Refrigerants by Nature

eurammon magazine

2014 [Link]
 About eurammon

Dear Readers,
2014 is a turbulent year for the refrigera- aware of the particular requirements and frigerants, there are meanwhile numerous
First in R72
3
®… tion branch. The revised F-Gas Regulation
adopted on the EU level will trigger the
safety regulations, ensure that natural refri-
gerants are handled responsibly and also
new possibilities including municipal
district heating systems or hospitals which

industrial N H3 # CO 2 # gradual phase-out of fluorinated green-

house gases. 1 January 2015 is the first
train their own staff with regard to specific
safety issues. We have summarised the
use innovative systems to keep themselves
supplied with heat. Exciting projects of this

refrigeration key date for what is being called the pha-

se-down. We have produced a summary
of exactly which regulations come into ef-
main tips and facts about the regulations
in Germany and Switzerland in an inter-
view (page 12).
kind can be found from page 24.

When planning new systems, energy ef-

WITT components fect on which date for your information in ficiency has been an essential aspect for
this issue on page 8. To ensure that you have the best possi- a long time now. The possibility of saving
ble preparation for the changed market both resources and costs is increasingly a
The new directives are a real challenge for conditions, eurammon has undertaken crucial factor for holistically planned in-
our branch. But at the same time, this is to pool sound information and share its vestment. Applications with natural refrige-
also a necessary approach which consti- own expert know-how. In this magazine, rants are proving to be particularly energy
tutes a great chance to promote a sustaina- we would also like to show you the large efficient. When seen over the whole life
ble course in technological development. number of diverse applications with which cycle, they reveal huge potential for long-
In this respect, natural refrigerants are an natural refrigerants are already being term financial advantages, particularly as
excellent choice and probably the only used. They have been around for more a result of low operating costs. Read for
long-term solution for refrigeration and than 100 years with a constant flow of yourself from page 38.
air-conditioning systems. Their low GWP new solutions being developed to supple-
and ODP values mean that they contribute ment the already proven industrial appli- The many successful practical examples
neither to global warming nor to the de- cations. Today, users increasingly opt for show natural refrigerants are the right
pletion of the ozone layer, and thus play refrigeration and air-conditioning systems choice of viable solution when it comes
a positive role in protecting the climate. running on ammonia or CO2 even in low to sustainable refrigeration and air-condi-
But what does it mean in future for users capacity ranges, as illustrated in our back- tioning technology. Take this opportunity
when they change over to new systems? ground article on page 30. Natural refri- now to find out how to "naturally" refrige-
What do they have to heed in particular gerants have also become indispensable rate, heat or air-condition in future and,
when using natural refrigerants? The EU in the installation of heat pumps. Together above all, to see which advantages these
decision underlines the operator's respon- with industrial applications which use the technologies have to offer – in both eco-
sibility and shows that end users must be process refrigeration aspect of natural re- nomical and ecological terms.

Unequaled engineering support, complete solutions for your refrigeration

projects, compact package units (e.g. with integrated plate heat exchangers
Enjoy your read!
or separation systems). We select the components required to your individual
refrigeration needs using our extensive technical knowledge, in house com-
puter programs and engineering standards.
WITT – Sustainable cooling for the future!

TH. WITT
Kältemaschinenfabrik
GmbH
Lukasstraße 32 " 52070 Aachen
+49 (0)241 1 82 08- 0
+49 (0)241 1 82 08- 490
info@[Link]
-[Link] Monika Witt Dr. Karin Jahn
[Link]
eurammon Chairwoman eurammon Managing Director

eurammon magazine 3
 About eurammon

A new module for Table of Content

ammonia applications
Alfa Laval U-Turn
06 16 20

24 34 44

About eurammon Applications & Experts eurammon Insights

06 Globally active 20 Fresh for the future 42 Unabated potential
eurammon and its Natural refrigerants The ammonia working group
partner organisations in the food industry on a refrigerant for the future

Regulations & Trends 23 Heat pumps with

44 eurammon Symposium
natural refrigerants
08 Fit for the phase-down and Natural
The main facts and figures of 24 Large heat pumps Refrigeration Award
the new F-Gas Regulation huge potential eurammon honours award winners
at international symposium
12 Cool naturally 28 Energy-efficient
but safely! natural refrigerants Support
it’s time to re-evaluate
16 Top-class when it comes our approach! 47 Product Directory
Alfa Laval U-Turn for minimum pressure drop losses and maximum to natural refrigerants
energy efficiency Switzerland 30 Great potential in
Alfa Laval U-Turn is designed to utilize the very best from Alfa Laval’s
small capacity ranges
cooling technology. The self-contained U-Turn separator can be easily
Natural refrigerants
mounted above a plate heat exchanger.
34 Propane is
It can cover ammonia capacities from 200 to 1400 kW at 0°C evaporation gaining ground
temperature and from 50 to 500 kW at -40°C evaporation temperature.
38 "Natural refrigerants
make economic sense."

eurammon magazine 5
 About eurammon About eurammon

The partner organisations

of eurammon are:
Asociación FRIO CALOR AIRE
ACONDICIONADO, S.L
Association Francaise du
Froid´s (AFF)
Nederlandse Vereniging van
Ondernemingen op het gebiet van
eurammon and its de Koudetechniek en Luchtbehandeling
partner organisations (NVKL)
Odessa State Academy of

Globally
Refrigeration (OSAR)
Slovenian Association for Cooling
and Air Conditioning (SDHK)

active
Swiss Association for Refrigeration
Technology (SVK)
Australian Refrigeration
Association
Our environment is changing. Harbingers of global warm- Green Cooling
ing can already be detected in many places today and are Association
above all a clear indication of one thing: climate change Indian Association of Ammonia
Refrigeration (AAR)
is a global challenge that doesn't stop at national frontiers.
Natural refrigerants can make an important contribution to International Institute of Ammonia
Refrigeration (iiar)
achieving a sustainable, global reduction in CO2 emissions,
Southern African Refrigerated
as they don't play any role in diminishing the ozone layer Distribution Association (SARDA)
and have no or only a very slight influence on the greenhouse
International Academy of Refrigeration,
effect. The use of natural refrigerants therefore offers huge Representative Office in Kazakhstan
potential for satisfying ever growing cooling requirements
without reinforcing the greenhouse effect any further. Together
with proven application areas such as industrial refrigeration,
new technologies already make it possible today to use natural
refrigerants in small and medium capacity ranges, too.
While special climate conditions have to Operators in many Asian countries main- grams to pass on our knowledge to those the use of environmentally-friendly alter- joined forces with its partners to attend AAR with our expertise when it comes
be taken into account for refrigeration in ly use conventional refrigeration appli- working with ammonia systems. In this natives, thus putting the focus on natural international trade fairs and events, such to using the refrigerant ammonia. For us,
India, South Africa and Australia, other cations. India as an emerging country, way, we help to expand the use of ammo- refrigerants. The Australian Refrigeration as Chillventa or the UNIDO Conference enhancing awareness of environmentally-
countries have special statutory regulati- already strongly advocates using the nia and counteract reservations.“ Association (ARA) is committed to boos- 2013 in Vienna. friendly refrigerating systems in emerging
ons relating to the use of refrigerants. It is a natural refrigerant ammonia, thus setting ting the use of natural refrigerants and countries constitutes an important step to-
great advantage to be aware of the stan- standards for the whole continent. „Gene- to informing industry, operators and the wards improving the carbon footprint in
dards prevailing in different regions of the rally speaking, in India there is already a Knowledge as core government of comprehensive sustainabi- Into the future with more and more parts of the world. This
world, and the particular strength of the high degree of awareness that refrigera- competence: sharing lity strategies. Tim Edwards, President of natural refrigerants means not only to show practical refrige-
global network lies in its ability to share tion applications with ammonia are very ARA, states that „Reducing greenhouse ration solutions but also to promote the
this experience quickly with all partners. environmentally friendly“, says P Sudhir experience makes the gas emissions and environmental pollution safe use of natural refrigerants”.
The affiliated initiatives, associations and Kumar, President, Association of Ammonia network strong with environmentally-friendly applications „Our aim is to intensify existing partner-
institutions harbour a wide range of tech- Refrigeration (AAR) in Pune, India. Above is a task that we have to tackle together on ships and further expand our network –
nical know-how, from expertise in various all, there is a need to lay the groundwork a global scale“. particularly in those countries where there
application areas for natural refrigerants in India and enhance the technical know- The government in Australia is taking a „In recent years we have achieved a great is still such a great need for more informati-
through to the latest academic findings, how. „One aspect of our work therefore new approach to reducing CO2 emissions deal together with our partner organisa- on about the safe and efficient use of natu-
thus facilitating constant knowledge ex- consists in developing regulations and sa- in its country. The new tax on imported tions“, summarises Monika Witt, Chair- ral refrigerants“, says Witt. „For example,
change and mutual support. fety standards, and holding training pro- synthetic refrigerants indirectly promotes woman of eurammon. The initiative has we are assisting our new Indian partner

6 eurammon magazine eurammon magazine 7

 Regulations & Trends

The main facts and figures of the new F-Gas Regulation in cascade systems in which F-gases may
based on a graphics by bitzer

Fit for the phase-down

be used with a GWP <1500.

Quota system – allocated


 
quotas for more control
The European Union's climate and energy strategy with its so-called "20-20-20 targets" has resulted in a legis-
lative package which aims among others to bring about a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the

