Water Leakage Detection of Underwater Housing at the Hydrostatic Test by Hyperbaric Chamber

Abstract

This paper deals with the development of a water-leakage detection system which can be used with an underwater housing under hydrostatic testing using a hyperbaric chamber which can produce a high-pressure condition artificially. This system can note the existence of water leakage inside the underwater housing and if leakage occurs, it can inform the operator. In this paper, the system configuration and the sensing mechanism of the overall system are first presented. As a first experiment to determine an effective material for the leakage-sensing electrode, various kinds of materials (aluminum, copper, and conductive fabric) were compared from the viewpoint of sensitivity. Furthermore, to determine the relation between electrode gap and sensitivity, another experiment was performed, and the optimal electrode size was derived. Using this system, small leakage droplets as small as 0.1 ml can be detected by the leakage-sensing electrode with optimal-sized gap. With respect to vibration measurement, a strain gage and a vibrating motor were used under simulated test conditions, and measured data were obtained. Now in this research, a calibration of vibration conditions was performed to increase the sensitivity of vibration transmission. Final integration of the embedded system is ongoing.