Abstract: A fill time and stabilize and measurement time are determined for a pneumatic testing procedure. The fill time is computed by identifying, in the filling of a sample unit, a time when a substantial portion of variations of a measured variable (due to stabilization) are completed. The stabilize and measurement time is determined by comparison of the measurement variable behavior when filling sample unit(s) that do not leak, to the measurement variable behaviors when filling a sample unit that is in communication with an orifice simulating a leak. A measurement performance factor may be computed from this data at each of several possible times after a unit is filled. A gauge repeatability factor may be computed based on variance of nonleaking units at each possible time, compared to the variable change made on a sample unit when coupled to a leak-simulating orifice. Either factor may be used to select a stabilize and measurement time.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sensor apparatus configured to detect the presence of a gas, such as a tracer gas and a leak detection apparatus configured to detect the present of a tracer gas and indicate the location of a leak. The sensor apparatus includes multiple sensors, each of which is a metal halide sensor. The leak detection apparatus may further be configured to quantify the leak rate at the leak location.