By refrigerant

The North American Sustainable Retail Council (NASRC), together with U.S. member company DC Engineering, has published an online guide to transcritical CO₂ refrigeration systems.

Shortly after last month’s global agreement to phase down HFCs, Canada has tabled proposals to reduce its production and imports of these greenhouse gases.

In October, almost 200 nations agreed to an amendment of the Montreal Protocol that will see the emissions of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a type of greenhouse gas used in fridges, air conditioning units and aerosols, phased out. This one action is expected to reduce global temperature rise by the end of the century by 0.5°C, a third of the 1.5°C cap agreed under the Paris Agreement.

In mobile air conditioners, the performance and environmental benefits of using R290 surpass R22, research has found.

The Ammonia Piping Handbook serves as a guide for the design and implementation of Colmac Coil’s DX ammonia refrigeration system.

A San Francisco store with the CO₂ technology will open in March.

The Italian company sees CO₂ systems becoming more affordable in emerging market economies with hot climates.

One hundred eighty years have passed since Jacob Perkins patented the vapor compression cycle, which also launched the history of refrigerants. The vapor compression cycle uses the refrigerant to transport heat from the cold side to the hot side of a refrigeration system, heat pump, or air conditioning system. We, essentially, use the same thermodynamic cycle today, however, the refrigerants have changed throughout time.

Ever since the Montreal Protocol agreed to phase out hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), there has been an increasing interest within the Protocol on climate issues. Decision XIX/6, taken in 2007, to adjust the Protocol to accelerate the phase out of HCFCs includes language to encourage the promotion of alternatives that minimise environmental impacts, in particular impacts on climate, as well as to prioritise funding for projects, inter alia, which focus on substitutes and alternatives that minimise other impacts on the environment, including on the climate, taking into account global-warming potential (GWP).

The number of single component refrigerants with different thermodynamic properties suitable for different types of equipment is limited. Growing demand for refrigeration and air-conditioning with diversified applications has led to a continued search for suitable refrigerant blends. A number of such blends have been developed by mixing two or more single component refrigerants in different proportions. The resulting blend, has entirely different properties from that of its components.

The Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer reached agreement at their 28th Meeting of the Parties on 15 October 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda to phase-down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). HFCs are commonly used alternatives to ozone depleting substances (ODS). While not ozone depleting substances themselves, HFCs are greenhouse gases which can have high or very high global warming potentials (GWPs), ranging from about 121 to 14,800.

UNEP fact sheet on non-ODS refrigerants.

UNEP fact sheet on trade of HCFCs and mixtures containing HCFCs.

Climate change, greenhouse effect and global warming – scarcely any other issue is so omnipresent and so controversially discussed in the 21st century. Those who are convinced in doubting that climate change is man-made refer to various eras in the history of our planet where the earth has heated up or cooled down drastically even without any contribution on our part. In future too, they see climate change as the result of natural causes, including among others a changed ellipsoid orbit of the earth around the sun.

Climate change, greenhouse effect and global warming – scarcely any other issue is so omnipresent and so controversially discussed in the 21st century. Those who are convinced in doubting that climate change is man-made refer to various eras in the history of our planet where the earth has heated up or cooled down drastically even without any contribution on our part. In future too, they see climate change as the result of natural causes, including among others a changed ellipsoid orbit of the earth around the sun.

The decision as to which refrigerant should be used in a refrigerating or air-conditioning system is based on the major criteria of safety, costs and environment protection. But against the background of constantly increasing energy prices, the energy consumption of a system also plays an increasingly important role. Ideally, the chosen refrigerant should have excellent thermodynamic properties, high chemical stability and good physical characteristics. Furthermore, it should have no or only a negligible impact on the environment, while also being inexpensive and available worldwide.

The decision as to which refrigerant should be used in a refrigerating or air-conditioning system is based on the major criteria of safety, costs and environment protection. But against the background of constantly increasing energy prices, the energy consumption of a system also plays an increasingly important role. Ideally, the chosen refrigerant should have excellent thermodynamic properties, high chemical stability and good physical characteristics. Furthermore, it should have no or only a negligible impact on the environment, while also being inexpensive and available worldwide.

The OEM has been especially busy this year, producing approximately 75 transcritical racks so far, including the new, smaller AdvansorFlex unit.

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) currently operates a 117,000-square foot commissary in San Antonio, Texas. The store is located in the community service area of the Lackland Air Force Base and is surrounded by other retail stores, banks, schools, and housing.

The container classroom responds to industry demand for training on CO₂ refrigeration systems.