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WHY USE NATURAL REFRIGERANTS IN AC&R APPLICATIONS?

By

Ramesh ParanjpeyFellow Life Member ASHRAE

ASHRAE Distinguished fifty-year service award-2020Chairman ISHRAE Technical group –Refrigeration

Chairman AAR standards committee3rd July 2020

Session-1

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WHAT IS NATURAL REFRIGERANT?

1. Natural refrigerants are natural substances thatserve as refrigerants in field-erected refrigeration& Air conditioning systems as alsoin domestic appliances.

2. They are alternatives to-chlorofluorocarbons(CFC)hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) &hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC)

Unlike other refrigerants, they are not synthetic chemicals and can be found in nature.-Wikipedia definition

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WHICH ARE NATURAL REFRIGERANTS?

(Zero ODP & Ultra-low GWP Refrigerants)(Starting with 7 digit followed by molecular weight as per ASHRAE classification)

1. (R-717)Ammonia (NH3=1N+3H=14+3=17)

2. (R-729) Air

3. (R-744) Carbon Dioxide

4. ( R-718)Water

5. (R764)Sulphur dioxide

& Hydrocarbons-

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HYDROCARBON REFRIGERANTS

Many hydrocarbon gases have successfully been used as refrigerants in industrial, commercial and domestic applications. Examples:

1. R170- Ethane, C2H62. R290 – Propane, C3H33. R600 - Butane, C4H104. R600a - Isobutane, C4H105. R1270- Propylene, C3H6

& Blends of the above Gases

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WHY USE NATURAL REFRIGERANTS?

1. Since, we need- no regret solution2. To overcome effect of global warming3. Better energy efficiency4. Easy availability5. Low cost for refrigerant & as well as for oil

AND

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6. A high latent heat of vaporization7. A high density of suction gas8. Non-corrosive, non-toxic and non-flammable9. Critical temperature and triple point outside

the working range10. Compatibility with component materials 11. Compatibility with lubricating oils12. Reasonable working pressures (not too high,

or below atmospheric pressure)13. Ease of leak detection14. Environmentally friendly

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MESOSPHERE50-80 kmSTRATOSPHERE10-40 kmEARTH

TROPOSPHERE0-15 km

EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE

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UV-B -RADIATION IS HARMFUL-OZONE LAYER PREVENTS RADIATION REACHING EARTH

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1974-DR. ROWLAND & PROF MOLINA- OF CIT USA

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Ozone is an unstable oxygen molecule made up of threeatoms(O3) instead of more stable dual atom molecule(O2)that we require for life. The theory stated that chlorineatom could be catalyst for conversion of ozone to oxygen.

The reaction as under

O3+CL=O2+CLO

O3+CLO=2O2+CL

Thus theoretically, single chlorine atom could convertthousands or even millions of ozone molecules to oxygendestroying in the process the ozone layer and allowingharmful UV rays to reach earth’s surface.

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1. Global Warming2. Energy Efficiency3. Environmentally Friendly

Solutions1. Alternate Technologies

ISSUES NEED TO BE ADDRESSED NOW

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NOW THAT THE ODP ISSUE IS OVER, SINCE NO MORE CFC’S ARE AVAILABLE,

NEXT ISSUE NEEDS TO BE TO BE ADDRESSED - IS GLOBAL WARMING

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GREEN HOUSE EFFECT-INFRARED RADIATION

If there are no GHGs in the atmosphere, IR radiation reflected by the earth will simply be lost to the atmosphere. The average temperature of the earth would have been -18oC instead of the current 15oC

With GHGs in the atmosphere, a part of IR radiation reflected by the earth is absorbed by GHGs, leading to Greenhouse Effect.

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Climate is Changing!

CO2 concentration has been continuously increasing.

Global temperature has also been continuously

increasing.

