Containment is a result of good practices but also of adequate design, manufacturing and choice of leak tight components, as seals, valves, safety valves, etc. Cetim, the technical research center for the mechanical industry in France, has developed experimental methods that evaluate components in terms of tightness, by accelerated aging. The methods allow recommending design improvement, when necessary. The paper describes the experimental methods, and presents results for different components in terms of leak tightness. Based on laboratory results, an experimental Standard is under preparation. Also the paper describes a specific approach based on FMECA (Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis) that is experimented by Cetim on different industrial sites. A case study is described for this approach that reveals to be effective and allows to identify leak sources, and to propose adequate remedies. The leak reduction for the case presented here is estimated to be as high as 20%. Activities described here are conducted with the participation and contribution of the French industry of the Refrigeration and Air conditioning sector. A Working Group, gathering Industrials, Laboratories and Experts is monitoring and supporting financially the activity. The French Agency for Environment and Energy Management (ADEME) is also supporting the project.
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