Patent ID: 6537824
Filing Date: 2003-03-25
Classification: G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
A process for metering hydrogen permeated in a metallurgical structure comprising the steps of:a) selecting a pair of couples, a metering couple and a reference couple, each said couple being formed from two dissimilar materials, b) setting up a sensor comprising said pair of metering couples, c) positioning said metering couple so that said metering couple has a metallurgical continuity with a metallic surface of said metallurgical structure, thereby ensuring that a flow of hydrogen from a hydrogen-generating means permeates said metering couple, d) positioning said reference couple so that said metering couple has no metallurgical continuity with said metallic surface of said metallurgical structure, thereby ensuring that said flow of hydrogen from said hydrogen-generating means does not permeate said reference couple, e) attaching said metering couple and said reference couple to means of measuring electric characteristics, and f) using a difference in measured electrical characteristics between said metering couple and said reference couple to quantitatively determine a hydrogen mass flow permeating said metallic surface.