1、ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 173-2012Method of Testto Determine thePerformance ofHalocarbon RefrigerantLeak DetectorsApproved by the ASHRAE Standards Committee on October 2, 2012; by the ASHRAE Board of Directors on October 26, 2012;and by the American National Standards Institute on October 27, 2012.ASHRAE
2、 Standards are scheduled to be updated on a five-year cycle; the date following the standard number is the year ofASHRAE Board of Directors approval. The latest edition of an ASHRAE Standard may be purchased on the ASHRAE Web site(www.ashrae.org) or from ASHRAE Customer Service, 1791 Tullie Circle,
3、NE, Atlanta, GA 30329-2305. E-mail:ordersashrae.org. Fax: 404-321-5478. Telephone: 404-636-8400 (worldwide) or toll free 1-800-527-4723 (for orders in US andCanada). For reprint permission, go to www.ashrae.org/permissions. 2012 ASHRAE ISSN 1041-2336SPECIAL NOTEThis American National Standard (ANS)
4、is a national voluntary consensus standard developed under the auspices of ASHRAE.Consensus is defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), of which ASHRAE is a member and which has approved thisstandard as an ANS, as “substantial agreement reached by directly and materially affected
5、 interest categories. This signifies the concurrenceof more than a simple majority, but not necessarily unanimity. Consensus requires that all views and objections be considered, and that aneffort be made toward their resolution.” Compliance with this standard is voluntary until and unless a legal j
6、urisdiction makes compliancemandatory through legislation.ASHRAE obtains consensus through participation of its national and international members, associated societies, and public review.ASHRAE Standards are prepared by a Project Committee appointed specifically for the purpose of writing the Stand
7、ard. The ProjectCommittee Chair and Vice-Chair must be members of ASHRAE; while other committee members may or may not be ASHRAE members, allmust be technically qualified in the subject area of the Standard. Every effort is made to balance the concerned interests on all ProjectCommittees.The Manager
8、 of Standards of ASHRAE should be contacted for:a. interpretation of the contents of this Standard,b. participation in the next review of the Standard,c. offering constructive criticism for improving the Standard, ord. permission to reprint portions of the Standard.DISCLAIMERASHRAE uses its best eff
9、orts to promulgate Standards and Guidelines for the benefit of the public in light of available information andaccepted industry practices. However, ASHRAE does not guarantee, certify, or assure the safety or performance of any products, components,or systems tested, installed, or operated in accord
10、ance with ASHRAEs Standards or Guidelines or that any tests conducted under itsStandards or Guidelines will be nonhazardous or free from risk.ASHRAE INDUSTRIAL ADVERTISING POLICY ON STANDARDSASHRAE Standards and Guidelines are established to assist industry and the public by offering a uniform metho
11、d of testing for ratingpurposes,bysuggestingsafepracticesindesigningandinstallingequipment,byprovidingproperdefinitionsofthisequipment,andbyprovidingother information that may serve to guide the industry.The creation of ASHRAE Standards and Guidelines is determined by the need for them,and conforman
12、ce to them is completely voluntary.In referring to this Standard or Guideline and in marking of equipment and in advertising, no claim shall be made, either stated or implied,that the product has been approved by ASHRAE.ASHRAE STANDARDS COMMITTEE 20122013Kenneth W. Cooper, Chair Julie M. Ferguson Ja
13、nice C. PetersonWilliam F. Walter, Vice-Chair Krishnan Gowri Heather L. PlattDouglass S. Abramson Cecily M. Grzywacz Ira G. PostonKarim Amrane Richard L. Hall Douglas T. ReindlCharles S. Barnaby Rita M. Harrold James R. TaubyHoy R. Bohanon, Jr. Adam W. Hinge James K. VallortSteven F. Bruning Debra H
14、. Kennoy Craig P. WrayDavid R. Conover Jay A. Kohler Charles H. Culp, III, BOD ExOSteven J. Emmerich Rick A. Larson Constantinos A. Balaras, COMark P. ModeraStephanie C. Reiniche, Manager of StandardsASHRAE Standard Project Committee 173CognizantTC:TC 3.8, Refrigerant ContainmentSPLS Liaison: Janice
15、 C. Peterson*Denotes members of voting status when the document was approved for publicationDenis F. Clodic, Chair* Roger S. Kimmons Glenn R. Reddington*Julius Banks William J. Landman Thomas A. Schmitkons*Richard E. Cawley* Daniel J. Miles* Bill J. Williams*Eli P. Howard, III Mark P. Modera ASHRAE
16、(www.ashrae.org). For personal use only. Additional reproduction, distribution, or transmission in either print or digital form is not permitted without ASHRAEs prior written permission.CONTENTSANSI/ASHRAE Standard 173-2012,Method ofTest to Determine the Performance of Halocarbon Refrigerant Leak De
17、tectorsSECTION PAGEForeword. 21 Purpose 22 Scope . 23 Definitions, 24 Apparatus . 24.1 Calibrated Leak Standard 24.2 Test Stand 25 Ambient Conditions 36 Test Procedures 36.1 Test Number 1Sensitivity Threshold When the Leak Detector is Stationary. 36.2 Test Number 2Sensitivity Threshold When the Leak
