stability when the testing device is attached to the wall on the indoor side. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an airtightness testing system and an airtightness testing method that enable airtightness testing of a clean room to be easily performed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an airtightness testing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a testing device in an airtightness testing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a mounting structure of a test device in an airtightness test system according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An airtightness testing system 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the airtightness testing system 100 according to an embodiment. In the following drawings, identical members or parts, or members or parts having the same functions, are given the same reference numerals or the reference numerals are omitted. In addition, the front-to-back, top-to-bottom, and left-to-right positional relationships of each component of the airtightness testing system 100 are, in principle, the positional relationships when each component is installed in a usable state.

[0014] 1, the airtightness test system 100 is placed in a clean room 200. The clean room 200 is defined by walls 200a that form the sides of the clean room 200 and surround it on all four sides, a floor 200b that forms the bottom surface of the clean room 200, and a ceiling 200c that forms the top surface of the clean room 200.

[0015] The clean room 200 is a space in which the amount of contaminants, such as fine particles or microorganisms, suspended in the air is controlled to a certain level or higher of cleanliness. The clean room 200 is maintained at a positive or negative pressure depending on its use and purpose. For example, when semiconductor manufacturing is carried out in the clean room 200, the interior is maintained at a positive pressure to prevent dust from entering from the outside. A clean room 200 in which the interior is maintained at a positive pressure is called a positive pressure clean room. Furthermore, when radioactive materials are handled in the clean room 200, the interior is maintained at a negative pressure to prevent the radioactive materials from leaking to the outside. A clean room 200 in which the interior is maintained at a negative pressure is called a negative pressure clean room.

[0016] The airtightness testing system 100 includes a testing device 10 and a blower device 30 .

[0017] The test apparatus 10 is placed on a wall 200a of the clean room 200. Air inside the clean room 200 is blown into the test apparatus 10 by a blower 30. The detailed configuration of the test apparatus 10 will be described later.

[0018] The blower 30 is a rotary machine that generates an airflow by rotating multiple blades using a motor (not shown) to add kinetic energy to the air. The rotation speed of the motor in the blower 30 is controlled by a control device (not shown). By controlling the rotation speed of the motor in the blower 30, the rotation speed of the multiple blades is controlled, so that the differential pressure within the clean room 200, for example, negative pressure or positive pressure, is maintained at an appropriate level during the airtightness test.

[0019] The blower 30 can be placed anywhere inside the clean room 200, but is preferably placed on the floor for reasons of stability, safety, and the like. The blower 30 may be, for example, a sirocco fan as shown in FIG. 1 , but is not limited thereto and any type of fan may be used as long as it can maintain an appropriate differential pressure during the airtightness test. For example, the blower 30 may be, but is not limited to, a centrifugal fan other than a sirocco fan, such as a turbofan, or an axial fan such as a propeller fan.

[0020] The blower 30 is connected to the test apparatus 10 via a duct 50. The duct 50 is an air pipe that guides the airflow generated by the operation of the blower 30 to the inside or outside of the clean room 200 via the test apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. 1 , the duct 50 has a rigid duct 50a, such as a spiral duct, that is connected to the test apparatus 10 and extends in a direction away from the wall 200a of the clean room 200. The duct 50 also has a soft duct 50b, such as a flexible duct, that connects the rigid duct 50a to the air outlet of the blower 30. By using the soft duct 50b as the duct 50 on the blower 30 side, the arrangement of the blower 30 in the clean room 200 can be freely adjusted.

[0021] The configuration of the duct 50 is not limited to the example shown in Fig. 1, and the entire duct 50 may be formed as a rigid duct 50a, or the entire duct 50 may be formed as a flexible duct 50b. The duct 50 may be made of a metal such as aluminum, a resin containing vinyl chloride, or a combination of these metals and resins. The duct 50 may be formed as a part of the test apparatus 10, or as a part of the air blower 30.