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THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF 20C TEMPERATURE RISE(Ref: Times of India-09-10-2018)

1.Severe heat waves affecting 37% population2.Decline in marine catch by 3 Million tons3.16% loss of trees/Plants4.Sea level rise-by 0.6m-Many cities will

vanish under sea water5.Reduction in crop production by 7%6.Decline in Coral life -99%

Ref: Times of India-09102018

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9.9 billion kg of CO2 + 6.3 grams SO2 + 3.5

billion gm NOx

OR

3 MILLION CARS OFF ROAD

OR

PLANTING 600 MILLION TREES

0.1kW/Ton increase is Equivalent to

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EFFECTS OF CARBON DIOXIDE CONCENTRATION ON HUMANS

350-450PPM -acceptable out door CO2concentration

350-1000 PPM Typical in occupied indoor environment and acceptable Less than 600PPM

1000-2000PPM Complaints of drowsiness and poor ventilation

2000-5000PPM Headaches, Sleepiness, increased heart rate and Nausea etc.

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CO2=1

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CURRENT SITUATION-GLOBAL WARMING

•Air conditioning and refrigeration industry consumes more than 40 % of total world’s production of energy.

•& 40% of Building Power is consumed by Air Conditioning Industry

Ref.: ASHRAE Journal September-2014

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TWO TYPES OF GLOBAL WARMINGS BY HVAC&R

1. Direct Global warming due to leakage of Refrigerants-Depends on type of Refrigerant and quantity of refrigerant charged in the system-_10%

2.. Indirect GWP from equivalent CO2 emission due to energy consumption over the life time(TEWI) –Total equivalent Warming Impact- 90%

It is important to note that 90% GWP contribution in HVAC&R comes from energy consumption hence more Important

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REASONS FOR CONSIDERING ALTERNATIVES

1. MONTREAL PROTOCOL-SEPTEMBER 1987-CFC PHASE OUT-OZONE DEPLETION LEADING TO HEALTH HAZARDS- CONSIDERED SUBSTANCES HAVING ONLY CHLORINE MOLECULE-- DID NOT CONSIDER GLOBAL WARMING

2. KYOTO PROTOCOL-11TH DECEMBER 1997-REDUCE EMISSION GASES CAUSING GLOBAL WARMING

3. EPA USA SNAP RULE-OCTOBER 2016-PHASE OUT R134A,R404A, ETC.-HIGH GLOBAL WARMING REFRIGERANTS

4. KIGALI AGREEMENT-25TH OCTOBER 2016-PHASE OUT HFC -HIGH GLOBAL WARMING REFRIGERANTS

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MONTREAL AGREEMENT

Due to serious ill effects resulting from depletion ofozone, resulted in Montreal protocol-

16Th September 1987 where almost all countries (186) agreed to phaseout CFC’s in a time bound program. This was thesingle first protocol when all countries unanimouslyagreed to phase out CFC refrigerants containingChlorine molecule.

DID NOT CONSIDER ANY OTHER ISSUE LIKE GLOBAL WARMING

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The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty which extends the1992 United Nations Framework Convention on ClimateChange (UNFCCC) that commits state parties to reduce greenhousegas emissions, based on the scientific consensus that(part one) global warming is occurring and

(part two) it is extremely likely that human-made CO2 emissions have predominantly caused it. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan

on 11 December 1997 and entered into force on

16 February 2005. There are currently 192 parties to the Protocol.

KYOTO PROTOCOL

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A historic global climate deal was reached in Kigali, on 25th

October 2016 Rwanda at the Twenty-Eighth Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MOP28). The Kigali Amendment which amends the 1987 Montreal Protocol aims to phase out Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a family of potent greenhouse gases by the late 2040s. Under Kigali Amendment, in all 197 countries, including India. The Kigali Agreement or amended Montreal Protocol for HFCs reduction will be binding on countries from 2019. It also has provisions for penalties for non-compliance

KIGALI AGREEMENT-25th October 2016

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Phase down of HFC under Kigali agreement has a potential to avoid up to 0.1 Deg. C warming by 2050 & 0.4 Deg. C by 2100.Energy improvements simultaneously besides HFC phase down can potentially double the climate benefit of phase down alone

Sustainable cooling is Key to achieving Climate Goals

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USA EPA SNAP(Rule20) October 2016

(Significant New Alternatives Policy Program) spells

out phasing out of refrigerants R404A and R507

October-2016-Most of the countries decided to phase

out R134a, R404a, R517, R410A and look for natural

refrigerants as a long term solution

Ref: Euromon document

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EPA SNAP-20 RULE

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ASHRAE JOURNAL FEBRUARY 2017-PAGE22

