LegalizeCommission Regulation (EC) No 706/2007 of 21 June 2007 laying down, pursuant to Directive 2006/40/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, administrative provisions for the EC type-approval of vehicles, and a harmonised test for measuring leakages from certain air conditioning systems (Text with EEA relevance)
Article 1
Subject matter
This Regulation lays down certain measures for the implementation of Articles 4 and 5 of Directive 2006/40/EC.
Article 2
Definitions
For the purposes of this Regulation the following definitions shall apply:
‘vehicle type with regard to emissions from air-conditioning systems’ means a group of vehicles which do not differ as regards the refrigerant used or other main characteristics of the air-conditioning system or as regards the evaporator system, whether single or dual;
‘type of air-conditioning system’ means a group of air-conditioning systems which do not differ either as regards their trade name or mark of their manufacturer or as regards the leak components included therein;
‘leak component’ means any of the following parts of an air-conditioning system or an assembly of such parts:
(a) hose including crimping; (b) individual connections, whether male or female; (c) valves, switches and sensors; (d) thermal expansion valves with connections; (e) evaporator with external connections; (f) compressor with connections; (g) condenser with integrated serviceable dryer; (h) receiver/dryer with connections; (i) accumulator with connections;
‘type of leak component’ means a group of leak components which do not differ either as regards their trade name or mark of their manufacturer or as regards their main function.
Leak components made of different materials or combinations of different leak components shall be considered as belonging to the same type of leak component, as defined in point 4 of the first paragraph, provided that they do not increase the leakage rate.
Article 3
EC component type-approval
Member States may not, on grounds relating to emissions from air-conditioning systems, refuse to grant an EC component type-approval to a type of leak component or a type of air-conditioning system if it complies with the provisions of this Regulation.
Article 4
Administrative provisions for EC component type-approval
The application shall be drawn up in accordance with the model of the information document set out in Part 1 of Annex I.
For that purpose, a sample with the highest leakage rate (hereinafter ‘the worst case sample’) shall be used.
A Member State may not assign the same number to another type of leak component or air-conditioning system.
Article 5
EC component type-approval mark
Every leak component or air-conditioning system conforming to a type in respect of which EC component type-approval has been granted pursuant to this Regulation shall bear an EC component type-approval mark set out in Part 3 of Annex I.
Article 6
Administrative provisions for EC type-approval of a vehicle with regard to emissions from an air-conditioning system
The application shall be drawn up in accordance with the model of the information document set out in Part 4 of Annex I.
A Member State may not assign the same number to another vehicle type.
Article 7
Harmonised leakage detection test
The harmonised leakage detection test for examining whether the maximum permissible leakage limits, referred to in Article 5(2) and 5(3) of Directive 2006/40/EC, have been exceeded is laid down in Annex II to this Regulation.
Article 8
Entry into force
This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This Regulation shall apply from 5 January 2008.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
List of Annexes
ANNEX I
PART 1
MODEL
Information document No … relating to EC component type-approval of an air-conditioning system or of a component thereof
The following information, if applicable, must be supplied in triplicate and include a list of contents. Any drawings must be supplied in appropriate scale and in sufficient detail on size A4 or on a folder of A4 format. Photographs, if any, must show sufficient detail.
If the components have electronic controls, information concerning their performance must be supplied.
0 GENERAL
0.1 Make (trade name of manufacturer): …
0.5 Name and address of manufacturer: …
0.7 Location and method of affixing of the EC type-approval mark: …
0.8 Address(es) of assembly plant(s): …
9. BODYWORK
9.10.8. Leakage in g/year of the leak component/air-conditioning system (if tested by the manufacturer) (3):
PART 2
MODEL
EC TYPE-APPROVAL CERTIFICATE
(maximum format: A4 (210 × 297 mm))
Communication concerning the
— type-approval
— extension of type-approval (4)
— refusal of type-approval (4)
— withdrawal of type-approval (4)
of a type of vehicle/component/separate technical unit (4) with regard to Directive 2006/40/EC, as implemented by Regulation (EC) No 706/2007 (4) .
Type-approval number …
Reason for extension …
0.1 Make (trade name of manufacturer): …
0.3 Means of identification of type, if marked on the vehicle/component/separate technical unit (4) …
0.5 Name and address of manufacturer: …
0.7 In the case of components and separate technical units, location and method of affixing of the EC type-approval mark: …
0.8 Address(es) of assembly plant(s): …
1 Additional information (where applicable): (see Addendum)
2 Technical service responsible for carrying out the tests: …
3 Date of test report: …
4 Number of test report: …
5 Remarks (if any): (see Addendum)
6 Place: …
7 Date: …
8 Signature: …
9 The index to the information package lodged with the approval authority, which may be obtained on request, is attached.
Addendum
PART 3
EC COMPONENT TYPE-APPROVAL MARK
1. GENERAL
1.2. The EC component type-approval mark must be clearly legible and indelible.
2. EXAMPLE OF THE EC COMPONENT TYPE-APPROVAL MARK
a ≥ 8 mm or at least 2,5 mm if the 8 mm size is not suitable.
