Page 39 - Climate Control News Oct 2021

Product Focus
high GWP gases around and what is available will contin- ue to rise in price. So low GWP A2Ls will become more attractive to the industry.
Mildly flammable refriger-
ants do require a change of
thinking. They are not drop-
ins and engineers need to be
more aware of how to handle
them and also ensure that they
have the right tools to do so.
Recovery units and vacuum
pumps have to change but the
good news is that recovery
units and recovery cylinders are available off the shelf for use with mildly flammable products.
Suitable manifolds and hoses are already on the market and able to do the job safely, but whatever the task, make sure that you only use approved equipment. If in doubt, always ask.
They might be known as mildly flammable but A2Ls are very difficult to ignite. Only a naked flame – and not a spark – will ignite them as there’s not enough energy in the spark for ignition. The amount of refrigerant which would have to escape into the atmos- phere also has to be on a much larger scale to reach low flammability limits. Having said that, A2Ls have to be treated with the same respect as all refrigerants.
For charge calculations always refer to the original manufacturer’s specification. You will need to refer to AS/NZS 5149.1:2016 for further information.
There are several mitigating factors to consider with A2Ls which will include loca-
tion of equipment, leak detection and ventilation, but you will be getting smaller charge sizes and this in turn will reduce the risk of gas escapes reaching the lower
flammability limit.
Piping calculations can be scaled
down too because you don’t have to pump so much refrigerant around the system. These factors need to be con- sidered when you are aiming for that maximum refrigeration capacity.
Care should also be taken when transporting mildly flammables. They should be treated in the same
way as you would other flammable gases and this requires a ventilated vehicle and full doc- umentation to accompany them.
A2Ls with their greater energy efficiency, smaller charge sizes and reduced equipment foot- prints have a lot to offer the industry. The lower GWP is a huge bonus and so too is the reduced TEWI (Total Environmental Warming Impact) figure as the environmental warming impact by default will also come down. This is the calcula- tion based on the GWP of the product and its en- ergy costs over its lifetime. With an R404A system the TEWI will come out at 2500 but by using a A2L refrigerant you can reduce this to little more than a 1000 – so the figures speak for themselves.
Overall A2L refrigerants are the next step in refrigeration technology and will help the industry adapt to a lower GWP future. Whilst the industry will need to prepare for the changes required to handle and manage these products, the benefits to the environ- ment are obvious.
R32 cylinder
CLIMATE CONTROL NEWS
OCTOBER 2021
Growing demand for ammonia as a refrigerant
Ammonia is growing 5.9 per cent per annum.
GLOBAL DEMAND FOR ammonia has seen significant growth with the market set to reach $US89.6 billion by 2026.
A new study published by Global Indus- try Analysts found that apart from being used for fertilizers, derivates of ammonia have a number of other industrial uses.
For instance, ammonia is being in- creasingly used as a refrigerant. Unlike many other gases ammonia does not re- sult in depletion of ozone and global warming when out in the atmosphere. This characteristic of ammonia is aiding the return of the gas as a refrigerant. Am- monia is an efficient refrigerant used in food preservation and processing.
Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for ammonia estimated at $US63.7 billion in the year 2020 is cur- rently growing at a compound annual growth rate of 5.9 per cent.
In the United States the ammonia mar- ket is worth $9 billion while in China it is forecast to reach $24.2 billion by 2026.
Among the other noteworthy geo- graphic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 2.8 per cent and 5.3 per cent respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is fore- cast to grow at approximately 3.3 per cent while the rest of the European market will reach $US26.2 billion by 2026. ✺
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