DIN EN 12102:2013-10

DIN EN 12102 has been revised in the frame of the Eco-design regulation No 206/2012. This European Standard specifies requirements for determining, in accordance with a standardized procedure, the sound power level emitted into the surrounding air by air conditioners, heat pumps, liquid chilling packages with electrically driven compressors when used for space heating and/or cooling, including water cooled multi-split systems, as described in EN 14511 and dehumidifiers as described in EN 810. This document (EN 12102:2013) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 113 "Heat pumps and air conditioning units", the secretariat of which is held by AENOR. Regarding the German collaboration, Working Committee NA 044-00-06 AA "Elektromotorisch angetriebene Wärmepumpen und Luftkonditionierungsgeräte" ("Heat pumps with electrically driven compressors") at the Refrigeration Technology Standards Committee (FNKä) is responsible. This European Standard also covers the measurement of the sound power level of evaporatively-cooled condenser air conditioners, as defined in EN 15218. However, the measurement should be done without external water feeding and these units will thus be considered as the other air conditioners covered by EN 14511. It is emphasized that this measurement standard only refers to airborne noise. This European Standard offers ways to determine the sound power level of units. Some of these procedures are specifically adapted to provide results with low uncertainties, by using laboratory class acoustic methods and highly controlled working conditions. Those measurements are suitable for certification, labelling and marking purposes. In some cases, the target and/or the environment of the measurements do not allow such precision-class 1 methods. This European Standard also includes methods to assess sound power levels with acceptable accuracy even though acoustic methods and/or working conditions are not laboratory-type, for example in situ or quality control measurements. This European Standard gives two classes of measurements and results, according to the test environment: Class A measurements correspond to controlled working conditions (standard or application rating conditions). Class A is defined by the respect to the tolerances of Table 2 and should be used for the conformity to requirements of the Commission Regulation (EC) No 206/2012 of 6 March 2012 implementing Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to specify eco-design requirements for air conditioners and comfort ventilating fans; Class B measurements correspond to the case where the range defined by the tolerances of Table 2 cannot be fulfilled. In both classes, acoustic methods of accuracy class 1 or 2 should be applied. The choice of the acoustic measurement method is done in accordance with EN ISO 3740 and EN ISO 9614 depending on the type of surrounding sound fields (diffuse or free sound field, enclosed or open space), and the available instrumentation. Whatever the current working conditions, the reference of acoustic standard should be reported, with explicit mention of its accuracy class. The use of EN ISO 3746 and EN ISO 3747 (method of accuracy class 3) is not recommended due to the high level of measurement uncertainties. Their use is only allowed for environments with non controlled conditions. Three methods for determining the sound power levels are specified in order to avoid unduly restricting existing facilities and experience: the first method is based on reverberation room measurement (see EN ISO 3741, EN ISO 3743 and EN ISO 3747 in some favourable cases when the requirements for the accuracy class 2 can be fulfilled); the second method is based on measurements in an essentially free sound field over a reflecting plane (see EN ISO 3744 and EN ISO 3745); the third method is based on sound intensity measurement (see EN ISO 9614) in preferably free sound field. The references in this European Standard to EN ISO 3743 should be understood as in EN ISO 3743-1 or EN ISO 3743-2 as well. The necessity to specify the test conditions obviously leads to recommend test methods implemented in acoustically designed (enclosed) spaces, such as EN ISO 3741, EN ISO 3743 and EN ISO 3745 and also EN ISO 9614 when implemented in an enclosed sound space. The open spaces should be covered only in specific cases, for example when the size or the power of the unit under test cannot be managed by standard test rooms. Suitable test methods are given in EN ISO 3744 and EN ISO 9614.