REFRIGERANTS
For example, in a supermarket a single system can be used for monitoring the store fl oor, machinery rooms, cold rooms and freezers. The benefi ts to be gained from the refrigerant management approach go beyond compliance and safety monitoring, and the use of a system which can detect refrigerant gas at very low levels such as 1ppm is essential to be able to deliver on this approach. Gas diff usion modelling shows that even a
signifi cant refrigerant leak will quickly disperse so the levels picked up by a gas detection instrument can be lower than 10ppm. It follows that in order to detect these leaks early and before they become critical, a refrigerant gas detector would need a minimum detection limit sub-10ppm. This is where the high precision sampling systems give their benefi t as leaks can be detected and repaired early, before large volumes of gas are lost, before energy effi ciency is compromised and before the loss through mandated disposal of refrigerated produce (which can have a value of £1,000 just for a small case)
becomes a real risk.
The Carbon Trust’s Refrigeration Systems Technology Overview quoted a study that showed an annual leakage rate of 20% from a typical refrigeration system. This means a reduction in energy effi ciency of 11%, and the equivalent increase in energy costs.
Putting some costs on this, the study estimated an energy cost of £1,400 as the result of a small but continuous leak left unrepaired for three months on a typical 300kW refrigeration system, with additional costs to be covered to actually get the leak repaired.
Given that many stores have fi ve or more of these systems in place, the overall costs can be multiplied accordingly. It should also be noted that fi nes for uncontrolled refrigerant loss can be up to £5,000 in a Magistrates Court with summary conviction; unlimited if tried in a Crown Court. Bearing in mind all of these factors, the savings to be made through refrigerant management quickly become very signifi cant.
The future for refrigerant gas detection The gains in energy effi ciency, reductions in the volume and cost of gas required to recharge the refrigeration system, and the delivery of environmental excellence through reduction of emissions of harmful gases into the atmosphere, are all powerful reasons behind the growing interest in refrigerant management. Regulations continue to develop and are expected to demand ever lower levels of environmental impact from the industry through reduced emission and usage of greenhouse gases. Furthermore, market trends suggest that there will be an increasing variety of refrigerants on the market, many in the category of being mildly fl ammable, and an increasing push to natural refrigerants such as R290 (propane), CO2 NH3
and
(ammonia). The associated risks with newer gases may lead to a greater push for refrigerant management to be the approach taken to refrigerant gas detection.
www.acr-news.com
August 2017 45
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