Refrigerants

Selecting the Right Refrigerant for the Right Product for Each Application
Larry Butz GEA Consulting

Selection Criteria

Thermo physical Properties

hfg, cp, etc

Environmental

ODP, GWP, atmospheric life COP

Cycle Efficiency Effect of Cycle Modifications

Subcooling, economizer, LSHXR Toxicity, operating pressures Positive displacement, centrifugal

Safety

Compressor Type

Refrigerant Classifications CFCs

R-11 R-12

HFCs
R-134a R-410A R-407C R-404A

HCFCs
R-22 R-123

Air Conditioning Refrigerants

Application Centrifugal Screw
Short Term Preferred

Acceptable

Not Acceptable CFC-12 CFC-11

HFC-134a HCFC-123 HFC-134a HCFC-22 HFC-134a HCFC-22 HCFC-22 HFC-134a HFC-407C HFC-410A HFC-407C HFC-410A HFC-407C HFC-410A

Recip

CFC-12 R-502 CFC-12 R-502

Scroll

Air Conditioning Refrigerants

Long Term

Application Centrifugal Screw

Preferred HFC-134a HCFC-123 HFC-134a

Acceptable

Not Acceptable CFC-12 CFC-11

HFC-407C HFC-410A HCFC-22 HFC-407C HCFC-22 CFC-12 R-502

Scroll

HFC-410A HFC-134a

Air Conditioning Refrigerants

R-410A
50% higher pressure than R-22 High ambient performance deterioration

R-407C
Zeotropic (glide)

All HFCs require POE oil

Refrigerant Characteristics
(Water Cooled Conditions)
Refrigerant Atm Life1 ODP1 GWP 100 Yr1 Theor COP

Low Pressure HCFC-123 1.4 Medium Pressure HFC-134a 13.6 1.5 *HFC-152a High Pressure HCFC-22 11.8 HFC-125 32.6 5.6 *HFC-32 Mixtures 410A (32/125) blend 407C (32/125/134a)blend blend 404A (125/143a/134a) Flammable

.012 0.0 0.0 0.034 0.0 0.0 0 0 0

120 1300 190 1600 3400 550 2000 1700 4540

11.382 10.892 11.133 10.852 9.883 10.573 10.512 10.693 10.113

1. Environmental Data for Refrigerants J. Calm & G. Hourihan HPAC August 1999 2. Tradeoffs on Refrigerant Selections, ASHRAE J. Calm & D. Didion Oct. 1998

Chiller Efficiency

Efficiency
Chillers, 300 tons and above ASHRAE 90.1-1999 [Oct 29, 1999] [Oct 29, 2001] DOE Recommended
Green Seal Environmental Standard GS-31

Full Load 0.676 kW/ton 0.576 kW/ton

Part Load 0.663 kW/ton 0.549 kW/ton

0.56 kW/ton 0.56 kW/ton

0.44 kW/ton 0.44 kW/ton

Japan Energy Conservation Law

(Unitary Air Conditioners)

Became law 4/1/1999 Mandates Efficiency Increases (Ave +63%) by 2004

Refrigerant Characteristics
(Water Cooled Conditions)
Refrigerant Atm Life1 ODP1 GWP 100 Yr1 Theor COP

Low Pressure HCFC-123 1.4 Medium Pressure HFC-134a 13.6 1.5 *HFC-152a High Pressure HCFC-22 11.8 HFC-125 32.6 5.6 *HFC-32 Mixtures 410A (32/125) blend 407C (32/125/134a)blend blend 404A (125/143a/134a) Flammable

.012 0.0 0.0 0.034 0.0 0.0 0 0 0

120 1300 190 1600 3400 550 2000 1700 4540

11.382 10.892 11.133 10.852 9.883 10.573 10.512 10.693 10.113

1. Environmental Data for Refrigerants J. Calm & G. Hourihan HPAC August 1999 2. Tradeoffs on Refrigerant Selections, ASHRAE J. Calm & D. Didion Oct. 1998

Projected U.S. Refrigerant Trends Refrigeration

R-12/R-502 R-22 R-404A/R-507 R-12/R-502 R-22 R-134a R-404A R-404A OTR

Supermarket Refrigeration

Food Service Equipment

R-12/R-502

1995

2000

2005

2010
CO2

R-134a -Container 2003

Global Warming Potentials

Ammonia Characteristics and Considerations

Environmental Properties
0 ODP 0 GWP Atmospheric life less than 6 days

Performance
Good efficiency (lower temperatures) Low charge

Ammonia Characteristics and Considerations

Materials & Lubricants
Corrosive to Copper Use mineral oils which are not miscible with ammonia (0.5%); require oil separators and drains/returns lines Incompatible with current Motor insulation materials Natural Water soluble To meet refrigeration purity (99.98%) and moisture (150ppm max) standard must be chemically manufactured

Ammonia Characteristics and Considerations

Safety
Lighter than air; will disperse and rise; outdoor aircooled application is self venting; indoor application in basement requires safety systems Distinctive odor is early warming system. Ready dispersion in air and lighter than air means lower risk of obtaining LFL than hydrocarbons or halocarbons which are heavier than air and collect at floor level. Colorless Classified B2 by ASHRAE