[0022] An air leak detection device 150 for detecting an air leak location L in the clean room 200 is disposed inside the clean room 200. The air leak detection device 150 is installed at any position where it can detect the air leak location L in the clean room 200, for example, inside the clean room 200. The air leak detection device 150 may be, but is not limited to, a thermal camera with a tripod as shown in FIG. 1 . When an airtightness test is performed with the interior of the clean room 200 under negative pressure, the thermal camera is installed so as to capture an image of the temperature distribution inside the clean room 200. In the image of the temperature distribution captured by the thermal camera, the temperature at the air leak location L inside the clean room 200 is detected as a temperature different from the temperatures of other locations. Therefore, by capturing an image of the temperature distribution inside the clean room 200 with the thermal camera and analyzing and verifying the captured image using a computer (not shown), it is possible to identify the air leak location L in the clean room 200.

[0023] The air leak location L in the clean room 200 can also be detected by other methods. For example, an operator may manually identify the air leak location L based on the sound of air leaking into the clean room 200. As described above, if an operator manually identifies the air leak location L in the clean room 200, the placement of the air leak detection device 150 in the clean room 200 can be omitted. Furthermore, if an airtightness test is performed with the interior of the clean room 200 under positive pressure, a thermal camera is installed outside the clean room 200 so as to photograph the temperature distribution on the outer wall of the clean room 200.

[0024] Next, the operation of the airtightness test system 100 in an airtightness test will be described. Note that in an airtightness test, openings that are not subject to air leak inspection are closed with masking tape or a lid member having a shape similar to that of the shell part 1, which will be described later. Examples of openings that are not subject to air leak inspection include air inlets or exhaust holes for ventilation.

[0025] When air inside the clean room 200 is guided to the outside of the clean room 200 via the duct 50 and the testing device 10 by the rotational drive of the air blower 30, negative pressure is generated inside the clean room 200. If negative pressure is generated inside the clean room 200 and the clean room 200 is not sealed properly, air leakage from the outside of the clean room 200 occurs. Furthermore, when air outside the clean room 200 is guided to the inside of the clean room 200 via the duct 50 and the testing device 10 by the rotational drive of the air blower 30, positive pressure is generated inside the clean room 200. If positive pressure is generated inside the clean room 200 and the clean room 200 is not sealed properly, air leakage from the inside of the clean room 200 occurs. As described above, the air leak point L in the clean room 200 is identified using a thermal camera or the like. Therefore, by operating the airtightness testing system 100 as described above, an airtightness test of the clean room 200 can be easily performed.

[0026] Next, the structure of the test device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the test device 10 in the airtightness test system 100 according to the embodiment. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the mounting structure of the test device 10 in the airtightness test system 100 according to the embodiment.

[0027] 2 and 3, the testing device 10 is formed so as to cover an air vent 200a1 provided in a wall 200a of the clean room 200 from the inside of the clean room 200. The air vent 200a1 of the clean room 200 is provided with a differential pressure adjustment mechanism for adjusting the differential pressure between the inside and outside of the room, for example, an air supply and exhaust facility such as a differential pressure damper 90.

[0028] The differential pressure damper 90 is positioned so as to cover the air vent 200a1. When the clean room 200 is a negative pressure clean room, the differential pressure damper 90 is attached to the wall 200a so as to rotate about a rotation axis 90a toward the inside of the clean room 200. When the clean room 200 is a positive pressure clean room, the differential pressure damper 90 is attached to the wall 200a so as to rotate toward the outside of the clean room 200. The differential pressure damper 90 is formed from, but is not limited to, a lightweight material, for example, a metal such as aluminum steel or a resin such as hard plastic.

