REFRIGERANTS Refrigerant gas detection:
yesterday, today and tomorrow Tom Burniston, marketing director for Samon answers questions on the direction of refrigerant leak detection needs within the HVAC-R industry.
Can you provide a brief overview of the import- ance of refrigerant gas detection?
A: Refrigerant leaks are a fact: eventually it will happen on every system to one extent or another. That means the refrigerant has escaped into whatever environment surrounds the system and that’s a problem. There are many refrigerant gases which pose diff erent issues. Some are explosive, some are toxic, others have a high environmental impact whether through high global warming potential (GWP) or breaking down into PFAS (or ‘forever chemicals’ as they are often referred to). Detecting a refrigerant leak means that the risks can be mitigated, protecting people and planet. Let’s not forget, of course, that a refrigerating system that has lost its refrigerant will not be working eff ectively, so there are also products and processes to protect.
How has the detection process evolved over the years? There has been a gradual shift towards the more widespread use of permanent, fi xed gas detection as people have started to understand the dangers and risks presented by refrigerant gas leaks. It’s less common now, for example, to use the old bubble test whereby a viscose solution was sprayed on joints and if there was a leak, there would be bubbles. Electronic gas detection is the way to know if
there is actually gas present in the environment, how much of it, and whether it is dangerous. As for gas detection, the core technologies haven’t changed much in many years. Sure, there are some developments in software and processing to improve accuracy and stability, but the core measurement techniques don’t alter much. What has shifted more than the basis of the measurement technology is the way it is interfaced with, making gas detectors easier to set-up, confi gure, and maintain. This includes features like simple pre-calibrated sensors replacements, and dedicated service apps which connect via Bluetooth to a detector and allow confi guration and calibration to be performed in a straightforward way that doesn’t require special training.
20 October 2023 •
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What roles do regulations and guidelines play in shaping today’s detection and monitoring systems? They play a signifi cant role. Examples include EN 378 in Europe and ASHRAE 15 in the US. These standards defi ne the best practices and safety aspects for designing and implementing refrigeration systems. Sections are included on how refrigerant gas detection is part of that overall system.
A gas detector alone does not make a safety system. It needs to interface with other devices and controls in the event of an alarm caused by a refrigerant leak. This can include activating mechanical ventilation systems, shutting down refrigerant circuits, cutting electrical power to a room, all in addition to the audible and visual alarms that alert people to the potential danger. It is important to think about how, and with
what a refrigerant gas detector needs to interface in order to form part of an overall safe system design. Consideration of the type and range kit outputs available can be essential, whether that’s 4-20mA analogue signals, relays, or digital outputs such as Modbus.
How do you see the evolution of regulatory frameworks aff ecting future detection technologies? A: One of the hot topics at the moment is fl ammability. Whether it is driving a GWP phase down to newer, lower GWP synthetic refrigerants, or the drive to natural refrigerants, the industry is getting into the territory of fl ammable gases. A2L refrigerants, termed as mildly fl ammable, will not burn as readily as R290 (propane) but there is still a risk. It’s important to remember that a gas that is
fl ammable still needs the right (or perhaps wrong) combination of factors to combust. That includes being present in the atmosphere in a volume between the Lower Flammability Limit (LFL) and Upper Flammability Limit (UFL), the ignition temperature, and a variety of other factors. A well- designed safety system can help mitigate the risk, and that includes gas leak detectors. The caution around fl ammable gases means
that more gas detectors are likely to be needed but deployed and integrated at an appliance level rather than as an area monitor. This means looking at small format detectors, with sensors measuring in the LFL range rather than at very low volume parts per million (ppm) ranges. The gas detection industry has a lot of
experience in this. In other applications, fl ammable gases have been the primary detection need for many years. We shouldn’t forget that the refrigeration industry and the refrigerant gas detection industry has been dealing with fl ammable gases for decades too, ammonia (NH3
)
being fl ammable at higher concentrations. There is plenty of experience to draw on the navigate these challenges.
What impact does the evolution of detection technologies have on industries relying heavily on refrigeration?
It supports them. Regulations around safety and environmental concerns tend to be the drivers of change, not the availability of detection technology. At Samon, for example, we are a gas detection manufacturer who is focussed on supporting the refrigeration industry. I believe we have a responsibility to follow the technology markets and use of application knowledge of refrigerant gas detection to work out which technologies we can take and deploy in a product which meets the needs the industry has.
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