Archive for the ‘blog’ Category

« Older Entries
 

A.S. Trust & Holdings awarded US patent for R441A HC blend

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012

A.S. Trust & Holdings has been awarded a U.S. patent for the formula of a blend of pure hydrocarbons that has been designated R441A A.S. Trust & Holdings awarded US patent for R441A HC blendby the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

“This patent award allows us to move forward with business ventures that have been pending prior to this approval”, says Richard Maruya, president of A.S. Trust & Holdings and inventor of R441A.

R441A has been certified by independent testing laboratory Intertek (an) as having a very low Global Warming Potential (GWP) as well as a zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP).

“R441A is a ground-breaking multi-blend of hydrocarbons and is the only refrigerant formula in the world to achieve these ratings,” he continues. “Single-component hydrocarbon refrigerants cannot function at the same efficiency level as a multi-blend.”

Another hydrocarbon blend to receive ASHRAE designation R443A

Another A.S. Trust & Holdings hydrocarbon multi-blend, designed for use in commercial air-conditioners, has recently been designated R443A by the ASHRAE 34 Committee. Confirmation after public comment is expected at the upcoming ASHRAE summer convention.

About R441A

Invented by Mr Richard Maruya of A.S. Trust & Holdings’, R441A is one of the first hydrocarbon refrigerants approved for sale in the United States by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Significant New Alternative Policy (SNAP) for use in household refrigerators and freezers.

It operates with mineral oil and can be used as a direct replacement in residential appliances, commercial refrigeration units and automotive cooling systems designed for R12, R134a and R22. While R441a is flammable the very small amount of this climate-friendly refrigerant required makes the risk assessment a non-factor.

ComStar International Inc. has been working with A.S. Trust & Holding Co. and has the production and distribution rights to R441A. It currently manufactures the blend at its US plant and is now making preparations to supply Asian customers from its China plant, while together with its Chinese joint venture company will begin offering safety certified compressors in the US and overseas markets using the R441A.

Tags: , ,
Posted in blog | No Comments »

Hydrocarbon refrigeration, what every technician should know – Part 2

Monday, November 7th, 2011

This second article about the webinar “What ever refrigeration technician should know about hydrocarbon refrigeration” organised in the US provides an overview of the following considerations when dealing with hydrocarbons: material compatibility, purity, lubrication and filter driers, as well as flammability and safety.

With hydrocarbons soon to enter the US market Tecumseh expert Keith Gifford explained to technicians the different aspects of hydrocarbon refrigerants, including material compatibility, purity, lubrications, filter driers, and safety aspects.

Material compatibility
Hydrocarbon refrigerants are compatible with all common elastomers and plastic refrigeration materials used in valve seals, seals & gaskets. These include: neoprene, vitron, nitrile rubber, HNBR, PTFE and nylon. Incompatible materials are silicone-based rubbers, or natural rubbers.
Purity
Purity specifications for hydrocarbons are determined by international standard DIN 8960, which requires purity greater than 99.5% moisture, as a percentage by mass. The presence of moisture and acids reduces cooling capacity and increases energy consumption, whilst other impurities can result in capillary tube blockage. It is important to point out that the propane used for heating cannot be used in refrigeration systems because the purity level is not high enough.
Lubrication and filter driers
Hydrocarbon refrigerants are compatible with various lubricants necessary for reducing friction, sealing the refrigerant in the cylinder, and cooling the motor and pump. Specifically, they are compatible with Mineral Oil (MO), and Synthetic Alkylates (SA), and Polyol Ester (POE).
With regard to filter driers hydrocarbon refrigerants allow the use of molecular sieve desiccant types such as XH5, XH6, XH7, XH9 and the universal filer drier MS 594.
Silica based lubricants or filter driers are not compatible with hydrocarbons.
Flammability and classification
The flammability limits of hydrocarbons, between which the proportion of combustible gases in a mixture are flammable are as follows:
  • R290: the lower explosion limit (LEL) is 2.1 and an upper explosion limit (UEL) is 9.5. This means for example, that for R290 the LEL is equivalent to 39g/m3 and the UEL is 177g/m3.
  • R600a the LEL is 1.8 and UEL is 8.5.
The charge limitation to be imposed by SNAP, the added safety requirements such as non-sparking electrical components, and ensuring the spark is contained if there is a spark, result in a very low probability of explosion. Moreover, if there were an explosion the small charge would contain it to a relatively minor level.
With regards to classification, refrigerants are classified into two groups: group A, which pertains to flammability and group B, which pertains to toxicity. Hydrocarbons are classified as A3 refrigerants due to their low toxicity and high flammability. R12 and R134a are classified as A1.
Safety
Unlike the propane used for heating, which has sulphur added so that it can be smelled; refrigerant grade hydrocarbons do not have any smell, and cannot be seen. Therefore, proper monitoring equipment is essential.
The general precautions to take are:
  • Monitoring: Combustible gas monitors should always be turned on before entering any service area and only turned off when technicians leave the service area
  • Ventilation: A good ventilation of the service area should be established and maintained. It should be noted that hydrocarbons are heavier than air and tend to collect at a lower level.
  • Elimination: Prior to beginning work technicians should extinguish sources of ignition in the service, for example by disconnecting power to appliances, etc.
  • Pressure: A pressure relief valve should be used and systems should not be pressurised beyond 150 psig field leak test pressure
  • Fans: Those installed inside or outside the refrigerated space should not produce electrical arcs, even when short circuited or blocked
Finally, it should be noted that the risk of explosion is higher inside the cabinet where the refrigerant is confined, than outside.

