EN ISO 17962:2015 PDF

Overview - EN ISO 17962:2015 (Agricultural machinery, fan exhaust)

EN ISO 17962:2015 specifies design principles and test methods to minimize environmental effects of fan exhaust from pneumatic systems used on vacuum‑style sowing equipment for coated seeds. The standard addresses situations where seed‑coating “dust off” (fugitive dust) can mix with blower intake air and be emitted to the atmosphere. It was prepared by ISO/TC 23 in collaboration with CEN/TC 144 and is published as an international / European standard.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope & applicability
  • Applies to vacuum‑style sowing systems where dusty seed coatings can enter blower airflow.
  • Not applicable to certain conveyance systems where air is exhausted at remote meters or at ground‑engaging opening devices, nor to equipment made before publication.
• Design principles
  • Fan exhaust outlet height: ≤ 0.5 m above ground in sowing mode; ≤ 1.5 m during turning/headland mode.
  • Air velocity limits: exhaust stream shall not exceed 2 m/s external to a 2 m radius cylinder centered on the fan outlet (from 0.25 m above ground to measurement height); air speed from ground to 0.25 m shall not exceed 4 m/s.
  • Overlapping exhaust zones shall be treated as a combined ovoid shape for verification.
• Verification & testing
  • Equipment set‑up per manufacturer recommendations; test material: field (dent) maize seeds (2 500–4 000 seeds/kg) at 60 000–80 000 seeds/ha.
  • Test site and measuring area specifications: sowing width (≥18 m), sowing length, entry/exit areas, and a downwind measuring area.
  • Measuring devices and conditions: anemometer specs, ambient wind ≤0.5 m/s, stationary machine on a smooth level ground plane.
  • Collectors (e.g., Petri dishes Ø 150 mm ±15 mm) distributed per the standard’s layout to quantify direct drift.

Practical applications and users

• Useful for:
  • Manufacturers and designers of pneumatic vacuum sowing equipment to meet environmental design criteria.
  • Test laboratories and certification bodies performing fan exhaust verification and conformity testing.
  • Agricultural engineers, fleet managers, and regulatory authorities assessing drift risk from seed coating dust.
• Benefits:
  • Reduces fugitive dust emissions and potential non‑target exposure.
  • Provides consistent test methods and acceptance criteria for compliance and product development.

Related standards and notes

• EN ISO 17962:2015 is an ISO standard adopted by CEN as EN ISO 17962:2015.
• Users should also consider national/local regulations which may be more stringent than this standard.
• For broader context, consult other ISO/CEN standards on agricultural machinery safety and sowing equipment design.