Ammonia is both a friend to refrigeration contractors and a danger, too. When used properly in refrigeration units, its outstanding heat transfer capabilities can keep food cold for long periods of time, it does not harm the environment, and it is biodegradable. But exposure to ammonia does pose a danger to human health.

A well-designed medium temperature refrigeration system will maintain both a proper case temperature and relative humidity (rh). The preservation of food depends not only on the temperature, but also on the relative humidity within a case.

The International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration will hold its 2012 Industrial Refrigeration Conference & Exhibition, March 17-21 at the Frontier Airlines Center in Milwaukee.

Condenser subcooling ensures that there is a liquid seal at the condenser’s bottom so the liquid line or receiver will not be fed with vapors. This condition prevents any noncondensables, like refrigerant vapor or air, from leaving the condenser’s bottom and entering the receiver or liquid line.

It did not take long for the HVACR industry to respond to reports from overseas about rogue refrigerants used in hundreds of transport HFC-134a refrigeration systems, which allegedly were responsible for a number of explosions and at least three deaths.

Now that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has greenlighted the use of a number of hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerants in certain refrigeration applications, many in the industry have questions about these refrigerants and their potential uses.

Refrigerant manufacturer DuPont Refrigerants warned about counterfeit refrigerants in a statement issued to coincide with the 2012 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigerating Exposition.

Now that the industry is all confused about HCFC refrigerants, it might be time to pay a bit more attention to another refrigerant that has been around a long time, doesn’t cost all that much, and has a solid track record.

Members of the Hatfield Township community place a high value on locally sourced and organic foods and environmental stewardship. As such, planning for the town’s new ShopRite supermarket included making sustainability a priority from product offerings to construction of the store itself — including the choice of refrigeration systems and display cases.

The NEWS reports on new products found by our editors at the recent AHR Expo in Chicago. Products are listed in alphabetical order within each category.