Tags: , ,
Posted in blog, Latest News | No Comments »

Hydrocarbon refrigeration gets good press in Argentina and Latin America

Monday, November 7th, 2011

A new article in the Argentine newspaper La Nacion lent support to hydrocarbon refrigerators, and the contribution they can make to reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). The leading Latin American HVAC&R portal also recently evaluated the future of hydrocarbons.

Whilst hydrocarbon refrigerators are widely accepted in Europe, where isobutane has become the norm, the technology has been slower to enter the North and South American markets. Progress is only now being made in countries like Brazil and Argentina.

Greenfreeze technology recommended
One of the leading Argentina newspapers, La Nacion, recently carried an article referring to Greenfreeze technology, a hydrocarbon blend of isobutene and cyclopentane, which was originally supported by Greenpeace in the early 1990s. The refrigerant is both ozone and climate friendly with a low ozone depletion potential (ODP and low global warming potential (GWP). Helping to raise awareness of the technology, the September 2011 article carried a quote from Enersto Boerio, Climate Change and Energy campaign coordinator for Greenpeace Argentina.
“Isobutane is a natural gas. Emissions of isobutene remain in the atmosphere for a very short time, only a few days. It does not have the time to cause damage because it disappears”, said Mr. Boerio.
It was the European Greenfreeze breakthrough that eventually inspired several Argentine companies to start producing hydrocarbon refrigerators. However, of those that initially switched to hydrocarbons, few were successful. One of those was Autosal, which produces the brands Columbia and Koh-i-noor. The company initially invested €1.5 million in the conversion of its production plant, €800,000 of which came from the Montreal Protocol Multilateral Fund (MLF).
According to Guillermo Moro, Marketing Manager for Autosal, apart from a gas leak detection system, the production plant producing the isobutene and cyclopentane fridges does not require significantly different safety measures when compared to other refrigerator plants.
Hydrocarbon fridges rate highly under energy labelling scheme
Since 2006 energy labelling of domestic appliances, such as refrigerators has been mandatory in Argentina. The labelling system classifies energy efficiency from A to E, with A being the most energy efficient products and E the least. Hydrocarbon refrigerators rate highly under the system, saving between 17% and 39% energy compared to other available technologies.
The effect of fridges on Argentine energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions is far from negligible, and the energy labelling is helping to steer consumers towards more efficient products. According to electrical engineer Carlos Tanides residential energy consumption is responsible for 25% of the country’s energy consumption, and refrigerators are responsible for 30% of the energy consumed in the residential sector.
Hydrocarbons yet to enter markets other than domestic refrigeration
Despite their obvious advantages in Argentina hydrocarbon refrigerants have yet to be used in applications other than domestic refrigerators. Their flammability still causes concern.
The situation is slightly different in Uruguay. According to Roberto Marvi of the Uruguayan Ozone Unit whilst isobutene and cyclopentane is now often found in new fridges, isobutene/ propane mixes are also used in some converted air conditioning systems. This is partly because of the similar thermodynamic properties the hydrocarbons have to the original air conditioning refrigerant R12. However, Mr Marvi points out that system retrofits should respect safety norms.
Finally, the growth in Uruguay in commercial refrigeration has not yet been accompanied by investment in hydrocarbon commercial display cabinets, says Mr Marvi. This is likely due to restriction in the allowable charge.

