SUPERMARKET REFRIGERATION


The different colours of gold


Emily Venn, marketing co-ordinator at Hubbard Products looks at selecting the correct refrigeration architecture for an end-user solution.


T


he refrigeration regulatory environment continues to darken clouds of restrictions and strike out warnings on the type of refrigerant options available for various architectures. Consequently, end-users are under pressure to consider alternative refrigeration technologies. Focus on achieving Carbon Neutrality has seen the industry concentrate efforts on designing and manufacturing improved refrigeration architectures which utilise low GWP-alternatives. Nevertheless, is it a correct judgement to simply select a refrigeration architecture based on the lowest GWP refrigerant or should other factors be assessed before making a verdict? When at the stage of replacing the current refrigeration architecture, end users will have a set of unique demands and requirements guiding the pathway to the perfect refrigeration system that suits their requirements in an ever changing landscape. A number of key factors need to be considered when selecting the right refrigeration system including safety, energy efficiency, cost, environmental sustainability, reliability, and system complexity. However, the factors above are impacted and will differ depending on the technology used, the climatic conditions where the system is located, the architecture, and electricity source. Furthermore, stores differentiate in their size, needs, and demands adding another decision layer. Overall, when deciding which refrigeration architecture to replace less environmentally friendly systems the perfect pathway forwards seems foggy without a clear spotlight of information available.


With different refrigeration technologies entering the market, the challenge for supermarket retailers will be to select the


20 October 2022 • www.acr-news.com


perfect technology based on information available. In an ideal world, safety and efficiency will be the key deciding factors, yet financial factors will function as barriers to change.


Legislation, in the form of the F-gas


regulations have placed a great deal of emphasis on the importance of a refrigerant’s GWP. This is creating a pressure in the commercial world to use low GWP options such as propane and CO2


. However, a tunnel


vision approach overlooks the energy efficiency of the plant which is also of great importance and allows other refrigerant options such as A2L refrigerants to be considered. This suggests an information failure exists in the market and without adopting a holistic mindset the architecture selected could become a costly mistake.


Technologies using CO2 Refrigerant


Refrigeration systems for retail and other applications have been advancing towards the use of environmentally friendly natural refrigerants. CO2


is galloping ahead to


become the most popular refrigerant used in commercial refrigeration. As a refrigerant, CO2


ticks a lot of the right boxes due being


non-toxic, non-flammable, naturally abundant in the atmosphere, it does not disturb the ozone layer and has a GWP of one. However, the efficiency of CO2


systems depends


on the application and climate. Retailers wishing to incorporate CO2


refrigerant into


their refrigeration strategy have two main technologies to select from: Transcritical R-744 booster systems and sub-critical cascaded systems.


CO2 Transcritical Systems The CO2


Transcritical systems, including booster systems, have an environmental


advantage from using CO2 as a refrigerant.


There is no impending legislation phasing out carbon dioxide which means this refrigerant is referred to as a “future proof” refrigerant. Carbon dioxide packs run with a relatively high discharge temperature which provides an opportunity to offer efficient heat reclaim better than an equivalent HFC system. Furthermore, carbon dioxide is environmentally benign, non-toxic and non- flammable. However, the biggest setback is that carbon dioxide operates at a far higher pressure than any typical HFC refrigerant. This creates a complex installation process, leak potential increases and component costs become higher. Carbon dioxide packs and condensing units require special components, more controls and safety features than any equivalent HFC unit and therefore the component and equipment costs inflate. Hubbard offers a portfolio of CO2


solutions


from small condensing units to large multi-compressor packs utilising various compressor options such as semi-hermetic, rotary and scroll.


Sub-Critical Cascaded Systems Cascade systems use multiple refrigeration cycles connected through heat exchanger whereby each cycle is composed of its own refrigerant. The cascade systems are advantageous in that they can provide an incredibly low temperature operation (as low as -120°C), with high energy efficiency as lower compressor work is required for the refrigeration operation. Nevertheless, if lower temperatures are required additional stages can be added.


Although using a cascade system with primary or secondary refrigeration connections provides process benefits,


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