In this article, we outline the main obligations relating to installations containing greenhouse gases or hazardous gases, as well as the detection technologies available to meet these obligations and ensure the safety of people and property.
Leak test in accordance with EU F-Gas III regulations
According to the regulations, all equipment with a charge of 5 t CO2 eq or more of HFCs and HFC/HFO blends or 1 kg of HFOs must undergo a leak test. See the table below for the frequency of checks.
In addition, all equipment with a charge of HFCs or HFC/HFO blends equal to or greater than 500 t CO2 eq., as well as equipment containing 100 kg or more of HFOs, must be fitted with a stationary detector (indirect measurement system in France).
It is important to note that leak detection systems should be checked at least once every 12 months to ensure they are working properly.
Leak detection in accordance with the recommendations of EN 378
In addition to environmental regulations, European standard EN 378 provides additional requirements to ensure personal safety.
It specifies that machine rooms must be equipped with detectors to guarantee the safety of the occupants. For explosive or dangerous gases, one of the measures sets the detection threshold at less than 20% of the lower flammable limit, and ammonia detectors must activate ventilation, an alarm and disconnect the external power supply
Types of detection
Several types of equipment are available on the market today for leak detection or gas detection: portable, fixed and indirect measurement. Bubble detection allows the leak to be located precisely.
Portable detectors :
Leaks are indicated by an audible and visual alarm and a display screen. This type of detector allows the leak area to be located precisely. It must be selected according to the type of refrigerant (HFC/HFO, A2L, hydrocarbons, etc.) and comply with standard EN14624. Before each use, it is recommended that the device be checked for proper operation using a mini-check.
Bubble detection can be used as a complementary method. Applying Prestobul Max to the pipes directly at the suspected leak location can confirm and pinpoint the source of the leak by the formation of bubbles.
Room controllers :
- This is a fixed leak detector for refrigerants. Depending on the model, it will be an independent sensor-transmitter with alarm, which can be used either as a stand-alone detector or connected to a control system (such as a central control unit or a centralised building management system, for example) via a Modbus connection. They are generally equipped with one or more relays to activate external safety equipment such as valves, fans, general alarms, etc.
- They are equipped with pre-calibrated sensors (also known as probes) and must be selected according to the specific characteristics of the installations and the fluids to be detected. They can therefore be selected with an integrated or remote sensor, which allows the fluid to be detected in less accessible areas.
- The choice of location is crucial. For optimum efficiency, several criteria must be taken into account:
- 1.The characteristics of the refrigerant to be detected in order to determine the installation height.
- 2. Accessibility
- 3. Air flows.
For personal safety, position the sensors in the occupied area (oxygenation).
Detection by indirect measurements
For all equipment with a charge greater than or equal to 500 t. eq. CO2 of HFCs or HFC/HFO mixtures, as well as those containing 100 kg or more of HFO, French regulations require the installation of an indirect measurement system. Matelex’s PolarBox is an IoT solution capable of measuring and learning how installations operate in order to alert users in the event of anomalies such as leaks or energy drift. Using a specific algorithm and associated metrology, it enables multi-centre monitoring of commercial refrigeration installations.
In order to achieve the objectives of leak monitoring, it is essential to regularly check and calibrate detection devices. This check is also specified in the F-Gas III regulation in the EU.
Checking the detectors
- Portable detectors: detectors are checked annually by means of a threshold test to verify their calibration. In France, this annual check is mandatory under the decree of 29 February 2016.
- Fixed detectors: a calibration kit must be used once a year. This allows the sensitivity of the devices and the triggering of alarms at defined thresholds to be checked on site.
Climalife offers its customers all detection solutions available on the market. Our teams are at your disposal to help you choose the solution best suited to your project.