Tags: , ,
Posted in blog, Latest News | No Comments »

EU seeks views on further action to reduce f-gas emissions

Monday, November 7th, 2011

The European Commission is now consulting stakeholders on the potential economic, social and environmental impacts of different options for additional reductions of fluorinated gas (f-gas) emissions in the EU, that will put the bloc in the right pathway towards achieving its long-term overall greenhouse gas emission targets.

On this basis the European Commission is expected next year to present a legislative proposal for revising the EU’s existing Regulation on fluorinated gases (F-Gas Regulation). “The EU Regulation on fluorinated gases has successfully broken a growing trend in emissions and driven technological innovation. However, making the transition to a competitive low-carbon EU economy by 2050 requires ambitious action to cut emissions from all sectors”, said Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for Climate Action. “It is clear there is considerable scope for cost-effective reductions in F-gas emissions and following the public consultation I intend to propose new legislative measures next year.”

What the European Commission is seeking views on

The public consultation will gather views and data on the potential economic, social and environmental impacts of different options for achieving additional reductions of f-gases in the EU. A questionnaire put together for the purpose, is indicative of what the European Commission seek views on:

  • Obstacles to switching to low Global Warming Potential (GWP) technologies
  • Preferred types of measures for effectively reducing f-gas emissions, such as an HFC phase down in the EU, banning HFCs in certain applications, establishing EU harmonised taxes on f-gas sales, deposit/refund schemes for products involving f-gases, strengthening containment and recovery provisions of the F-Gas Regulation, encouraging voluntary sector agreements, no further action, etc.
  • Suggestions for improving f-gas recovery through strengthening and clarifying existing provisions of the F-Gas Regulation
  • Impact of strengthening provisions on industry players and per type of application
  • Administrative burden of different options for additional f-gas emission reductions
  • Impact of further action on the competitiveness of the European industry

Existing and emerging low-GWP technologies apt for replacing high GWP technologies

A European Commission report adopted at the same time as the launch of the consultation assesses that already available or emerging low-GWP technologies, including technologies based on natural refrigerants CO2, ammonia and hydrocarbons are technically feasible and can be cost-effective in many applications. “With ongoing research and development constantly improving their safety and performance characteristics and further reducing their cost, such options have the potential to gradually replace technologies based on f-gases with high GWP”, reads the report.

“In the refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pumps sectors, several low-GWP technologies such as those based on existing fluids (carbon dioxide, ammonia and hydrocarbons) have benefited from improvements to their safety, performance characteristics and cost, through innovative optimisations, although in some applications or under specific circumstances these aspects remain an ongoing challenge. These have recently been gaining market shares, in particular in the EU, in many applications including domestic, commercial and industrial refrigeration, some types of heat pumps and single package air conditioning units”.

Next steps

The public consultation is open until 19 December 2011.

On this basis the European Commission will, if appropriate, present a legislative proposal for revising the F-Gas Regulation.

Tags: , ,
Posted in blog, Latest News | No Comments »

Hydrocarbon winning initiatives at 2011 RAC Cooling Industry Awards

Monday, November 7th, 2011

Over 600 professionals in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry gathered in London on 28 September 2011 for the 2011 RAC Cooling Industry Awards. Winning products and initiatives include a free cooling hydrocarbon chiller, as well as a supermarket store featuring hydrocarbon/CO2refrigeration technology.

“The 2011 Awards are a fantastic snapshot of an industry taking its environmental responsibilities seriously and exercising its collective imagination to reduce energy and carbon”, commented Andrew Gaved, Editor of RAC, as he congratulated the finalists.

R290/R744 Marks & Spencer supermarket named “Retail Project of the Year“

British retailer Marks & Spencer together with Oaksmere were the winners in the “Retail Project of the Year” category. Opened in April 2011, the Eccleshall Road store was the first of the ‘sustainable learning’ Marks & Spencer retail outlets to open its door to the public. It uses natural refrigerants in both fridges and air conditioning. The system uses R290 as the primary refrigerant, cooling the medium temperature pumped CO2 system, which supplies the MT display cases. The LT display cases are cooled by a subcritical CO2 system that condenses via the pumped CO2 MT circuit, using a plate heat exchanger. The refrigeration system’s heat of rejection is supplied to R290 heat pump systems, which then provide all the store heating and domestic hot water requirements. A small requirement for space cooling is also provided by the heat pump systems. The system COP is calculated at 4.4 across the season. Marks & Spencer is expected to open the fourth store that uses hydrocarbon/CO2 refrigeration technology close to the 2012 Olympic Park this autumn.

