There is severe ammonia loss in the refrigeration system – why?
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Recently, since our refrigeration system was put into operation, we have had to top up ammonia several times due to severe ammonia loss. We hope that fellow sailors can help us find out the cause. I believe that apart from the loss due to venting, there should be no other losses, as there is no leakage. Even after attempting to close the normal vent valve, ammonia loss continues; I currently suspect that there is a leak in the equipment’s drain valve or the vent valve itself. However, I cannot determine whether there is an internal leak based on the appearance alone. I hope everyone can help analyze it. 1. Where does all the ammonia go? 2. How to determine internal leakage in a valve? (The premise system is still in operation; that is, harmful substances are present inside – how can one determine this without disassembling it?)
In addition to checking the drain valve, it is also necessary to verify whether there is internal leakage in the cooler; this can be done by analyzing the ammonia concentration in the circulating water.
Check the temperature of the gas being released. If the temperature of the gas exiting the condenser is high, ammonia loss will be significant. Does the condenser in your refrigeration system have an ammonia cooler, and what is the condensation temperature?
Reply to 3# Yan Qiusheng: Ammonia leaks are easy to detect, as even small amounts of ammonia have a significant impact on the human respiratory system. Therefore, a large amount of ammonia being added in a short period indicates an extremely high leakage rate. The only possibility to consider is a leak in the ammonia condenser, whereby ammonia enters the circulating cooling water. When this water passes through the cooling tower, most of the ammonia is released into the atmosphere, making it difficult to detect; however, the issue can be identified by measuring the pH value.
Reply to 3# Yan Qiusheng: Thank you, we have already analyzed it. There’s no problem with the water
Reply to 4# Yi Ku Song: The designed ammonia cooling temperature for releasing gas is -26 degrees, but the current operating ammonia cooling temperature is in the high teens degrees. They’re also rarely left idle these days
Reply to 6# llwpxplyq: Thank you, but we still haven’t found the leak yet. One thing is for sure, however: ammonia is burning in the torch.
Check whether there is ammonia in the oil system of the ammonia compressor (i.e., the chiller). If a large amount of ammonia leaks out and there is no place for it to go, it usually ends up in the oil! Also, check for leaks in the refrigeration system’s venting lines and other hidden leaks. Hope it’s useful to you! ! !
This post was last edited by Chemical Gas Purification on 2010-11-28 at 15:56. I think it’s one of your safety valves that is leaking; this kind of issue can only be resolved by checking each valve individually.
Reply to 3# Yan Qiusheng: Our factory also faces this issue. The analysis results of the inlet and outlet water in the circulating water system show that the ammonia concentration in the water is 0.1 PPM; it’s not clear whether this can be considered a leak