   
In order to control refrigerant consumpti-
year 2020. This is an ambitious undertaking that encompasses various specific measures. One of these refers on, refrigerant manufacturers and impor-
to the use of partly fluorinated hydrocarbons or so-called F-gases. To minimise their impact on global warming, ters will be allocated F-gas quotas on
submitting a corresponding application.
in April 2014 the EU Council adopted Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 on fluorinated greenhouse gases as the Quantities will be distributed according to
long-awaited revision of the F-Gas Regulation. the following key: altogether 89% of the
total quantity will be shared out among
ket in the period 2009 to 2012. Working existing market participants with the
on this basis, the total quantity available remaining 11% reserved for possible in-
in the EU will be reduced to 21% in six creased demand and new entrants. Also,
stages through to 2030. In order to take pre-charged systems being imported into
account of the differing climate impact the EU will fall under the quota system from
2015 100%
of the various refrigerants, the quantity 2017. The quotas can be freely traded The total quantity of F-gases available
2016 - 2017 93% of F-gas is stated in tonnes of CO2 equi- on the market in the same way as emis- in the EU will be reduced to 21 % in
2018 - 2020 63% first drastic step
2021 - 2023 45% valents rather than an absolute value in sion rights. The companies are obliged six stages through to 2030”.
2024 - 2026 31% 21% kg. The CO2 equivalent is easily calcu- to submit reports on their actual F-gas con-
2027 - 2029 24%
2030 21% lated with the following formula: quan- sumption. The only exemptions from the
tity of refrigerant in kg multiplied by the quota system are production outputs of
Baseline 100% (2015)
related to average consumption corresponding global warming potential manufacturers or importers with less than
2009 to 2012
(GWP). 100 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, military
systems or applications for which no de-
monstrably suitable technical alternatives
2015 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 2028 2030 Restrictions on use – are available up to now. In addition to
these core elements the F-gas Regulation
prohibition of certain implies further details which need to be
F-gases with high GWP considered.
New regulations such as the ban on re- ‡ Restrictions on use: F-gases that are
frigerants that have a particularly strong particularly harmful to the climate will be
impact on the climate should help the EU gradually prohibited completely. From 2020 onwards, stationary systems Leak tests – more frequent
to achieve its climate targets and pro- ‡ Quota system: F-gas quotas will be may no longer use refrigerants with and more precise checks
mote the use of technologies in the re- allocated to the manufacturers and im- a GWP > 2,500. This also applies to
frigeration and air-conditioning branch porters in order to control the actual con- the maintenance of plants with a new
which significantly reduce the environ- sumption of F-gases. refrigerant having more than 40 t CO2 The new F-Gas regulation stipulates stricter
mental impact. Europe is thus setting ‡Leak tests: To avoid leakages, stricter equivalent – which corresponds approxi- and more frequent leak checks to minimise
new global standards for reducing CO2 regulations will apply in future to leak mately to about 10 kg filling of R404A leakage in the systems. Hitherto the cycle
emissions. The revised F-Gas Regulation tests on refrigeration and air-conditio- and R507A. The only exemptions are of checks was defined by the metric
will be applied from 1 January 2015 on- ning systems. systems in military use and systems that quantity of refrigerant in kg. In future, the
wards. But what does it mean in specific ‡ Extended operator obligations: Ope- cool products to temperatures below checking frequency depends on the quan-
terms for manufacturers, system planners rators are responsible for ensuring that -50 °C. Existing systems may still be ope- tity in tonnes of CO2 equivalent. Regular
and operators? eurammon has put toge- installation, maintenance, servicing, re- rated through to 2030 and refilled, but checks are prescribed already from a ref-
ther the most important facts and back- pairs or decommissioning is performed only with recycled F-gases. In a second rigerant charge of more than 5 tonnes of
ground data. The targets of the revised only by certified personnel. stage, from 2022 refrigerants in “multi- CO2 equivalent. The plan is to halve the  
F-Gas Regulation will be implemented pack centralised refrigeration systems” checking frequencies if the systems have   
  
with the following package of measures: The EU will be gradually reducing the (at least two compressors, a number of a leak detection system that informs the     !"
  
#$%&'()*+)
permitted total quantity of F-gases as cooling devices and a refrigerating capa- operator automatically in the event of any ,-$%&'()*+))
‡Phase-down: from January 2015. The reference point city of more than 40 kW) are permitted leakage.
The F-gases available on the market will (100%) consists of the mean available to have only a GWP < 150. Excluded

    
be gradually reduced. quantity of F-gases available on the mar- from this is the primary refrigerant circuit

8 eurammon magazine   

 Products and Equipment Timing / Refrigerant Options

HFO/HFC Blends

HFO/HFC Blends
GWP 150 - 1500
R404A/R507A

R417A/R427A
R417B/R422D
R744 (CO2)

R717 (NH3)

R407A/C/F

GWP < 150

KW/HCs

R410A
R134a

HFO*
R32
HCs

Refrigerators and freezers for commercial use (hermetically

2020 & 2022

sealed equipment) that contain HFCs with GWP of 2500

2020

2020

2022

2022

2022

2022

2022

2022

or more – from 2020 // HFCs with a GWP of 150 or

more – from 2022

Stationary refrigeration equipment, that contains, or whose

functioning relies upon, HFCs with GWP of 2500 or more
indirect restrictions due
2020

2020
2020

except equipment intended for application designed to cool

products to temperatures below - 50°C to phase-down

Multipack centralised refrigeration systems for commercial

primary circuit

primary circuit

primary circuit

use with a rated capacity of 40 kW or more that contain, or

Cascade

Cascade

Cascade
2022

whose functioning relies upon, fluorinated greenhouse gases

with GWP of 150 or more, except in the primary refrigerant
circuit of cascade systems where fluorinated greenhouse
gases with a GWP of less than 1500 may be used

*HFO (Hydro Fluoro Olefins) are non-saturated HFCs with chemical double bond. When being released
to the atmosphere, the molecule rapidly dissociates within a few days, resulting in a very low GWP

based on a graphics by bitzer

Extended operator Technical Programs Manager at advantages in terms of energy efficiency

Bitzer Kühlmaschinenbau GmbH. due to the change-over. As far as older
obligations: more equipment is concerned, new investment
responsibility and The revision of the F-Gases Regulation is recommended here as this is often far
prescribes which refrigerants will be allo- more profitable to operate thanks to
mandatory certification wed or prohibited in future. What does more developed technologies.
this mean in concrete terms for manufac-
turers and operators, and where do you How does the revised F-Gas Regulati-
With effect from 1 January 2015, system see the challenges? on impact on the future use of natural
operators face considerably more obli- Hermann Renz: The roadmap features refrigerants?
gations. They bear full responsibility for a phase-down through to 2030. At first Hermann Renz: In principle the phase-
ensuring that installation, maintenance, glance this seems to be a long time, but down will make F-gases extremely
servicing, repairs or decommissioning are the branch is already being forced to set scarce, which will be tantamount to an
performed only by certified personnel or the points in a sustainable direction in indirect ban in many areas, thus boo-
certified companies. However, up to now the long term. It is also foreseeable that sting refrigerants with low GWP. But INDUSTRIAL REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS AREN’T
no pan-European standard system exists new challenges will emerge in the futu- the sheer diversity of refrigeration and
with clear guidelines for certification. Mo- re. The EU has meanwhile announced air-conditioning systems means that it is AVAILABLE OFF THE SHELF.
reover, operators are responsible for hee- a further reduction in CO2 emissions by not possible to define any one universal
ding future prohibitions on use – such as 2050, which will result in an additional solution, even for sub-sectors. One thing
BUT YOU CAN GET EFFICIENCY AS STANDARD.
the guidelines for charging their systems, need to act. is relatively certain, and that is that there
and for complying with prohibitions on will be a clear increase in the number
buying and selling. Does it make sense to convert existing of applications with natural refrigerants
equipment or is it better to invest in a and alternative “low GWP” system so-
The revised F-Gas Regulation with new system that will meet future require- lutions. However, successful implemen-
its direct and indirect prohibitions ments? tation will need sound foundations. This
is a major challenge for the re- Hermann Renz: Even if existing systems includes among others corresponding
frigeration and air-conditioning could continue operations through to initial and further training of the profes-
sector. The tasks that have to be 2030 when operated with recycled refri- sionals involved – which in turn needs
mastered and the chances these gerants, it often makes commercial sen- experienced trainers, which takes time,
then offer in turn are explained se for well maintained systems that are as is well known.
by eurammon expert Hermann operating efficiently to be converted to High efficiency even for the largest systems: The extensive BITZER portfolio of open and semi-hermetic recipro-
Renz, member of the Technical refrigerants with a low GWP. However, cating and screw-type compressors delivers utmost flexibility in the planning of systems as well as their adaptation
Committee of eurammon and it has to be ensured that there are no dis- to full and part load operation. At BITZER, you will find solutions for NH3, CO2 and R134a as well as for booster,
cascade or single-stage systems – providing energy-efficient and environment-friendly control of systems in the
megawatt power range. Learn more about our products at [Link]

10 eurammon magazine
 Cool naturally
nical ventilation, detectors and personal Second example: the Industrial Safety
safety gear. An annual inspection of the Regulation is important not just for users
safety devices is also compulsory. of systems subject to mandatory inspec-
Rainer Brinkmann: In Germany, the user tion. This regulation stipulates that the

but safely!
is obliged by law to obtain official ap- user has to proceed with a hazard as-
proval for certain refrigeration systems. sessment that serves to protect this emplo-
This also entails fulfilling regulations for yees. Here consideration has to be given
installation, commissioning and perio- to staff qualifications and to the residual
dic inspection. However, the legislation risks presented by systems, installations,
is rather complicated: together with EU machines and substances together with
Regulations for constructing and operating a refrigeration system are Directives and national laws for construc- their reciprocal effects. Furthermore,
stipulated by law – as well as the question of how to dispose of different tion and quality, specific state regulations the operator has to stipulate protective
also apply to operating the systems which measures for certain risky areas. In terms
refrigerants. But it is precisely the variety of regulations at European,
are often not known to many companies. of occupational safety, the user has to
national and regional level that often makes it difficult for operators to keep heed the Industrial Safety Regulation and
essential aspects in mind: Who is responsible for refrigerating systems and What are the central regulations in Ger- the Technical Regulations for Operatio-
what regular checks are required for their reliable operation? eurammon many that every operator ought to know? nal Safety (TRBS) as well as the Occupa-
Rainer Brinkmann: It depends on several tional Safety Act and the Ordinance on
members Raymond Burri, Director at Walter Wettstein AG, and Rainer
factors, such as system type or which re- Hazardous Substances. Compliance is
Brinkmann, Technical Support Industrial Refrigeration at Johnson Controls, frigerant is being used. For example, sys- also necessary with the accident preven-
explain what operators need to consider in terms of plant safety. tems using refrigerants that need special tion regulations of the professional asso-
safety precautions often go through preli- ciations (BGR) which indicate measures
There is still a great deal of uncertainty the Industrial Safety Regulation; this may minary approval with subsequent regular for fulfilling indispensable protection

“ “
when it comes to user responsibility. include measures for operational safety. monitoring, maintenance and inspection. objectives. For example, BGR 500 chap-
Exactly who is the operator by law and However, Germany does have central ter 2.35 "Operating refrigeration systems
It is advisable to use when does his responsibility for system What does the law say in your country laws and regulations that every user ought and heat pumps" prescribes regular safety
Safety management
the same system manufac- operation begin? and what do operators have to bear in to know, such as the Federal Pollution Con- training sessions for the employees. is an on-going process
turer for statutory servic- Rainer Brinkmann: Basically, the ow- mind? trol Act (BImSchG), the Industrial Safety under the control of the
ner is the operator. Many people often Raymond Burri: In Switzerland, the Che- Regulation and the Technical Regulations Can users pass the responsibility on to
ing and maintenance don't know that there are different legal micals Risk Reduction Regulation (Chem- for Operational Safety (TRBS). third parties, and who is liable in the business Managing Direc-
tasks – not just because aspects involved with regard to the point RRV) says which refrigerants are to be event of any damage? tor or a safety officer, and
in time of initial commissioning. While used for which application and refrigerati- Mr Brinkmann, can you give a few con- Raymond Burri: Both in Switzerland and
he knows the system best the system manufacturer is still respon- on capacity. As far as natural refrigerants crete operator-relevant examples of these in Germany, it is common practice for
all employees must be

”
but also because every sible for initial commissioning during are concerned, a system logbook has to regulations? users to instruct third parties to undertake involved.
intervention can affect the the installation phase of the project, the
user already bears sole responsibility for
be kept constantly up to date for systems
with a filling of more than 3 kg. In addi-
Rainer Brinkmann: The BImSchG for exa-
mple is important for operators of systems
regular maintenance of the system. As
a rule, the third party will be the system Rainer Brinkmann