Hydrocarbon chiller is “Air Conditioning Innovation of the Year”

Arctic Circle’s Fjord free-cooling hydrocarbon chiller was named the winner in the “Air Conditioning Innovation of the Year” award category, while it was also highly commended in the “Air Conditioning Product of the Year” category. It uses free cooling, together with efficient hydrocarbon refrigerant, variable volume ratio and variable speed drive compression, EC fans and precision controlled evaporators. It addresses free cooling in a new way, arranging the dry cooler coil and the condenser coil in separate V-banks so that their fans are separate. This allows ambient cooling to be maximised at the first stage of cooling, independently of the condenser operation. Stepless control of mechanical cooling down to 12.5 per cent allows cooling duty to be precisely matched to the cooling load. The manufacturer affirms a 75 per cent energy saving over a conventional chiller, or a 3.4 MW/h saving per year from a 250 kW chiller. The chiller’s Genesis compressors incorporate patented valve plates which claim 10 per cent higher COPs than conventional models. Arctic Circle working together with retailer John Lewis Partnership (owner of Waitrose) were also among the finalists for the “Retail Project of the Year” award for a project under which Waitrose’s Marlborough store debuted Arctic Circle’s Fjord chiller.

Award finalists with hydrocarbons

Although not named winners, several other products and projects involving hydrocarbon were among the award finalists:

  • Natural Flex – Arctic Circle: Natural Flex is designed to be a flexible and modular package for natural refrigerant refrigeration packs, offering a variety of combinations of hydrocarbons, CO2 and heat recovery modules. The fully housed unit is designed for outdoor siting to minimise any safety risks.
  • RJM Jet – Ryan-Jayberg: The RJM Jet is a British-built high capacity hydrocarbon integral multideck designed to run with a R1270 charge of just 850 g. With a low front height and the ability to take an 850 mm shelf, the firm says the customer-facing capacity is able to compete with remote cases. Waitrose is among the satisfied customers
  • Capital Cooling: Capital Cooling was a finalist in the ‘RAC Contractor of the Year’ category for its diverse business and for being instrumental in developing hydrocarbon multidecks. The company also recently won Best Green SME at the Scottish Green Awards.

Tags: , ,
Posted in blog, Latest News | No Comments »

Exclusive interview with Professor J. Chen about hydrocarbon air conditioning and heat pumps in China

Monday, November 7th, 2011

Dr. Jiangping Chen, Professor of the Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, talked to hydrocarbons21.com about research on propane (R290) air conditioners and heat pumps, the market for hydrocarbon air conditioners in China, and the Chinese HCFC Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP).

hydrocarbons21.com: At the 23rd IIR International Congress of Refrigeration you presented the paper “Experimental study of R290 enhanced system performance in residential air-conditioners and heat pumps”. Can you tell us, what your main conclusions are regarding use of hydrocarbon R290 as the working fluid in air conditioners and heat pumps?

