Leak - and tightness testing in

Refrigeration Technology
A overview
An i off th
theory and
d practice
ti

J. Peters, Bundesfachschule Kälte-Klima-Technik

Based on the seminar for Leak testing/Tightness testing in Refrigeration

R. Birndt and Dr. J. Braumöller, Institut für Luft- und Kältetechnik Dresden in
cooperation with the Bundesfachschule Kälte-KlimaTechnik
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

Contents:
1. Terms and Definitions
2. Geometry of a leakage – Influence of pressure difference and viscosity
3. Fundamentals of tightness testing
4. Refrigeration test procedures and their detection sensitivity
5. On-site leak testing devices and their detection sensitivity
6 Ti
6. Tightness
ht testing
t ti andd lleak
kddetection
t ti iin moderate-field
d t fi ld refrigerating
fi ti units
it and
d
their maintenance
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

1. Terms and Definitions

Tightness: A testing object is tight, when the approved leakage rate is not
surpassed
Tightness testing: Assessment or measurement of the entire leakage rate
Leak detection: Detection of a leak
Leak: Leak spot, which is causing a lost of operating material
Leakage rate: The leakage rate indicates the loss of refrigerant per unit of time
caused by a leakage, preferably in the unit refrigerant loss gram per annum (g/a).
Total leakage rate: Sum of the single leakage installments of a component or a
refrigeration unit.
unit
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

2. Geometry of a leakage – Influence of pressure difference and viscosity

Particle count in a volume of 1 cm³:

Pressure Particle number

20bar 20x2.7x1019 54 times 10 million billion
1 013b 1013 b
1.013bar=1013mbar 2.7x10
2 7 1019 2 7 ti
2,7 times 10 million
illi billi
billion
1mbar 2.7x1016 2,7 times 10000 billion
10-33mbar 2.7x10
2 7x1013 2 7 times 10 billion
2,7
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

2. Geometry of a leakage – Influence of pressure difference and viscosity

Leakage rate: 0.8 g R134a per year (annum)
Diameter: d = 0.63 μm
Length: l = 1 mm
Pressure: 21 bar abs.
d 0,63
Diameter-length-ratio: =
l 1000
d = 0.63
0 63 μm

l = 1mm = 1000 μm
Leak volume: V = 0.28x10-6 mm³
Particle number within the leak: 8x1010 molecule (80 billion)
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

2. Geometry of a leakage – Influence of pressure difference and viscosity

Leakage: 0.8 g R134a per year

d = 0.63 μm

l = 1mm = 1000 μm

Molecule size of R134a: max. 6.6x10-4 μm, i.e. 1000 times smaller than d !!!
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

2. Geometry of a leakage – Influence of pressure difference and viscosity

For a leakage in the form of a capillary with ring sectional view and with the aid of
the Hagen-Poiseuille
Hagen Poiseuille law for the mass flow (Leakage installment) through the
leakage with laminar flow, the following formula is given:
4 2 2
π ⋅ d (pi − pa ) R
m=
& Ri =
256 ⋅ η ⋅ s ⋅ Ri ⋅ T Mmolar

A derivative of this formula is:

There exists a quadratic dependence of the leakage installment (Mass flow) on
the pressure.
For the dependence on the material sizes of the flowing media is valid:

The leakage installment as a mass flow is dependent on the dynamic viscosity

and the molar mass.
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

2. Geometry of a leakage – Influence of pressure difference and viscosity

Leakage
Molar rate
mass M

Inner rubbing of Pressure difference Δp (quadratic)

the molecules =
dynamic viscosity
(linear)
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

2. Geometry of a leakage – Influence of pressure difference and viscosity

Refrigerant resp. Chemical Molar Mass Dynamic Viscosity in
Testing gas formula in Pas at 20 °C
C and 1 bar
g/mol (1 Pas = 1 Ns/m²)

Helium He 4 1,95 ⋅ 10-5

Nitrogen N2 28 1,75 ⋅ 10-5

R152a CHF2CH3 66 1,0 ⋅ 10-5

R134a CF3CH2F 102 1,3 ⋅ 10-5

R125 CF3CHF2 120 1,5 ⋅ 10-5

R143a CF3CH3 84 1,14 ⋅ 10-5

R717 Ammonia NH3 17 1,03 ⋅ 10-5

R290 Propane CH3CH2CH3 44 0,81 ⋅ 10-5

 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

2. Geometry of a leakage – Influence of pressure difference and viscosity

Leakage
Leckrate Lrate L (Mass ),flow)
( Massenstrom with
bezogen
regard
auf L= 1g to L = 1beig konstanter
R134a/a R134 a /Leck-
per
Year at constant
geometrie leak geometry
und konstantem Druck
and constant pressure
1,2
1,00 1,03
1,0 0,95
0 85
0,85 0 86
0,86
0,8 0,70
L iin g/a