The above component type-approval mark shows that the part in question has been approved in Germany (e1) under approval number 2439. The first two digits (00) indicate that this part was approved according to this Regulation.
PART 4
MODEL
Information document No … relating to EC type-approval of a vehicle with regard to emissions from air-conditioning system
The following information, if applicable, must be supplied in triplicate and include a list of contents. Any drawings must be supplied in appropriate scale and in sufficient detail on size A4 or on a folder of A4 format. Photographs, if any, must show sufficient detail.
If the components have electronic controls, information concerning their performance must be supplied.
0 GENERAL
0.1 Make (trade name of manufacturer): …
0.4 Category of vehicle: …
0.5 Name and address of manufacturer: …
0.7 In the case of components and separate technical units, location and method of affixing of the EC type-approval mark …
0.8 Address(es) of assembly plant(s) …
9. BODYWORK
PART 5
MODEL
EC TYPE-APPROVAL CERTIFICATE
(maximum format: A4 (210 × 297 mm))
Communication concerning the
— type-approval
— extension of type-approval (7)
— refusal of type-approval (7)
— withdrawal of type-approval (7)
of a type of vehicle/component/separate technical unit (7) with regard to Directive 2006/40/EC, as implemented by Regulation (EC) No 706/2007.
Type-approval Number: …
Reason for extension: …
0.1 Make (trade name of manufacturer): …
0.4 Category of vehicle: …
0.5 Name and address of manufacturer: …
0.7 In the case of components and separate technical units, location and method of affixing of the EC type-approval mark: …
0.8 Address(es) of assembly plant(s): …
1 Additional information (where applicable): (see Addendum)
2 Technical service responsible for carrying out the tests: …
3 Date of test report: …
4 Number of test report: …
5 Remarks (if any): (see Addendum)
6 Place: …
7 Date: …
8 Signature: …
9 The index to the information package lodged with the approval authority, which may be obtained on request, is attached.
Addendum
ANNEX II
TECHNICAL PROVISIONS FOR THE DETERMINATION OF LEAKAGES FROM AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEMS
1. INTRODUCTION
This annex applies to vehicles with an air-conditioning system (AC) designed to contain fluorinated greenhouse gases with a global warming potential higher than 150, in order to evaluate the release to the atmosphere of refrigerant fluid. Topics addressed in this Annex include:
Equipment requirements
Test conditions
Test procedure and data requirements
2. DESCRIPTION OF TEST
2.1. The air-conditioning leakage test is designed to determine the amount of hydro-fluoro-carbons (HFC-134a) released to the atmosphere from vehicles fitted with an air-conditioning system, as a consequence of the normal operation of such a system.
2.2. The test can be undertaken on the whole vehicle, on the air-conditioning system or on individual leak components.
2.3. Leak components need to be tested without additional oil involved. Residual oil from the manufacturing process can stay in. Compressors use standard charge of oil.
2.4. The individual components boundaries have to be within a metal tube area. The boundary sections have to be sealed tightly by welding or brazing. One of the components boundaries may, if appropriate, be connected to a suitable volume metal container holding the two-phase refrigerant.
2.5. The HFC-134a container and leak component has to be filled with two-phase (liquid and vapour) refrigerant HFC-134a to maintain constant pressure at the required temperature level by heating means. The leak component under pre-conditioning or under test is installed in the sealed enclosure. The temperature of the component is maintained at the requested preconditioning or testing temperature in order to have only the vapour phase of HFC-134a inside the component. For complete air-conditioning systems the actual nominal charge has to be used. The manufacturer recommended oil concentration and type should be used.
2.7. The worst case sample of a leak component or an air-conditioning system shall be chosen for testing.
2.8. Mass leakage of refrigerant fluid from any leak component is added up to provide an overall result for the test.
3. TEST EQUIPMENT
The test has to be undertaken in a sealed enclosure including an equipment to ensure a homogeneous concentration of gas and the use of a gas analysis method.
All the equipment used during the test shall be calibrated with relation to reference equipment.
3.1.1. For the pre-conditioning phase, the temperature conditioning system must be capable of controlling the internal air temperature throughout the duration of this phase, with a tolerance of ± 3 K.
3.1.2. For the measurement phase, the leakage measurement enclosure must be a sealed gas-tight measurement enclosure able to contain the system, component under test. The enclosure when sealed must be gas tight in accordance with the Appendix. The inner surface of the enclosure must be impermeable and non-reactive to the air-conditioning refrigerant fluid. The temperature conditioning system must be capable of controlling the internal enclosure air temperature throughout the test, with an average tolerance of ± 1 K over the duration of the test.
3.1.3. The measurement enclosure must be constructed with rigid panels that maintain a fixed enclosure volume.
3.1.4. The inner size of the measurement enclosure shall be appropriate to contain the components or systems to be tested with the required accuracy.
3.1.5. Gas and temperature homogeneity inside the measurement enclosure shall be ensured by mean of at least one recirculation fan or an alternative method that can be demonstrated to provide homogeneous temperature and gas concentration.
