ALTERNATIVE REFRIGERANTS
be the natural choice
Why CO2
an effective alternative if you are about to make the switch to a low GWP gas.
A-Gas Refrigerants product manager Roger Smith explains how CO2 T and CO2
here are three different types of natural refrigerants which spring to mind if you are an installer or an end- user. Ammonia (B21), flammable hydrocarbons (A3) (A1) are well known and employed in a wide range of
refrigeration applications.
Each refrigerant has its pros and cons, but with the F-Gas stepdowns each one will increasingly fall under the spotlight as a green option. I will turn my attention to CO2
which, as
its an A1 refrigerant, is non-toxic and non-flammable. This gives it a flying start over its rivals. CO2
, also known as R744, has a very low GWP and, in fact, has a GWP equivalent of 1 which puts it in the Premier League of alternatives in respect of the F-Gas Regulations. CO2
also has high thermal and
performance characteristics and by this I mean it allows heat to be converted into cooling very efficiently. Kilogram for kilogram it will absorb more heat energy than the majority of other refrigerants. CO2
high operating pressures. If you have majored on R410A you would normally expect a suction pressure of around six to eight bar to appear on your gauge and a discharge pressure in the region of 30 bar. But with a CO2
system in a typical
supermarket freezer environment, the suction pressure is going to be around the 20 bar plus mark with a discharge pressure in excess of 90
can be can
was first employed in the refrigeration industry as far back as before the 1930s when it became popular in commercial and industrial systems. However, because of its high pressures, it fell out of favour with installers and end-users. In later years it lost ground to CFCs and HCFCs which were viewed to be more practical to use. About 20 years ago CO2
made a comeback as the world
became aware of the impact that both HCFCs and HFCs were having on global warming. This led to the refrigeration industry once again considering the properties of CO2
and
how it can make a valuable contribution to protecting the planet by adopting a more environmentally-friendly approach to cooling.
CO2
If you have had anything to do with a system, you will be aware that it has
38 December 2017
www.acr-news.com
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