[0029] Furthermore, a stopper 95 is preferably provided on the wall 200a of the clean room 200 to prevent the differential pressure damper 90 from completely closing. When the clean room 200 is a negative-pressure clean room, the stopper 95 is provided, for example, in an L-shape on the inner surface of the wall 200a of the clean room 200 and on the wall of the hole that forms the air vent 200a1. The stopper 95 is formed, for example, of an elastic material such as ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM) or a resin such as hard plastic. By providing the stopper 95 on the wall 200a of the clean room 200, a gap is formed between the differential pressure damper 90 and the air vent 200a1. When an airtightness test is performed under negative pressure in the room, air inside the clean room 200 can be guided to the outside through the gap formed between the differential pressure damper 90 and the air vent 200a1. Therefore, by providing the stopper 95 on the wall 200a of the clean room 200, an airtightness test can be effectively performed under negative pressure in the room. The stopper 95 can be omitted when the airtightness test is performed in a negative pressure clean room with the interior pressure set to positive.

[0030] If the clean room 200 is a positive pressure clean room, the stopper 95 is preferably provided on the outside of the wall 200a of the clean room 200. This allows air from outside the clean room 200 to be guided into the inside through the gap formed between the differential pressure damper 90 and the air vent 200a1 when an airtightness test is performed with the interior of the room at positive pressure. The stopper 95 can be omitted when the airtightness test is performed with the interior of the positive pressure clean room at negative pressure.

[0031] The testing device 10 has a shell portion 1. The shell portion 1 is formed so as to cover the differential pressure damper 90 from the inside of the clean room. The shell portion 1 can be formed of any material provided that it is lightweight and has high strength, and may be formed of, but is not limited to, a metal material such as aluminum steel, a resin such as hard plastic, or a combination of metal and resin.

[0032] 2 and 3, the shell portion 1 is formed in a hexahedral shape, but it can be formed in any three-dimensional shape as long as a space is formed between the shell portion 1 and the wall 200a and the operation of the differential pressure damper 90 is not hindered. The shell portion 1 may be, for example, hemispherical or dome-shaped, or may be a polyhedral shape other than a hexahedron. The contact portion 1a where the shell portion 1 comes into contact with the wall 200a is formed of an elastic material such as ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM). Forming the contact portion 1a from an elastic material prevents the shell portion 1 from moving from the wall 200a and prevents the wall 200a from being damaged when the shell portion 1 is attached.

[0033] The space formed between the shell part 1 and the wall 200a is in communication with the inside of the duct 50, and the air inside the clean room 200 blown from the blower 30 toward the differential pressure damper 90 flows into the space formed between the shell part 1 and the wall 200a. The air that has flowed into the space formed between the shell part 1 and the wall 200a flows out of the clean room 200 through the gap between the differential pressure damper 90 and the wall 200a, generating negative pressure inside the clean room 200.

[0034] 2 and 3, the tube of the differential pressure gauge 70 is sandwiched between the contact portion 1a of the shell portion 1 and the wall 200a and is drawn out to the outside of the clean room 200. A capacitance-type pressure sensor (not shown), for example, is provided at the tip of the tube of the differential pressure gauge 70, and the pressure sensor detects the air pressure outside the clean room 200. Although not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, another tube of the differential pressure gauge 70 is also arranged inside the clean room 200, and a capacitance-type pressure sensor, for example, is provided at the tip of this tube. The negative pressure inside the clean room 200 is detected by the pressure sensor inside the clean room 200. The differential pressure detected by the differential pressure gauge 70 is input to a control device (not shown), and the control device controls the rotation speed of the motor of the air blower 30. Therefore, by providing a differential pressure gauge 70 in the airtightness testing system 100, the rotation speed of the motor of the blower 30 can be controlled and the rotation speed of the blades of the blower 30 can be changed, thereby maintaining the differential pressure inside the clean room 200 within a predetermined range.

[0035] Instead of the differential pressure gauge 70, pressure sensors may be provided inside and outside the clean room 200, and the air pressures detected by these sensors may be input directly to the control device. Furthermore, the control of the air blower 30 may be based on data used in past tests of similar clean rooms. When the control of the air blower 30 is based on past data, the pressure detection means such as the differential pressure gauge 70 can be omitted from the airtightness testing system 100.

