Latest Toshiba leak detector saves costs
19th February 2018
UK: Toshiba Air Conditioning UK has updated its pioneering refrigerant leak detection and management system with a new version that reduces costs and saves space.
The new LD2 provides protection for building occupants in the unlikely event of a refrigerant leak, and builds on the success of the company’s award-winning RD6, first introduced in 2012.
The new unit is said to be 40% smaller than its predecessor, as it now handles all of the information processing and analysis previously carried out by the dedicated board within the RD6 panel.
Onsite installation time is reduced as wiring from refrigerant leak sensors does not need to be connected to the remote panel. In addition, the detector can now be installed farther away from the unit, expanding on the distance limit of 12m on the RD6.
The RD6 was originally designed in the UK to meet the local requirements of end users. However, the new generation LD2 is now available across Europe on Toshiba’s SMMS-e and SHRM-e VRF air conditioning systems.
In line with Toshiba’s focus on meeting specific customer needs in key regions, a UK version of LD2 incorporates additional features such as a low ambient protection heater, remote indication relay and hinged Perspex protection cover over switches and indicators.
“This latest generation of Toshiba’s refrigerant detection and management system gives end users and building occupants peace of mind, delivering the same high level of protection and functionality as its predecessor for significantly less cost,” said David Dunn, managing director of Toshiba Air Conditioning and CIAT in the UK.
“For contractors, LD2 is quick and easy to install onsite, taking up less space and requiring less wiring to implement,” Dunn said. “With the UK-specific version, end users and installers have a system that precisely meets their requirements, and for less investment than the forerunner.”
The company’s range of refrigerant leak detection, concentration sensors and pump back systems provide a solution to potential leak issues by sounding an alarm in accordance with EN378 – where the refrigerant concentration level exceeds 0.44kg/m³ – and automatically initiating mechanical isolation and pump back of refrigerant from the indoor side to the outdoor unit(s).
The system has the ability to isolate the specific section of refrigerant pipework containing the leak, enabling the rest of the system to continue functioning as normal when combined with Toshiba’s LD1. The new technology means that only the immediate area served by the compromised circuit suffers loss of service.
This latest LD2 system can incorporate both external and internal sensors to monitor and determine the level of refrigerant in the enclosed atmosphere and flowing within the refrigerant piping system.
