VELLORE: On the occasion of International day for preservation of Ozone layer on September 16, the time has come to retrospect one major challenge faced by the refrigeration and air conditioning industry worldwide which is the on-going pressure to accept Low Global Warming Potential (GWP) Refrigerants that have lesser impact on the environment.
In the process of adhering to the guidelines set by the Montreal Protocol, developed countries widely use R410a refrigerant (a mixture of difluoromethane and pentafluoroethane) in air-conditioning.
However there are concerns over R410a’s higher GWP of 2100 Vs 1810 of R22. A safer alternative is CO2 which is favourable due to thermo physical properties, says Ravichandran Purushothaman, president of Danfoss India.
In a release, he said that developments in Carbon dioxide (CO2) technology have surprised many in the industry, and have, in some cases, disproved the notion that CO2 is thermodynamically unsuitable as a refrigerant.
Rather, CO2’s favourable thermo physical properties support the use of the refrigerant. In certain applications, CO2 offers heat recovery capabilities, which can decrease emissions and energy bills by reducing heating costs. He pointed out that companies in India especially those which export to the European Union should be aware of the F-gas regulation, especially the timelines and the bans it defines.