[0036] The testing apparatus 10 has a fixing portion 7. The fixing portion 7 biases and fixes the shell portion 1 to the wall 200a on the indoor side of the clean room 200. In the testing apparatus 10 of the embodiment, the fixing portion 7 has a support portion 5. The support portion 5 is detachably attached to the wall 200a on the indoor side of the clean room 200 so as to cover the shell portion 1. The support portion 5 of the embodiment has a core portion 5a, multiple legs 5b that bend and extend from the core portion 5a, and mounting portions 5c that are provided at the tip of each of the multiple legs 5b and are detachably attached to the wall 200a on the indoor side of the clean room 200. The core portion 5a and the multiple legs 5b can be formed of any material as long as they are lightweight and strong, and may be formed of, but are not limited to, a metal material such as aluminum steel, a resin such as hard plastic, or a combination of metal and resin. The mounting portion 5c can be formed of any material provided that it can be removably attached to the wall 200a, and may be, without limitation, a suction cup made of rubber such as silicone rubber, or a magnet such as ferrite.

[0037] The test device 10 has a biasing unit 3. The biasing unit 3 biases the shell unit 1 toward the wall 200a by applying a reaction force to the support unit 5. With this configuration, the biasing unit 3 biases the shell unit 1 toward the wall 200a by applying a reaction force to the support unit 5, thereby ensuring stability when the test device 10 is attached to the wall 200a on the indoor side.

[0038] In the test device 10 of the embodiment, the biasing unit 3 has a handle portion 3a and a shaft portion 3b connected to the handle portion 3a. The biasing unit 3 can be formed of any material provided that it is lightweight and has high strength, and may be formed of, but is not limited to, a metal material such as aluminum steel, a resin such as hard plastic, or a combination of metal and resin.

[0039] The shaft portion 3b of the biasing unit 3 penetrates the core portion 5a of the support unit 5. A portion of the surface of the shaft portion 3b at the position where it penetrates the core portion 5a is formed with a male screw thread, and the through-hole of the core portion 5a is formed with a female screw thread, so that the shaft portion 3b can be screwed into the core portion 5a. Therefore, by rotating the handle portion 3a, the handle portion 3a can be brought closer to the core portion 5a and the tip of the shaft portion 3b can be brought into contact with the shell portion 1. When the tip of the shaft portion 3b contacts the bearing portion 1b of the shell portion 1, the shell portion 1 is biased toward the wall 200a. This improves the adhesion of the shell portion 1 to the wall 200a, preventing air leakage between the shell portion 1 and the wall 200a, thereby reducing energy loss when generating negative pressure in the clean room 200.

[0040] The legs 5b of the support unit 5 may have any configuration, provided that they are detachably attached to the wall 200a so as to cover the shell unit 1. For example, although the number of legs 5b is four in FIGS. 2 and 3, any number may be used. Furthermore, the legs 5b may have a three-dimensional shape such as a hemisphere, a dome, or a polyhedron. Furthermore, although the legs 5b are L-shaped in FIGS. 2 and 3, they may also be curved.

[0041] 2 and 3, the biasing portion 3 is formed as a handle, but it may be any device or mechanism, such as a spring or other elastic member, a hydraulic pump, or a jack, provided that it can improve the adhesion to the wall 200a of the shell portion 1.

[0042] As described above, the airtightness testing system 100 of the embodiment is an airtightness testing system 100 for conducting an airtightness test of a clean room 200, and is equipped with a testing device 10 having a differential pressure adjustment mechanism for adjusting the differential pressure between the inside and outside of the clean room 200, for example, a shell part 1 that covers a differential pressure damper 90 installed in the clean room 200 from the inside of the clean room 200, and a fixing part 7 that presses and fixes the shell part 1 to the wall 200a on the inside of the clean room 200, and an air blower 30 that guides air from the inside to the outside of the clean room 200 or from the outside to the inside of the clean room through the differential pressure adjustment mechanism covered by the shell part 1, thereby generating a differential pressure in the clean room 200.

