Description
Leak Detection Replicating Human Suction
The DigiVac EXACT Cart: Mobile Leak Detection Replicating Human Suction
Features
This system was created to help speed the testing required in product development to simulate human suction levels and how those affect product design. Product development teams might be making straws, bottles with straws, vaporizers or other devices that would require a human to breath in through a device. Things to consider in this model is how much a human would draw both in length of time, and pressure differential (vacuum).
- Turnkey leak testing or human suction simulator
- Pre-connected and wired system to achieve any vacuum level between 2 Torr and 760 torr at the touch of a button
- Rugged, compact, and moveable with everything installed
- Flexible and ready for expansion with extra ports and valves to control flow and draining
- Free logging software to catalog data
Applied Research and How it is Used
Two papers we found illustrated the concept of how much a human would draw both in length of time, and pressure differential (vacuum):
- Clark paper on muscle activity during sipping
- Nilson paper on monitoring suction and swallowing
Our own suction research seemed to point that a human suction has a limit of about 300 Torr (-460 Torr from Atmosphere). In reviewing the papers, we came up with the following limits in terms of flow and vacuum:
| Vacuum level for human suction | |||||
| ATM | Torr | Sensor | |||
| deepest vacuum | 0.25 | 190.0 | 775i | ||
| shallowest vacuum | 0.987 | 750 | 775i | ||
| Approximum max and min airflow by differential from ATM of deepest and maximum vacuum | |||||
| Temp F | Orifice | SCFM | |||
| max flow | 50 | .25″ | 10.9 | ||
| min flow | 50 | .25″ | 2.233 | ||
| Water Flow Max + Min | Min ml/s | Max ml/s theoretical | |||
| One hand and drink thru lids | 13 | 272 | |||
| Water Bottle Lids | 50 | 272 | |||
| ID of straw: 6mm (~0.25″) |
What we concluded is that in order to fully test the limits of human sipping or inhalation, the variables expanded rapidly. We decided to focus on the suction variable since that is where our specialty is, and focus on sipping through a straw. This system was created to most fully be able to simulate the suction piece, and through a sufficient volume ballast tank was able to keep that pressure level consistent over the duration of a “sip”
Ideal for automating and simplifying Leak Detection.
EXACT Package Details
- SNAP vacuum controller
- IDP3 dry pump
- Water flow meter
- Stainless steel 20 liter chamber with vacuum water, and drain valves with fittings for expansion.
- Cart on lockable caster wheels
- Pre-tested vacuum plumbing with documentation
Applications
Research & Development
Who would use it ?
- Product development teams looking to better understand how their products interact with human suction at different levels
- Researchers who want a clean way to simulate suction for different types of individuals
- A product team looking for an easy way to leak test a system using a standard drop test, but are concerned full vacuum would damage the product or not be sensitive enough.
- A lab that wants better control over their vacuum decay leak tests
Product Alternative recommendations
If a deeper vacuum for control is required, then we would recommend a DCP or DPP sensor to allow vacuum control down to 50 millitorr. If a deeper base pressure or faster evacuation is requested, we would recommend an IDP7 or DS-602 pump. If Nitrogen purge is requested, we would recommend our Nitrogen purge valve kit. If additional telemetry would make sense, then adding air flow sensors would provide even more complete data to assess. Adding automation so the test would start with the push of a button, run and automatically collect data may help facilitate testing with even less technician demands.
SIMPLIFY YOUR LAB & CONTROL MORE WITH LESS
See how the Cart works here
