S R C C Alternatives to H F s in the efrigeration and Air Conditioning Sector ection 01 11 Contents Introduction 6 Guide to the Reader 7 Executive summary 8 Contents 11 1 Alternatives to HCFCs in refrigeration and air conditioning 12 1.1 Background 13 1.2 HCFCs used in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector 15 1.2.1 Air conditioning and industrial refrigeration –traditional R-22 sub-sectors. 16 1.2.2 Split and unitary air conditioning sector (including air-to-air heat pumps) 16 1.2.3 VRV/VRF/multi-split systems (including heat pumps) 19 1.2.4 Chillers in air conditioning and cooling applications (including heat pumps with indirect systems) 19 1.2.5 HCFCs in commercial refrigeration 20 1.2.6 Other HCFC-using sub-sectors in the RAC sector 20 1.3 Energy efficiency of air conditioning equipment 20 1.4 Alternatives to HCFCs in air conditioning and refrigeration 21 1.4.1 Ammonia 25 1.4.2 Hydrocarbons 25 1.4.3 Carbon dioxide (CO2) 27 1.4.4 HFC alternatives used in new and retrofitted systems with new oil 29 1.4.5 HFC “service blends” used in existing systems 32 1.5 Oils in refrigeration and air conditioning sytems 34 1.6 Retrofit procedures 36 1.6.1 Documentation of status and performance 38 1.6.2 How to replace the oil? 39 1.6.3 Retrofit with the “oil change method” 41 1.6.4 Retrofit through flushing with the “old” refrigerant 41 1.6.5 Retrofit through flushing with a solvent 41 1.6.6 Number of oil changes required 43 1.6.7 Methods of oil analysis and moisture content in oil 44 1.6.8 Laboratory tests 44 1.6.9 Refractometer test 44 1.6.10 Test kit 44 2 Case studies – Alternative technologies in different applications 46 2.1 The transition in the unitary and split air conditioning market 48 2.1.1 Retrofit of split air conditioning from R-22 to R-407C with oil-change through “flushing” 48 2.2 Chillers with HFCs 52 2.2.1 Large low pressure chillers 52 2.2.2 Medium-sized and small chillers 52 2.3 Fruit Storage with hydrocarbon chillers at Nickle farm in UK 53 2.4 Cold store with low charge ammonia chiller 55 2.5 Retrofit of R-22 chiller to R-422D (oil change not required) 58 2.5.1 Description of conversion procedures. 59 2.6 Carbon dioxide heat pumps for domestic heating and tap water 60 2.7 Carbon dioxide in supermarkets 62 2.7.1 Evaluation of carbon dioxide supermarket in Sweden 63 2.7.2 Evaluation of three carbon dioxide stores in Norway 66 2.7.3 Market situation for CO2 as a refrigerant in supermarkets 67 2.8 Retrofit of R-22 supermarket in Romania to R-404A 67 2.8.1 Results obtained for the refrigeration circuit operating at medium temperature 69 2.8.2 Results obtained for the freezing circuit (LT) 71 Appendix I - List of refrigerants 72 Appendix II - References 77 Appendix II - Abbreviations and definitions 79