[0043] In addition, the airtightness testing method of the embodiment is an airtightness testing method for conducting an airtightness test of a clean room 200, and includes the steps of using the shell portion 1 of the testing device 10 to cover a differential pressure adjustment mechanism, for example, a differential pressure damper 90, which adjusts the differential pressure between indoors and outdoors and is installed in the clean room 200, from the indoor side of the clean room 200, using the fixing portion 7 of the testing device 10 to force and fix the shell portion 1 to the indoor side wall 200a of the clean room 200, and guiding air from the inside to the outside of the clean room 200, or from the outside to the inside of the clean room, via the differential pressure adjustment mechanism covered by the shell portion 1, to generate a differential pressure in the clean room 200.

[0044] The clean room 200 must be equipped with a differential pressure damper 90 because its interior must be maintained at either negative or positive pressure during use. The differential pressure damper 90 is installed in the clean room 200 relatively early in the construction process. Therefore, airtightness testing, which was previously performed when there was little time left until completion, can now be performed as soon as the clean room 200 is completed. Furthermore, even if an abnormality is found in the airtightness test, the impact on the process and costs can be minimized because construction workers are still present on the clean room 200. Furthermore, this reduces the time and effort required to redo the construction process, such as reassembling scaffolding and removing equipment, which would have been required if an airtightness test had been performed when there was little time left until completion.

[0045] In the airtightness testing system 100 and airtightness testing method of the embodiment, when an airtightness test is performed by creating a negative pressure in the clean room 200, both the airtightness test and the analysis and verification of the results can be performed indoors. Therefore, by performing an airtightness test by creating a negative pressure in the clean room 200, the time and effort required for the airtightness test can be reduced.

[0046] Furthermore, in the airtightness testing system 100 and airtightness testing method of the embodiment, the shell portion 1 covers the differential pressure damper 90, and the fixing portion 7 can bias and fix the shell portion 1 to the wall 200a of the clean room 200, so no additional mechanism is required to perform the airtightness test. Therefore, it is possible to provide the airtightness testing system 100 and airtightness testing method that can easily perform the airtightness test of the clean room 200. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1 shell part, 1a contact part, 1b bearing part, 3 biasing part, 3a handle part, 3b shaft part, 5 support part, 5a core part, 5b leg part, 5c mounting part, 7 fixing part, 10 test equipment, 30 blower, 50 duct, 50a hard duct, 50b soft duct, 70 differential pressure gauge, 90 differential pressure damper (differential pressure adjustment mechanism), 90a rotating shaft, 95 stopper, 100 airtightness test system, 150 leak detection device, 200 clean room, 200a wall, 200a1 vent, 200b floor, 200c ceiling.

Claims

1. An airtightness testing system for performing an airtightness test on a clean room, comprising: a testing device having a shell portion that covers a differential pressure adjustment mechanism that adjusts the differential pressure between inside and outside the clean room from the inside of the clean room, and a fixing portion that biases and fixes the shell portion to a wall on the inside of the clean room; a blower that induces air from the inside to the outside of the clean room or from the outside to the inside of the clean room through the differential pressure adjustment mechanism covered by the shell portion, thereby generating a differential pressure in the clean room; Equipped with Airtightness testing system.

2. The fixing portion is a support portion that is detachably attached to the indoor wall so as to cover the shell portion; a biasing portion that biases the shell portion toward the wall side by receiving a reaction force from the support portion; Equipped with The airtightness testing system of claim 1 .

3. An airtightness testing method for conducting an airtightness test of a clean room, comprising: a step of covering a differential pressure adjustment mechanism provided in the clean room from an interior side of the clean room using a shell portion of the testing device; a step of biasing and fixing the shell portion to an interior wall of the clean room using a fixing portion of the test device; a step of inducing air from the inside to the outside of the clean room or from the outside to the inside of the clean room through the differential pressure adjustment mechanism covered by the shell portion to generate a differential pressure in the clean room; Contains Airtightness test method.

Images