0,6

0,4
0,21 0,20
0,2
0 03
0,03
0,0
R134a R125 R143a R152a R22 NH3 R290 He N2
Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration
Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration
Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration
Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration
Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

Leak rate R134a at 0,5 bar super pressure: approx. 4kg per year
Leak rate R134a at 1,0 bar super pressure: approx. 10kg per year
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

3. Fundamentals of tightness testing

Testing-load direction = plant-load direction

Leaks can be dependent upon the load direction.

Test pressure should equal the maximal permissible pressure

Th mechanical
The h i l load
l d off th
the tester
t t mustt beb as high
hi h as possible.
ibl
Because of the quadratic dependence of the leakage rate on the pressure, a high
pressure affects favorably the recognizability of the leaks.
The higher the pressure,
pressure the easier it is to remove liquids from leakages
leakages..

Coarse-tightness testing before fine-tightness testing

Large leaks disturb the fine
fine-tightness
tightness testing and therefore should be eliminated
first.
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

3. Fundamentals of tightness testing

Test objects must be free of dirt

Dirt can close leaks (often short-termed)
Observe the influence of the liquids /If possible, still no colouring
When the characteristics of the system i.e. the joints (opp. flat sealants) require,
th completion
the l ti off an endurance
d with
ith ttesting
ti pressure.

Application of uniform test gas mixtures

With application of test gas mixtures
mixtures, the safeguard of the fueling of the to be
tested system with uniform test gas mixtures is relevant, safeguarding of a non-
polluting return i.e. disposal after the testing.

Pre-testing tightness in form of fine-tightness testing with leak search devices

When possible, with maximal allowed pressure
Especially important for later no longer accessible parts of the refrigeration units
units.
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

3. Fundamentals of tightness testing

Correct position of the leak searching device

Inspection of the assembly leak search device with check-leaks before every
leak search.
When possible, the establishment of the leak search device applications of use.

Correct evaluation of detection sensitivity of the tightness test - i.e. leak search
device procedure
Especially important for the pressure
pressure-stand
stand tests (pressure drop tests) and the
vacuum pressure increase tests.

Leak tests and leak detection performed only through experts

 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

4. Refrigeration test procedures and their detection sensitivity

Super pressure tightness testing procedure

In the manufacturing of refrigeration-technical products and in field-moderate

refrigeration engineering primarily come the following super-pressure leak
searchh i.e.
i tightness
ti ht testing
t ti methodsth d and
d lleak
k searchhd
devices
i ffor application:
li ti
- Pressure drop testing (Pressure stand tests)
- Soap bubble test
- Bubble test under testing
testing-liquid
liquid
- Proof with halogen leak indicators (table-top units)
- Proof with helium gas detectors
- Proof with selective gas detectors
- Proof of leakage's through fluorescent additives and UV- light
- Proof with spectrometer IR
- Proof of forming gases
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

4. Refrigeration test procedures and their detection sensitivity

Pressure stand test (Pressure drop test)

Leak search i.e. Tightness Detection sensitivity of the given Equivalent
testing procedure test medium refrigerant
leak-rate
Pressure stand test 1) LgN2 approx. 50 kg/a 250 kg R134a/a
50 kg NH3/a

Pressure stand test 2) LgN2 approx. 20 kg/a 100 kg R134a/a

20 kg NH3/a

Note of the pressure stand test:

The detection sensitivity i.e. of the size of the unknown leak rate depends upon the test material volume V, the stand-time t, the
test super-pressure p, the reading error i.e the solution with the pressure measurement p and the temperature influence T.
1) Example for the mod. field refrigeration: : V = 100 l, tst =10 h, p = 16 bar, p = 0,2 bar, Temperature increase of 5 K not known
nor taken into account.
2) as 1), yet no temperature change nor temperature correction calculation taken into account
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

4. Refrigeration test procedures and their detection sensitivity

300

Representation of the leakage

250 rates, that are not recognized
during the pressure stand test
(kg / a)

under
d ththe iindicated
di t d conditions
diti
[kg/a]

200
(V = 100 l; Endurance 10 h;
age rate
ckrate

Testing-super -pressure 16 bar;

150
t = 20°C)
– Leaka
R134a-Lec

100
R 134a

5
4
50 3
2
1 Temperatur-
Temperature
e ng
peΔ ta[K]u e cchange
a ge Δ t ((K))
0 0 änderung
änder

