ENERGY SAVING EQUIPMENT
Losing your cool F
This report from Chemours argues the case for HFO refrigerants versus CO2
.
rom June through August 2022, persistent and severe heatwaves plagued Europe, causing extreme ambient temperatures
accompanied by widespread water shortages across the continent. Far from a one-off occurrence, climatologists are increasingly linking the extreme heat to the impact of wider climate change and predict that changes in the jet stream will cause heat waves with increasing frequency in Europe over the coming years. This summer, news headlines across the continent lamented numerous failures of large- scale refrigeration systems, accented by graphic images and videos of food items being discarded and empty supermarket shelves trending on social media. Therefore, the case for reliable low-GWP
refrigeration solutions has never been clearer, and with the challenges posed to all refrigeration technologies at higher ambient temperatures, a new and critical sustainability metric is emerging – system reliability. When commercial refrigeration systems fail, the impact of lost perishables can be felt up and down numerous supply chains. The potential reputation fallout for an affected client can be substantial, notwithstanding the economic
10 January 2023 •
www.acr-news.com
losses incurred and the disservice to clients and suppliers. With food waste deemed responsible for between eight and 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 20213, refrigeration reliability is an inseparable component of measuring global warming impact fairly.
The challenges of CO2 By their nature, all cooling technologies are
subject to greater strain during higher ambient temperatures;however certain trends appear to be emerging, with some technologies being more affected than others. Especially during heatwaves, CO2
ammonia used in agricultural fertilizers. A spike in demand for carbonated drinks, ice, and beer, given the sweltering temperatures, has left many producers struggling to meet demand, creating palpable shortages of CO2
and a run on existing resources. Whether this situation proves temporary or
more long-term is currently unknown, however the frequency and length of these shortages is increasing. The fragility of CO2
supply is yet
another detracting factor in the larger scale implementation of CO2
transcritical
cooling systems are at an especially high risk of failure, due to the significant operating pressure of the transcritical cooling component. While operational temperature ranges have today been extended from the traditional limitations of this technology, the recent heat waves have, as cited above, pushed numerous CO2
systems past breaking point.
In a perfect storm of circumstances, summer 2022 has also seen a major increase in global energy prices, leading many major chemical manufacturers to reduce their production of CO2
gas, often produced as a byproduct of
reliably. The hidden costs of CO2
systems
While the low-GWP characteristics of CO2 as a refrigerant can hardly be critiqued, a
comprehensive and systemic view of this type of refrigerant is required to understand how it measures up to other tried-and-true refrigerants in real-world conditions. From the perspective of sustainability, system
reliability is the indisputable proving ground for the true cost of a refrigeration system, in economical, ecological, and/or reputational terms. For instance, while the thermophysical properties of CO2
cooling technologies
make it a suitable refrigerant Download the ACR News app today
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