LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN LOW GLOBAL WARMING REFRIGERANTS FOR COMMERCIAL SUPERMARKET REFRIGERATION

摘要

New refrigeration system working fluids with the positive attributes of both high thermal performance and low environmental impact are currently in development. These materials maintain the high level of system efficiency we are accustomed to with fluorocarbon refrigerants but with significantly lower global warming impact than current refrigerants. This article is focused on replacements for R-404A which are discussed for supermarket refrigeration applications with the aim of reducing the carbon footprint. Chemical and physical properties, including thermodynamic data, as well as experimental results are compared and contrasted. Testing was performed using typical walk-in cooler freezer equipment. Operating condition cover low and medium temperature applications with box temperatures ranging from -26°C to 10°C. Outdoor ambient temperatures range from 13°C to 35.0°C. Results show promise however they also show that there are trade offs in performance, flammability, and GWP that need to be made.