REFRIGERANT LEAKAGE AND CONTAINMENT - OVERVIEW OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE IIR WORKING PARTY ON MITIGATION OF DIRECT EMISSIONS OF GREENHOUSE GASES IN REFRIGERATION

• In recent years Global emissions due to leakage of F-Gases from refrigeration and air conditioning equipment have continued to increase as HCFC and CFC refrigerants are replaced by non-ozone depleting, but higher GWP, HFC refrigerants. Although lower GWP HFO and natural refrigerants such as CO2, ammonia and hydrocarbons are increasingly used in new system designs, the upward trend in the use of HFC refrigerant and consequent emissions are likely to continue for some years in the future. The environmental damage caused by direct emissions from escape of refrigerant can be 30% or more of the total environmental impact of a RAC system. However, effective mitigation measures can reduce this significantly, to the extent that the total equivalent warming impact (TEWI) of systems containing high GWP refrigerants can be similar to (or even lower than) systems containing lower GWP refrigerants. Mitigation measures can take several forms including legislative, fiscal, the use of alternative technologies and refrigerants, improvements in design and work practices and skills training. The IIR has set up a Working Party to research, collate and disseminate information on such mitigation measures. This will be made available via the FRIDOC database. The objectives and progress against these objectives are described in this paper.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Maskinteknik -- Energiteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Mechanical Engineering -- Energy Engineering (hsv//eng)

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