From a global perspective, there is a lot of interest in the wider use of R-744 (CO2), especially in supermarket refrigeration. Recently, a number of international studies and seminars have reported some of the latest developments regarding R-744.

The CO2 recorder TR-76Ui three-channel data logger simultaneously measures and records CO2 concentration, temperature, and humidity. The unit has a CO2 range up to 5,000 ppm and a capacity to store up to 8,000 data sets. The supplied software enables the user to download the data recorded.

No technology has been generating more attention in recent months than the use of R-744 (CO2) as a refrigerant. Here are some of the latest announcements from a variety of sources.

Bitzer CO2 Octagon Reciprocating Compressors feature an extended operating envelope for low-temperature applications, with up to 20 percent improvements in energy efficiency over other CO2 compressors, says the company.

Efforts to make CO2 work in transcritical applications got a boost with the announcement the CSC, The Canadian manufacturer of refrigeration systems, will be making a major push in that regard.

No technology has stirred up more attention in recent years than use of carbon dioxide (CO2) as a refrigerant in both stationary and mobile HVACR applications. And yet the technology has more people head scratching over it in terms of dealing with the pressures, efficiencies, installation costs, and servicing skills.

In the move to new refrigerants, while the seals, compression ratios, efficiency ratings, and other considerations were painstakingly engineered, other system components were taken for granted. So the refrigerants changed, but what about the standards governing products that transport and contain those refrigerants?

Hill Phoenix Inc., a Dover Company, has announced the acquisition of Denmark-based Advansor A/S. The Danish company specializes in the design and manufacture of CO2 transcritical refrigeration and heat pump systems for supermarkets and light industrial applications.

In late 2010, Sprouts Farmers Market set out to meet the EPA’s most stringent GreenChill standards with construction of its Thousand Oaks, Calif., store. Sprouts tapped Hill Phoenix to design a refrigeration system that not only would be environmentally friendly, but also energy efficient and cost effective to install and maintain.

The use of R-744 (carbon dioxide/CO2) as a refrigerant in HVACR applications has been gaining attention. But it faces installation and servicing challenges for technicians familiar with fluorocarbon refrigerants.