Jiangping Chen: The paper presented is a joint research project with a local air conditioning company, reporting on testing of room air conditioners and heat pumps. Our main conclusion is that propane system performance can still be improved, using technology such as thermal-expansion valves, and internal heat exchangers. Work is still ongoing.
Results showed the performance for cooling of an enhanced R290 is quite good but not as good for heating. In fact for heating performance, it is about 10% lower. Overall we found the lower volumetric capacity of R290 compared to R22 resulted in a lower cooling capacity, but that this could be improved using a suction line heat exchanger (SLHX).
Whilst we are trying to improve performance, the key focus is refrigerant charge because of the safety issue.
Currently, there are now 2 companies in China with the technology for hydrocarbon room air conditioners.
hydrocarbons21.com: What is the focus of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Institute of Refrigeration? What are the next steps regarding your research?
Jiangping Chen: The work focus at the Institute is on refrigerants for room, commercial and mobile air conditioning systems. The work we undertake supports low GWP refrigerants. As most of these alternative refrigerants are flammable we are trying to evaluate the risk and optimise systems to fit the properties of the refrigerant.
With regards to our research, as a next step we are trying to use microchannel heat exchangers to reduce the refrigerant charge to 150g so that propane systems will comply with European safety standards. Microchannel heat exchangers are already used but the size of those available is not as compact as we expected.
hydrocarbons21.com: How would you evaluate the market for in China for hydrocarbon air conditioners?
Jiangping Chen: Companies like GREE have invested large amounts in developing the technology for hydrocarbon air conditioners, so I think that technically we are ready. In my opinion the public is also ready. In China there is a move to further develop servicing standards and provide teaching and training for personnel dealing with hydrocarbons, to ensure that accidents are avoided when charging air conditioning systems.
The Chinese government has a project to evaluate the risk of propane as a refrigerant. This project will be finished in the coming months, and will evaluate what happens in the case of refrigerant leakage, for example, what is the risk in the case of refrigerant ignition? This risk assessment should be published this October.
hydrocarbons21.com: You mentioned GREE, which recently launched production of hydrocarbon air conditioners. How do you think the Chinese market has reacted to the launch and what future developments do you see as a result?
Jiangping Chen: I was part of the review team for GREE’s project. Overall, sales will depend on the market. China is big country with varying climatic conditions. I think the air conditioners will definitely find a market in South China. For the Northern market, heat pumps will be of greater importance. Here we still have improvements to make with regard to performance, but I do not think that this is a big obstacle.
hydrocarbons21.com: When do you see hydrocarbon heat pumps being commercialised in China?
Jiangping Chen: Some customers have already approached GREE for propane heat pumps, but by and large most are waiting for the publication of the government risk assessment. I imagine GREE will eventually expand production to include heat pumps.
In China 90% of air conditioning systems are actually heat pumps. Whilst propane can have a good performance in heat pumps, this is only true with a higher charge, which impacts system safety. Reducing the charge to take into account safety means heat pump performance is not so good.
hydrocarbons21.com: You mention the importance of developing servicing standards and training, what is the current situation with regard to HVAC&R technician training in China?
Jiangping Chen: I have been involved in a project in China to draft a training handbook, which is almost ready. Publication will depend on the Chinese government. It has already passed the review stage, and although I don’t know the exact publication date I think it will be soon.
China’s HPMP has already been approved, and within the HPMP it is clearly stated that by 2015 China will have 5 million propane air conditioners, therefore we will need a competent servicing industry.
hydrocarbons21.com: Does the Chinese HCFC Phase out Management Plan (HPMP) put an emphasis in natural refrigerants?
Jiangping Chen: I think that for China propane will be the primary natural refrigerant. Although there is interest in R161 (fluoroethane), it is also flammable. So for me propane should be the preferred working fluid – it is not necessary to use R161. Much less is known about the performance of R161. Studying it would require more money and more time to research its performance with oils and its reliability. Some local companies are promoting R161, but I think the road ahead for them is not easy.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in blog, Latest News | No Comments »

Natural refrigerant products on display at FEBRAVA 2011

Monday, November 7th, 2011

The 17th FEBRAVA trade fair took place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on 20 – 23 September, bringing together leading market players for the HVAC&R sector in Brazil and internationally. The hot topic at this year’s event was Brazil’s HCFC phase out management plan. Several companies working with natural refrigerants exhibited their products.

Nearly 29,000 visitors attended FEBRAVA 2011, the largest trade fair in South America, where some 500 exhibitors displayed products and organised technical seminars. One of the five “Thematic Islands” at this year’s conference was the “Environment Island” hosted by the Brazilian Environment Ministry (MMA), in collaboration with, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), GIZ, and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), which aimed to raise awareness of Brazil’s HCFC phase-out programme, launched this summer in Montreal, Canada.

