The Standards Committee is continuing its work on revisions of several standards, which must be reviewed and revised a minimum of every five years by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for IIAR to remain as an accredited Standards Developing Organization (SDO). Updates for each standard were given during the IIAR Standards Committee Meeting at the IIAR 2023 Annual Conference in Long Beach.

“We had over 130 people at the meeting. That is a well-attended meeting,” said Don Faust, chairman of the committee and training manager for Johnson Controls. During the meeting, the committee updated its voting members and appointed a new vice chair of the committee, Mark Bazis, owner at Refrigeration Consultants Inc., Faust said.

The Standards Committee is continuing its work on revisions of several standards, which must be reviewed and revised a minimum of every five years by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for IIAR to remain as an accredited Standards Developing Organization (SDO).

The committee also voted to approve the ANSI Standards development procedures. “Largely the changes to the procedures were how we define IIAR. IIAR has a group for retired people and educators, but for ANSI we have to characterize people differently. We have manufacturers, contractors, end users, and others. Those are the only four,” Faust said, adding that IIAR’s voting members have to be a member of one of those four classes.

REVIEWS OF STANDARDS

The committee is currently reviewing IIAR 5, IIAR 6, IIAR 7, and IIAR HC.

IIAR 5 – Startup of Closed-Circuit Ammonia Refrigeration Systems: Tony Lundell, IIAR senior director of standards and safety, said It is anticipated that the IIAR 5 public review of the first draft will be developed and ready to be reviewed and voted on by this fall. The target is to have the revision completed in 2024.

IIAR 6 – Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Closed-Circuit Ammonia Refrigeration Systems: The IIAR 6 subcommittee is meeting bi-weekly to discuss pre-public review questions and comments. A new section for “out of service” is being developed and added in IIAR 6. “This will address when refrigeration equipment and/or systems are down for extended periods for when harvesting of fruits and vegetables is finished for the season or between fishing seasons,” Lundell said.

An interactive brainstorming session of the “out of service” section was held with Trident Seafoods in Anchorage, Alaska, during a Trident Seafoods PSM Conference. This section is intended to address seasonal shutdown facilities as they maintain proper Mechanical Integrity and Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practices (RAGAGEP). For example, during the fishing season, many facilities have idle periods that can last months.

“The intent of the ‘out of service’ section is to get a clear directive on how to document and treat these facilities will continue to bolster their PSM and safety programs,” Lundell said. The IIAR 6 Subcommittee had a meeting with the internal relief valve manufacturers, which included Parker Hannifin, Danfoss, Hansen Technologies, and Cyrus Shank. No unsafe incidents were revealed that were caused by a failing—stuck open or stuck closed— internal relief valve.

“Since the manufacturers are unaware of where the design uses them or will use them, they cannot determine a frequency of testing or replacing them,” Lundell said. “The discussion so far is that IIAR 6’s next revision should replace ASME internal relief valves, just like the atmospheric relief valves are being replaced (if not bench tested to extend the life), and non-ASME internal relief valves, control valves, and/or check valves should be replaced when an operational indication occurs or when the frequency that is presented by the refrigeration system designer.”

An operational indication is a situation where the pressure and/or temperatures are fluctuating, the equipment is making different noises or a combination of both. An operation indication is where a hydrostatic/internal overpressure protection device is possibly not operating correctly which may include surging and fluctuating pressures and temperatures, changes in equipment operating noise, or a combination of both. The operations could result in loss of equipment capacity and higher energy usage.

It is anticipated that the IIAR 6 public review of the first draft will be developed and ready to be reviewed and voted on by this fall. The goal is to have the revision completed in 2024.

IIAR 7 – Developing Operating Procedures for Closed-Circuit Ammonia Refrigeration Systems: The IIAR 7 Subcommittee is meeting bi-weekly to discuss pre-public review questions and comments. “Streamlining and determining what is normative versus what could be included to informatively help is being discussed,” Lundell said. It is anticipated that the IIAR 7 first draft for public review will be developed and ready to be reviewed and voted on by this fall or no later than year-end. The goal is to have the revision completed in 2024.

IIAR HC – Safety Standard for Closed-Circuit Refrigeration Systems Utilizing Hydrocarbon Refrigerants: This standard is in Development. The IIAR HC Subcommittee has finished reviewing the pre-public review comments it received and IIAR staff has developed the IIAR HC public review first draft, which is being shared with the IIAR Standards Committee voting members and the IIAR board of directors prior to it going out for public review. The first public review is expected to take place in late June or early July, Lundell said. “Having this new standard in development fully completed in 2024 is the target,” he explained.

ADDITIONAL DISCUSSIONS

During the meeting, attendees also discussed IIAR 1 Definitions and Terminology Used in IIAR Standards, IIAR 2 Designing Safe Closed-Circuit Ammonia Refrigeration Systems), IIAR 3 Ammonia Refrigeration Valves, IIAR 4 Installation of Closed-Circuit Ammonia Refrigeration Systems, and IIAR 8 Decommissioning.

Additionally, an addendum to IIAR 9 Minimum System Safety Requirements for Existing Closed-Circuit Ammonia Refrigeration Systems is being discussed to address some interpretations that have developed since it was published. Any changes or modifications are expected to be complete by this summer with a first public review ready for the fall.

Lundell added that two separate Relief Valve Groups will continue to have discussions. One group is focusing on Internal Relief Valves and another group is focusing on Atmospheric Relief Valves. “Any highlights identified will be addressed in the next revisions IAR 2, IIAR 6, and IIAR 9,” he said. Lundell will provide an update on the IIAR Suite of Standards in November at the RETA 2023 Annual Conference in Jacksonville, Florida.

GET INVOLVED

All IIAR members are invited to take part in the Standards Committee. “If you’re in the industry, you’ve got some knowledge we can use. You can reach out to me or express your interest in IIAR,” Faust said. “There is an old saying, 85% of success is showing up.”