What medium is used at the new project commissioning site to test the sealing performance of hard-sealed pneumatic ball valves?
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Do ball valves that handle liquids need to be tested for sealing integrity with water? Should compressed air or nitrogen be used for gases? Or can nitrogen be used in both cases? Will using nitrogen to test a leaking ball valve affect the results?
Generally, using nitrogen to test hard-sealed pneumatic ball valves is a fairly common method. If it is a liquid ball valve, water can also be used for testing, but care must be taken to keep the water pressure and flow rate within specified limits to avoid unnecessary effects on the ball valve. If it is a gas ball valve, compressed air or nitrogen can be used for testing; the choice of gas depends mainly on the actual circumstances. Testing water valves with nitrogen may affect the test results, as water valves typically use bearings and sealing materials that are different from those of gas valves. .
There should be relevant specifications; I’ve forgotten exactly which ones. Just search online for them. Personally, I recommend conducting tests using water, except for cases with special requirements. Gases are compressible; therefore, testing at high pressures poses significant risks.
High-pressure gas experiments require specialized personnel and equipment, as well as a test site equipped with protective measures. There are no other mandatory requirements specifying whether water or gas must be used for pressure testing.