“Changing rules around the use of high global warming potential

(GWP) refrigerants have been one of the hottest topics in the

HVAC&R industry in the last few years. Following the phase out of

ozone-depleting refrigerants starting in the 1990s, the U.S. EPA, acting

under the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program, has

recently changed the status of certain high GWP refrigerants. In the

next several years, refrigerants such as R-404A, R-507A, R-134a, and

others will be prohibited for use in some types of new or retrofit

commercial refrigeration installations”

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Average HFC consumption levels for 2011,2012,& 2013+15% of HCFC base line

2019 -10%

2024 -40%

2029 -70%

2034 -80%

2036 -85%

HFC PHASEOUT SCHEDULE-KIGALI AGREEMENT

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Refrigerants Time-line

1875 1900 1925 1950 1975 20001850

SO2

NH3

CFCs

CH3Cl

HCFCs

HFCs

HCs

air

water

CO2

© A Pearso n 1999

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Survey of Refrigerants

Refrigerant Group Atmospheric life ODP GWPR11 CFC 130 1 4000R12 CFC 130 1 8500R22 HCFC 15 .05 1500R134a HFC 16 0 1300R404a HFC 16 0 3260R410a HFC 16 0 1720R507 HFC 130 1 3300R717 NH3 - 0 0R744 CO2 - 0 1R290 HC < 1 0 8R600a HC < 1 0 8

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AMMONIA – A NATURAL REFRIGERANT SCORES ABOVE ALL OTHER

REFRIGERANTS

Ammonia is produced in a natural way by human beings and animals; 17 grams/day produced by humans.

Natural production 3000 million tons/year

Production in factories 120 million tons/year

Used in refrigeration 6 million tons/year

WE SHALL DEAL WITH AMMONIA REFRIGERANT IN MORE DETAILS IN NEXT SESSION

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AMMONIA CONVINCES WITH TOP ENERGY EFFICIENCY

1. Zero ODP2. Near Zero GWP-Zero Atmospheric Life3. Best Thermodynamic Efficiency compared to any other

Refrigerant-4. Favourable TEWI balance with high COP5. Low cost6. Lubricating oil inexpensive7. Equipment manufactured in India- Compressors, condensers,

evaporators8. Available in all parts of country9. Refrigerant Manufactured in India10. Lighter than Air –Escapes to atmosphere and does not

accumulate in machine room11. Leaks easily detectable12. Does not mix with oil-can be drained easily

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AMMONIA CONVINCES WITH TOP ENERGY EFFICIENCY

1. Zero ODP2. Near Zero GWP-Zero Atmospheric Life3. Best Thermodynamic Efficiency compared to any other

Refrigerant-4. Favourable TEWI balance with high COP5. Low cost6. Lubricating oil inexpensive7. Equipment manufactured in India- Compressors, condensers,

evaporators8. Available in all parts of country9. Refrigerant Manufactured in India10. Lighter than Air –Escapes to atmosphere and does not

accumulate in machine room11. Leaks easily detectable12. Does not mix with oil-can be drained easily

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Refrigerant For positive Temperature cold rooms-+400C/20C

For secondary fluids operation+400C/-50C

For low temperature cold rooms-+400C/-250C

Ammonia-R717 6.20 4.965 2.91

R410A 5.43 4.80 2.50

R134a 5.88 4.67 2.70

R404A 5.18 4.07 2.26

R22 5.93 4.74 2.79

Ammonia C.O.P. (Efficiency)Comparison with other refrigerants for various applications

Refrigerant For positive Temperature cold rooms-+400C/20C

For secondary fluidsoperation

+400C/-50C

For low temperature cold rooms-+400C/-250C

Blast freezers/IQF+400C/-400C

Ammonia-R717

6.20 4.965 2.91 2.06R410A 5.43 4.80 2.50 1.75R134a 5.88 4.67 2.70 1.88R404A 5.18 4.07 2.26 1.52R22 5.93 4.74 2.79 1.98

WHY AMMONIA?

