Sustainable refrigerants
www.heatingandventilating.net
I
n line with the Government’s drive to decarbonise the UK , heat pumps make a valuable contribution to the delivery of a low-carbon future, but at the heart of an efficient heat pump system lies an important element: the refrigerant.
The role of refrigerants in air source heat pumps
Essentially, refrigerants are the working liquids used in the process of the refrigeration cycle but first, let’s look at how this works in terms of a typical heat pump system. Heat pumps gather heat energy from the surrounding air, which, via a heat exchanger, is transferred into the heat pump refrigerant and turned into vapour. This vapour is then passed through a compressor and tuned into a high-pressure, high-temperature refrigerant, raising the temperature to a point that can deliver heat throughout a building’s heating system, via a Plate Heat Exchanger. Essentially, refrigerants are the lifeblood of heat pumps.
Different refrigerant types
With traditional refrigerants such as CFCs (halocarbons) and HCFCs (hydro halocarbons) now phased out due to their high Ozone Depletion and Global Warming Potential (GWP), refrigerant types are now broadly split into two categories: HFCs such as R32 and natural refrigerants, which include R290 and CO2.
18 May 2024
What to consider when choosing a heat pump?
Jason Allen, commercial product manager, Groupe Atlantic UK, ROI & NA looks at synthetic and natural refrigerant options and discusses the factors to consider when choosing the heat pump with the right refrigerant
Factors to consider when choosing the right refrigerant for your heat pump:
Flow temperature of the heat pump
When it comes to heat pump performance, one of the hot topics of discussion is temperature. It is widely believed that a heat pump needs to generate the same temperatures as a gas boiler. This is a myth.
Another common misconception is that heat pumps using synthetic refrigerants such as R32 cannot reach high enough temperatures. The reality is, many conventional R32 air source heat pumps
on the market can reach up to 60°C and when controlled correctly for the type and construction of a building, they can efficiently keep a building warm all year round. In comparison, natural refrigerants such as R290 and CO2. can produce very high temperatures of up to 75°C. However, assuming the heat pump is calibrated correctly, this temperature will not need to be reached in most cases but there are some instances where it might be appropriate. For installation projects such as process heating
(where specific temperatures are required for manufacturing or cleaning), large heating systems, such as district heating and shopping centres, and settings where a large volume of domestic hot water is needed, such as healthcare and leisure, where there are increased controls for risks such as Legionella, it may be more appropriate
to pg 20
DOWNLOAD THE HVR APP NOW
««
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
