Hydrofluoroolefins

Honeywell claims that more than 2,000 supermarket installations have now been made using R448A, the lower GWP “drop-in” for R404A.

EPA GreenChill webinars on natural refrigerants could be affected.

Manufacturers look forward to investing in a climate-friendly future as hydrocarbons become increasingly prevalent in commercial applications.

The must-attend conference of the year will take place on 20 February in Tokyo, right after the Supermarket Trade Show.

Efforts by the Asian giant to reduce HCFC and HFC consumption will move the global HVAC&R market, according to the European Commission.

In the late 1980s, those of us of a certain age became familiar with an international agreement called the Montreal Protocol. The goal of this agreement was the phaseout of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants. Then, in 1999, Title VI of the U.S. Clean Air Act was modified to phase out high global-warming hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants. Now, once again, the fix has been deemed inadequate, and we are being asked to jump into a new generation of refrigerants.

Chiller supplier Klima-Therm is reporting increased interest in low GWP technologies following international curbs on the proliferation of HFCs.

The “natural” refrigerants media group Shecco has called for a far more stringent agreement on HFC refrigerant phase downs than that achieved at Kigali.

The European Commission sees current flammable refrigerant standards as a barrier to low GWP alternatives and recommends that these should be urgently addressed.

A number of common refrigerants, including R134a, R410A and R407C, will be banned from use in new chillers in the USA from January 1, 2024.

In October, almost 200 nations agreed to an amendment of the Montreal Protocol that will see the emissions of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a type of greenhouse gas used in fridges, air conditioning units and aerosols, phased out. This one action is expected to reduce global temperature rise by the end of the century by 0.5°C, a third of the 1.5°C cap agreed under the Paris Agreement.

Researchers working for the Montreal Protocol-funded PRAHA project found that R290 air-conditioning has a higher cooling capacity and is more energy efficient than HFCs.

A combination of the HFO refrigerant 1234ze and “natural” refrigerant CO₂ is providing all the ac and refrigeration requirements of a retailer in Brno (CZECH REPUBLIC).

Propane (R290) boasts superior heat transfer potential than R32, R1234ze and a combination of R32 and R1234ze, according to a recent paper from the University of Padova, Italy.

The Institute of Refrigeration and A-Gas is hosting another free breakfast briefing, this time on the subject of new refrigerants.

In the future we will see more alternative refrigerants to HFCs due to the EU F-gas Regulation and future international phase-down of High Global Warming Potential Substances. To lower global warming impact it is necessary to have a less stable molecule as a refrigerant, which means that the substance becomes flammable.

In the future we will see more alternative refrigerants to HFCs due to the EU F-gas Regulation and future international phase-down of High Global Warming Potential Substances. To lower global warming impact it is necessary to have a less stable molecule as a refrigerant, which means that the substance becomes flammable. The equipment and the tools for installation, maintenance and repair of future equipment containing flammable low GWP refrigerants need to be properly handled by competent personnel.

An innovative UK-based company has developed a new design of oil-free compressor that is said to overcome many of the drawbacks of conventional technology.

The ban on the use of R134a in mobile air-conditioning systems within the EU has triggered a series of research projects. Apart from the CO₂ technology (page 35), new refrigerants with very low GWP values and similar thermodynamic properties as R134a have been developed.

The ban on the use of R134a in mobile air-conditioning systems within the EU has triggered a series of research projects. Apart from the CO₂ technology (page 35), new refrigerants with very low GWP values and similar thermodynamic properties as R134a have been developed.