The present invention discloses an accessory for making and coupling a flow path between a package and a tester. The accessory is configured to automatically make a hole onto a package. The accessory is further configured to form a hole without utilizing a hollow needle or a septum. The accessory is further configured to couple the hole of the package to the tester, which could be a leakage tester or a gas tester, or a tester that performs both gas detection test and leakage test. The accessory is further configured to seal a flow path between the hole and the tester from an external environment. The accessory is further configured to make and couple the flow path between the package and the tester either manually or automatically.

The systems and methods described herein provide highly dynamic and interactive data analysis user interfaces which enable the data analyst to quickly and efficiently explore large volume data sources, such as computer code or intellectual system. A user interface can be implanted that includes a plurality of nodes associated with portions of a process. The nodes may include indications of logical relationships between nodes. Node identifiers may be associated with particular nodes and be usable to select particular nodes. Reliability scores associated with particular nodes can be included.

A method of testing the structural integrity of a rigid container comprises performing a sampling process on the rigid container comprising sampling a volume of sample gas from a sampling region associated with the rigid container, wherein the method further comprises performing a detection process comprising producing one or more laser beams for excitation of one or more materials that may be in the volume of sample gas, wherein the one or more materials are representative of a gas and/or vapour and/or a liquid leak from the rigid container and detecting light that has passed through the volume of sample gas, and determining the presence and/or absence and/or amount of said one or more materials in the volume of sample gas based on detected light.

A method and system for detecting small leaks in a plumbing system is disclosed. A temperature sensor coupled to the water in the plumbing system is used to determine if there is a leak. During times of inactivity for fixtures in the plumbing systems, a flow sensor might measure usage of water that would indicate a leak. For very small leaks, the flow is below a minimum measurable flow of the flow sensor. Embodiments of the invention measure temperature of water within a pipe coupled to the plumbing system. Temperature will generally decay in a particular predicable way when there is flow as the temperature of water upon entry to the building is lower than the air temperature within the building. Signal processing, machine learning and/or statistical approaches are used to analyze the temperature and optionally flow and/or pressure over time to determine when a leak is likely.

A test gas applicator (10) for administering test gas to a test object to be tested for the presence of a leak, comprising a housing (12) surrounding a test gas volume (14) and having a test gas outlet (24) with a membrane material (28) through which the test gas diffuses and/or permeates.

A system for measuring water flows in a sub-network of a water distribution network is provided. The system includes a plurality of sensors, for example pressure sensors, on the network. The system further comprises communication links between the sensor and one a computing device, and a measurement acquisition system. The computing device is configured to retrieve values of measurements, directly or through the measurement acquisition system; use values of measurements to determine values of control variables of a model of the water distribution network which minimize residue values between measurements values and predicted physical values on the network; then use the model parameter with the values of control variables to calculate water flows at the boundaries of the sub-network.

A filter assembly and a method of operating the same to detect water leaks are provided. The filter assembly includes a filter housing for receiving a filter cartridge and at least partially defining a drain trough positioned below the filter cartridge for collecting leaked water. A light source is positioned proximate the drain trough for directing light through the drain trough and a light sensor is positioned proximate the drain trough for sensing the light directed through the drain trough. A controller uses the light sensor to monitor the light generated by the light source and determines that a leak exists when an intensity of sensed light is reduced by the leaked water.

Systems and methods for predicting, detecting, and/or mitigating a pipe freeze are provided. A system for analyzing water in a plumbing system includes a sensor that is configured to measure pressure within a pipe in the plumbing system as a function of time, and a processor that is configured to determine a state of water within the pipe by analyzing the pressure within the pipe as a function of time. The state of the water includes a prediction that the water within the pipe will freeze and/or a determination that the water within the pipe has frozen. The sensor is arranged at a first location within the plumbing system that is remote from a second location within the plumbing system that corresponds to the state of the water.

A flow rate of a gas is determined based on a predetermined relational expression including, as parameters: the flow rate of the gas; diameter and length of a hole; upstream and downstream pressures; and temperature, molecular weight, viscosity coefficient, and specific heat ratio of the gas. Additionally, setting conditions for a type and temperature of the gas, the length of the hole, and the pressures upstream and downstream from the hole are set; the relational expression is used to obtain the correspondence relationship between the diameter of the hole and the flow rate of the gas flowing through the hole; an approximation function approximating the obtained correspondence relationship is determined; the flow rate of a gas passing through a test piece having a hole of an unknown diameter is measured; and the diameter of the hole is estimated, based on the measured flow rate and the approximation function.

Systems and methodologies are disclosed to detect a leak in a duct system or other closed loop systems. The system and methodologies use a light source to detect a leak in a duct system, e.g., the ductwork of a HVAC/R system.