0,25 0,20 0,15 0,10 0,05 0,00

Reading error ΔΔpp(bar)
Ablesefehler [bar]
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

4. Refrigeration test procedures and their detection sensitivity

Pressure stand test (Test drop test)

Pressure stand tests on refrigeration systems are, as a rule, coarse-tightness tests

which fine-tightness
g test must follow at high
g ppressure!
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

4. Refrigeration test procedures and their detection sensitivity

Soap bubble tests
Leak search- i.e. Tightness test Detection sensitivity for the Equivalent refrigerant –
procedure indicated test medium leak rate

Soap bubble test LN2 approx. 50 g/a 250 g R134a/a

Test medium N2 50 g NH3/a

Soap bubble test LN2 approx. 200 g/a 1000 g R134a/a

Test medium N2 200 g NH3/a
Unfavourable conditions e.g.
examination
i ti off screw joints
j i t

Soap bubble test LNH3 approx. 3000 g/a

Test medium NH3
Unfavourable conditions e.g.
examination of screw joints
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

4. Refrigeration test procedures and their detection sensitivity

Vacuum tightness test procedure (Vacuum pressure increase procedure)
Every refrigeration-technical product is evacuated before the filling.
However, the following aspects should absolutely be considered.

•The
Th testing-load
t ti l d di direction
ti d does nott correspondd tto th
the operation-load
ti l d di direction.
ti
•The test pressure does not correspond to the maximal allowed pressure.
• At the smallest test pressure , oil can close leaks and falsify the measuring through
gas release
release.
• Small leak rates during the vacuum pressure-increase tests correspond to larger
leak rates in the operation of the refrigeration technical products..

Evaluation of the vacuum pressure-increase test :

Vacuum pressure increase tests on refrigeration systems are, as a rule, coarse-
tightness tests which fine-tightness test (with leak indicators) must follow at
high test pressure (super pressure).
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

4. Refrigeration test procedures and their detection sensitivity

Vacuum tightness test procedure (Vacuum pressure increase tests)
The vacuum pressure increase test is supposed to be used for tightness testing of a
R134a refrigeration system with an effective volume from 100 l .

Hereby,
H b th
the refrigeration
fi ti system
t should
h ld b t d tto a pressure off ≤ 3 mbar
be evacuated b
and then approved to an increase of 1 mbar.

It is assumed
ass med that a pressure
press re gauge
ga ge is applied which
hich allo
allows
s the ssufficient
fficient precise
measurement of the pressures.

The stand time is 10 hours.

hours

How large is the R 134a leak rate, indicated as mass flow, for a R134a super
pressure in a refrigeration system of 16 bar?
147kg R134a / a
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

5. On-site leak testing devices and their detection sensitivity

On-site leak testing devices of the 1st Generation

It has to do with the first on-site leak detecting devices, which were available for the
proof of the FKW-refrigerant.

As a rule, they were worked-over insignificant FCWK-on-site leak detecting

devices, which did not show the sufficient detectivity. This devices are no longer
available on the market
market.
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

5. On-site leak testing devices and their detection sensitivity

On-site leak testing devices of the 2nd Generation

This device has to do with an on-site leak testing device which was developed
especially for the proof of FKW, and can sometimes still be found on the market.
Di
Disregarding
di exceptions,
ti thi
this iis characteristic
h t i ti ffor a d
device
i off th
the 2
2nd
d generation
ti
that it is not available for a sufficient long-term stability . Therefore, with this device
it is only possible in practical use to show the proof of leaks with leak rates of
> 30 g Refrigerant per year
year.
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

5. On-site leak testing devices and their detection sensitivity

On-site leak testing devices of the 3rd Generation

In order to fulfill the program of the research rates of refrigeration technique for the
improvement of the tightness of refrigerant-technical products around an order of
magnitude,
it d on-site it lleak
kddetecting
t ti d devices
i with
ith b
better
tt qualities
liti are needed.
d d
The main requirement lies in that, a leck rate of 3 g KM/a must be possible.
Development requirements for on-site leak testing devices of the 3rd generation
have been prepared and opened.opened First devices have already been offered and
must be examined.
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

5. On-site leak testing devices and their detection sensitivity

Evaluation criterion for on-site leak testing devices

„ILK- Approval criterium statistic proof“

Statistical detection sensitivity 15 g KM/a

Conditions : Time of stay of the probe at the leakage several seconds (e.g. 1- 3s) with
defined distance probe-leak (e.g. A = 3mm)
Temporary solution: Statistical detection sensitivity: 30 g KM/a Conditions: as above
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