”
system's conformity. commissioning during the trial-run phase tion, preventive maintenance measures subject to approval with an ammonia manufacturer. If it should transpire that in-
following hand-over or after the transfer are to be conducted at least every twelve charge of more than 3,000 kg. It states structed maintenance work has not been
of risk. Once the system has been han- months and also recorded in the system that the responsible approval authority performed correctly despite issuing a
Raymond Burri ded over, the operator is also responsible logbook. This includes a leak test as well can stipulate periodic safety inspections fully comprehensive order, the operator
for hazard assessment pursuant to § 3 of as checking the alarm devices, mecha- by an expert for these systems. can take recourse against the instructed

12 eurammon magazine eurammon magazine 13

Regulations & Trends
GF Piping Systems

company. Nevertheless, the operator re- Mr Brinkmann, do you think that operators
mains liable by law and this also includes are adequately informed about their obli-
bearing the consequences in the event of gations?
damage. Rainer Brinkmann: There are great diffe-
rences here. While it is often difficult for
In other words, operators always depend small companies to keep up to date on a
on the professional expertise of the broad scale, large companies will have
manufacturer. Mr Burri, how would you specialist departments that deal with the
describe the role of the system manufac- whole issue of user responsibility. For
turer in this context? small companies in particular, it is vital
Raymond Burri: Every refrigeration sys- to keep well informed. Assistance can be
tem manufacturer should provide ad- provided here by the professional asso-
vice about necessary approvals and ciations; information is also available in
safe operation of the refrigeration sys- special literature produced by the refri-
tem, especially for future operators. The geration system manufacturers, drawing
support we provide for systems that we attention to the operator's statutory obli-
have designed and installed usually ex- gations.
tends across the whole service life. As a
result, we are familiar with every system What exactly do you understand by
and can draw early attention to pending exemplary safety management?
maintenance measures. We also offer Raymond Burri: Generally, Swiss legis-
our customers regular training courses lation offers a good basis for exemplary
to keep them informed about refrigerati- safety management – from regulations
on technology and operator obligations. and inspection obligations through to
regular leak testing. Operators working
with natural refrigerants have to take ad-
ditional safety management measures.
In Switzerland, it is obligatory for users
COOL-FIT
of larger NH3 systems with a charge of
more than 2,000 kg to keep an operati-
on plan available for the emergency ser- Your Pre-insulated
vices which includes simplified drawings
of the buildings together with piping and piping system for glycol
instrumentation diagrams which show all
safety-relevant manual stop valves and
installations
components.
Rainer Brinkmann: Safety management No condensation, mold free & energy efficient
is an on-going process under the control
High density PUR closed cell insulation
of the business Managing Director or a
safety officer, and all employees must Corrosion free – Maintenance free
be involved. Firstly, the operator has to
Carrier pipe in ABS, low temperature and high impact
produce hazard assessments which are
resistance
then used to stipulate safety measures of
all kinds. These include any necessary
Less installation time and cost
inspections, checks and regular safety in-
Pre-insulated pipes and fittings, delivered ready to install
struction sessions for the employees. The
effectiveness of these measures has to be
UV and weather resistant
checked continuously during on-going
Outer jacket in high density black polyethylene
operation; any necessary corrections
must be implemented and, above all,
Low weight & long lasting
comprehensibly documented.
40% lighter than metal with 25 years life span

Fits your cooling application

D25 – d450 PN10 from -50°C up to +40°C
Suitable for water, brine, glycol solutions and ice-slurry

Georg Fischer Piping Systems

CH - 8201 Schaffhausen
phone: +41 52 631 11 11
[Link]@georgfi[Link]
[Link]
 Regulations & Trends

nomic terms. To this end, we have adju- storage tank that can hold 30,000 litres.
sted the prohibitions according to current From here, the waste heat is then distri-
state-of-the-art engineering to make them buted at selected temperatures to the
demanding but still feasible", says Blaise individual distribution units. Fleischtrock-
Horisberger from the Federal Office for nerei Churwalden is now almost in a po-
the Environment (FOEN). In practice, this sition to manage without the old oil boiler
ban affects industrial refrigeration systems system that used to generate most of the
above 400 kW, commercial refrigeration heat energy. It is now only used to cover
systems from smaller capacity ranges, air- peak demand. As a result, annual oil con-
conditioning systems and thermal pumps sumption has sunk by 70%. The massive
above 600 kW and also artificial ice reduction in CO2 emissions is similarly im-
rinks. "According to our estimates, the pressive. The new system saves a full 320
current regulation should result in natu- tonnes CO2, thus making a considerable
ral refrigerants and HFOs accounting for contribution to climate protection.
Switzerland about two thirds of the installed quantity of
refrigerants in the long term", says Horis-

Top-class when it Tradition of supermarket

berger. "If natural refrigerants continue to
be used with such success, there is a good
chance that users in future will opt mainly refrigeration with natural
The large stratified storage tanks in Churwal-
refrigerants at Migros

comes to natural
den have a capacity of 30,000 litres.
for ammonia, CO2 and co."
An indirect ammonia system with a refrigeration
capacity of approx. 1.2 MW cools the ice rinks
Smart use of synergies: Energy-efficient, low-cost and kind to the and a curling arena.

refrigerants
climate: when it comes to commercial refri-
ammonia for refrigeration geration, operators such as Migros, one of
and heating Switzerland's largest supermarket chains,
320 tonnes CO2 show the way. Migros has been using am-
The new system of Fleischtrocknerei monia systems and various CO2 solutions
Churwalden impresses with the mas- In view of the revised F-Gas Regulation, the refrigeration and air-condi- An altogether positive example for using for both deep-freezing and chilling alrea-
sive reduction in CO2 emissions – it tioning branch is looking to change over to environmentally-friendly and natural refrigerants can be found south dy since 1994. Today CO2 is the standard
saves a full 320 tonnes CO2. of Chur with Fleischtrocknerei Churwal- refrigerant, used in more than 370 systems
viable applications that are also economically profitable. Switzerland is den AG, a meat-drying company loca- at over 277 supermarkets – mostly as a
a major pioneer in this respect. But what exactly has put the Alpine state ted at 1,000 metres above sea level. CO2 booster system with waste heat ex-
Find further information about in this position? Outstanding energy standards and legislation demand- In order to make the most sustainable ploitation. Numerous stores can only be
ing sustainable refrigeration and air-conditioning solutions definitely possible use of resources, the building heated by this waste heat. The reasons for
the Ordinance on Chemicals Risk has been successively brought in line the long tradition of systems with natural
Reduction at: [Link] play an important role. But a significant contribution also comes from with the very latest technical standards. refrigerants are to be found in a holistic
the innovation commitment of planners, combined with great willingness To this end, the company also installed a climate and energy strategy: "Our aim is
on the part of operators to implement new technologies. Demanding new refrigeration system – of course with to achieve a 20% reduction in direct and
Level of 70% legislation and trend-setting projects – in this portrait, eurammon shows ammonia. "Many of our customers want indirect emissions of greenhouse gases by
The Minergie-Standard stipulates 23 a solution with natural refrigerants to en- 2020, compared to 2010", explains Urs
criteria for artificial ice rinks, including
why Switzerland has a tradition of advocating natural refrigerants. for sure they can use their system in the long Berger, Head of Energy and Building Sys-
a minimum waste heat exploitation reducing CO2 emissions. term – this also applies to Fleischtrockne- tems at Migros. "In the end, direct green-
level of 70% rei Churwalden", reports Beat Schmutz, house emissions can only be eliminated
The revised F-Gas Regulation will be ap- a half-life period in air of more than two Managing Director of the eurammon with a natural refrigerant such as carbon
plied from 1 January 2015 onwards. But years. This includes nearly all fluorinated member SSP Kälteplaner AG. Both heat dioxide". Energy efficiency is just as im-
CO2 systems and chilling cabinets with glass
what does it mean in specific terms for ma- refrigerants apart from R-152a and many energy and refrigeration energy is nee- portant for commercial refrigeration. Here doors help Migros save a lot of energy.
nufacturers, system planners and opera- HFOs. A further tightening of the regulati- ded all year round to dry the meat, so there has been a clear increase at Migros.
tors? eurammon has put together the most on means that since the end of 2013, there that SSP Kälteplaner advocated an inte- Before introducing the CO2 technology,
important facts and background data. is also a partial ban on systems that run on gral building concept that uses the waste the target refrigeration index was 4,000
In Switzerland, the Ordinance on Che- refrigerants with high global warming po- heat from the new refrigeration system for kW/m x a, which refers to the electricity
micals Risk Reduction regulates the use tential. "Emissions from refrigerants impac- heating and hot water. The waste heat consumed by the refrigeration system per
of substances said to be stable in air – ting on the environment must be avoided from generating compressed air and re- system length in metres and year.
volatile fluorinated hydrocarbons with as far as possible in technical and eco- frigeration is collected in a large stratified "Meanwhile our current targets have fal-

16 eurammon magazine eurammon magazine 17

 Regulations & Trends

len to between 2,000 and 2,700 kWh/ has faced up to this challenge in a current
m x a, thanks to the efficiency of our sys- project and implemented the very strictest
tems", says Berger. Massive reductions in energy standards. The new refrigerating
operating costs are another financial ar- system for a regional ice sport centre in
gument in favour of these systems. The spe- Switzerland's Central Plateau faces de-
cific CO2 safety requirements are fulfilled mands for maximum energy efficiency
by the refrigeration system manufacturers and low operating costs together with
and by the operators. "Every change in low investment costs. To this end, acoener-
technology also entails a learning phase. gy developed a highly efficient, indirect
NH3 system with a water/glycol blend
as secondary refrigerant for cooling the
First refurbished ice rinks and a curling arena with a refri-
geration capacity of approx. 1.2 MW. It
artificial ice rink in will be starting operations in two phases
Minergie-Standard in 2016 and 2017, resulting probably in
reductions of up to 34% in energy and
about 50% in CO2 emissions. The special
The CO2 systems have proven their worth thing about the refrigeration system is that
in practice and are reliable", emphasises it complies with the Minergie-Standard – a
The new ammonia plant at Urs [Link] artificial ice rinks voluntary quality guideline for energetical-
Fleischtrocknerei Churwalden combines refrige- in need of renovation pose a particular ly optimised buildings that goes over and
ration and the use of waste heat.
challenge. They need huge refrigerating beyond the statutory requirements. SMART TECHNOLOGY
capacity and often impose considerable
space constraints on new refrigerating sys- More than 75 years of knowlegde and know-how make BAC the
tems. The eurammon member acoenergy CXVE evaporative condenser ideal partner when it comes to cooling equipment issues.

9Energy efficient LOW ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT PRODUCTS

9Low maintenance Evaporative cooling can minimize the energy consumption
of the process to be cooled. BAC cooling equipment has that
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acoenergy ist ein Ingenieurbüro, dass sich acoenergy engineering has a long and suc- LOCAL EXPERTISE
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kälteanlagen sowie Gebäudeautomations- and building automation systems for new Rechenzentren
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anlagen für Neubauten, Umbauten, Mod- and converted, renovated or downsized
ernisierungen und Rückbauten beschäftigt. structures with natural refrigerants.