18、 Detector is Moving 46.3 Test Number 3Recovery Time Test.56.4 Test Number 4Sensitivity Threshold After Exposure to a Large Leak. 66.5 Test Number 5Sensitivity Threshold in an Elevated Background 77 Presentation of Test Results. 8Informative Annex: Test Report FormsDetermination of the Performance of
19、 HalocarbonRefrigerant Leak Detectors in Accordance with ASHRAE Standard ProjectCommittee 1739NOTEApproved addenda, errata, or interpretations for this standard can be downloaded free of charge from the ASHRAEWeb site at www.ashrae.org/technology. 2012 ASHRAE1791 Tullie Circle NE Atlanta, GA 30329 w
20、ww.ashrae.org All rights reserved.ASHRAE is a registered trademark of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.ANSI is a registered trademark of the American National Standards Institute. ASHRAE (www.ashrae.org). For personal use only. Additional reproductio
21、n, distribution, or transmission in either print or digital form is not permitted without ASHRAEs prior written permission.2 ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 173-2012(This foreword is not part of this standard. It is merelyinformative and does not contain requirements necessaryfor conformance to the standard. I
22、t has not beenprocessed according to the ANSI requirements for astandard and may contain material that has not beensubject to public review or a consensus process.Unresolved objectors on informative material are notoffered the right to appeal at ASHRAE or ANSI.)FOREWORDSince 1996, ASHRAE Technical C
23、ommittee 3.8, Refrig-erant Containment, has defined several objectives forimproving refrigerant containment and leak detection. Stan-dard 173 has gathered practitioners and highly informedexperts in order to define a practical method capable of veri-fying how a leak detector can properly detect smal
24、l and verysmall leak flow rates. Leak detection is necessary for alltypes of refrigerants and is part of the quality management ofair-conditioning and refrigeration systems.1. PURPOSEThe purpose of this standard is to establish a method oftest for qualifying the performance of portable leak detector
25、sdesigned for the detection of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC),hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), hydrofluorocarbon(HFC), and perfluorocarbon (PFC) halogenated gases.2. SCOPEThe practices and procedures in this standard cover thetesting of refrigerant leak detectors intended for use in theleak testing of refr
26、igerating, air-conditioning, and heat pumpsystems and their components.3. DEFINITIONSAlthough the following terms have broader interpreta-tions elsewhere, their specific meanings as used in this stan-dard are as follows.background: the refrigerant in the ambient air. The ambientenvironment where a l
27、eak detector is used is often contami-nated with some concentration of refrigerant. A leak detectorcan adjust to this background concentration as the new refer-ence zero point and retain its sensitivity for leaks in a contam-inated environment.calibrated leak: adevicewithadefinedleakrateofagivengasu
28、nder defined pressure and temperature conditions. Theseconditions are defined upstream and downstream of the leakelement. Calibrated leaks are to be traceable to National Insti-tute of Standards and Technology (NIST) or an equivalentrecognized organization.CFC: chlorofluorocarbon; a fully halogenate
29、d (no hydrogenremaining) halocarbon containing chlorine, fluorine, andcarbon atoms.HCFC: hydrofluorocarbon; a halocarbon that contains fluo-rine, chlorine, carbon, and hydrogen.HFC: hydrofluorocarbon; a halocarbon that contains onlyfluorine, carbon, and hydrogen.indicating leak detector: a leak dete
30、ctor indicating one orseveral levels of concentration, but with no numerical value ofthese concentrations or leak rates. The concentration or leakrate is indicated to the user through a visual and/or audiblemeans.leak rate: gas mass flow rate through a fissure, an orifice, orany other type of leakag
31、e path. The usual leak rate units aregram per year (g/yr) or ounce per year (oz/yr).measuring leak detector: a leak detector that measures gasconcentration and displays the value of the gas concentrationor leak rate in a numerical form.PFC: perfluorocarbon; a halocarbon composed only of fluo-rine an
32、d carbon.ppm(m): parts per million gas concentration of a given gas tothe total mass of the gas mixture. The units are in a “mass permass” ratio.ppm(V): parts per million gas concentration of a given gas tothe total volume of the gas mixture.The units are in a “volumeper volume” ratio.recovery time:
33、 the time required for the output of a leak detec-tor to return to the minimum detection threshold after thedetector has been exposed to a leak flow rate of 50 g/yr for 5 s.response time: in the moving tests described here, the timethat elapses from the point at which the probe passes directlyin fro
