Patent ID: 8875559

Claim:
A method of testing contaminant levels in a first volume of gas containing hydrogen gas and contaminant gases, said method comprising the steps of: providing a collection chamber having a volumetric capacity that is less than said first volume; providing a hydrogen separator containing a hydrogen permeable membrane, wherein said hydrogen permeable membrane has a first side exposed to said collection chamber and a second side that is isolated from said collection chamber; introducing said first volume of gas into said collection chamber, wherein said first volume of gas is exposed to said first side of said hydrogen permeable membrane and said hydrogen gas within said first volume of gas permeates through said hydrogen permeable membrane and out of said collection chamber; actively drawing hydrogen gas away from said second side of said hydrogen permeable membrane by exposing said second side of said hydrogen permeable membrane to a gas that contains oxygen, wherein hydrogen permeating through said hydrogen permeable membrane reacts with said oxygen and is drawn away from said second side of said hydrogen permeable membrane, therein producing a lower partial pressure of said hydrogen gas in said collection chamber and an increased partial pressure of said contaminant gases within said collection chamber; measuring pressure within said collection chamber with a capacitance manometer; and providing a computer controller that is connected to said capacitance manometer and calculates a contamination level as a function of pressure measured by said capacitance manometer, wherein said contamination level is indicative of a volume of said contaminant gases present in said first volume of gas.