By refrigerant

EIA and Greenpeace have relaunched their database of sustainable cooling and refrigeration technologies.

The International Institute of Refrigeration is now calling for abstracts of papers to be presented at the International Congress of Refrigeration (ICR) in Montreal in August 2019.

Bacharach, a manufacturer of refrigerant and gas leak detection, has added two new gas options, R514A and R452B, for its infrared refrigerant gas detector product family.

Mitsubishi Electric has launched additional R32 models with the new MSZ-AP range of wall-mounted units.

This will be a year of integrating air conditioning and heating technologies in commercial refrigeration systems, while ejectors will continue to dramatically improve the energy efficiency of CO₂ transcritical systems, manufacturers said.

Some manufacturers and end users are expecting low-charge packaged ammonia systems and ammonia-CO₂ cascade systems to face increased competition from CO₂ transcritical in the industrial sphere, while foreseeing a boom for ammonia heat pumps.

A new fire safety guide published by the French government has increased the maximum recommended charge limit on hydrocarbons in shops and shopping centres to 1.5 kg per circuit.

The failure of the refrigeration industry to move away from R404A looks set to cause major problems for the air conditioning sector this year with quotas being placed on the sale of R410A.

In a bid to increase understanding of transcritical CO₂ systems in North America, Hillphoenix’s senior corporate trainer Rusty Walker led a training session in an effort to educate technicians who typically work in industrial plants on the finer points of the technology at the RETA (Refrigerating Engineers and Technicians Association) National Conference, held in Hershey, Pa., September 25-29 2017.

Ammonia is “a superior refrigerant” to HFOs and low-charge ammonia systems are improving safety and reducing regulatory burdens, Gerard von Dohlen, president of Newark Refrigerated Warehouse, said.

Scientists claim to have been able to show for the first time that ozone depletion is declining through direct observations of the ozone hole by a satellite instrument.

The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which will phase down HFC consumption in developed countries by 85% by 2036 (compared to a 2011-2013 baseline period), will enter into force on 1 January 2019.

It has been widely acknowledged that the number of technicians trained to handle natural refrigerant systems is dwindling. But the advent of small and standardized low-charge ammonia packaged systems – which can be used instead of traditional massive ammonia plants or synthetic refrigerant systems – will make it easier to train and maintain enough qualified technicians, according to Mike Chapman, director of process safety management (PSM) compliance at Stellar, and Kurt Liebendorfer, vice-president of Evapco.

Johnson Controls’ new York YZ centrifugal chiller is said to be the first such machine designed specifically for use with low GWP refrigerant R1233zd and using magnetic bearing technology.

With the phase-out of HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer progressing, the introduction of alternatives with not only zero ozone depleting potential (ODP) but also low global warming potential (GWP) and improved energy efficiency is becoming an issue of increasing importance, especially in developing countries.

A surge in refrigerant prices in China in the final months of 2017 look set to increase pressure on HFC refrigerant prices worldwide.

In recent years, ozone depletion efforts have primarily focused on the obligatory phasing out of ozone depleting substances (ODS). However, in 2013, Decision XIX/6 at the 19th Meeting of the Parties highlighted the importance of climate and energy-efficiency as related to HCFC phaseout. In order to achieve reduction of both ODS and GHG emissions, attention must be paid to activities at a microlevel. This includes reducing leakage rates, adopting good service practices, improving energy-efficiency and preventing adverse environmental impacts during equipment servicing and maintenance.

Tests carried out by a major supermarket have shown that refrigerated display cases are at their most efficient when specifically designed for use with doors.

Pursuing a policy of continuous refinement of its products, Dorin has optimised the performance of its top of the range CD400 CO₂ compressors.

A leading Australian meat processor has been fined AUS$84,000 after an ammonia leak from its refrigeration system harmed two employees.