To promote the safe handling of ammonia (NH3/ R717), the International Institute for Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) has published a revision of its ANSI/IIAR 3-2022 safety standard for ammonia refrigeration valves and strainers, as well as a new guideline for estimating accidental refrigerant releases.
In September, IIAR published a revision of the American National Standard ANSI/IIAR 3-2022 Ammonia Refrigeration Valves. This publication is a safety standard to specify the performance criteria and ensure the product integrity of ammonia refrigeration valves and strainers.
In accordance with IIAR and ANSI requirements, the standard was reviewed and revised for periodic maintenance. The revision includes new requirements for manufacturers’ documentation and methods for vacuum leak testing and for production testing. It also addresses the requirements for butterfly valves and includes a new appendix.
Estimating accidental refrigerant releases
IIAR has also published a new Guideline for Estimating Accidental Refrigerant Releases. This guideline was developed at the encouragement of the IIAR Government Affairs Committee, executed by the IIAR Research Committee, and funded by the Natural Refrigerants Foundation.
The purpose of the guideline is to enable users to determine the mass of refrigerant that has been released during the most common unplanned events. This information can then be used for reporting or other purposes and should enable the industry to neither over-report nor under-report releases to government agencies.
The guideline is accompanied by a computer program that, based on user input regarding the type of release that has occurred, will quickly calculate the estimated quantity that has escaped. purchasers of the guideline will receive access to the computer program and will be eligible for the recommended training program developed to accompany the guideline and computer program.
Previously, IIAR also published new guidelines to its latest IIAR-2 standard on how ammonia detection systems should be employed with these systems.