Aktuelles: Seit 1. Dezember 2013 Verbot in Latest news: Since December 1, 2013 ban Unique combined
der Luft stabilen Kältemitteln (ChemRRV) of synthetic refrigerants in Switzerland Lebensmittelindustrie/Getränkeindustrie
Food industry
Prozesskälteanlagen
Process refrigerant plants
coil on fill technology For more information
Beverage industry
for optimal condenser efficiency
Baltimore Aircoil International nv
Industriepark Zone A
2220 Heist-op-den-Berg, Belgium
Eissportanlagen Wärmepumpen
info@[Link]
Winter sports installations Heat pumps
Deisrütistrasse 8 CH-8472 Seuzach (Switzerland)
Fon:+41 (0) 52 536 48 58 Email: kontakt@[Link] Website: [Link] [Link]
 Applications & Experts

Natural refrigerants in the food industry liberately opted for reciprocating com-
pressors, which stand out compared to
wide range of deep-freeze services, in-
cluding storage, freezing and controlled

Fresh for the future

screw compressors on account of their defrosting. In response to the constant in-
far lower operating costs under the gi- crease in demand, CDS Hackner GmbH
ven operating conditions. They cool the decided to expand its refrigeration and
water/glycol blend in the refrigeration storage capacities, investing about 13
The natural refrigerant ammonia has proven its worth in industrial consumer circuit down to approx. -8°C million Euros in the 6,000 m² production
refrigeration for nearly 130 years. After a boom in the use of the now for direct refrigeration of the warehouses. complex, deep-freeze storage facilities,
prohibited CFC refrigerants during the 1960s and 1970s, ammonia The refrigeration plant is combined with a fully automated production line and a
a heat pump in a particularly energy-ef- state-of-the-art refrigeration system. The
is today being put to increased use in industrial refrigeration. The ficient concept so that the company can storage capacity was increased from
main reasons concern the efficiency and low environmental impact make full use of the waste heat genera- 15,100 to 26,000 pallet spaces. In or-
of ammonia. It is one of the most efficient refrigerants of all, offer- ted in the system. The combined heat/ der to refrigerate two new deep-freeze
ing convincing performance in terms of economic efficiency and refrigeration plant covers [Link] warehouses, each with about 20,000 m³
AG's additional refrigeration demand in at a ceiling height of 12 m, eurammon
More and more companies ad- environmental friendliness – it has no direct ozone depletion potential a sustainable, cost-optimised way with si- member Johnson Controls installed a
vocate NH3-based refrigeration (ODP – 0) and does not contribute to the greenhouse effect (GDP – 0). gnificant reductions in heating costs. The new energy-efficient refrigeration sys-
concepts in new systems or The continuing increase in energy costs and a greater awareness of environment benefits as well: the integral tem with an ammonia filling of approx.
when expanding existing ca- concept reduces the burden on the at- 2,000 kg. Two speed-regulated Sabroe
left: The new integral system cools and clima-
pacities, for both economic and environmental issues will bring about a further increase in the trend for tizes the logistics building and the greenhouse
mosphere by around 1,000 tonnes CO2 screw compressors cover the necessary at [Link] and contributes to annual
ecological reasons. natural refrigerants. each year. It was this environmentally refrigeration capacity of 760 kW. An savings of around 1,000 tonnes of CO2.
sound business approach, among other economiser is integrated in the screw right: Two speed-controlled ammonia screw
Three eurammon members explain An extension to the company's logistics reasons, that prompted the Swiss Climate compressor to maximise overall system compressor units cool new cold storages at
how and where they put natural refri- complex resulted in great additional Foundation to support the project. efficiency. Frequency converters optimise CDS Hackner
gerants to successful, cost-efficient and demand for refrigeration. At the same the output of the drive motors for highly
futureoriented use in the food industry. time, for most of the year the company efficient operation in the partial load ran-
needs heat for its greenhouses. To offer CDS Hackner GmbH: ge. In total, two deep-freeze warehouses
the most cost-efficient, environmentally Huge warehouse buildings are supplied by the new refrigeration
[Link] AG: friendly solution to satisfy the demand for
and extreme temperatures
system. Three shock-froster rooms were
both heat and refrigeration, eurammon connected to the existing CO2 refrigera-
Combining refrigeration members SSP Kälteplaner and Johnson tion plant. An industrial NH3 brine liquid
and waste heat exploitation Controls Refrigeration planned and in- chiller supplies refrigeration energy for
stalled a central refrigeration supply sys- The family-run company CDS Hackner the natural casing warehouse and vari-
tem for the warehouses with a heat pump GmbH in Crailsheim near Nuremberg ous processing rooms. The system is ba-
[Link] AG produces and sells to heat the greenhouses. The two-circuit produces and refines natural casings for sed on two frequency-controlled piston
fresh vegetables and vegetable conve- refrigeration system with two 550 kW sausage skins and is one of Europe‘s mar- compressors with ammonia separator
nience products, including quickly peris- low-pressure refrigeration compressors ket leaders in the processing of animal and plate evaporator. The cooling sys-
hable goods such as chopped and pa- cover the required refrigerating capacity by-products from beef, pork, and lamb. tem with its entirely new concept gives
cked salads for the convenience sector. of around 1,000 kW. The engineers de- The company also offers its customers a CDS Hackner GmbH the ideal technical,

20 eurammon magazine eurammon magazine 21

 Applications & Experts

Heat pumps with

natural refrigerants
3 questions to Thomas Spänich, member of the eurammon Executive Board

Mr Spänich, heat pumps are an energy- ments will be a decisive factor, of which
efficient option of generating required methods will in future be able to pene-
heating energy. Where in the industrial trate the market. This is the particular ad-
area is the application of these pumps vantage of using natural refrigerants for
particularly well suited? heat pumps. They allow the recovery of
Thomas Spänich: Heat pumps can be the required heat energy very efficiently
applied exceptionally well, especially in and at the same time in an environmental-
areas where applications are coupled to ly friendly way.
heat recovery from industrial processes.
For a long time, industry did not realise What is the current development of the
what potential was hidden in the recove- heat pump market with natural refrige-
Precision work – thanks to the compact system, the refrigeration plant fits through the door of the old machine shop. ry of thermal energy. The increasing re- rants like? What challenges are applica-
levance of renewable energy resulted in tions with natural refrigerants faced with?
significant progress being made in terms Thomas Spänich: On the heat pump mar-
of the reuse of existing heat energy. Since ket, the trend is clearly towards using na-
hygienic and economic conditions to ex- unit from GEA Grasso, which works with tional refrigeration capacity, as the new then, industry has increasingly focused tural refrigerants. They are environmen-
pand its production capacities and conti- the natural refrigerant ammonia. Ho- system efficiently keeps biscuits and cho- on using this progress for heat pumps. For tally friendly and provide more cost- and
nue its successful international expansion. wever, the building which housed the old colate at the required temperature even this purpose, industry primarily uses wa- energy-efficient heating than heat pumps
machine scarcely offered sufficient space during the heat of summer. ste heat from cooling processes, but also with synthetic refrigerants. It is a challen-
for a new refrigeration system. This was exploits heat being generated in compu- ge to the market to establish heat pumps
Verkade: New biscuits, new another key factor in favour of the highly ter centres or sewage treatment plants. with natural refrigerants for private use:
refrigeration
compact system, which could be installed Clear trend: many reasons Compared to other energy sources, this it is the objective to also be able to use
without any problems thanks to its small renewable heat energy is climate-friend- those refrigerants for smaller heat pumps,
floor area of just 5 x 1 m and height of and incentives for natural ly, unlimited, and helps to significantly which were up to now only used in lar- Thomas Spänich
The ideal temperature in the production 2.1 m. The refrigeration machine itself refrigerants reduce the requirement for conventional ge industrial plants. Carbon dioxide and
and storage facilities of the Dutch biscuit offers convincing performance with a energy. Thanks to their lower power con- ammonia as refrigerants for small power
and chocolate manufacturer Verkade particularly high energy efficiency ratio sumption, heat pumps have developed in units like heat pumps for (semi-)detached
(United Biscuits) in Zaandam is about (EER) of 5.0 under full load, with the EER The use of natural refrigerants in the food industry to become a very efficient opti- and terraced houses is already possible
18°C. The temperature must never ex- even increasing to about 10 under 25% industry increasingly makes both eco- on of generating heat energy, which has technically. Several manufacturers alrea-
ceed a maximum of 22°C as otherwise partial load. This results among others re- nomic and ecological sense. More and also led to an increase in their demand. dy offer heat pumps with carbon dioxide.
product quality would suffer. Increased asons from the frequency converter inte- more companies advocate NH3-based The research project of Behzad Abolhas-
production and the introduction of a grated in the system for demand-related refrigeration concepts in new systems or What are the advantages of heat pumps sani Monfared is an excellent example of
new type of biscuit brought the existing control of the screw compressor speed when expanding existing capacities, for that operate with natural refrigerants? an ammonia heat pump for small power
refrigeration system permanently to its (European seasonal energy efficiency ra- both economic and ecological reasons. Thomas Spänich: Using natural refrige- requirements. With his heat pump, the
capacity limits, so that additional refrige- tio ESEER 8.0). The solution brought mul- The slightly higher initial investment is off- rants with heat pumps has got one big runner-up of the eurammon Natural Refri-
ration capacity had to be hired at great tiple benefits for Verkade. With the new set by distinctly lower operating costs, so advantage: they are exceptionally envi- geration Award 2011 shows that the high
expense in order to maintain the required system, the company was able to close that systems operating with natural refri- ronmentally friendly. Contrary to synthe- safety precautions in handling ammonia
temperatures. Naturally, this problem be- down an existing system that ran on the gerants have the potential for being more tic refrigerants, they do not contain harm- will in future no longer be a stumbling
came particularly acute during the sum- refrigerant R22, thus credibly underlining cost efficient in the long run. The incre- ful fluorine and therefore they have either block for using ammonia. We are looking
mer months. In its search for a suitable its sustainable environmental policy. The ased awareness of environmental issues none or only an extremely low Global forward to models, suitable for series pro-
new refrigeration machine with a rated investment also made economic sense. in the general public, in industry and in Warming Potential (GWP). The degree duction, which will allow the use of heat
capacity of about 1,000 kW, the compa- Among other benefits, the company now the political sector is another important to which the different procedures of heat pumps with natural refrigerants in future
ny decided in favour of a liquid chilling saves the great expense of hiring addi- incentive for using natural refrigerants. recovery comply with ecological require- in the private sector.

