The PHD-4
Portable Helium Detector
Unmatched portability and sensitivity
The Agilent PHD-4:
Maximizing Productivity and Uptime
Global Application Support
Expertise When & Where You Need It
– Thousands of portable SIPD sniffing helium
detectors are in daily use worldwide
– Helium leak testing is the preferred solution
in a broad range of applications and industries
– Native language application specialists available locally
High Performance Instruments
Wide Range, PHD-4 Portable Helium Detector
– High Sensitivity to Helium
– Easy to Use
– Truly Portable
– Versatile
– Dependable
Industry Leading Service & Support
Get The Most From Your Investment
– The system is designed to allow easy replacement of
sampling line components in the field
– Exchange units are available for rapid field replacement
– Support programs can be tailored to meet your most
demanding needs
Features and Benefits
High Sensitivity to Helium - Can detect very small leaks
– High Sensitivity (2 ppm) to helium, three orders of magnitude better than industry standard,
due to SIPD (proprietary and patented Selective Ion Pump Detection)
– Excellent selectivity for helium allows you to read helium leaks and ignore all other gases
– Helium sensitivity can be adjusted as required to minimize test costs and helium consumption
– Autozero function allows leak detection even in unstable helium background environments
Easy to Use - No training required
– State-of-the-art microprocessor control allows great simplicity of operation
– Fully automatic start-up with auto-diagnostics
– Ready for test in less than 3 minutes
– Intuitive display screen
– Visual and audio indicators (standard headphone connection)
– No tuning required
Truly Portable - Compact and light
– The PHD-4 weighs only 2,6 Kg (5.7 lbs) including the battery
– Its compact size allows it to be easily carried anywhere
– Its ergonomic design allows comfortable use for extended periods
Versatile - Suitable for many different applications
– Wide range of uses: replaces or can be used with existing methods such as bubble test or
pressure decay
– Able to detect both very small and large leaks
– Can operate either on battery power or connected to a mains power supply
– Displayed messages can be viewed in several languages (English, French, German, Italian)
– Standard Analog and RS232 Serial I/O
Dependable - Long term operation
– Automatic backflow valve helps prevent helium saturation, ensuring fast recovery time as well
as long life of sensing element.
– CE, CSA/US approved for global standardization
The PHD-4 Portable Helium Detector
Dimensions: millimeters (inches)
Technical Specifications
Lowest Detectable Helium Concentration 2 ppm (parts per million)
Lowest Detectable Helium leak 5 x 10
Response Time < 2 sec
Recovery Time < 10 sec (from 50 ppm to 0 ppm)
Start up time, including self check-up 3 min approx.
Power Supply – 12 Vdc, 1.2 A Rechargeable Battery included
Battery operation Time 4 hours
Maximum Signal Drift 10 ppm/10 min
Operating Conditions
Storage Conditions
Weight 2,6 Kg (5.7 lbs)
Compliance to Norms CE approved, CSA/US approved
-6
mbar l/s
-6
atm cc/s
5 x 10
-7
Pa m3/s
5 x 10
– 110-240 V 50-60 Hz Transformer/Battery Charger included
Temperature: +5°C to +35°C
Humidity: 90% maximum relative humidity
Temperature: -20°C to +60°C
Ordering Information Part Number
PHD-4 Complete Package
Travel Case includes:
– PHD-4 Basic Unit
– Spare Battery
– Transformer/Battery Charger
(110-240V)
– Carrying Strap
– Probe Set
– 15-pin I/O connector
– CD Instruction Manual
PHD-4 Basic Package
Includes:
– PHD-4 Basic Unit
– Transformer/Battery Charger
(110-240V)
– Carrying Strap
– 15-pin I/O connector
– CD Instruction Manual
PHD-4 Replacement Part Kit
Includes:
– Sampling Pump with Fittings
– Probe with Sampling Line
– Tip Probe Filter
– Internal Filter (Kit of 5 units)
Accessories
– Probe Set
– Capillary leak with refillable reservoir
and gauge
– Probe with 10 meter (30’) maximum
Sampling Line
– Telescoping Extension Probe
Individual Replacement Parts
– Spare Battery
– Transformer/Battery Charger
(110-240V)
– Sampling Pump with Fittings
– Probe with Sampling Line
– Tip Probe Filter
– Internal Filter (Kit of 5 units)
– Carrying Strap
– 15-pin I/O connector
– Travel Case (metal)
– PHD-4 Probe adapter
– Protective Bag
(canvas, see picture below)
9694640
9694600
9694660
9693515
9693540
9693525
9693520
SR 03.702609
SR 03.702888
SR 03.702513
SR 03.702538
SR 28.900012-01
SR 03.702959
SR 03.702791
SR 03.702894
SR 03.702890
SR 03.703054
VSPHD4BAG
Contact Agilent for Rack mounting or specific application requirements.