FEBRAVA Exhibitors

  • Danfoss – The Danish company has taken part in this trade fair since the first edition, and this year launched 8 new products, including a line of variable speed drives for CO2, and electronically operated expansion valves for systems including those using ammonia as the refrigerant.
Speaking about the importance of Febrava, Sales Director of the Division of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning of Danfoss Brazil, said “FEBRAVA is the most important event of Latin America for the air conditioning industry, bringing together the main manufacturers and attracting buyers from several countries of the Latin America… With more than 40 years of operations in Brazil, we take advantage of the event to reinforce the visibility of our products.”
  • Gree: The Chinese company, which specialises in manufacturing air conditioners, and recently launched a line of hydrocarbon air conditioners in China, has been in operation in Brazil since 1998. At FEBRAVA the company presented a new line of air conditioners including the Gree R290 Inverter.
  • Tecumseh: Tecumseh, a company working with hydrocarbon refrigerants and one of the leading compressor manufacturers in Brazil, presented the TA – Hermetic compressor, a newer, lighter, and quieter solution for domestic refrigeration and light commercial refrigeration, for use with environmentally sound hydrocarbon refrigerants (R-600a/R-290).
Tecumseh was also involved in developing the air conditioning system for the electric car presented at FEBRAVA, for which it collaborated with CPFL/ITAIPU. Tecumseh is currently developing R290 and R600a Masterflux compressors for automotive air conditioning.
  • Emerson: At this year’s FEBRAVA Emerson presented its Copeland scroll compressor specially designed for high-pressure systems and available for CO2.
  • SWEP: The company that specialises in the heat transfer field presented its AsyMatrix plates that have an asymmetric channel configuration for maximum performance, and can be used in natural refrigrant applications.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in blog, Latest News, Uncategorized | No Comments »

ATMOsphere 2011 – End Users Panel reveals mixed picture for hydrocarbons

Monday, November 7th, 2011

At the ATMOsphere Europe 2011 international workshop a mixed picture emerged for hydrocarbons from the two end-user panels, which included presentations from M&S, who have installed several hybrid hydrocarbon and CO2 refrigeration systems, and Unilever, which have invested in hydrocarbon freezer cabinets. Coca-Cola on the other hand has opted for CO2, after trialling both R744 and hydrocarbon cooling equipment.

The ATMOsphere End-User Panels ended with a lively discussion regarding the use of flammable refrigerants like hydrocarbons, whose use is forbidden in supermarkets and other public buildings in France but which have been selected in plug-in cabinets and freezers by other end-users, like Unilever. 

Marks and Spencer PLAN A and experiences with alternative refrigerants, Robert Arthur, Refrigeration Technologist

M&S is investing in the building of two “learning stores” every year, where different technologies, including natural refrigerants are evaluated. The learning stores are part of the M&S Plan A strategy, adopted in 2007, which includes 180 sustainability commitments to be achieved by 2015. As part of Plan A M&S has committed to progressively reduce total refrigeration greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2015, and remove HFC refrigerants from refrigeration and air conditioning systems by 2030.
In April 2011 the Ecclesall Road Sustainable Learning Store was opened. The store’s refrigeration system is composed of a hybrid CO2 pump distribution system, cooled by a primary hydrocarbon system.
“Working with one of the accreditation agencies involved in the petrochemical industry we have now reached a point where the package has met all of the dictates required for the safe application of the equipment. That equipment can now be used in any built environment,” said Mr Arthur.
To conclude his presentation Mr Arthur focused on the importance of addressing the issue of leakage and the importance of collaboration, saying, “if there is no collaboration it is going to be a very painful transition into adopting this new technology.”
Sustainable Living Plan & Natural Refrigerants, Thomas Lingard, Global Advocacy Director, Unilever 
Mr Lingard began his presentation by providing an overview of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, which sets out how the company aims to double its size whilst reducing its environmental impact. The company has extended the scope of its responsibility up and down the supply chain and has set its self three key goals to be achieved by 2020, including halving the environmental footprint of products.
As part of Unilever’s ambition to reduce the GHG emissions from refrigeration, in 2003 the company undertook is first large scale trial of hydrocarbon freezer cabinets in Denmark. This was followed in 2008 by the testing of 50 hydrocarbons cabinets in the US. By the end of 2011 Unilever will have rolled-out 800,000 cabinets, and by 2015 Unilever aims to have 1.3 million hydrocarbon cabinets. To continue the roll-out of hydrocarbons cabinets in the US Unilever and are now waiting for the EPA Significant New Alternatives (SNAP) ruling.
Mr Lingard presented the latest generation of hydrocarbon cabinets, which have 30% extra energy efficiency compared with the older cabinets, achieved thanks to state of the art compressors, high efficiency fans and LEDs.
This year Unilever became the chair of “Refrigerants Naturally!”. Speaking about the industry initiative Mr Lingard said, “we are really serious about the agenda, and we are moving only in that [HFC free] direction. I would echo Antoine’s [Azar] points about our understanding of what HFC-free means – we are not interested in HFOs. We have taken a policy decision on natural refrigerants and that is crystal clear.”
Sustainable Refrigeration, Antoine Azar, Global Program Manager, The Coca-Cola Company
By the end of 2011, the Coca-Cola Company will exceed 420,000 HFC-free units using both CO2 and hydrocarbons placed globally, with no equipment failures to date. In total, the company has over 12 million vending machines, coolers and drinks dispensers around the world and purchases around 1 million of these every year.
With cooling equipment 43% of the company’s carbon footprint in 2009 the CEO of Coca-Cola made a commitment to purchase only HFC-free cooling equipment by 2015 and thereby reduce the environmental impact of cooling. Mr Azar made clear that the Coca-Cola Company “consider[s] HFO to be an HFC, so HFO is not considered.” After trialling both hydrocarbons and CO2, in 2011 CO2technology was selected as the preferred option.
Referring to key challenges facing natural refrigerants in his concluding remarks Mr Azar said, “Governments need to draw a line in the ground and say ‘by this date no more HFCs’. If we don’t have this, nobody will move. Nobody will put millions on the table just for voluntary agreements”.