22 eurammon magazine eurammon magazine 23

 Applications & Experts Applications & Experts

The fjords of Norway hold a huge ener- In 2013, ‘Drammen district heating’ sup-
gy potential; the town of Drammen recog- plied a total of 90 GWh – and the heat A 200-metre hole
nised this in 2008 when it tendered an pumps generated nearly three-quarters
with a diameter of 500 mm had to
ambitious project. Drammen, which has of this (67 GWh), in a sustainable and
be drilled into the gneiss in Freiberg
a population of 65,000, was looking cost-efficient manner. An impressive pi-
to harness the thermal energy of the
for a sustainable district heating system oneering example, which could be fol-
mine water.
that used heat pumps to utilise the heat in lowed in the future by many towns and
the fjord water to supply almost an entire cities with a similar waterfront location,
district of the town with inexpensive and such as Stockholm or locations on the
environmentally friendly heat. The con- Danube. The flow rate of the Danube
tract was awarded to eurammon member would allow around 2 GW of heat to be
Star Refrigeration, which implemented extracted.
the project. Star are so convinced of the
opportunity of big ammonia heat pumps
they have since formed a subsidiary Star Germany – silver mine as
Renewable Energy. One decisive criteri-
on for the award was the environmental an energy treasure trove
performance of the proposed solution
with ammonia‘. Drammen is the world’s
largest heat pump to use a natural refri- The district hospital in Freiberg near
gerant at 90°C. Managing to boost the Dresden is idyllically situated in the Ore
heat from a river to a useful temperature Mountains above an old silver mine – and District hospital Freiberg uses a heat pump and a
level in such an efficient way is a remar- has benefited from this location in a very combined heat and power plate (CHP)
kable achievement’, said Dave Pearson, special way since the spring of 2014.
Director of Star Renewable Energy. This At a depth of 200 metres, in the tunnels
is only practically possible with ammo- below the hospital, mine water flows at a
nia.’ year-round constant temperature of about Fjord water at 90°C
14°C. With the aim of using this source
a Norwegian district heating project
of heat, Johnson Controls designed a two-
with an ammonia-based heat pump
A prime example with stage ammonia heat pump that heats the
covers 70% of a whole district’s heat
hospital. ‘For us it was important to con-
replication potential sider all local features, such as access to
demand.
mine water, when choosing the heat pump
system,’ explains [Link]. Jürgen Brückner

Large heat pumps

The average water temperature of the from Johnson Controls. The decision was
fjord in winter is 8°C; this drops to 6°C made to use both a heat pump and a
in summer due to melting glacier water. combined heat and power plant (CHP),
Because of its constant temperature, which produces a total heating output of
the water is extracted at a distance of 1.16 MW at peak times.

huge potential
around one kilometre from the shore at The mine water at a temperature of 14°C
a depth of 35 m, and then filtered and at a depth 200 meters flows from the tun-
transported to the heat pump system. The nel at a volume flow rate of 300 litres per
thermal energy of the water is transferred second into the River Triebisch. First, some
to a closed circuit here, and successively of the water is pumped into a specially
heated to 90°C by three two-stage heat constructed machine room on the third
The natural refrigerant ammonia impresses in new applications. The use of heat pumps with the natural pumps connected in series and designed shaft bottom. The heat energy of around
refrigerant ammonia is well established in industrial applications – especially for high outputs. Now, ammonia- for 65 bar. Each heat pump only needs 600 kW stored in the water is transfer-
based heat pump systems are beginning to assert themselves in new applications, such as in municipalities, pu- a fill of 1,000 kg NH3. Thanks to the intel- red to the NH3 circuit by a plate heat ex-
blic institutions or the enterprise. They use this environmentally friendly and energy-efficient technology to meet ligent system design, the ammonia heat changer. A challenge: to route the pipes
pumps achieve a COP of 3.05. The ne- out of the tunnel to the heating centre on
internal demands for heat or even to sustainably heat entire districts. The reasons are of both an economic and arly boiling water then passes through a the surface, a 200-metre hole with a dia-
ecological nature: in addition to a global warming and ozone depletion potential of zero, NH3 has excellent 22 km pipeline system to Drammen and meter of 50 centimetres had to be drilled
thermodynamic properties. The results: ammonia is a very efficient refrigerant capable of achieving extremely supplies the connected buildings with hot through the rock. At the heating centre, the
high efficiency in heat pumps. Three eurammon member companies show what is possible with large heat water and heating via a heat exchanger. temperature of the water is raised by a
pumps today, based on current projects. And at an unbeatable price: one mega- heat pump cycle. From the supplied com-
watt hour costs just 11 euros. With its ca- pressor capacity of 215 kW results a heat
pacity of 43 MW, the plant covers about output of 815 kW. A gas-fired combined
70% of the district’s total energy needs. heat and power plant generates the elec-

24 eurammon magazine eurammon magazine 25

 Applications & Experts

trical energy for operating the heat pump, The commitment with which Jesper Olsen,
which achieves a heat output of 815 kW. market manager of Industrial Refrigerati-
Every year The CHP also focuses on energy efficien- on, pushed the project forward internally
Alfa Laval saves the environment cy: in order to increase the overall efficien- is noteworthy. For Olsen, the original heat

ATC-DC
cy, waste heat from the CHP is fed into the pump design had enormous scope for im-
140 tons of CO2 overall system – this boosts the final tem- provement. ‘I was certain that a heat pump
perature of the heating circuit up to 76°C. system with twice the efficiency level was
by using the process heat from
The entire system thus generates a heat possible, using a natural and future-proof

Minimiert
production for an environmentally
output of about 2 standard cubic metres refrigerant,’ said Olsen, explaining his de-
friendly heat pump system that uses
of gas from an energy equivalent of one dication. The heart of the newly designed
NH3 as a refrigerant.
standard cubic metre of gas, which trans- system is a flooded evaporator, which
brauch
lates to a COP value of the heat pump of
up to 4.05. Thus, the heat generation costs
Olsen combined with a U-turn separator.
It absorbs the thermal energy of the oil Hybrid-Verflüssiger Wasserver
ebedarf
und Energi
are now only 57 Euro/MWh. Thanks to cooling system, which is heated to around
this heat energy, which is produced in a
sustainable and cost-effective manner, the
28°C in the factory’s plate production
pressing operations. After compression,
für Kälteanlagen
hospital can cover some 80% of its heat the high-pressure system conducts the heat
e r g y s a v in g
requirement internally, thus saving heating
costs of about 350,000 euros per year
in the condenser to a closed heating-wa-
ter circuit, thus boosting the water tempe-
Saugbelüftet mit Axialventilatoren
w a te r & e n
and safeguarding its own long-term com- rature to 65°C. The system uses a high-
petitiveness. pressure circuit and thus only needs 40 kg
of ammonia. All told, the heat pump has a WET / DRY Condensers
capacity of 827 kW. Really practical: Alfa
Sweden: practising Laval is using the successful project as an Induced Draft with Axial Fans
‘in-house’ reference and showroom for cu-
what you preach stomers and employees.

Alfa Laval is one of the world’s biggest ma- Three projects.

nufacturers of heat exchangers. At its site One refrigerant.
in the Gunnesbo area of the southern Swe-
dish city of Lund, the eurammon member Many opportunities.
is now also an internal role model: since
2013, process heat generated in compo-
nent production is used for an innovative Despite all their differences, the three pro-
Engine room at Alfa Laval´s site Gunnesbo ammonia-based heat pump system. Alfa jects demonstrate a variety of common Trockenbetrieb
Laval thus covers almost the entire heating features – all of the solutions rely on the DRY mode
requirements of the factory and corporate natural refrigerant ammonia in designing
headquarters for heating and hot water an environmentally friendly, energy- and
using only the existing heat. This is not just cost-efficient heat pump solution. In ad-
highly sustainable, as it avoids exposing dition, the three projects are not only ex-
the environment to some 140 tonnes of cellent case studies – they have a model
CO2 per year, but the investment also ma- character and show new opportunities
kes great business sense: prior to this, the in a growing market segment, namely
company purchased about 3,700 MW ammonia-based heat pumps in the very-
h of district heating – an enormous cost high-performance range – even outside
factor that it will be able to reduce by an of industrial applications.
estimated 80 per cent with the new heat
pump. This means that the investment will
pay for itself in just three years.

Verdunstungsbetrieb
WET mode

26 eurammon magazine [Link]

 Applications & Experts

It’s time to re-evaluate our approach!

Energy-efficient
natural refrigerants
Dr Dieter Mosemann is a highly regarded expert in refrigeration and air conditioning technologies and
advises various international committees. Before he retired, he was in charge of the screw compressor deve-
lopment in Berlin, which became part of GEA in 1994. In an interview with eurammon, Dieter Mosemann
answers the big questions surrounding energy efficiency and natural refrigerants. He explains why systems
that achieve maximum efficiency when running at full capacity are often planned with no real basis in reality
and comments on the revised F-gas Regulation.

Everyone is talking about energy effici- as a point of reference – it’s the highest nal temperature of 35°C. If you apply mely high evaporation enthalpy and very are cooled using NH3. For smaller coo-
ency these days – even the specialist me- theoretically possible level of efficiency for the temperature profile of Strasbourg, low vapour density, with free cooling it ling units, I believe hydrocarbons will be
dia. What exactly does energy efficiency the conversion of energy without any loss. which is often used as the standard, the circulates as vapour from the evaporator used more and more, although they too
mean in relation to refrigeration and air The closer the refrigeration or air conditio- city’s temperatures in 2009 were below to the condenser and as a liquid from the place particular demands on the system’s
conditioning systems? ning system gets to this zero-loss process, 10°C for half the year and for 36 per condenser to the evaporator when the safety.
Dr Dieter Mosemann: Energy efficiency the more efficient it is. The VDMA speci- cent of the year it was even below 5°C external temperature is lower than the ef-
means that I’m able to meet a predefined fication 24247 describes the calculation – it was only above 35°C for 0.6 per fective temperature – that is, the cooling How will the revised F-gas Regulation
goal using a minimum amount of energy. method for refrigeration systems and the cent of the year. To help solve this pro- water temperature. Compressors are not affect the use of natural refrigerants?
In terms of a refrigeration or air conditio- VDMA specification 24248 details the blem, the Forschungsrat Kältetechnik e.V. required for this process. Differences in Dr Dieter Mosemann: Although the new
ning system, it means I’m able to achieve method for heat pumps. These key figures (Research Council for Refrigeration Tech- energy efficiency with free cooling are F-gas Regulation stipulates a phase-
my planned cooling targets using as litt- are used to, among other things, assess nology) developed an energy efficiency therefore mainly due to the fact that the down of partially fluorinated hydrocar-
le energy as possible. To do this, all the how efficiently the temperature increases tool that makes it possible to generate energy requirements of the engines dri- bons to 21 per cent by 2035, synthetic
processes and components need to com- from the evaporation temperature to the seasonal evaluations of refrigeration sys- ving the pumps and fans can be reduced. refrigerants won’t automatically disap-
plement each other perfectly, such as the condensation temperature, to establish tems. The first minimum requirements for pear from the market. In fact, new HFO
refrigerant, compressors, heat exchanger what the temperature difference is bet- the seasonal efficiency of liquid cooling Systems with natural refrigerants often re- refrigerants are being developed – even
and auxiliary drives such as pumps and ween the effective temperature and the systems for air conditioning and industrial quire a higher initial investment, but they though their thermal decomposition pro-

“
fans. But external factors also need to evaporation temperature and between the process cooling are expected to be an- also provide greater energy efficiency. Is ducts can be problematic, as research
The temperature profile be taken into consideration, like the am- condensation temperature and the heat nounced by the EU in 2016. it worth it? into mobile air conditioning units has
bient temperature. Energy efficiency is a sink (cooling water), as well as to assess Dr Dieter Mosemann: Yes – this has been shown. The long-term effects of these
of Strasbourg shows that crucial factor, because it influences the the effect of auxiliary systems. Do natural refrigerants offer any advan- demonstrated by the success of the sys- new substances are also not sufficiently
more than 99% of the year system’s operating costs. So it’s part of tages in relation to systems with seasonal- tems already in operation. Ammonia do- understood. This, in turn, raises the que-
the cost–benefit analysis. And there’s In practice, the yearly average efficiency ly fluctuating energy efficiency? minates the larger industrial refrigeration stion of why the industry doesn’t finally
was not considered while also an ecological dimension, as the less of some systems does not reach the plan- Dr Dieter Mosemann: Generally spea- systems, despite the higher initial invest- switch to natural refrigerants with no ifs