Applications
Large Vessels and Bioreactors
The PHD-4 offers unmatched accuracy and repeatability, presenting a unique solution
that is cost effective and very well suited for the leak range specifications of this
application. Biotech and pharmaceutical industries used to rely on pressure decay
and bubble test methods for finding leaks in their large bioreactors. The PHD-4 has
established a new standard of quality, significantly increasing production yields.
• Fermenters • Sterilizers • Freeze Dryers
Underground Pipes and Storage Tanks
The portability and light weight of the PHD-4 plays a major role in this application.
Underground pipes and storage tanks (UST) are slightly pressurized with helium
which, due to its high mobility, can escape through small leaks and migrate to the
surface, where it can be easily detected by the PHD-4. The accuracy, portability
and light weight of this unit greatly simplifies this process, particularly in difficult
construction sites or rough terrain.
• Gas distribution lines • Under and above ground containers and storage tanks
• Telecommunication and high voltage underground cables
Courtesy of Fraunhofer UMSICHT, Germany
He
Part to be tested
Leak
Water Heating and Cooling Pipes
The PHD-4 allows leak location without interruption of the normal operation, by mixing
helium with the water in the circuit. Until recently, the precise and rapid location of
leaks in buried pipes has been very difficult. In the event of a leak, helium desorbs
from the fluid and diffuses to the surface, where it is easily detected. Leaks in pipeline
systems such as district heating systems, drinking or chilled water systems and
steam pipe networks incur high costs due to losses and corrosion damage.
• Heater exchangers and steam condensation lines • Water pipes
• Radiant heating systems
Airplane Fuel Tanks and Lines
PHD-4 technology is approved worldwide by airplane manufacturers and operators as
the standard for the location of leaks in aircraft fuel tanks and in oxygen distribution
lines. Agilent works with an exclusive distributor for aircraft applications. Please
contact your local Agilent office for more information.
• Fuel tanks • Oxygen distribution lines
Other Applications
The PHD-4 is in daily use in many other applications. Its portability makes it ideal for
factory and field maintenance. Here is a partial list of other applications:
• Components and systems for the Chemical and Petrochemical Industries
• Compressed air components and delivery systems
• Process gas delivery lines in Semiconductor fabrication industry
5
The PHD-4 Portable Helium Detector
The PHD-4 is a portable compact leak detector which includes a battery for autonomous use in the field and uses helium as a
tracer gas. It allows detection of very small leaks in objects where a slight helium pressure has been introduced.
Principle of operation
The PHD-4 principle of operation is based on an Agilent patented technology, Selective Ion Pump Detection (SIPD).
The sensor incorporates a quartz capillary tube maintained under high vacuum by an ion pump. The quartz tube is heated with
a platinum filament and becomes permeable to helium. As the partial pressure of helium in the ion pump increases, so does the
current drawn by the ion pump, proportional to the pressure, indicating the helium concentration present in the test probe of the
PHD-4.
WHY USE HELIUM AS A TRACER GAS?
Helium is a superior choice as tracer gas for a number of reasons:
– It is inert, non-toxic and non-flammable
– It can pass easily through leaks due to its small atomic size, allowing the detection of very small leaks
– It is present in the atmosphere at only 5 ppm, thus reducing the possibility of false readings
– It is highly mobile, allowing rapid desorption and short measurement times
– When used properly, it is the most economical and allows the highest sensitivity, of all trace gases
Learn more:
www.agilent.com/chem/phd-4
Contact Us:
U.S. and Canada (toll free):
+1 800 882 7426
vpl-customercare@agilent.com
Europe: (toll free):
+00 800 234 234 00
vpt-customercare@agilent.com
China (toll free):
400 8206778 (mobile)
800 8206778 (landline)
contacts.vacuum@agilent.com
Asia Pacific:
inquiry_lsca@agilent.com
Other countries:
+39 011 9979 132
DE44239.1456481482
© Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2021
Published in the USA, February 15th, 2021
5994-3100EN
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