Service Instructions

Leak-tightness and leak-testing on hydraulic elevator installations

in accordance with EN81-20:2014 and EN81-50:2015

Reference: 300-S-9010595-EN-00
Issue: 08.2017 1/7
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Published by
Bucher Hydraulics AG
Industriestrasse 15
CH-6345 Neuheim
Phone +41 41 757 03 33
Fax +41 41 757 05 00
Email info.ch@bucherhydraulics.com
Internet www.bucherhydraulics.com

Classification: 420.245.

E 2017 by Bucher Hydraulics AG, CH-6345 Neuheim

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does not relieve users from the duty of conducting their own evaluations and tests.
Because the products are subject to continual improvement, we reserve the right to amend the pro­
duct specifications contained in this catalogue. The original language and legal terminology of all Bu­
cher Hydraulics documentation is exclusively German. Bucher Hydraulics cannot be held liable for
any possible errors in translation.

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1 Overview / Summary
When testing the leak-tightness of a hydraulic elevator system, the fol­
lowing considerations must be taken into account when the test is car­
ried out with the ball valve closed. No hydraulic valve is completely leak-
free. The hydraulic engineer speaks of 'virtually zero leakage' or 'techni­
cal leak-freeness' and defines leakage values of x drops per minute or
similar to quantify it. When an enclosed space is put under pressure, the
oil inside it is compressed. If it is now released drop by drop, the pres­
sure drops again. The larger the space, the more oil is compressed.
Therefore more oil must also escape for the pressure to fall again.
Some people measure the leak-tightness of hydraulic valves by closing
the ball valve when the system is under pressure, and then measuring
the time until the pressure in the enclosed space drops below a certain
value. However, this only works if the ball valve has leak-free sealing,
and if the size of the enclosed space is taken into account.
In the case of the iValve-i250, the enclosed volume is 2.7 times smaller
than that of an LRV1-175. In the experiment described in this document,
and comparing two valves with the same leak-tightness, the pressure
will therefore drop 2.7 times faster with the iValve-i250 than with an
equally leak-tight LRV1-175.

Definition:
The considerations detailed below result in the following permissible
leakage values ​(pressure drop within a test time of 5 minutes) for tests
with closed ball valve, with the temperature change as per Point 3 being
considered separately:

Valve type Pressure drop Time

LRV175 20 bar

i250
25 bar *
DSV175

LRV350
Pressure drop within
VF-LRV350 15 bar
5 minutes
DSV700

i500
20 bar *
DSV350

LRV700 10 bar

* Because the iValve, when compared with the LRV, has a much smaller
pressurised volume between the installed valves and the ball valve, this
value can be increased.

We talk of leakage only when the pressure drops to 0 bar within 30 sec­
onds after the ball valve is closed. At this point, actions at the lift control
valve are necessary, and the defective component must be found and
replaced.

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2 Leak-testing at the valve / control manifold block

If, instead of the entire lift system, only the valve is pressurised, but with
200% of the maximum static pressure, it is essential that the following
points be complied with:
S Close the connection between the valve and the cylinder by means of
a ball valve installed after the control manifold block
S The valve and all associated parts must be thoroughly cleaned: there
must be no oil visible on these parts
S Check that the ambient temperature and the temperatures of the oil
and the body of the control valve block are approximately equal
S Using the hand pump installed in the power unit, raise the pressure in
the valve (between the check valve, Down spool and ball valve) to
200% of the maximum static pressure
S Wait at least 1 minute until O-rings and any air cushions have settled
and, if the pressure has fallen slightly, use the hand pump to increase
it again to 200% of the pressure at full load
S Then keep the system under pressure for 5 minutes and watch the
pressure on the test pressure gauge

3 Physical considerations for pressure and volume change as

function f(temperature) in a closed hydraulic circuit
S In a hydraulic elevator system, the oil temperature changes depend­
ing on the number of car travels
S The oil is cooled by radiation of the heat from various surfaces (cylin­
der / pipe- and hose-lines / valve / power unit)
S This drop in temperature also decreases the volume of the oil
S This reduction in volume means that the car sinks and has to be
brought back up to the floor level by the elevator control system
Change in a closed system / shut-off by means of a ball valve
Imagine a pressure chamber, filled with oil at a certain temperature,
which is now mechanically or hydraulic-mechanically closed. If the tem­
perature of the oil changes, the volume in the closed system will try to
change, but it cannot. If the temperature in the enclosed chamber rises,
for example, the volume will try to become larger and the pressure in the
system will increase. If the temperature in the enclosed chamber now
falls, the enclosed oil volume will try to become smaller and the pressure
in the system will decrease.
Depending on the change in the oil temperature, the volume will try to
change by a different amount and thus the pressure in the closed sys­
tem will change by a different amount.