”
designing the system. energy you use, the lower your environ- ned level of efficiency. Why is that? king, the thermodynamic properties of ment involved – and it’s also becoming or buts. After all, the natural substances
mental impact. Dr Dieter Mosemann: Many systems are both ammonia and hydrocarbons make more important in the air conditioning are environmentally friendly and alrea-
planned in such a way that they reach them very energy-efficient refrigerants sector. There are already ammonia liquid dy energy-efficient in most applications.
Dr Dieter Mosemann How do you determine whether a refrige- maximum efficiency when they’re run- that can be used in many areas of indus- cooling systems with over 200 kW being The HFOs, however, represent a conti-
ration or air conditioning system is energy ning at full capacity; this is often part trial cooling and air conditioning. NH3 used to cool public spaces. In Berlin, the- nuation of the halogenated chorine and
efficient? of the contract. However, it doesn’t cor- has also proven to be excellent for water se systems are used in some shopping fluorine chemicals saga – and we alrea-
Dr Dieter Mosemann: In practice, there respond with reality and requires a new chiller units that operate all year round centres, bank buildings and arenas. But dy know how that ends.
are clearly defined key figures that can approach. A good example of this is an with free cooling, if they feature air- there are also famous international buil-
be used to assess a system’s energy effi- industrial refrigeration plant designed to cooled condensers or evaporative con- dings, such as the theatre in Copenhagen
ciency. The Carnot cycle efficiency is used run at maximum capacity with an exter- densers. As a result of ammonia’s extre- and the Skylink terminal in Vienna, that

28 eurammon magazine eurammon magazine 29

 Applications & Experts Applications & Experts

Even though many end users still rely on

synthetic refrigerants, there are already
signs today that these preferences will be
redefined in future.

Frigopol cools biogas

plant in Germany
with ammonia

Frigopol Kälteanlagen GmbH, based in

the Austrian town of Frauental is an ex-
pert for small production runs and has
been making special refrigeration and air-
conditioning solutions for over 60 years.
For this purpose, the traditional company
relies on natural refrigerants – for the sake
of the environment. This was also clear to
the operators of a biogas plant right from
the start: the intention was to design their
refrigeration to be environmentally friend-
ly, in accordance with sustainability prin-
ciples. Frigopol installed two dual-circuit
refrigeration systems with ammonia and
a capacity of 2*20 and 2*100 kilowatts
respectively. The system is used to cool the
biogas plant’s gas motors and keep the
process water at a temperature between
plus two degrees Celsius and plus six de-
grees Celsius at all times.
Frigopol’s many years of experience and The two-circuit NH3 chillers cool
its expertise in the construction of small pro- friendly and efficient refrigeration plant a biogas plant in Germany.

Natural refrigerants duction runs using NH3 made it perfectly for the newly developed Thames Valley

Great potential in
feasible to implement the project with low distribution centre, Thatcham. The aim
capacities. With a total of eight separating was to cool two small refrigeration rooms
The new refrigeration
hood compressors from Frigopol as well used for drinks and perishable foods. The
system helped the department
as suitable plate heat exchangers from department store contracted Star Refri-
store to achieve a high

small capacity ranges

AlfaLaval, dry coolers from Güntner, con- geration to plan this system. As a special
BREEAM assessment
densers from Thermofin, valves from Dan- solution for the small refrigeration rooms,
foss and oil separators, Frigopol was able the refrigeration specialist developed a
to successfully implement the refrigeration customised carbon dioxide refrigerati-
system. ‘We believe that the demand for on plant. The single-stage trans-critical
applications in the low-capacity range will plant has a capacity of 20 kilowatts and
Natural refrigerants now have a firm place in the market as an environmentally friendly solution for industrial continue to grow. After all, such an eco- is equipped with an Envichill DX system.
efficient solution is ideal for many areas in With the aid of the carbon dioxide gas
refrigeration. In view of legal directives and increasing ecological awareness on the part of operators and cu- the food and non-food sector. That applies cooler plus several compressors and an
stomers, the market is becoming more dynamic – new components are being developed and new applications both to industrial and commercial use,’ efficient evaporator control system using
installed. This does not only apply to refrigeration plants with a large capacity, but more and more to smaller says Johann Herunter, managing director electronic expansion valves, the plant
capacity ranges too, such as those found in deep-freeze rooms. of Frigopol. If a position outdoors could keeps both refrigeration rooms at a con-
be ensured, using an indirect refrigeration stant plus four degrees Celsius even in the
system with ammonia would also be prac- middle of summer. ‘The customer was loo-
ticable in sectors like the hotel and gastro- king for a future-proof solution with natural
nomy trade. refrigerants. With the energy-efficient car-
An internationally renowned de- bon dioxide refrigeration system, we have
partment store from London, was enabled the customer to reduce its carbon
also looking for an environmentally footprint and prevent any negative effects

30 eurammon magazine eurammon magazine 31

 Applications & Experts Applications & Experts

“ We are convinced that

many applications with
natural refrigerants will be
in terms of global warming and ozone de-
pletion,’ says Andy Butler, retail manager
at Star Refrigeration. ‘The result is quite
astounding: our system helped the famous
with carbon dioxide in the subcritical ran-
ge for deep-freezing and with ammonia
for normal refrigeration are very efficient,’
Johann Herunter explains. Karl Huber,
dings. Monfared, who took second place
in the eurammon Natural Refrigeration
Awards 2011, is developing an ammonia
heat pump with seven kilowatt hours for a
a single-family house. We are convinced
that many new applications with natural
refrigerants will be prospectively put into
place for private use too.’
prospectively put into place department store to achieve a high BREE-
AM assessment, an ecological evaluation
managing director of HKT Huber-Kälte-
Technik, also sees the benefits of CO2 in
single-family house as part of his research
project. ‘The demand for refrigeration

”
for private use, too. for sustainable buildings, with its new dis- the low temperature level of cascades and using natural refrigerants is noticeably in-
Set for the future with green
tribution centre.’ subcritical applications: CO2 will establish creasing. After all, these systems are not
Karl Huber
itself especially for supermarket refrigera- only impressive in ecological, but also in refrigeration plants
tion. Installing an additional refrigeration economic terms. Higher acquisition costs
unit or a pressure compensation container than those for applications using synthetic
High energy-efficiency in allows excess pressure build-up to be pre- refrigerants will be quickly recouped by To achieve this, however, the task remains
small capacity ranges vented on these systems, even in the event considerably lower operating costs resul- to break down existing reservations to-
of a stoppage or fault.’ ting from optimal technical design and di- wards natural refrigerants. ‘More clarifi-
Natural refrigerants such as ammonia and mensions,’ explains Johann Herunter. Karl cation work is needed, especially when it
The two practical examples make it quite carbon dioxide are becoming increasin- Huber also sees further market opportuni- comes to the end customers. Around 70
clear: systems with small capacities can gly important especially in small applica- ties in future: ‘With the development of in- per cent of companies still do not know
be successfully implemented using natu- tion areas. For suppliers of innovative ref- novative components, natural refrigerants that there is an environmentally friendly al-
ral coolants such as ammonia or carbon rigeration systems, above all this means a can also be used where they are not yet ternative for their refrigeration plant, with
dioxide. Not only is this good for the rapid growth in market potential. Current so common. For the pilot project conduc- which they can save hard cash in the long Naturally a better way to cool: A famous
UK department store opts for the complete
environment, but it also allows energy- research, such as that carried out by Behz- ted by the student Behzad Abolhassani run,’ says Johann Herunter, pointing out CO2 system from Star Refrigeration.
efficient refrigeration solutions. ‘Above ad Abholhassani Monfared, is also being Monfared, we supplied a component that future potential for natural refrigerants in
all, applications like cascade systems focused on their use in residential buil- was fitted into the ammonia heat pump for the end-customer business.

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 Applications & Experts

other components, water supply connec- comprises both the refrigeration system
tions, safety system and the controller. with 130 kW cooling capacity for coo-
In addition to basic components such as ling and a heat pump with 40 kW hea-
condensers and evaporators, the plant ting capacity. The refrigeration units and
engineers opted for the special R290 cold storage rooms are cooled indirectly
version of a semi-hermetic reciprocating with propylene glycol as secondary refri-
compressor from HKT Huber-Kälte-Tech- gerant. The need for low temperature is
nik. Moreover, pressure controllers (for supplemented by an additional cooling
low and high pressure, respectively) and unit as a CO2 cascade system.
a safety high pressure limiter were used An additional evaporator circuit in the la-
in the system. A vacuum heat exchanger mellar blocks of the air-cooled condenser
increases the efficiency of the system, brings the heat from the ambient air to the
since an increased enthalpy difference floor heating. The low energy consumpti-
for the same amount of refrigerant can on of the system and the positive effect
absorb more heat energy. The cost sa- in terms of environmental protection are
vings resulting from this in turn pay back quite impressive. The characteristics of
the purchase price of the heat exchanger propane reduce the CO2 equivalent of
within a year. Besides the ecological ad- the refrigerant from 9.07 t to nearly 0.

Propane is
vantages of the system, the overall cost "The prototype of the integral system has The installation on the roof of the municipality
benefits are impressive. "Regardless of all even surpassed the expectations of our administrative building meets the safety requi-
political debates, the stated arguments customers. There are now more than 200 rements for propane plants.
explicitly speak for this comprehensively systems in operation, which demonstrates

gaining ground
sustainable technology. It is particularly that propane is absolutely qualified for
noteworthy that the low operating costs mass production today," says Willy Löff-
compensate for initial extra costs in less ler.
than three years," says Karl Huber, the
Managing Director of HKT Huber-Kälte-

