Post on 31-Oct-2021
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Going GreenRefrigerant Selection for the Future
Daniel Dettmers (djdettme@wisc.edu)
HVAC&R Center/Industrial Refrigeration Consortium
University of Wisconsin
www.irc.wisc.edu
(866) 635-4721
Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
Dan’s History of Refrigerants
1826 – Fredric “The Ice King” Tudor
becomes a millionaire by shipping ice
from New England across the U.S. and
as far as Brazil and India
Nathanial “The Engineer” Wyeth invents various ice plows and
other devices to make this possible
1857 – 1st canned ice factory
constructed
Future plants use NH3 or CO2
1927 GE “Monitor Top” refrigerator debuts
Used SO2 (toxic) or Methyl Formate (flammable)
Public relations nightmare ensues as refrigerators
tend to causes blindness, lesions and death or blow
up housewives
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Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
Dan’s History of Refrigerants 1928 – Fridgidare asks General Motors’ lab to come up
with a safe refrigerant
3 days later, Thomas Midgley develops R-21
1931 - Midgley invents R-11 and R-12
1936 – Midgley invents R-22
1938 – My father-in-law drowns one of his dad’s horses
into Long Lake near Madge, WI
This ends natural ice harvest in Madge
My F-I-L hides for a week
in the forest
1974 – Rowland and Molina publish
paper in the journal Nature defining the
effects of chlorofluorocarbons on the
ozone layer
C
Cl
F F
Cl
Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
Dan’s History of Refrigerants 1985 - UNEP/WMO/ICSU conference concluded
that greenhouse gases "are expected" to cause
significant warming in the next century
1987 – Montreal Protocol
CFC’s & HCFC’s phaseout
1997 – Kyoto Protocol
HFC’s targeted
2006 – Al Gore releases
An Inconvenient Truth
2009 – Copenhagen Summit
Copenhagen Accord drafted
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Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
Where Are We Now? CFC’s – gone
HCFC’s – going, going…
HFC’s – Safe? Not everywhere
Kyoto Protocol targets them as a greenhouse
gas for reduction/phaseout
What do “they” want?
0 ozone depletion
0 or very low global warming
High efficiency
Inherently safe
Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
R-22 Outlook Will there be shortages of:
R-22?
Replacement parts?
EPA has a DRAFT
report on HCFC’s to
see if cap reductions
are possible
It is a preliminary draft
report, not to be cited
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Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
Total Projected R-22 Servicing Demand
Source: The U.S. Phaseout of HCFC, U.S. EPA
Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
2000 2004 2010 2015 2020 2030
HCFC Phaseout Schedule -2007% Reduction in National Consumption of HCFC’s
Cap at 1989 ODP- weighted HCFC + 2.8% CFC consumption.
35%
reduction
of cap
75%
reduction of
cap
(formerly
65%)
90%
reduction of
cap
99.5% reduction
of cap, but 0%
allocation to R-22
0%
2009 EPA
step down
reduction in
R-22
production
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Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
What About Equipment? 12/23/09 issued 2 statements seeming to ban sale of all
R-22 equipment, replacement components and servicing
1/14/10 a Fact Sheet issued to clarify the EPA’s position
http://www.epa.gov/ozone/title6/phaseout/rulesoverview.html
Sale and distribution allowed of:
Equipment if manufactured before 1/1/10.
Pre-charged appliance components manufactured before 1/1/10
Components manufactured on or after 1/1/10, for the servicing of
existing appliances as long as they do not contain a charge of
virgin R-22 or a blend with R-22 or –142b.
Not allowed:
Field-charging appliances with virgin R-22, -142b or a blend
containing either.
Source: www.epa.gov/EPA-AIR/2008/December/Day-23/a29999.htm,
www.epa.gov/EPA-AIR/2008/December/Day-23/a29965.htm
Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
What Are The Alternatives? Stockpile
Purchase large quantities for future
use and/or sale
Ties up money, incurs storage costs,
may not need the stockpile
Conversion
Replace R-22 with a “drop-in”
alternative refrigerant
Replacement
Replace with HFC or natural refrigerant
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Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
Problems with “Drop-In” Conversion
They must have EPA SNAP approval for
refrigeration & A/C
Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program
evaluates and regulates substitutes for the ozone-
depleting chemicals
Other problems:
No true “drop-ins”
None are as efficient
None are as miscible with
Mineral Oil and Alpha Benzene as R-22
None will work in every R-22 SystemSource: Stephen Spletzer, Arkema Inc, 2010 ASHRAE Winter Conference
Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
GWP of Popular R-22 Retrofits
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
R-2
2
R-4
07
C
R-4
10
A
R-4
07
A
R-4
27
A
R-4
17
A
R-4
24
A
R-4
22
B
R-4
21
A
R-4
22
D
R-4
22
C
R-4
22
A
R-4
28
A
R-4
04
A
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Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
What is HFC’s Future? Analysis of HFC Production and
Consumption Controls
Released October 2009
Preliminary analysis of potential benefits for
controlling consumption of HFCs
No legislation
pending
Would count on
HFO’s, natural and
low GWP blends
to fill the gap
Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
Any New Refrigerants? HFO-1234yf
A hydrofluoro-olefin refrigerant
Development
Similar capacity and efficiency
to R-134a
Joint project of Honeywell
and DuPont
Targeted at European automotive market as
alternative to using R-744 (CO2) in cars
No ODP and low GWP
(GWP = 4 vs. 1340 for R-134a)
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Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
Any New Refrigerants? HFO-1234yf, ctd.