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Fields of Applications1. Ice Plants-commercial/amusement centers2. Cold storages-Fruit/Vegetables/meat/Fish/Seeds/Dry

fruits3. Freezing of foods-Fish/meat/Fruits/Vegetables4. Breweries/ Dairies/ice-cream making5. Chemical/Dyestuff –process cooling6. Concrete cooling-Dams/Roads/Runways7. Water Chillers-Air conditioning8. Thermal storages-Heat Pumps9. Super markets-Ammonia/CO2 cascade10. Industrial Process/Fertilizer plants11. Bottling Plants-Coca Cola/Pepsi

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1. Oslo Airport -Norway2. Heathrow Airport Terminal 5- London3. Singapore Changi Airport4. Dusseldorf Airport-Germany5. Zurich Airport -Sittzerland6. Christchurch Airport-New Zealand7. Stuttgard Airport Terminal 3- Germany-2300kW Grasso compressors8. Telephone Exchange-Copenhagen9. KWN Greenpeace Headquarters-Office building-Vienna-Italy10.Swab Linkoping-4ammonia chillers of 2 Megawatt capacity11.Berlin Ostbanhof train station-3 storey building comples using Grasso

system12.Roche Headquarters in London-Star refrigeration system-930kW13.Mulligen letter sorting center-Sitzerland-Jhonson Controls systems14.Ozeaneum-Sitzerland-500kW air conditioning by Jhonson controls

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CARBON DIOXIDE AS REFRIGERANT

LATEST TRENDS

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CARBON DIOXIDE• Most promising refrigerant having zero ODP and near zero GWP• Critical temperature is very low• Cycle is trans-critical• Operating pressure much higher than other refrigerants• Higher volumetric capacity • Non flammable, non toxic and cheap• Compatible with normal oils• excellent performance when used for water heap pump utilizing the temperature glide in gas cooler

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CARBON DIOXIDE AS REFRIGERANT

ADVANTAGES AS REFRIGERANT

1. Low GWP/No ODP2. Natural Refrigerant3. Non Toxic/Non Flammable4. High Density-Hence smaller system5. Small Compressor Size-Nearly 6 to 8 Times smaller6. Smaller Piping-Less insulation7. High Heat transfer Coefficients8. Smaller Condensers/Evaporators9. Low Pressure losses10.High Efficiency in Sub Critical Cascade Applications11.Positive Pressures in Low Temperature Applications12.Low Cost compared to any other refrigerant

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CARBON DIOXIDE AS REFRIGERANTDISADVANTAGES AS REFRIGERANT

1.High Discharge Pressures-70 to 80 bar2.Very Low Critical Temperature- +31.8 deg C3.Limited Flexibility in Applications4.Cascade Coolers are More expensive5.Heavier than Air-Suffocation in Higher

Concentrations6.400 PPM in Atmosphere-Less than 800 PPM

allowed –EN 13779-5000 PPM Max Work place concentration

7.Odourless-Detectors are required

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CARBON DIOXIDE AS REFRIGERANT

APPLICATIONS IN INDIA

SUB CRITICAL SYSTEMS-CASCADEHigh Stage R134a, or R404AAnd Low stage Carbon Dioxide

ORHigh Stage AmmoniaAnd Low stage carbon Dioxide

ORSecondary Coolant as brine in super markets

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CO2 IN DOMESTIC APPLICATION

Coca Cola Company uses both R134a and CO2 for its 550-litre Refrigerators, with the result that systems operating with CO2consume 20 to 30% less energy. The application is in supercritical range i.e. gas cooling-condensing temperatures are above 31.20C

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CO2 AMMONIA CASCADE PACKAGE

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AMMONIA-CO2 USED AS BRINE SYSTEM –FOR FRUIT STORAGE IN HOLLAND

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TECO-GERMANYROXTA CO2 systems –Over 2900 supplied as on 1-10-2018

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CO2 BUS AIR CONDITIONING

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HYDROCARBONS AS REFRIGERANTS

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TYPICAL APPLICATIONS FOR HYDROCARBONS

.Domestic refrigerators and freezers•Bottle coolers•Ice cream freezers and commercial freezers•Commercial refrigerators•Beer coolers•Beverage dispensers•Dehumidifiers•Heat pumps•Supermarket refrigeration (in combination with secondary cooling or as a high temperature stage in a cascade CO2 system)•Small air conditioners