More than ever, the new legal framework conditions for the use of
Technik GmbH. Cascade system cools hops
fluorinated greenhouse gases bring into focus natural refrigerants, such in the Hallertau region
as the hydrocarbon propane. Despite specific safety standards, propane Propane systems in a series:
applications are easy to implement and are increasingly popular with
planners and engineers who consciously seek new refrigeration systems
German supermarket chain As one of the world's largest hop traders
opts for integral cooling with its own production, Hopsteiner ba-
and a sustainable solution in terms of environmental protection and sed in Mainburg (Hallertau) relies on na-
energy efficiency. Opting for technical innovation pays off immediately: and heating systems tural cooling. Their old R404a refrigerati-
propane does not contribute to the greenhouse effect and has a very on system was to be replaced by a larger
low global warming potential. Another advantage is the short payback cold brine system with 130 kW. To pro-
The innovative, compact unit supplied to cess the sticky hop cones mechanically,
period due to low energy consumption and operating costs. a renowned German supermarket chain it needs temperatures as low as -35°C.
was to meet the latest environmental Based on this, Robert Baust of Robert
The following case studies from eurammon of 2.5 kg, a concept was created to deal standards and at the same time be cost Schiessl GmbH presented a cascade sys- Special rubber pads reduce disturbing noises and
members show the areas where propane with safety measures. This included the efficient. The goal was to develop a pre- tem with CO2 and propane, which con- allow system installations even in residential areas.
is particularly suitable. The Stadtwerke outdoor installation of the system on the fabricated unit which provides for the vinced in no time. The decisive factor was
Lübbecke (public utilities) turned to Wil- roof of the Lübbecke municipal administra- generation of the required cooling for re- the future-proof, environmentally friendly
helm Schriefer GmbH with the desire for tive building. frigeration units and cold storage rooms overall package solution with low opera-
a new refrigeration plant which provides and the air conditioning of the sales area ting costs. Moreover, the investment costs
both air-conditioning to the building and and the heat supply of a floor heating in- balanced out in a short time thanks to
reliable cooling to the server room. The cluding the electrical equipment for the the statutory subsidies. Since 2009, the
plant engineers were to find an environ-
In the service of people entire supermarket. German Federal Ministry for the Environ-
mentally friendly solution with a cooling and nature: City of Futron GmbH provided the concept and ment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear
unit whose refrigerant ideally does not Lübbecke uses environmen- developed the new unit together with Safety (BMU) has been funding the re-
increase ozone depletion or global war- thermofin GmbH. "Convincing arguments novation of old refrigeration plants and
ming. After a thorough examination the tally friendly cooling for the use of propane as refrigerant were the construction of new systems by up to
choice fell on a brine chiller unit with the the high energy efficiency ratio, the low 25 percent of the costs, provided all the
natural refrigerant propane. The chemical pressure level and pressurised gas end prescribed guidelines, such as the use of
properties of the hydrocarbon were con- A high level of pre-assembly facilitated temperature as well as the relatively low natural refrigerants, the compliance with
sidered in the project planning. Based on the setup of the compact housing, which price," explains Willy Löffler, a senior a specific TEWI value or a fixed annual
the estimated refrigerant charging amount covers, in addition to the water chiller, all official at thermofin®. The compact unit power consumption are observed.

34 eurammon magazine eurammon magazine 35

 Applications & Experts

From Low Temperature

ZĞĨƌŝŐĞƌĂƟŽŶƚŽ,ŝŐŚdĞŵƉĞƌĂƚƵƌĞ
/ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů,ĞĂƚWƵŵƉ

To prevent any leaking propane from reaching

other components, the propane system of the
cascade is positioned below the CO2 system. To avoid dangerous situations in the event are as high as 2.3 at a brine temperature
of propane leakage, it was also neces- of -38°C. "Hopsteiner is so satisfied with
sary to take special safety precautions the concept that the company has alrea-
while designing the complex propane/ dy ordered a second cold brine system
CO2 cascade system, in addition to ac- with 100 kW, of course with propane,"
commodating the specific characteristics says Robert Baust of Schiessl.
of the refrigerant. Six Bitzer semi-hermetic
reciprocating compressors were installed
in total, which are designed for propane Other application
and subcritical CO2 applications. Mo-
reover, the planner decided to use new areas for propane
microchannel technology from Güntner:
a desuperheater for R744, a condenser Vilter Single Screw
and a subcooler for R290. These com- These practical examples demonstrate
ponents are made of aluminium and be- that propane systems are environmen-
Ammonia Compressor
long to a new series which is specially tally friendly and energy efficient. It is Vilter 450 XL Compressor The technology that can evaporate
approved for inflammable refrigerants already feasible to make individual cu- at -40°C and condensate up to +90.6°C
like propane. The key argument was, stomised systems as well as standard
Lowest life-cycle cost and maintenance
however, the extremely low refrigerant series production models. Today, pro- with highest reliability
charge thanks to this technology. Despite pane is already established in medium
the subcoolers, a charge of only 44 kg is and small capacities up to 100 kW (as
needed for the R290 section of the refri- in heat pumps or air conditioners in the
geration plant. Due to all these special food retail sector) as well as in logistic
components, the system is very efficient cooling with refrigerating capacities of
and keeps the operating costs low. Ad- up to 300 kW. The high efficiency of pro-
ditional energy benefits are created by pane applications is a decisive argument
speed-controlled compressors with fre- to persuade engineers and operators to
quency converters and electronic injec- go for the environmentally friendly alter-
tion valves. The operator was delighted native. Emerson Climate Technologies - European Headquarters - Pascalstrasse 65 - 52076 Aachen, Germany
to report remarkable COP values, which Tel. +49 (0) 2408 929 0 - Fax +49 (0) 2408 929 570 - Internet: [Link]
The Emerson Climate Technologies logo is a trademark and service mark of Emerson Electric Co. Emerson Climate Technologies Inc. is a subsidiary of Emerson Electric Co.

36 eurammon magazine E M E R S O N. C O N S I D E R I T S O L V E D™.

 *KIJ GHƂEKGPE[ KP KPFWUVTKCN
refrigeration and air conditio-
ning with natural refrigerant

"Natural refrigerants chillers and compressors

make economic sense."

Whether in food production or in the manufacturing of chemicals or medical drugs, refrigeration and air-con-
ditioning are essential parts of the production process and subsequent storage. Natural refrigerants offer the
most environmentally friendly option for refrigeration applications as they have no impact on the greenhouse
effect. But the potential of natural refrigerants goes way beyond just the ecological advantages. eurammon's
experts Janos Winter, refrigeration consultant at QPlan and Bernd Kaltenbrunner, managing director at KWN
Engineering and member of the eurammon Board, explain how natural refrigerants can be put to energy- and
cost-efficient use.

Mr Winter, you have drawn up a pay- application or external factors, such as

Systems with natural refriger- back calculation that shows both the climatic conditions. High outside tempe-
ants gernerate considerable economical and ecological advantages ratures, for example, require a greater
savings, particularly when it of using natural refrigerants. How did refrigerating capacity. And so each ap-
comes to the life cycle costs. you go about calculating this? plication has to be viewed individually
Janos Winter: Basically, there is one and compared with suitable alternatives.
main thing that has to be taken into ac- But in most cases it is usually easy to
count: when calculating the payback find alternative applications with natural
period of an investment, it is important refrigerants that offer a long life cycle,
to consider all the costs incurred throug- which therefore also makes them more
hout the entire life cycle. The total opera- economical.
ting costs include the initial outlay and all
subsequent costs for the plant, together It is difficult to compare various systems
with the costs for repairs, energy, mainte- using differing refrigerants. Neverthe-
nance and service. It is in this area in par- less, are there any reference values or

“
ticular that plants operating with natural key figures that give an indication of
refrigerants are so convincing. Thanks to how energy-efficient a system is? In supermarkets, NH3/
the lower operating costs, the initial out- Janos Winter: Definitely. For example,
lay for these refrigeration systems can be when we compare the annual energy CO2 cascade systems With its GEA Grasso BluGenium series, GEA
recouped after just a few years. consumption of refrigeration systems, generate annual energy Refrigeration Technologies introduces a new line
we use software-based computation pro-
So the payback period for a system is grams such as "Pack Calculation", which
savings of up to 35% of water-cooled ammonia chillers based on the
calculated according to the whole life was developed by the Danish IPU Insti- compared to similar HFC proven piston compressors from the GEA Grasso

”
V series. Designed for long service lives and low
cycle. Are systems with natural refrige- tute. It takes account of most aspects of systems.
rants also particularly economical in technical implementation as well as the life-cycle costs these new chillers have an impressi-
terms of their service life? climatic conditions. One thing transpires vely high ESEER value of more than nine ensuring
Janos Winter: We cannot really gene- here again and again: ecological and Janos Winter KPFWUVT[NGCFKPIGPGTI[GHƂEKGPEKGUKPHWNNCPFRCTV
ralise here: the service life can vary in economic advantages often make natu-
each individual case. The life cycle of a ral refrigerants the best choice – for ne-
load operation.
system depends on various aspects, such arly every application.
as the technical concept and the specific

GEA Refrigeration Technologies

[Link]
38 eurammon magazine
engineering for a better world
 Applications & Experts

Mr Kaltenbrunner, which requirements area where natural refrigerants really

have to be taken into consideration when stand out, as they permit more energy-
planning a system with natural refrige- efficient refrigerating machines. But en-
rants? ergy efficiency depends on more than
Bernd Kaltenbrunner: Basically the same just the choice of refrigerant: it is also af-
planning requirements apply as for syn- fected by external environmental factors,
thetic refrigerants. But the increased the specific design of a system or the level
safety requirements for systems with natu- of training that the operators have had.
ral refrigerants mean that particular care
must be taken in all aspects of operating There are many successful examples
safety. In addition, it is also important to to illustrate the efficient use of natural
give due consideration during the plan- refrigerants. Can you name a project that
ning phase due to the fact that, as a gives a particularly clear demonstration
general rule, systems with natural refri- of this increased efficiency?
gerants have a long service life of up to Janos Winter: The retail sector is clearly
25 years and more. the pioneer here, particularly in super-
market refrigeration with systems using
Ammonia is a refrigerant with outstanding natural refrigerants. In Scandinavia, for
thermodynamic properties that is deemed example, we have seen particularly high
to be particularly efficient. Do systems efficiency rates in systems with natural
with ammonia offer the greatest potential refrigerants in this sector – resulting,
for saving costs and energy? among other factors, also from the
Bernd Kaltenbrunner: Ammonia systems advanced state of knowledge among

“
in particular are convincing in terms of planners and clients. In Hungary, too,
Applications with natu- their long service life. Accordingly, the there are clear demonstrations of the
ral refrigerants become all planning procedure for these systems energetic advantages of natural refrige-
gives especially careful consideration rants in supermarkets. NH3/CO2 casca-
the more attractive with the to the sustainable selection of individual de systems in particular generate annual
prospect of not only acting components in the interests of long-term energy savings of up to 35% compared
energy and cost efficiency. This already to similar HFC systems.
on environmentally sustain- gives ammonia systems a clear advan-
able lines but of also gen- tage over other systems in terms of po- To foster the development of „green refri-
erating long-term financial tential savings. But in every profitability geration“, some countries offer subsidies
analysis, the operator also has to decide for systems with natural refrigerants, while

”
advantages. which approach he wants to take for his others even put a tax on refrigerants with
system. Experience shows that environ- a detrimental effect on the environment.
mental aspects in particular play an in- What is the situation in Germany?
Bernd Kaltenbrunner
creasingly important role in this process. Bernd Kaltenbrunner: Through the
And ammonia offers clear advantages Federal Ministry for the Environment, Na-
with regard to environmental concerns. ture Conservation and Nuclear Safety
This gives us two powerful arguments (BMU), the German governments offers
that explain why ammonia systems have a subsidy for climate protection measures
already become an established force in in small and medium refrigeration
the refrigeration industry. systems. Needless to say, refrigeration
systems with natural refrigerants are also
Mr Winter, what role do operating costs subsidised, as they rate above all other
play in refrigeration systems? Is this options when it comes to efficiency, and,
another area where systems with natural furthermore, they cause no harm to the
refrigerants can rate highly? environment. The extremely low global
Janos Winter: Systems with natural refri- warming potential – ammonia, for example,
gerants generate considerable savings, has a GWP value of 0 – naturally also
particularly when it comes to the life cy- plays a major role in obtaining subsidies
cle costs. Increasing annual operating from the BMU.
hours make energy costs a crucial factor.
A direct comparison shows that this is an