May eventually have application in stationary
equipment or similar HFO
Mildly Flammable (LEL = 6.2%, UEL = 12.3%)
Others developed or being reconsidered
R-152a
Low atmospheric lifetime, 0 ODP, 122 GWP
A2 classification (lower flammability)
R-245fa
Low pressure, B1 classification, 950 GWP
Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
ASHRAE Standard 34-2004 Refrigerant Classification
Just Approved:
Flammability classification “2L”
Refrigerant is still mildly flammable (2) but
will have Lower Flammability Rating
Lower propagation rate
Similar to ISO 817 category 2L
Targeted at refrigerants like
R 152a
Ammonia
HFO 1234yf
Other HFO’s and blends
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Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
Going Green Natural refrigerants have gained traction in
recent years
R-717 (Ammonia)
R-744 (Carbon Dioxide)
R-290 (Propane)
R-718 (Water)
Air
They all have 0 ODP, 0 GWP
Each has drawbacks that prevent universal
application to all refrigeration needs
Toxic/Slightly flammable
88F critical point
Very flammable
Inefficient/Freezes
Inefficient
Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
Going Green Multi-national companies have policies in place to fight
climate change
Walmart – Sustainability initiative goals
To be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy
To create zero waste
To sell products that sustain people and the environment
Coca Cola
HFC free by 2015, 40-50% efficiency increase by 2010
35 CO2 vending machines installed in U.S. Capitol 4/28/10
Refrigerants, Naturally!
Committed to natural refrigerants only
The Coca-Cola Company, Unilever, McDonalds, Carlsberg, and
PepsiCo
Other multi-nationals have taken similar
pledges
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Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
Going Green Multi-national Ctd.
Carrier has developed
transcritical CO2 refrigeration
systems for:
Supermarkets (European)
Heat pump water heaters
General Electric & Ben & Jerry’s (Unilever)
Petitioning EPA to allow use of hydrocarbon
refrigerants in domestic refrigerator and ice cream
cabinets, respectively
GE Monogram unit reported to use 2 oz. isobutane
Acceptable under UL 471 for Commercial Refrigerators
Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
Going Green EPA
Released pre-publication version of Proposed Rule to
list four hydrocarbon refrigerants as acceptable
substitutes, with use conditions, for CFC-12 and
HCFC-22
Use of isobutane, propane and HCR-188C and HCR-188C1
in in household refrigerators, freezers, combination
refrigerator and freezers and retail food refrigerators and
freezers (stand-alone only)
HCR-188C blend of propane, isobutane, ethane,
and pentane gases
0 ODP and <5 GWP
Replace R-134a
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Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
Going Green IIAR
The Carbon Dioxide Industrial
Refrigeration Handbook
Published earlier this year to provide
guidance to designers of industrial
CO2 refrigeration systems
ASHRAE
ASHRAE Position Document on Natural
Refrigerants
Issued Jan. 28, 2009
Supports research and growth of CO2, air,
ammonia, hydrocarbons and water
Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
How to Protect Yourself
1. Make sure refrigerant is SNAP approved
800-296-1996
www.epa.gov/air/ozonedep.html
2. Check with compressor manufacturer
Check warranties, oil issues, etc.
3. Check with refrigerant manufacturer
4. Check contractor’s references
5. Check cost
Refrigerant, tax & operating cost
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Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
Hydrocarbons (HC) as Refrigerants
Propane/Butane/HC as a refrigerant?
Technologically…yes
HC’s have 0 GWP and 0 ODP
Often have high efficiency
Legality in the U.S?…see HC-12a
www.epa.gov/ozone/snap/refrigerants/hc-12a.html
“It has been illegal since July 13, 1995 to replace CFC-12
with the HC-12a® formulation that was submitted for SNAP
review in any refrigeration or A/C application other than
industrial process refrigeration.”
R-22 Propane Butane IsoButane
COP 4.66 4.5 4.74 4.62
Source: 2009 ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals, Chp 29, Table 9
Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
Pure Hydrocarbon as Refrigerants
Be certain they have SNAP approval
Beware of another HC “drop-in” marketed for
R-22 systems
These do not currently have SNAP approval
Sometimes called a HC or Alkane refrigerant
“Drop-in” Propane
Hazardous ingredient Alkane Propane is Alkane
Lower Flammability Limit (LEL) 2.15% 2.2%
Upper Flammability Limit (UEL) 9.6% 9.5%
Autoignition temperature 800 F 842 F
Boiling Point -44.5 F -43.67 F
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Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
What’s the Danger of HC’s? If they are environmentally friendly, efficient and
allowed in industrial processes, why won’t EPA
allow them in A/C processes?
Icepak Coolstore in Tamahere, NZ
Refrigerated Warehouse that used propane
1 dead, 7 injured
Who/What’s to blame?
Stenching agent no longer
present in propane
Insufficient warning signs
Insufficient flammable gas detection on premises
Many other factors mostly related to systemic defects in
regulatory environment & communication between agencies
Dettmers 2/8/07Dettmers 2010
In Conclusion Ammonia has been and will continue to be a
mainstay refrigerant for industrial applications
The phase-out of R-22 is creates challenges
and opportunities
No clear “drop in”
Large number of alternatives = confusion
Opportunity to go green (with care)