COMPRESSORS
Ensuring effective compressor prototyping
The refrigeration sector is continuing to adapt to ever-tightening sustainability legislation. But with decarbonisation regulations becoming increasingly stringent, it cannot be doubted that it is a challenging time for refrigeration equipment manufacturers (REMs), which are under pressure to adopt greener practices and technologies wherever possible. With this in mind, Nicol Low, chief operating officer at Vert Technologies, explores how innovation in the compressor space can help companies meet their environmental obligations.
T
he regulatory environment for the refrigeration sector is in a constant state of fast-moving flux, but one thing is consistent – the need to make operations more sustainable and efficient. Eco- conscious regulations such as the Montreal Protocol outlawing chlorofluorocarbons have been in place for decades and have been continuously built upon with additions such as the Kigali Amendment, which further restricted the use of damaging hydrofluorocarbons (HFC). A good example of this in action is the UK and EU-wide F-Gas initiative, which came into force in January 2020. With the objective to reduce HFC usage by 79 per cent by 2030, the legislation banned the use of refrigerants with a global warming potential (GWP) of over 2500. Crucially, this applies to commonly- used high-GWP refrigerants such as R404A, R410A and R134A.
As the ban applies to all refrigeration systems containing HFCs equivalent to over 40 tonnes of carbon dioxide – equating to around 10kg of R404A – REMs specialising in medium-to-large equipment are particularly affected. While this would provide enough upheaval by itself, proposals are underway that would make the legislation tighter still.
Further upheaval Specifically, the EU is considering an accelerated phasedown beyond 2030 to remove 97.6 per cent of HFCs present in the market by 2050, alongside strict Ozone Depleting Substances proposals. Such a proposal will doubtlessly put added pressure on equipment providers looking to supply standardised products to both the UK and
12 July 2022 •
www.acr-news.com
European markets. If British lawmakers were to follow suit with similar proposals, the situation could become more complicated still.
It can be argued this should be welcomed when looking at the big picture, but in the short-to-medium term, pressing concerns arise for REMs working in the refrigeration sector. Namely, breaching the current ban is classed as breaking the law and can lead to a fine of up to £200,000 under 2018’s Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Enforcement Regulations in Great Britain.
With these consequences in mind, it is clear that the current ban and any further provisions continue to be a source of major upheaval in the sector. These concerns are also further exacerbated by pressure on the refrigeration industry to reduce its overall energy consumption, with the International Energy Agency reporting it accounts for approximately 15 per cent of global peak electricity demand. Considering that improved sustainability
and reduced energy consumption are often closely interlinked in equipment design, the onus is on the sector to source and develop greener, F-gas ban-compliant units. Consequently, all components are under the microscope for any sustainability gains that can be made, including the compressor.
Compressor upheaval Though often overlooked, the compressor remains an integral component, or sub- assembly, within refrigeration equipment and systems. Indeed, its importance can be seen in the fact this comparatively small component accounts for 20 per
cent of electrical power consumption in industrialised countries. As a result, it is a logical move for REMs to analyse the compressor as a place where sustainability improvements may be made. However, eco-conscious legislation such as the F-gas ban can present a potential stumbling block. While it necessitates a welcome move from high-GWP refrigerants including R404A, R410A and R134A to ammonia, carbon dioxide and other low- GWP alternatives, issues may arise from this transition. Most prevalent among these is the higher absolute pressures and pressure ratios needed to compress more eco-friendly refrigerants. Traditional screw or scroll compressor technologies may struggle to reach these higher performance criteria, creating a situation where multiple compressors need to be daisy-chained together to reach required levels. This can lead to both CAPEX and OPEX concerns, insofar as a large initial outlay will be required to purchase additional units, which in turn will be more costly to keep operational over long periods of time. For organisations that have seen their purchasing budgets strained by the pandemic and are grappling with the ongoing rise in energy prices, this situation may not be ideal.
Problems with prototypes Consequently, compressor innovation could be seen as vital to unlocking sustainability benefits in refrigeration equipment. However, this presents further problems when developing prototype designs that could more effectively use low-GWP refrigerants. If squeezed budgets are ill-suited to purchasing
Download the ACR News app today
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