34、nt of the leak until the initial response of the detectoroccurs.4. APPARATUS4.1 Calibrated Leak Standard. The calibrated leak stan-dard can be either adjustable or fixed flow rate. Testing willrequire calibrated leak flow rates of 10.15 g/yr, 507.5 g/yr, and any number of calibrated leaks with flow
35、ratesbetween the nominal 1 and 50 g/yr leaks. The number andvariety of calibrated leaks available between 1 and 50 g/yrwill impact the resolution attainable in the tests as describedbelow. The calibrated leaks used in this testing shall be cal-ibrated by methods and instruments traceable to NIST or
36、anequivalent recognized organization with a measurementuncertainty of 15% or less. To mitigate testing inconsis-tency from possible air turbulence caused by the movingprobe, the leak standards can be equipped (as a certificationtest option) with a shroud around the orifice port.The shroudprotrusion
37、from the orifice port shall be no more than 6 mm,and a vent means for ambient air to be drawn through theshroud by the leak detector shall be provided. A view of asample shroud configuration as allowed here is shown inFigure 1. R-134a is the refrigerant used for all tests unlessotherwise stated.4.2
38、Test Stand.The test stand will have a mobile platform towhich the leak detector can be attached. The test stand willhave a means for moving this platform laterally 200 mm at acontrolled, constant speed over at least 180 mm of the travel ASHRAE (www.ashrae.org). For personal use only. Additional repr
39、oduction, distribution, or transmission in either print or digital form is not permitted without ASHRAEs prior written permission.ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 173-2012 3(i.e., 1 cm at each end of travel is available for deceleration andacceleration). The test stand will include a support for posi-tioning th
40、e calibrated leak standard so that the outlet is at least20 cm above the base of the test stand.The calibrated leak sup-port will be positioned such that the outlet of the calibratedleak is positioned at the midpoint of the mobile platforms lat-eral travel. The calibrated leak will rest on this supp
41、ort so thatthe outlet of the leak hangs over the edge of the support by adistance of at least 3 mm. The distance d between the outlet ofthe leak and the tip of the leak detector probe will be adjust-able. Under varying conditions of motion as specified below,the leak detector shall be tested at dist
42、ance d of1mmand3 mm between the outlet of the calibrated leak and the tip ofthe leak detector probe.5. AMBIENT CONDITIONSUnless otherwise indicated, the testing is done in air witha concentration of less than 5 ppm(V) of the refrigerant. Theair shall be still, with velocity no greater than 0.15 m/s.
43、 Thetemperature shall be constant at 21C 2C. The absolutepressure shall be 1015 kPa.6. TEST PROCEDURES6.1 Test Number 1Sensitivity Threshold when theLeak Detector is Stationary. The stationary test involves aseries of 10 repeat trials, starting with the 1 g/yr leak, followedby another series of 10 r
44、epeat trials with an increase in theleak rate (if needed) until the detector minimum sensitivitythreshold is established. For each test in the series, the cali-brated leak is mounted on the support and adjusted for properdistance from the probe tip.The minimum distance d betweenthe probe tip and the
45、 outlet of the calibrated leak is 1 mm.Traveling on the mobile platform from one extent of the rangeof travel, the leak detector probe tip is brought into position infront of the outlet of the leak and the platform is stopped. Dur-ing a 5 s dwell, the indication given by the leak detector ismonitore
46、d. Following the 5 s dwell, the mobile platformmoves the leak detector back to its starting point. After theleak detector returns to its minimum reading, the next trial isrun following this same procedure. The procedure for the sta-tionary test is as follows:.6.1.1 The leak detector is switched off
47、and attached to themobile platform of the test stand.6.1.2 The 1 g/yr calibrated leak is installed on the cali-brated leak support.6.1.3 The mobile platform is moved to a position directlyin front of the calibrated leak, and the distance d between theoutlet of the calibrated leak and the probe tip i
48、s set to 1 mm.6.1.4 The leak detector/mobile platform is moved to theend of its travel.6.1.5 The leak detector is turned on, allowed to warm up,and adjusted according to the manufacturers instructions.6.1.6 The leak detector/mobile platform is moved to aposition directly in front of the calibrated l
49、eak at an averagespeed of 505 mm/s and stops. The leak detector samples thecalibrated leak for a period of 5 s from a distance of 1 mm.During the 5 s dwell, the maximum signal and the time atwhich the signal occurs is recorded.6.1.7 The leak detector/mobile platform is moved back toits starting point and sits idle until the indication given by theleak detector returns to its minimum reading.6.1.8 Repeat the procedure outlined in Sections 6.1.6 and6.1.7 until 10 consecutive trials have been completed.6.1.9 Turn off the leak detector.6.1.10 If the lea