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MOST IMPORTANT HYDROCARBONS AS REFRIGERANTS

Formula Refrigerant Boiling Point-0C

Critical Temperature-0C

N-butane C4H10 R600 -0.5 152Iso-butane C4H10 R600a -12 135propane C3H8 R290 -42 96.6propylene C3H8 R1270 -47.7 91ethane C2H6 R170 -88.7 91Ethylene C2H4 R1150 -103.8 9.5

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HFC HC ALTERNATIVE APPLICATIONS

R134a R600a-ISOBUTANE HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES

R134a R290/600a mixtures-propane/isobutane mixtures

COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS

R404A/R507C R290,R1270 and their mixtures

Industrial plants -Petrochemicals

R407C R290.R1270-Porppane/Propylene mixtures

Air conditioning and heat pumps

R410A R1270/170 mixtures-Propylene/Ethane mixtures

Deviations due to capcity & pressure levels

R23,R14 R170/R1150-Ethane/Ethylene mixtures

Low temperature cascades

R227ea R600a-Isobutane High Temperature Applications

HYDROCARBONS AS REFRIGERANT AS REPLACEMENT

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HYDROCARBON AS REFRIGERANT

1. Butane has been used in more than 300 million Domestic Refrigerators and now finding use in smaller commercial systems.

2. Propane in central air conditioning systems report 10 to 30% energy savings and with minimum changes can be used in current installations using R22 refrigerant

3. Unilever uses propane in 360 liters ice cream freezers and compared to R404A reports on an average 9% power savings over R404A

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HYDROCARBONS AS REFRIGERANT

Pepsi has compared the results with isobutane and indicate that small drink chillers with 150g refrigerant consumes 27% less energy than those using R134a refrigerant

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1. Pepsi uses Butane in Small drink coolers (less than 150g)using currently 123a-which has now been replaced with Butane-Consumes 27% less energy than R134a

2. Ben and Jerry has replaced their ice cram freezers with Butane in USA

3. Unilever is using Propane in ice cream freezers of 360 litre capacity and compared to R404A consumes 9% less power

4. Propane has similar characteristics like R-22 and some Asian countries have replaced R-22 with Propane and report 10 to -30% reduction in power

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ENERGY-EFFICIENT PROPANE (HC-290) BASED ROOM AIR CONDITIONERS BY GODREJ & BOYCE

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R-290 PROPANE A.C.-CHINA-(More than 3 million)

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KEY FACTS-PROPANE AIR CONDITIONERS

1.Godrej launched R-290 A.C. in 20132.Number of R- 290 A.C. in India-1,00,000 or

more3.Number of production lines in China- for R-

290- 18 to 224.Estimated energy savings in India-more than

15% compared to R410A5.Energy efficiency rating for Godrej A.C. –

Five Star6.Safety of R-290 A.C.-complies with

international safety standards7.Safe for use in A.C up to 1.5 ton capacity

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PROPANE FOR AIR CONDITINING

Germany-The Municipal corporation has installed unit using propane for cooling the servers and for air conditioning. The system is of 20kW capacity using 2.5 kg of propane(R290). The system is working since 2011.-Eurammon

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PROPANE FOR HEATING/AIR CONDITINING-2 x 250kW

For shopping center in Mythencenter AG-Switzerland uses propane for heating and air conditioning.

The units are designed to work round the clock having high COP and EER by means of high performance-frequency controlled compressors. The system per unit uses 15kg of refrigerant

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PROPANE CO2 CASCADE

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PROPANE PACKAGE FOR PETROCHEMICAL REFINERY

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TEKO-RANSTA-PROPANE-WATER/BRINE CHILLERS

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ALTERNATE LONG TERM SOLUTIONS1. Phase out all manmade synthetic chemicals2. Concentrate research on USE of Natural Refrigerants-Ammonia,

carbon dioxide, Hydrocarbons3. Research on Alternate technologies-solar, wind power, AIR

thermoelectric, Magnetic materials, phase change materials etc.4. Use of Nano particles to improve heat transfer in H.E.

HAVE NO REGRET SOLUTIONS AS A LONG TERM MEASURE

Nature has solutions for every problem and is the ultimate in technology

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THANK YOUQuestions?

Ramesh ParanjpeyFellow Life member ASHRAEramesh.paranjpey@gmail.com

Cell No. 9822398220Web: http://Ramesh-paranjpey.com

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