Panasonic adds auto leak detection
25th July 2014
EUROPE: Panasonic is the latest air conditioning manufacturer to offer an automatic leak detection and pump-down system on its VRF products.
Said to be ideal for hotels, offices and public buildings where safety for occupants and the building owners is of utmost importance.
As well as ensuring safe and reliable operation, Panasonic’s Pump Down System contributes to a building qualifying for additional BREEAM points and achieves compliance with the current EN378 2008 standard, covering applications where refrigeration concentration levels exceed practical safety limits of 0.44kg/m³.
The system can be connected either with a leak sensor or an innovative algorithm.
Connecting the system with a leak detector ensures the system is suitable for installation in small rooms. With Panasonic’s ECOi software, sensors communicate with the Pump Down System directly through its P-Link connection, eliminating the need for additional communication networks. The leak detector is connected through PAW-EXCT connector directly to the indoor unit and the pump down system is directly connected to the main outdoor unit. The system will activate when a leak is detected in the monitored rooms and any leaked refrigerant will be collected immediately within the outdoor units, or in an optional receiver tank for bigger systems.
Panasonic has developed an innovative new algorithm to determine refrigerant leakage, enabling the system to be connected without sensors. It is able to detect leakage of R410A based on three conditions: high pressure, low pressure and discharge temperature.
“Government regulations surrounding refrigerant gas are, quite rightly, incredibly demanding and is a key reason why reliable leak detection systems are required,” explained Marc Diaz, UK country manager of Panasonic Heating and Cooling. “However, with refrigerant prices continuing to increase, cost implications of a leak can be extremely high. For these reasons, we are seeing even more demand for these early detection and preventive systems. We have developed the new Pump Down System to comply with all relevant legislation, and thanks to two different connection methods, it is suitable for a variety of applications and is extremely cost effective.”