Tags: , ,
Posted in blog, Latest News | No Comments »

2012 German Refrigeration Award opens call for applications

Monday, November 7th, 2011

The German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety has launched for the fourth time the German Refrigeration Award in the field of refrigeration technology innovations. The total sum of €52,500 will be this time aimed especially at small businesses that can submit their application by 31 December 2011.

Since 2008 the German Environment Ministry has been financially supporting the uptake of innovative emissions-saving technologies in the commercial refrigeration area through the National Climate Protection programme. This initiative has, according to first evaluations, already contributed to a 40% reduction of energy consumption and CO2 emissions. In addition, the Ministry is now calling for the 4thtime for submissions from innovators to advance the use of refrigeration technologies with a lower carbon footprint than traditional systems. The winners of the German Refrigeration Award, to be announced in March 2012, will be supported with prizes ranging from €10,000 to €2,500.

For the first time the German Refrigeration Award, that in the past recognized a number of technologies using hydrocarbons and other natural working fluids, has created a new category that will specifically address small businesses with less than 50 employees. The next award will hence be granted in 3 categories:

  • Innovation in the area of air-conditioning or refrigeration technology
  • Installation of refrigeration or air-conditioning systems by small enterprises
  • Special application of refrigeration or air-conditioning technology

Interested companies are encouraged to submit their application before 31 December 2011 by email to kaeltepreis@co2online.be. The application form is accessible through the websitewww.co2online.de/kaelte.

Refrigeration & air-conditioning key to energy savings

It is estimated that there are about 120 million of refrigerators in Germany that use up to 15 % of the total electricity and are responsible for around 70 million tons of CO2 emissions, which have a negative effect on climate. Tanja Loitz, the general director of co2online GmbH, the non-profit company responsible for the practical organisation of the project said: “Experts believe that energy savings of 35% and sometimes even 75% are possible through introduction of energy efficiency measures. The refrigeration and air conditioning industry can make a significant contribution to climate change targets set by the federal government.”

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in blog, Latest News | No Comments »

UPDATED: Exclusive interview with A. Granger, Reymer Pty on HC MAC

Monday, November 7th, 2011

hydrocarbons21.com talked to Andy Granger, General Manager of Reymer Pty Ltd, the Australian manufacturer of the OKA on/off road vehicle that was the first OEM in the world to use hydrocarbon refrigerant in their air-conditioning system. UPDATED with information on the regulatory barrier preventing the use of hydrocarbons in Queensland.

hydrocarbons21.com: What triggered initially Reymer’s decision to test, develop and employ hydrocarbon mobile air-conditioning (MAC) for the OKA special purpose on/off road vehicle?

Andy Granger: There are two main reasons why we opted for hydrocarbons. First of all, as an Australian company, we are constantly faced with the problem of ozone layer depletion. Skin cancer is a major issue here and we have a social responsibility not to use gases that are harmful to the ozone layer. But clearly we are a business and hence there are also business reasons for all decisions we take. Our development engineers were keen to use a “colder” gas as our vehicles operate in some of the hottest ambient temperatures in the world. Our packaging space is very limited and hydrocarbons give us a highly efficient solution whereby we can get more cold air out of the system for the same energy input and by using the same standard sized compressor.