3.2.1. The amount of HFC-134a released shall be measured by means of gas chromatography, infrared spectro-photometry, mass spectrometry, infrared photo-acoustic spectroscopy (see the Appendix).
3.2.2. If the used technique is not one of the mentioned before, equivalency shall have to be demonstrated and the equipment has to be calibrated with a procedure similar as described in the Appendix.
3.2.3. The target accuracy of the measuring equipment for the total air-conditioning system is established in ± 2 g/year.
3.2.4. Equipment for gas analysis, combined with any other equipment, which allows an accuracy down to 0,2 grams/year shall be used for any component test.
3.2.5. For components where it is very difficult to achieve the above mentioned accuracy the number of samples in each test can be increased.
3.2.6. The repeatability of the analyser expressed as one standard deviation must be better than 1 % of full scale deflection at zero and at 80 % ± 20 % of full scale on all ranges used.
3.2.7. The zero and span of the gas analyser must be calibrated before any test according to manufacturer instructions.
3.2.8. The operational ranges of the analyser must be chosen to give best resolution over the measurement, calibration and leak checking procedures.
3.3.1. The gas analyser must be fitted with a device to record electrical signal output either by strip chart recorder or other data processing system at a frequency of at least once per 60 minutes. The recording system must have operating characteristics at least equivalent to the signal being recorded and must provide a permanent record of results. The record must show a positive indication of the beginning and end of the test (including beginning and end of sampling periods along with the time elapsed between start and completion of each test).
3.4.1.1. The temperature in the measurement enclosure is recorded at one or two points by temperature sensors which are connected so as to show a mean value. The measuring points shall be representative of the temperature inside the measurement enclosure.
3.4.1.2. Temperatures must, throughout the HFC-134a leakage measurements, be recorded or entered into a data processing system having a frequency of at least once per minute.
3.4.1.3. The accuracy of the temperature recording system must be within ± 1,0 K.
3.4.2.1. The accuracy of the pressure recording system for Pshed must be within ± 2 hPa and the pressure must be capable of being resolved to ± 0,2 hPa.
3.4.3.1. By the use of one or more fans, blowers or other appropriate method, like N2 flush, it must be possible to reduce the HFC-134a concentration in the measurement enclosure to the ambient level.
3.4.3.2. The leak component or system to be tested in the enclosure must not be subjected to a direct stream of air from the fans or blowers when used.
3.4.4.1. Where specified by the supplier of the gas analyser, the following gases must be available for calibration and operation:
3.4.4.2. Calibration and span gases must be available containing mixtures of HFC-134a and purified synthetic air or any other suitable inert gas. The true concentrations of a calibration gas must be within ± 2 % of stated figures.
4. PRECONDITIONING
4.1.1. Before preconditioning and leakage measurement is performed, the air-conditioning system is to be evacuated and charged with the specified nominal charge of HFC-134a.
4.1.2. In order to ensure saturated conditions during the whole duration of the test, including preconditioning phase, each ‘leak’ component, with or without additional container, is to be evacuated and charged with sufficient amount of HFC-134a but not exceeding 0,65 g/cm3 of the total inner volume of the leak component or container.
| 4.2.1. | The applicant for approval may choose to conduct preconditioning either in a single step at 40 °C or in a two step approach of shorter total duration. The two step approach shall involve two sequential stages, the first at 50 °C immediately followed by the second at 40 °C. The duration of preconditioning shall be as shown below. Option 1 Option 2 System part 40 °C Time [h] Step 1 — 50 °C Time [h] Step 2 — 40 °C Time [h] Complete system 480 240 24 Compressor 144 72 24 Hose assemblies 480 240 24 All other leak parts 96 48 24 Shorter preconditioning times can be used if it can be demonstrated the steady state (constant loss rate) regarding permeation losses has been reached. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Option 1 | Option 2 | ||
| System part | 40 °C Time [h] | Step 1 — 50 °C Time [h] | Step 2 — 40 °C Time [h] |
| Complete system | 480 | 240 | 24 |
| Compressor | 144 | 72 | 24 |
| Hose assemblies | 480 | 240 | 24 |
| All other leak parts | 96 | 48 | 24 |
4.2.2. After preconditioning, the leak components or system have to be placed in the measurement enclosure for the leak test within four hours.
4.3.1. When necessary for lubrication and seal running-in, compressor may be run in between preconditioning and test during a minimum period of 1 min at minimum speed of 200 rpm.
4.3.2. The HFC-134a charge in the leak component or air-conditioning system has to be kept intact between preconditioning and measurement in order not to loose the preconditioning effect. This means that the same configuration has to be submitted to both preconditioning and measurement without disassembling and re-assembling in between.
5. TEST SEQUENCE
The test sequence, in figure I, shows the steps to be followed during the development of the test.
5.2.1. The test is to be undertaken at static and steady state conditions at the temperature of 313 K (40 °C). Differences in HFC-134a concentration over the test time is used to calculate annual losses.
5.2.2. The measurement enclosure must be purged for several minutes until a stable background is obtained.
5.2.3. Prior to the test the background level in the measurement enclosure must be measured and the gas analyzer zeroed and spanned.
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