Ammonia Characteristics and Considerations

Safety
Odor threshold is 5 ppm, well below concentrations which produce harmful effects 100 200 ppm Eyes irritated 400 ppm Immediate throat irritation 2400 ppm Threat to life after 30 minutes 5000 ppm Full body chemical suit required Pure liquid Second degree burns with blisters

If you want the highest environmental performance follow the Responsible Use criteria

HFC-134a can achieve high energy efficiency and is ozonesafe, but refrigerant emissions are potent greenhouse gases. HCFC-123 can achieve high efficiency and is not a potent greenhouse gas, but does have an ozone-depleting potential, albeit low. Energy efficiency is the main environmental consideration in the selection of a chiller

US EPA March 2002

Responsible Use

Right Refrigerant for Application Minimize Emissions Use Life Cycle Climate Protection (LCCP)

Minimize total emissions of refrigerant and global warming gases from the production of power for the chiller over its lifetime

Global Warming Gases

Direct
Emissions from the equipment

Indirect
Generated at Power Plant by burning of fossil fuels

1200kW Chiller in Atlanta

Indirec t Direc t

16000000

Global Comparative Analysis of HFC and Alternative Technologies March 1, 2002 Arthur D. Little, Inc

14000000

12000000

LC C P kg C O 2 e q

10000000

8000000

6000000

4000000

2000000

0 R -123 R -245fa R-134a R-22 R-22 R -134a R -410A R-717 2 s tage LiBr

Centrifugal------------------------------Screw----------------------------------- ABS

CO2 from Electricity Generation

0.8 kg CO2/kW-hr Or 1.76 lb CO2/kW-hr

DOE Emissions Data 1999

Utility CO2 Generation Rates

Coal Fired Existing Boiler & Steam Turbine Coal Fired (Advanced Technology) Petroleum Fired Existing Boiler & Steam Turbine Petroleum Fired Conventional Turbine Petroleum Fired Conventional Combined Cycle Natural Gas Existing Boiler & Steam Turbine Natural Gas Turbines (Conventional) Natural Gas Turbines (Advanced) Natural Gas Turbines (Advanced Combined Cycle) Fuel Cell (Molten Carbonate) CO2 (lbs/KWH) 2.1294 1.5113 1.6784 1.7201 1.1941 1.2085 1.2437 0.9386 0.7450 0.6290

Annual Energy Outlook 2000 EIA US Dept of Energy

 S-Series EarthWise CenTraVac Chiller

The Next Generation of Chiller Technology

An Oil-Free Design:
What Makes It Better?

Eliminates the potential

for oil contamination Improves efficiency and reduces emissions Reduces both maintenance and operating costs Enables a 40%-plus parts reduction

Simpler Means Fewer Parts

Even Greater Reliability
Gasketed Joints Soldered Joints Threaded Welded Fittings Components Flared Fittings

20% 30% 50% 70% 100%

The goal is to have the initial charge be the final charge

Always an Optimal Charge

Never An Efficiency Loss
100%

relative efficiency

98% 96% 94% 92% 90%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

fraction of optimal charge

J. M. Calm, Emissions and Environmental Impacts from Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Systems, International Journal of Refrigeration, 2002

JMC 2001

Oil Contamination
15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4

Can Cause a Significant Loss in Efficiency

% Efficiency Loss

3.5% Oil in Refrigerant = 8% Efficiency Loss

5 6 7 8 % of Added Oil

And what would an 8% efficiency impact be worth?

Consider the following:
A 1000-ton chiller
2000 Equivalent Full-Load Operating Hours (EFLH) $0.08/kWh and $15/kW demand 0.576 kW/ton (ASHRAE 90.1 minimum efficiency)

Given these assumptions, the estimated annual energy cost would be:
1000 tons x 2000 EFLH x 0.576 kW/ton x $0.08/kWh = $92,160 1000 tons x 0.576 kW/ton x $15/kWh x 6 months = $51,840

$144,000
$144,000 x 8 percent = more than $11,520 per year or, in current dollars over a 30-year lifetime, almost $350,000, which is more than twice the initial cost of the chiller!

Older CFC Chillers May Have High Levels of Oil Contamination

3.5% 13% (Avg.)

Samples
0

10

15

20

25

% of Oil in Refrigerant
Data taken from ASHRAE research project 601

The Turbocor Compressor at a Glance

Inverter speed control

2 stage, direct drive, hermetic centrifugal compressor

Permanent magnet motor Inlet Guide Vanes

Motor and bearing control

TT-300 vs. Leading Screw Compressor

Energy Efficiency Performance

Stepped Capacity Modulation In Scroll Compressors Two Step Scroll Concept

Sami Zendah Copeland Corporation 2003 ASHRAE Winter Technical Meeting Seminar XX

*.PPT/DEPT 07/24/11 15:34 35

Two-Step Scroll Modulation

By Pass Ports Closed

By Pass Ports Open

100% Capacity

67% Capacity

*.PPT/DEPT 07/24/11 15:34 36

Combining Two Best Technologies

Modulated Scroll Compressors Scroll Compressors
Higher Efficiency Less Applied Costs Better Reliability Lower Sound Flatter Capacity Slope HFC Capability

Capacity Modulation
Higher SEER Reduced Cyclic Loss Lower Pressure ratio Improved Comfort Less Temperature Variation Enhanced Dehumidification Hotter H/P Supply Air

*.PPT/DEPT 07/24/11 15:34 37

Cycle Enhancemen ts