Refrigerants

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The Testo 549 Digital Manifold AC/Refrigeration System Analyzer fulfills many of the daily requirements in refrigeration contracting. 

If 30 percent of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants are reclaimed for reuse by 2040, approximately 18 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent would be prevented from reaching the atmosphere over the next 25 years, according to a white paper released by EOS Climate.

In medium- and low-temperature refrigeration applications, 1 hp is hardly ever equal to 1 ton of refrigeration. Let’s review a few principles to illustrate this point.

A refrigeration system can be a major draw on electrical energy, so it can be a real benefit when a technician also can make sure the system is operating efficiently. 

These larger refrigeration systems present tremendous opportunities for energy-efficiency improvements that can lead to significant operational savings.

In industrial countries, production and consumption of HFCs should reach 15 percent of their 2013-2015 reference levels by 2035, stated the proposal. Developing countries would have until 2050 to reach the 15 percent level of their 2028-2030 use and consumption reference levels.

In the evolving world of refrigerants, the HVACR industry is preparing for the inclusion of mildly flammable or flammable refrigerants in an increasing number of applications. But the expanded use of these refrigerants won’t happen overnight, as there is a multistep approval process they must undergo to be approved for new applications.

EVAPCO Inc. has introduced the Evapcold Packaged Refrigeration System, a factory-assembled, low-charge ammonia refrigeration system that requires just 2.5 to 3.0 pounds of ammonia per ton of refrigeration for an entire system. 

Emerson Climate Technologies has approved DuPont Opteon® XP40 (R-449A) and XP10 (R-513A) for use in a wide range of its scroll and semi-hermetic compressors. This approval paves the way for the use of Opteon refrigerants in new and existing compressors for a number of refrigeration applications.

The refrigeration industry may have a new folk hero on its hands. On April 1, Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-Kentucky, sent a letter to Gina McCarthy, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In it, Whitfield mapped out a number of “significant concerns” regarding EPA’s proposed rule that seeks to restrict the use of HFCs.