40 eurammon magazine
 eurammon Insights eurammon Insights

The ammonia working group on a refrigerant for the future term they can become the most widely
used refrigerants. Aside from being very
What does the revised F-Gas Regulation
mean for the refrigerant branch in general
which is already happening. Most EU
member states have undertaken actions

Unabated potential
environmentally friendly – ammonia for and for ammonia as a natural refrigerant to reduce their CO2 emissions by 2020.
example has a GWP and ODP of zero in particular? EU reports today predict that many coun-
– we also have to emphasize their effici- Eric Delforge: The new F-Gas Regulation tries will fail to reach their targets and
ency and future viability. Moreover, users that was adopted in March 2014 has fi- will face considerable high penalties.
are naturally also interested in the macro- nally eliminated an investment hindrance The next step could entail sharing the
In 2012 eurammon, the European initiative for natural refrigerants, founded the ammonia working group. In an economic view. A look at the overall life for the branch. Companies now know the costs out according to the "polluter pays"
interview, working group chairman Eric Delforge explains why the working group was set up, the significance cycle of refrigerating systems operating legal framework conditions applying to principle – including many synthetic re-
of the revised F-Gas Regulation and why natural refrigerants such as ammonia or CO2 will continue to become with ammonia shows that low operating the installation of a refrigeration system, frigerants. Finally and most important is
more relevant in the long term. costs not only swiftly compensate for particularly in terms of which synthetic the fact that the new F-gas regulation is
the high end value in purchasing these refrigerants will be allowed and which a phase down scenario. This means that
systems, but also offer long term advan- prohibited in future. However, these ru- the available quota allowing the use of
Mr Delforge, how did the ammonia wor- refrigerant. At the moment we are plan- tages in both ecological and economical lings are part of a dynamic process and F-gasses will in time decrease dramati-
king group come to be set up? ning a series of short video interviews terms. This applies all the more when ta- must therefore not be considered as a cally fast. Ultimately the most important
Eric Delforge: As a natural refrigerant, with companies that have already op- king into account that in future the taxa- definitive comfort zone. In other words, message is that natural refrigerants of-
ammonia offers a great potential in the ted for an ammonia refrigeration system tion of refrigerants may depend heavily some conventional refrigerants that are fer the ideal solution to both energy ef-
future for many applications and vari- and to have them testify to their positive on environmental criteria. In the end ho- basically still permitted today may sud- ficiency and environmental issues which
ous capacity ranges thanks to its high experiences. We hope the final list of wever, the argument that convinces the denly become a real cost factor tomor- are equally relevant and important. I am
environmental benefits and energy effi- end-users will include international re- most when I speak to high end decision row. In Scandinavia for example, taxati- convinced that the winners will be those
ciency. However, we still have decision presentatives from the food manufactu- makers is that applications using natural on depends on the GWP and ODP level equipment manufacturers and end users
makers even within the refrigeration, ring, temperature controlled storage, be- refrigerants tend to outperform all in to- of refrigerants. This scenario could be that will make the direct transition to natu-
air-conditioning and heat pump industry verage, dairy and brewery sectors. We tal cost of ownership. considered by more European countries, ral refrigerants fast!
who denounce ammonia is a dangerous already work closely together with many
refrigerant. Unfortunately, there is also operators who keep us informed with a
a belief that ammonia installations are constant flow of highly valuable infor-
inherently expensive and do not offer a mation about the challenges involved in
sufficient energy efficiency advantage to practical use. One example: the revised
provide an acceptable return on invest- F-Gas Regulation provides a legal frame-
ment. Furthermore, the use of ammonia is work that is valid throughout Europe, sti-
excessively penalized by local legislati- pulating which refrigerants are allowed
ve restrictions in many EU member states. or prohibited. But the individual Member
Low charge NH3 solutions

“
This is why we decided to address these States can have additional local rules,
issues directly and set up the ammonia for example in terms of the safety regu-
Most people ignore
that ammonia has been
working group. lations or eventually how refrigerants
are taxed. We collect this information EVAPORATOR
used as a refrigerant for
over a century, particular-
What are the working group's specific
aims?
and make it available to the market as
background information that is relevant &
DROPLET
Eric Delforge: Our aim is to provide in- to decision-making processes. Further-
ly in large capacity rang- formation about the various possible ap- more, we also compile the most frequent
plications of NH3 and to give ammonia a and important questions and the an-
es, the so called industrial more objective image by communicating swers covering all aspects of ammonia.
SEPARATOR
”
applications. practical facts. Top priority is given to Eventually these will be published in a
provide substantiated information about Q&A section of the eurammon website,
ammonia as a refrigerant, so that both together with a freely available presen-
Eric Delforge the owners and, in the end, also the envi- tation with basic information about the
ronment can benefit from the use of am- ammonia topic.
monia. General scientific data regarding
energy efficiency and costs are supple- What is ammonia's role on the market
mented by application examples from at present and in future?
practical use. Eric Delforge: Besides its use in industri-
al applications ammonia also offers a
Does the working group have a special huge potential for commercial systems in
project to help you achieve this aim? the medium capacity range. Initially we
Eric Delforge: To encourage a realistic are looking to make the market aware of
appraisal of the facts, we want to show the fact that ammonia and other natural
the industry how and where ammonia refrigerants are not just alternatives to
can be used safely and efficiently as a synthetic refrigerants but that in the long sales@[Link]
Tel. +358 2 84070
Pruukintie 7
FI-23600 Kalanti
Finland
42 eurammon magazine
 ne w ne w ne w new new NEW
eurammon Insights

ECO MPG
Glycol from nature
Performance & Environment
The next generation of propylene glycol

We are looking for committed partners that

can develop this product together
with us. Call +46 768 30 00 01
and meet us at Chillventa

eurammon Symposium and

Stand 309 in hall 6

Hig h pe rf orm a nc e h ig h pe r form

Natural Refrigeration Award

eurammon Symposium 2013 achieved by using natural refrigerants. mony, the three winners presented their fi-
Under the banner of “Green Economy They really pay off for operators.” In ad- nal projects to the international audience
with Natural Refrigerants” the eurammon dition to a discussion panel on the use at the symposium. Ms Xiangping Zhang
symposium showcased the great potenti- of the refrigerant ammonia, the speakers investigated the ideal R744-based blend
al of natural refrigerants on 28 June 2013 presented international case studies from for heat pump systems. In her final project
in Schaffhausen (Switzerland): They are Australia, the US and Switzerland. she identified a fluid combination with ex-
not only environmentally friendly, but pro- tremely positive characteristics in terms of
fitable as well. International speakers at Natural Refrigeration Award 2013 safety, environmental compatibility and
the lecture event presented new develop- Every two years eurammon awards thermal properties. Next, she worked out Heat Transfer Fluid for industrial cooling.
ments and current trends in refrigeration young scientists with the Natural Refri- other parameters of the fluid blend, like Recommended to use with Ammonia as primary
technology to almost 70 participants. geration Award for outstanding theses in the optimal mass fraction. “The phasing refrigerant.
“The header ‘Green Economy’ makes it
clear that, even today, forward-looking
refrigeration systems have to be much
the field of natural refrigerants. In 2013,
Ms Xiangping Zhang (Donghua Univer-
sity, China) won the award. Mr Bernd
out of HCFC in China presents us with the
challenge of replacing the most widely
used refrigerant R22. It is very important ( Ammonia (GWP=O ODP=O)
HTF Temper t -55 °C )= LOW pressure
&
High Performance
more than just environmentally friendly”, Bierling from the University of Stuttgart to me to be able to help make refrigerati-
says Monika Witt, chair of eurammon. was second, and third prize went to Mr on and air-conditioning technology in my Visit our stand at Chillventa to discuss your
“We feel it’s important to inform people Jens Eiseler from Karlsruhe University of country more environmentally friendly”,
future project and to cool down in our bar!
of the high energy efficiency that can be Applied Sciences. After the awards cere- says Ms Zhang.

44 eurammon magazine [Link] info@[Link]

 Support

eurammon website
The website of eurammon offers exciting data about natural
refrigerants and their use as well as detailed information on the initiative

‡ Fact sheets and information papers

‡ Background articles, interviews and case studies
‡ Product directory of the eurammon members

Ä1DWXUDO&RROLQJ³ can be so easy« ‡ Events world wide

[Link]

youtube
The filmlet “naturally cool” shows
the evolution in the use of natural
refrigerants up to the present day
and highlights those areas of our
daily lives where these environ-
mentally friendly refrigerants are
already used. In addition, the
explanatory film of eurammon
illustrates the circumstances that
resulted in natural refrigerants
being the right choice as a future-
proof solution for sustainable
refrigeration and air-conditioning
technology.

[Link]

Publishing credits
Publisher About eurammon
eurammon eurammon is a joint European initiative of companies, institutions and individuals who advocate an increased use of natural refrigerants. As
Dr. Karin Jahn a knowledge pool for the use of natural refrigerants in refrigeration engineering, the initiative sees as its mandate the creation of a platform
Lyoner Strasse 18 for information sharing and the promotion of public awareness and acceptance of natural refrigerants. The objective is to promote the use
D-60528 Frankfurt of natural refrigerants in the interest of a healthy environment, and thereby encourage a sustainable approach in refrigeration engineering.
eurammon provides comprehensive information about all aspects of natural refrigerants to experts, politicians and the public at large. It
serves as a qualified contact for anyone interested in the subject. Users and designers of refrigeration projects can turn to eurammon for
specific project experience and extensive information, as well as for advice on all matters of planning, licensing and operating refrigerati-
Editorial office on plants. The initiative was set up in 1996 and is open to companies and institutions with a vested interest in natural refrigerants, as well

...just ask us! FAKTOR 3 AG

Kattunbleiche 35
as to individuals e.g. scientists and researchers. [Link]

Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication was researched and compiled with all due care. However, the editors and
 D-22041 Hamburg publishers provide no guarantee for the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the content, or for any changes that may have arisen in the
meantime.
All rights reserved, including for photomechanical reproduction and storage in electronic media. ©2014

Print office Photo credits: pages 5, 12 iStockphoto / Photodynamic, page 14 Fotolia / Raldi Somers, page 17 acoenergy, pages 16, 18, 20 SSP Käl-
[Link] Druckerei Gerstenberg
Print run: 3,000
teplaner AG, page 22 GEA Refrigeration Germany GmbH, pages 21, 25 Johnson Controls, pages 24,33 Star Refrigeration
Ltd., page 26 Alfa Laval, page 30 Shotshop/ Jeanette Meier Kamer, page 31 FRIGOPOL Kälteanlagen GmbH, page 35
HKT Huber-Kälte-Technik GmbH, pages 34, 36 Robert Schiessl GmbH, page 38 Fotolia / Malena und Philipp K, page 47
iStockphoto, page 44 eurammon.

eurammon magazine 47
Recycling waste heat
Member of

on a mega-scale.
... isn’t industry cool!

Industrial heat pump technology using natural refrigerants.

Save Mega-Watts of energy by recycling waste heat and
upgrading it to useful process heat.

These applications perfectly match our industrial

refrigeration solutions. Visit us at
CHILLVENTA
Hall 4A booth 108
© [Link]

[Link]