5. On-site leak testing devices and their detection sensitivity

Evaluation criterion for on-site

on site leak detection
devices

„ILK- Approval criterium dynamic proof“

Dynamic detection sensitivity 15 g KM/a

Conditions : Leak detecting speed: v = 2 cm/s

Distance probe-leak: A = 3 mm
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration
C it i
Criterion Number
N b D i Description
Device D i ti
of
Devices
Statistical detection sensitivity 8 to 10 Specs. have been fufilled by:
g to
sufficient and fufilled according L790a, TIF 5650, D-Tec, ITE 5750A,
the specifications of the GCR2P, Fluorotec 134, AN134,
manufacturer HI3001)
Are not suitable for applications in 2 to 10 FR 422N, EY 3820
the field of Refrigeration.
(ILK Approval criterion
(ILK-Approval-criterion statistical
proof 30 g/a not fulfilled)
ILK-Approval-criterion dynamic 6 to 10 Specs. have been fufilled by:
specification fulfilled L790a, TIF 5650, D- Tec, ITE 5750A,
Fluorotec 134, AN134
Have not been fulfill by:
GCR2P, FR 422N, EY 3820, HI 300
Long-term stability /reliability not 6 to 62) Deterioration with:
given L790a, TIF 5650, ITE 5750A,
Fluorotec 134,
134 AN 134
Improvement with: : D-Tec
No info : GCR2P
No tested : FR 422N, EY 3820, HI 300
Frequent 7 to 8 Affected devices are:
L790a, TIF 5650, ITE 5750A, GCR2P,
Fluorotec 134, HI 300, AN 134
Disruptions seldom to average 1 to 8 D- Tec
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

5. On-site leak testing devices and their detection sensitivity

In order to use on-site leak detection devices when searching for leaks on
refrigeration units
units, the following points are to be considered:

-The information about the qualities of the on-site leak indicator devices (in
brochures and operating manuals
manuals, the necessary information does not always
occur completely.) Pay attention to special features, for example, the realization
of the small distance probe-leak near devices with small air piping system
through the sensors.
sensors Most on
on-site
site leak indicator devices do not have an air-filter
air filter in
front of the sensors. Be aware of the great danger of contamination.

- Do not use when the recommended single leak-rate

leak rate is less than 30 g/a. When
possible, before every leak search check the detection sensitivity with check-
leaks.

- Do not use on-site leak detection devices in the production of refrigeration

technical products.
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

6. Tightness testing and leak detection in moderate-field refrigerating units

and their maintenance
Comment:

The detection sensitivity of the pressure endurance test (pressure drop test), the
vacuum pressure increase test and the soap bubble test are often over
over-valued.
valued

Therefore the following fact must be pointed out again and again:

The pressure endurance test and the vacuum pressure increase test are , as a
rule, in the field-moderate refrigeration system; only coarse tightness testing
where the fine tightness testing must follow with leak detecting devices.
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

6. Tightness testing and leak detection in moderate-field refrigerating units

and their maintenance

Application of on-site leak detection devices

For the application of on-site leak detection devices in field-moderate refrigeration

systems
t andd their
th i maintenance,
i t it h
has b
been noted
t d th
thatt iin practical
ti l work
k with
ith 2
2nd
d
generation on-site leak detection devices with sufficient safety precautions only
leaks with leak rates of 30 g/a and greater have been observed.
 Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

6. Tightness testing and leak detection in moderate-field refrigerating units

and their maintenance
Fine tightness tests with the application of refrigerat under saturation pressure and on-site
on site
leak detection devices corresponds to the dominate temperature.

If there is no practical, non-polluting solution for carrying out a leak detection on a mounted
refrigeration
fi ti unitit with
ith refrigerant-nitrogen
fi t it mixture
i t for
f construction
t ti conditions,
diti then,
th att least,
l t a
leak detection can be carried out with the refrigerant as working material with the saturation
pressure of the dominate temperature.

In this case, the refrigeration system has to be evacuated and charged with gaseous
refrigerant.

Concerning
C i ththe ttestt pressure thi
this represents
t indeed
i d d a compromise,
i h
however, iin accordance
d
to conditions and employed leak detection devices, it allows improvements of the detection
sensitivity in the order magnitude of 1000 to 10000 to be achieved.
If leaks are found, then only the relatively small amount of the gaseous refrigerant must be
pumped out. If no leaks are found, then the refrigeration system can be filled further to the
operating-moderate charging amount.
Leak detection and Tightness testing in Refrigeration

THANK YOU
FOR YOUR
ATTENTION!