Final answer:
To find water tube leaks in chillers, a mass spectrometer is used to detect ions of gaseous helium introduced into the system, with the detection of helium ions indicating a leak.
Step-by-step explanation:
When seeking to identify suspected water tube leaks in chillers, a method similar to the one deployed in low-temperature physics labs can be used. A mass spectrometer is involved in the detection of leaks within a cooling system. Initially, a small quantity of gaseous helium is introduced into one section of the chiller system while the connected section is evacuated via a high-vacuum pump linked to the spectrometer. As the helium acts as a tracer, any collected by the pump indicates a leak when its ions, ionized by a heated filament, are detected by the spectrometer. This precise test can pinpoint very small leaks that could severely affect the equipment's performance, especially in systems where maintaining a specific temperature or operating condition is vital.