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Refrigeration Applications
The phase-out of the refrigerant R-22 by
2010 is a major event for the refrigeration industry. The HFC
refrigerant R-404A has been selected by the industry as the replacement
of choice for most low- and medium-temperature refrigeration
applications, due to its high energy efficiency and zero ozone-depletion
potential.
Government regulations aren’t new to the
refrigeration industry. Section 608 of the U.S. Clean Air Act
requires owners of systems with more than 50 pounds of refrigerant
charge to maintain leak rates below a specified level, depending on the
type of equipment. Leaks can often occur in large supermarket
refrigeration systems that use thousands of feet of copper piping with
multiple braze joints. The refrigerant must travel through the
lengthy piping to reach the refrigerated cases, creating opportunities
for leaks.
Emerson always recommends fixing known
refrigerant leaks as a first step to solving related system problems;
however, many supermarkets are considering retrofitting their existing
refrigeration units from R-22 to an HFC, in order to avoid Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) leak regulations, which do not yet apply to
HFCs. Retrofit refrigerant choices include R-404A, R-422A and
R-422D – all of which have been tested and approved by Emerson Climate
Technologies for certain refrigeration compressors like Copeland Discus™
compressors, used frequently in supermarkets.
When end-users find it difficult to meet EPA
leak regulations for their existing R-22 equipment, Emerson recommends
that they consider carefully the likelihood that the EPA will broaden
its leak regulations to include HFC refrigerants and might subject them
to EPA scrutiny in the future. Also, the cost of replacing
refrigerant after a leak is greater with an HFC than with R-22;
therefore, Emerson Climate Technologies encourages end-users to consider
changes in their maintenance or system installation to reduce leak
rates, rather than a retrofit. If an end-user still decides to
conduct a retrofit, however, Emerson Climate Technologies provides
technical support and approved refrigerant choices to assist in the
conversion.
The Montreal Protocol calls for a tiered
phase-out of R-22, with a total elimination deadline of 2020. Many
states, like California, are more aggressive than the federal government
in establishing energy and global warming regulations. This is why
Emerson Climate Technologies is actively participating in legislative
efforts in California and partnering with industry groups like ARI and
the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air Conditioning
Engineers (ASHRAE). These groups plan to educate and inform
decision-makers on key refrigeration industry topics, like defining leak
procedures and recycling refrigerant.
Emerson Climate Technologies is working
closely with their OEM customers to evaluate alternative cooling
technologies like secondary-loop and distributed-refrigeration systems
to reduce the amount of refrigerant used in their applications.
Emerson is also working with power companies, to encourage cash rebates
to customers who use energy-efficient refrigeration systems.
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