World population has reached 7 billion people in 2013 and there has been an increase in energy consumption, especially in emerging countries. In 2050 it will be more than 9 billion people living on the planet. Because of this, there has been a rapid increase in CO2 concentration levels, so the average planet temperature is rising, causing a greenhouse effect, as the CO2 is trapping in the heat and not releasing it. Consequently, ocean levels are rising, because of the shrinking polar ice caps. We also have seen an increase in the frequency of extreme atmosphere events around the globe. The refrigeration industry has contributed a lot to the global ozone depletion and global warming. To reduce the environmental impact by the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration industry – both commercial and domestic – there is an urgent need to look for solutions that are both ozone friendly and CO2 friendly (greenhouse effect friendly).
Eradicating the damage to the environment has encouraged the industrial and commercial refrigeration industry to investigate refrigerant alternatives that reduce the environmental impact although a good transition to them will also depend on the training that technicians acquire, as well as the understanding of the current and future benefits for the companies and the end users.
This thesis aims at such a system which is both above mentioned. Once such a system is designed, it is of the utmost importance to test it and compare it with the systems that are being used currently to assess the benefits of using such system. The thesis has a focus on the liquid cooling systems such as water coolers and small commercial systems that help attain cooling of the liquids to a set temperature. In this thesis, the improvement of energy consumption and environmental degradation prevention is attained by switching the refrigerant used from R134a (current) to R290 (Propane) which is a natural refrigerant and Hydro Carbon Blend which is a mixture of refrigerants but is safer and environmentally friendlier. A comparison of both systems is done against the current system in terms of efficiency, energy consumption and chemical properties with respect to global warming potential and ozone depletion potential and ultimately proven that natural refrigerants and HC Blends are the refrigerants of the future.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Abstract
- Table of Contents
- List of Figures
- List of Tables
- List of Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Motivation
- Objective
- Scope
- Outline
- Fundamentals and Related Work
- Ozone Layer and Its Depletion
- Refrigeration
- Refrigerant
- Montreal Protocol
- ODP and GWP
- Flammable Refrigerant
- Current Status
- Designation of Refrigerants
- Selection of Refrigerants
- Hydrocarbons as Refrigerant
- System Design
- Design Parameters
- Experimental Setup Parameters
- Experiment and Findings
- Course of Experimentation
- Placement of Sensors
- R134a Against HC Blend System in Natural Ambience
- R134a Against R290 System in Natural Ambience
- Variation of Efficiency During Volume Modification
- Performance in Modified Ambience Conditions
- Challenges Faced
- Machine Error Factors
- Human Error Factors
- Implementation Scenario in The E.U.
- HFC Regulations in Various Countries
- International Developments With HCs
- Possible Usage Areas in Germany
- Challenges in Switching
- Conclusions
- Aknowledgements
- Bibliography
- Appendix A
- Appendix B
- Appendix C
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This thesis aims to investigate the impact of switching refrigerants in small-scale commercial refrigeration units on energy consumption and environmental degradation. The primary objective is to assess the benefits of using natural refrigerants like R290 (Propane) and HC Blends as alternatives to the currently used R134a. The study focuses on liquid cooling systems, particularly water coolers and small commercial systems, comparing the efficiency, energy consumption, and environmental impact of the different refrigerant options.
- The environmental impact of refrigeration systems and the role of refrigerants in ozone depletion and global warming.
- The development and implementation of environmentally friendly refrigerant alternatives, focusing on natural refrigerants and HC Blends.
- The design and experimental evaluation of a small-scale commercial refrigeration system using R290 and HC Blends.
- Comparison of the performance, energy consumption, and environmental impact of the different refrigerant options.
- Challenges and potential for the adoption of natural refrigerants in the commercial refrigeration industry.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of the motivation behind the study, outlining the growing concern regarding the environmental impact of refrigeration systems. It also defines the objective and scope of the thesis, presenting an outline of the subsequent chapters.
- Fundamentals and Related Work: This chapter delves into the basics of refrigeration technology, exploring the ozone layer and its depletion, the role of refrigerants, and the Montreal Protocol. It discusses the concepts of ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential) and GWP (Global Warming Potential) and examines the use of flammable refrigerants. This chapter concludes with a discussion on the current status and designation of refrigerants, highlighting the selection criteria for environmentally friendly alternatives and the advantages of hydrocarbons as refrigerants.
- System Design: This chapter focuses on the design of the experimental system, outlining the key parameters and the experimental setup. It details the chosen design parameters and the specific parameters for the experimental setup.
- Experiment and Findings: This chapter details the experimental process, including the course of experimentation, sensor placement, and the comparison of the R134a system against HC Blend and R290 systems in both natural and modified ambiences. It presents the findings of the study, analyzing the performance and efficiency of the systems with different refrigerants.
- Challenges Faced: This chapter discusses the challenges encountered during the experimentation, focusing on potential machine and human error factors. This chapter explores the difficulties faced in conducting the study and analyzing the data.
- Implementation Scenario in The E.U.: This chapter examines the implementation scenario for natural refrigerants within the European Union. It explores the HFC regulations in various countries and the international developments related to HC refrigerants. This chapter concludes by discussing the possible usage areas for natural refrigerants in Germany and the challenges associated with switching from conventional refrigerants.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The thesis focuses on the impact of refrigerant switching on energy consumption and environmental degradation in small-scale commercial refrigeration units. Key themes include ozone depletion, global warming, natural refrigerants, HC Blends, R134a, R290, energy efficiency, environmental impact, experimental evaluation, and implementation challenges.
- Quote paper
- Anant Wadhwa (Author), 2019, Impact on Energy Consumption and Environmental Degradation by Switching of Refrigerants in Small Scale Commercial Refrigeration Units, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/540811
