REFRIGERANTS Fig 1. (Fig 2.)
can be handled safely and are commercially available now. Because of their fl ammability, these refrigerants are designed for use in new equipment.
In addition to A2L refrigerants, other options available to the market include industrial gases. These so-called ‘natural refrigerant’ options have been available in new equipment for some time but there are good reasons, with examples shown in Table 1, as to why these industrial gas products are not in wider use.
However, it is important that they are used where it is practical to do so to help meet the average GWP targets, which eventually reach around 400 by 2030.
The good news is that there is now more clarity on the road to adoption of A2L refrigerants and hydrofl uoroolefi n (HFO) technology – refrigerant technology which makes reaching those lower GWP targets much easier. For new equipment, the range of products that meet these criteria has now been extended to include HFO blends such as R454A in refrigeration and R454B in air conditioning. These products are class 2L (lower fl ammability), as is R32, but the barriers to their use are now being cleared away.
Awareness of the A2L products, their properties and characteristics is increasing. Guides are available from FETA, the Institute of Refrigeration and the various equipment manufacturers. Greater awareness is needed on the reasons to act now.
Component manufacturers are working in parallel to test and approve the new A2L blends and the fi rst compressor prototypes are entering fi eld trials. Several OEMs previewed A2L equipment at Mostra in Italy in 2018, and Chillventa in October 2018 promises to increase this number signifi cantly as the manufacturers race to bring products to market.
Codes and standards are now in place, such as EN378, to allow calculation of safe charge sizes of A2L refrigerants. Calculation guides are also available from contractor and trade associations. Regulations in the UK are centred around risk assessment, which needs to be performed on all cooling equipment installations. A2L containing equipment is included here, but the additional hazard of a fl ammable refrigerant needs to be considered. The risk of creating and then igniting a fl ammable atmosphere must be assessed and mitigated. A2L refrigerants make this mitigation straightforward as they have a high lower fl ammability limit (LFL) and are diffi cult to ignite. There are additional resources available through consultants and training establishments which can help with risk assessment. Training on using fl ammable refrigerants has been available for many years and has recently been extended to specifi cally cover A2L class
refrigerants. Several training establishments are now able to use HFO blends and A2L refrigerants to train those going through F-Gas qualifi cation.
Conclusion
The result of all of this is that A2L technology is now a reality. In refrigeration, there is an increasing number of case studies being published and major supermarket groups are moving forward with adoption as part of their long-term strategies.
While these may be exciting times, the rest of the market must also demand these products through their wholesaler suppliers to create even more of a ‘pull’ and to help speed up availability of compatible equipment.
This time around, we do not have readily available retrofi t options to bail us out when we meet the next major quota cut in 2021, and so we must act now.
Fig 3.
www.acr-news.com
August 2018 43
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