Helium Leak Detection Technology: Safeguarding the “Zero Leakage” Line for New Energy Products
In the core components of new energy vehicles, battery casings, electronic control boxes, and water-cooling channels are like the “bones” and “blood vessels” of the human body. Their sealing performance directly determines the safety and reliability of the power system. A pinhole-sized leak (with a diameter of only 0.1 mm) may cause coolant leakage during the operation of the battery system, leading to short circuits, power interruptions, thermal runaway, or even fire and explosion. According to industry statistics, about 42% of safety accidents in new energy vehicles are related to casing sealing failures. For manufacturers of new energy components, traditional testing methods can no longer meet the stringent requirements for micro-leakage detection, and helium mass spectrometry leak detection technology is becoming a new safety line for the industry.
When using traditional gas testing or water immersion testing, there may be difficulties in detecting tiny leaks. Currently, the commonly used pressure decay method has a detection accuracy of only 1×10⁻⁴ Pa·m³/s, while new energy battery casings require a micro-leakage detection capability of at least 10⁻⁶ to 10⁻⁷ Pa·m³/s. Traditional methods are like using a fishing net to catch small fish—tiny leaks will inevitably slip through. What is more worrying is that these undetected tiny leaks will gradually expand due to temperature changes and material aging during product use, eventually becoming the trigger for safety accidents.
With the rapid increase in the production capacity of new energy vehicles, helium leak detection technology can accurately capture every molecular-level leak. Helium is the second most abundant element in the universe but is extremely rare on Earth. It has the smallest molecular diameter (0.26 nanometers) and unique penetration ability, which can easily pass through invisible micro-pores. As an inert gas, helium does not react with battery materials or coolants, ensuring the safety of the detection process and the cleanliness of the products. These characteristics make helium an irreplaceable “golden tracer gas” in the detection field.
The helium leak detection equipment used by Zhengheng Power adopts the vacuum blowing method (one of the internationally recognized methods with the highest accuracy):
- Vacuum pumping stage: Put the tested casing into a closed chamber and extract air to form a negative pressure environment.
- Helium filling: Inject helium-containing mixed gas (70% helium concentration) into the casing.
- Precise “capture”: The helium mass spectrometer monitors the change in helium molecule concentration in the chamber in real-time.
- Intelligent judgment: The system automatically calculates the leakage rate and locates the leak point.
The entire process is like performing a “high-precision CT scan” for your product, even pores as thin as one-thousandth of a hair (0.01-micron level) cannot escape detection.
Helium leak detection services have much higher accuracy than traditional methods. At the same time, they avoid oxidation and rust caused by water testing, eliminate fluorescent agent pollution, and ensure “zero damage” to products. Moreover, they can quickly identify leak signals, with the detection time per unit controlled within 40 seconds, perfectly matching high-speed production lines. Regarding cost issues, a helium recycling system with multi-stage adsorption technology has been introduced, achieving a recovery rate of ≥95%.
In the new energy era, no safety issue is trivial, and no leak is insignificant. As the industry moves towards an era of rapid production capacity, choosing helium leak detection is not only choosing a testing technology but also building a “molecular-level” safety line for products. Zhengheng Power has been rooted in the industry for many years, customizing and producing motor, electronic control, and battery casings for many new energy vehicle manufacturers. We hope to work with customers to use the power of technology to jointly safeguard every safety commitment in the new energy era.
Post time: Jul-29-2025
