The International Standards Organisation (ISO) is currently developing a standard on industrial valve emissions. This standard should provide an agreed basis for qualifying and testing valves against leak-tightness performance criteria, replacing the many methods and procedures currently being specified by end-users and employed by valve manufacturers. This can only happen if the conflicting requirements of end-users, manufacturers, and regulating bodies are resolved. Controversy surrounds two issues: the measurement method and the choice of test gas.

BHR Group co-ordinated a 3-year project part-funded by the European Commission under its Standards, Measurement and Testing programme. The project set out to:

• facilitate a clear exposition of the underlying technical issues
• provide authoritative data on the accuracy and scatter of candidate measurement methods
• establish the feasibility of predicting leakage of various gases from measurements in helium
• provide guidance to ISO, valve industry and end-user community on these questions.

A pdf file containing the non-confidential summary of the findings of this project is available by email on request. For further information, please contact us.

Partners:
BHR Group (UK) - Coordinator
CETIM (F)
Neles Automation (Fi)
Chesterton Industries (Ir)
European Sealing Association AFIR (F)
Elf Antar (F)
Inficon (UK)
Alcatel (F)