Oxygen reduction system and method for operating an oxygen reduction system

1. A method for operating an oxygen reduction system comprising an inert gas source for providing an oxygen-reduced gas mixture, or inert gas respectively, and a line system which is fluidly connected or connectable to the inert gas source and to at least one enclosed area in order to supply at least a portion of the oxygen-reduced gas mixture or the inert gas provided by the inert gas source to the at least one enclosed area as needed, the method comprising:

supplying the at least a portion of the oxygen-reduced gas mixture or the inert gas provided by the inert gas source to the at least one enclosed area through the line system such that an oxygen content in an atmosphere of the enclosed area assumes a predefined or definable value which is reduced compared to the oxygen content of normal ambient air; and

conducting a leak test on at least one section of the line system by pressure-testing the at least one section of the line system to be checked for tightness using the at least a portion of the oxygen-reduced gas mixture or the inert gas provided by the inert gas source.

2. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the step of conducting the leak test on the at least one section of the line system, further comprising:

i) blocking a flow of the oxygen-reduced gas mixture or the inert gas provided by the inert gas source through the line system such that the section of the line system to be tested for the tightness remains fluidly connected to the inert gas source but not to the at least one enclosed area;

ii) filling the section of the line system under testing with at least a portion of the oxygen-reduced gas mixture or the inert gas provided by the inert gas source such that excess pressure builds up in the section of the line system to be tested for the tightness; and

iii) determining whether the excess pressure which developed in the section of the line system under testing drops below a critical threshold value within a predefined or definable time period.

3. The method according to claim 2 ,

wherein a flow through of the line system is blocked in method step i) based on a closing at least one valve in the line system.

4. The method according to claim 3 ,

wherein method step iii) is initiated after the oxygen-reduced gas mixture or inert gas introduced into the section of the line system to be tested has settled.

5. The method according to claim 3 ,

wherein a chronological pressure curve is quantified in method step iii) and a decrease in pressure is determined by analyzing the chronological pressure curve.

6. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:

iv) emitting a malfunction notification when the excess pressure which built up in the section of the line system under testing drops below the critical threshold value within the predefined or definable time period in method step iii).

7. The method according to claim 2 ,

wherein method step iii) is initiated after the oxygen-reduced gas mixture or the inert gas introduced into the section of the line system to be tested has settled.

8. The method according to claim 7 ,

wherein a chronological pressure curve is quantified in method step iii) and a decrease in pressure is determined by analyzing the chronological pressure curve.

9. The method according to claim 2 ,

wherein a chronological pressure curve is quantified in method step iii) and a decrease in pressure is determined by analyzing the chronological pressure curve.

10. The method according to claim 9 ,

wherein the chronological pressure curve is determined by an absolute pressure or a differential pressure measuring system.

11. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:

iv) emitting a malfunction notification when the excess pressure which built up in the section of the line system under testing drops below the critical threshold value within the predefined or definable time period in method step iii).

12. The method according to claim 2 ,

wherein a plurality of directly adjacent sections of the line system separable by valves are successively tested for tightness.

13. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein a plurality of directly adjacent sections of the line system separable by valves are successively tested for the tightness.

14. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the inert gas source comprises a compressor system and a gas separation system situated downstream of the compressor system in terms of flow, wherein an initial gas mixture compressed by the compressor system is at least intermittently introduced into an inlet of the gas separation system and wherein the compressed initial gas mixture is at least partly separated into different gas components in the gas separation system such that an oxygen-reduced and nitrogen-enriched gas mixture is provided at an outlet of the gas separation system, wherein to conduct the leak test, either the compressed initial gas mixture provided by the compressor system or the oxygen-reduced and nitrogen-enriched gas mixture provided at the outlet of the gas separation system is introduced into the section of the line system to be checked.

15. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the step of conducting the leak test is performed automatically at predefinable times and/or upon predefinable events, and selected automatically.

16. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the step of conducting the leak test is performed when the oxygen content in the atmosphere of the at least one enclosed area has been reduced to the predefined or definable value by a regulated feed of the at least a portion of the oxygen-reduced gas mixture or the inert gas provided by the inert gas source, and wherein none of the oxygen-reduced gas mixture or the inert gas provided by the inert gas source is fed to the at least one enclosed area through the line system while the leak test is being conducted.

17. The method according to claim 1 ,

further comprising:

determining the oxygen content in the atmosphere of the at least one enclosed area,

wherein the oxygen content is determined continuously or at predefined or predefinable times/events.

18. The method according to claim 17 ,

wherein the step of supplying the at least a portion of the oxygen-reduced gas mixture or the inert gas provided by the inert gas source to the at least one enclosed area occurs as a function of the oxygen content detected in the atmosphere of the at least one enclosed area such that the oxygen content in the atmosphere of the at least one enclosed area can be maintained at the predefined or definable value.