Patent ID: 6845652

Claim:
A method for leak testing a vessel, comprising the steps of: introducing one of a positive pressure and a partial vacuum into the vessel; detecting a variation over time of the one of the positive pressure and the partial vacuum in order to perform a leak-tightness measurement on said vessel and a corresponding reference measurement on said vessel using a reference leak in fluid communication with the one of the positive pressure and the partial vacuum; determining a presence of a leak in the vessel by comparing results of the leak-tightness measurement and the reference measurement; wherein during the leak-tightness measurement and the reference measurement, the one of the positive pressure and the partial vacuum is detected using a single pressure measuring device; and wherein the vessel and the reference leak are alternately subjected to the one of the positive pressure and the partial vacuum; and detecting and comparing respective resulting pressure variations upstream from a pressure source to one another, from which a determination is made as to leak-tightness of the vessel.