REFRIGERANTS


Introducing the new IIAR


Tony Lundell, CIRO, PMP, IIAR senior director of standards and safety, explains how the IIAR is evolving to meet the changing needs of ‘natural’ refrigerants.


I


IAR is an ANSI accredited standards developer for natural refrigerants, has an Academy of Natural Refrigerants programme


for providing education, facilitates advocacy programs for natural refrigeration, and is a publisher of technical and educational resource material.


Since 1972, IIAR has been known as the ‘International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration’, where anhydrous ammonia is a natural refrigerant with zero Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP) and zero Global Warming Potential (GWP). Over the years, the IIAR has progressed to develop a suite of standards for ammonia refrigeration, a safety standard for carbon dioxide (CO2


) refrigeration, and is currently in the process


of developing a safety standard for using natural hydrocarbon refrigerants. Now, to refl ect the evolving refrigerant landscape, the IIAR itself is changing. While its acronym remains the same, the IIAR has become the ‘International Institute of All-natural Refrigeration’.


As an association, the IIAR is the world’s leading advocate for the safe, reliable, and effi cient use of ammonia and other (CO2


,


natural HC) refrigerants. IIAR members share their collective knowledge and experience to produce consensus documents that address various aspects of the natural and industrial refrigeration industry. IIAR has a broad industry representation including manufacturers, design engineers, contractors, end-users, academics, scientists and trainers. IIAR sets the standards for providing advocacy, education, and the most up-to-date technical information to the ammonia and natural refrigeration community. We help professionals develop their skills and further their careers by promoting the common interests of our growing membership. IIAR’s Vision is to create a better world


through the safe and sustainable use of natural refrigerants. IIAR’s Mission is to provide advocacy, education, and standards for the benefi t of the global community in the safe and sustainable design, installation, and operation, including inspection, testing, and maintenance, of ammonia and other natural refrigeration systems.


A little bit of history The fi rst commercial use of ammonia as a


refrigerant was in the 1850s in France, but it soon made its way to the United States in the 1860s for artifi cial ice production. The fi rst patents for ammonia refrigeration machines were fi led in the 1870s. By the 1900s, ammonia refrigeration machines were being commercially installed in block ice, food processing, and


16 October 2023 • www.acr-news.com


chemical production facilities, and by the 1920s, ammonia refrigeration was being used in ice rinks. During the 1930s, air conditioning markets began to develop, fi rst for industrial applications and then for human comfort. The use of smaller units for domestic refrigerators increased substantially between 1920 and 1930. Fast forward to modern day, and air conditioning provided by ammonia systems has found applications on college campuses and offi ce parks, small scale buildings such as convenience stores, and larger offi ce buildings. These applications have been achieved by using water chillers, ice thermal storage units, and district cooling systems. In Europe, where regulatory regimes have encouraged new applications, ammonia systems are used safely for air conditioning in hospitals, public buildings, airports, and hotels.


Ammonia systems also provide air conditioning for the International Space Station and Biosphere II, and installations at power generation facilities represents an emerging application.


Ammonia was among the early refrigerants used in mechanical systems and it’s the only one of the early refrigerants to secure a lasting role as a refrigerant. Mechanical refrigeration was developed in the 1800s based on the principle of vapour compression. The fi rst practical refrigerating machine using vapour compression was developed in 1834 and by the


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