Overview
EN ISO 15848-2:2015 - Industrial valves: Measurement, test and qualification procedures for fugitive emissions - Part 2: Production acceptance test of valves - defines the production-level test procedures to verify external leakage from valve stems/shafts and body joints of isolating and control valves for use with volatile air pollutants and hazardous fluids. It is the production acceptance complement to ISO 15848-1 (type testing and classification) and was published by CEN in 2015.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope & exclusions: Applies to external leakage of stems/shafts and body seals of isolating and control valves. Excludes end connection joints, vacuum applications, corrosion and radiation effects.
- Sampling: Lot sampling percentage is by agreement between manufacturer and purchaser, with a minimum of one valve per lot selected at random.
- Preconditioning: Valves must be of a design already successfully type-tested according to ISO 15848-1 and conform to relevant production tests prior to this acceptance test.
- Test fluid: Helium with a minimum purity of 97% by volume.
- Leakage measurement: Per the sniffing method defined in ISO 15848-1:2015, Annex B, reported in ppmv.
- Test conditions: Default test pressure 6 bar (unless otherwise agreed) and room temperature as defined in ISO 15848-1.
- Stem/shaft leakage procedure:
- Half-open valve, pressurize to test pressure, measure by sniffing.
- Cycle valve (fully open/close) five times under pressure.
- Half-open and re-measure. If leakage exceeds the agreed tightness class, the valve fails.
- Tightness classes (stem seals):
- Class A ≤ 50 ppmv
- Class B ≤ 100 ppmv
- Class C ≤ 200 ppmv
- Body seal requirement: Measured leakage must be ≤ 50 ppmv (sniffing method).
- Marking & certification: Only valves tested and qualified per ISO 15848-1 and compliant with Part 2 may be marked. Manufacturer shall provide a certificate of compliance if requested.
Practical applications
- Ensures production valves meet specified fugitive emissions limits for environmental, safety and regulatory compliance in petrochemical, oil & gas, chemical processing and other industries handling volatile/hazardous fluids.
- Used during final production inspection, factory acceptance tests (FAT), and supply contracts to verify stem/shaft and body joint tightness before shipping.
- Supports leak-reduction programs, emissions reporting, and alignment with environmental permitting that requires demonstrated control of fugitive emissions.
Who uses this standard
- Valve manufacturers and quality/control engineers conducting production acceptance tests
- Purchasing/specification engineers, procurement teams and end-users who require certified low-emission valves
- Third-party inspection bodies and compliance auditors verifying conformance with fugitive emission requirements
Related standards
Keywords: EN ISO 15848-2:2015, fugitive emissions, industrial valves, production acceptance test, helium sniffing, stem seal leakage, tightness classes.