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Summary:
With a temperature change of 1 [K], the pressure in a closed system
changes by approximately 10 bar!
IMPORTANT!:
The mathematical relationship can be found in the appendix in Sec­
tion 5.3.

4 Relationship of pressure drop to the leakage between control

manifold block and ball valve
According to EN81-20, paragraph 6.3.10, the system must be pres­
surised to 200% of the full-load pressure for 5 minutes. The system is
then to be checked for pressure drop and leakage losses. A permissible
tolerance limit for the pressure drop is not defined here.
In our considerations we assume a maximum leakage amount of 1 cm³
within the defined time of 5 minutes.
In an elevator system with a cylinder diameter of 100 mm and a transla­
tion ratio of 2:1, a leakage of 1 cm³ results in a car drop of:
V 1 ×4
s Transmission 2 2 0.025 cm or 0.25 mm
A 10
This amount of leakage is marginal and far removed from the value al­
lowed by the EN 81 standard. If the leakage test is now performed with
the ball valve closed, the volume of oil under pressure is massively
smaller than in a pressure test.

The physical relationship is as shown below:

1
V p V
K
ΔV = volume decrease, or leakage [cm³]
Δp = pressure drop [bar]
V = pressurised volume in control manifold block [cm³]
K = Bulk compression modulus of hydraulic oil = 1'400 N/mm²

The following shows the drop in pressure that will result from a leakage
of 1 cm³ from three different compressed volumes between the control
manifold block and the ball valve:
Compressed volume in dm³ or litres
1.5 1.0 0.5
Pressure drop with a
9 bar 14 bar 30 bar
leakage of 1 cm³

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5 Appendix

5.1 Extract from standard

According to EN81-20: 2014, the following test shall be carried out:

6.3.10 Pressure test

A pressure of 200 % full load pressure is applied to the hydraulic system
between the non-return valve and the jack included. The system is then
observed for evidence of pressure drop and leakage during a period of
5 minutes (taking into account the possible effects of temperature
change in the hydraulic fluid).
After this test it shall be visually ascertained that the integrity of the hy­
draulic system is maintained:
This test should be carried out after the test of the devices against free
fall (5.6) and include any hydraulic elements included in the uncontrolled
movement protection means.

5.2 The following standards have been taken into account in this document
S EN 81-20:2014 Safety rules Part 20:
Passenger and goods passenger lifts
S EN 81-50:2015 Safety rules Part 50:
Examinations, calculations and tests of
components

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5.3 Mathematical relationships regarding Section 3

(in this document)
Volume change as function f(temperature):
V(T) V0 a T
α = Coefficient of volumetric expansion = 7 x 10-4 [K-1]
V0 = Initial volume [m³]
ΔT = Temperature difference [K]

If the oil temperature in an elevator installation changes by 1 °C (K), the

volume changes by:

In an elevator installation, this change in volume can be seen by the car

moving away from the floor and then normally, after it has moved a cer­
tain distance, being returned to the floor level by an active corrective
system.
If the corrective system is not active (e.g. control switched off overnight),
a car drop of several cm can readily be detected.

Volume change as function f(pressure change / compressibility):

V(p) −V0 b p
β = Compressibility modulus = 6.25 x 10-10 [m² / N] = 0.625 x 10-4 [bar-1]
Δp = Pressure change [bar]

State equation with a closed system:

∑ΔV = 0
ΔV(T) + ΔV(p) = -ΔV(p)
V0 x α x ΔT = V0 x β x Δp
α x ΔT = β x Δp
(7 x 10-4) x ΔT = 0.625 x 10-4 x Δp
Δp = (7 x 10-4 / 0.625 x 10-4) x ΔT
Δp = ca. 10 x ΔT

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