This is a big advantage with hydrocarbons, as one of the challenges that we face as a vehicle manufacturer is that with increasingly stringent limits on pollutant emissions (NOx, CO, non-methane hydrocarbons, particulates etc), we actually need to air-condition the vehicle cabin more and more. Each time the emissions regulations get tighter, there is an increase in the amount of heat that is given up by the engine that goes partly into the cab structure, and which then goes into the driver’s space. So we need to put more and more cold air in that space to effectively control the temperature. But we cannot keep on putting bigger and bigger air-conditioning systems in because we have a limitation on space.

hydrocarbons21.com: Who were the most valuable partners in OKA’s project with hydrocarbon MAC?

Granger: We collaborate with HyChill, the Melbourne based manufacturer of HC refrigerants and who have been with us every step of the way in speccing the correct compressors, lubricants and trigger pressures.

We also had the valuable contribution of a qualified air-conditioning engineer – Ross Theobald – on our R&D team. He had a good insight into the benefits of upgrading the thermal efficiency of our system by using hydrocarbon refrigerants. Let’s just say that hydrocarbon met our overall expectations.

hydrocarbons21.com: What type of measures have you implemented to address any safety concerns pertaining flammability of hydrocarbons?

Granger: We use HyChill Minus 30 refrigerant and have issued very complete instruction on the checking and charging of the system. This is very much safety oriented and is to be found on our public website. We make servicing workshops aware of the flammability issues through this service bulletin. However, we have to mention that in Queensland – a fairly important state here, the government essentially bans the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants in vehicles, largely due to mine safety regulations, so we have to charge with R134a for that application. In Queensland, technicians handling hydrocarbons are required to get authorisation from the Department of Mines, while hydrocarbon systems have to be registered with the same Department. License and system registration fees apply an effective trade barrier to the use of hydrocarbons.

Our view is that leaks from air-conditioning systems are gradual and that the high efficiency and non-toxic nature of hydrocarbons more than make up for any increase in flammability. The flammability issue has often been overplayed: after all vehicles are full of highly flammable materials – hydrogen from batteries, half full fuel tanks containing highly explosive petrol / gas mix and brake fluid which has a low flash point and which is implicated in many vehicle crash fires. Probably the biggest vehicle fire culprit is ordinary engine oil that gets over-heated in turbochargers.

hydrocarbons21.com: Earlier in 2011, you announced that in addition to the use of hydrocarbons in the “OKA” brand of four wheel drive vehicles, the entire line of European-built AVIA trucks, that would shortly go on sale, would also be equipped with HyChill hydrocarbon refrigerants. How is progress with this endeavour?

Granger: I have had a long involvement with AVIA – I was on their management team in Prague for several years. Reymer has the distribution rights for Australasia and the current exchange rates are conducive to bringing the trucks in. It’s currently a matter of prioritising the use of funds. When we start, then we will charge the air-conditioning system with HyChill hydrocarbon refrigerant.

hydrocarbons21.com: Do your consider hydrocarbons suitable for road vehicles on top of on/off road vehicles and trucks? Why in your opinion have they not widely been deployed yet in MAC worldwide?

Granger: Vehicle manufacturers (OEMs) tend to buy systems from tier 2 suppliers – we are a little different in as much as the supply chain for OKA is more fragmented and locally based. The tier 2 suppliers that provide the systems seem to be more dependent on large corporations and they are also risk averse. Hence OEMs were buying MACs on a design-deliver-install basis and which were optimised around R134a – it’s classic corporate inertia. Recent legislation in the EU banning R134a from this year on in new vehicles has acted as a stimulus for OEMs to look more fundamentally at MAC development. This will result in alternative refrigerants being used and I think hydrocarbons now stand a good chance of rapid adoption by OEMs globally.

hydrocarbons21.com: What would be your top 3 recommendations to help hydrocarbons gain market share in mobile air-conditioning worldwide?

Granger: Legislation, legislation and legislation. The auto industry is slow to react unless pushed by legislation or where it sees legislation on the horizon and acts to pre-empt it for commercial gain. The pressure to clean up on HFCs has been very much on the agenda of the European Green Party and as I have mentioned, this has had the significant result of R134a being banned in the EU in MAC through legislative means.

THANK YOU!

Tags: , , ,
Posted in blog, Latest News | No Comments »

« Older Entries