References to case studies on alternatives to HCFCs

Introduction

This page provides links to case studies about non-HCFC alternatives for different applications. It is intended to help National Ozone Units access more technical details about commercially-available alternatives to replace or avoid HCFCs, which should be considered during the preparation of their countries' HCFC Phase out Management Plans (HPMPs).

This page is organised according to the same scheme as the corresponding Alternatives to HCFCs for new equipment and applications page. The source of the case study is indicated in partentheses after the title.

This page is a work in progress and UNEP welcomes the submission of additional case studies of commercially-available alternatives to HCFCs that should be considered for inclusion. Please inform the UNEP OzonAction programme, if you would like to suggest other case studies.

Disclaimer

HCFC-22

Unitary air conditioning equipment

Small self-contained air conditioners

Natural

• Earthcare- The use of natural refrigerants in small air conditioning systems & heat pump split systems
• GTZ Proklima- Gree Electric Appliances R290 AC system for room air conditioning
• ERG: McDonald's Fast Food Outlets - Philippines
• McDonalds: world's first free HFC's restaurant- HVAC with CO2 by Nilan A/S- page14
  

Fluorinated

• Dupont- Frankfurt's town hall retrofit to non ODS R422d AC system
• Dupont: retrofitting AC units at Dupont Santa Clara (Mexico) using R417a
  

Other/ not-in-kind

• ILK Dresden: Azeotropic refrigerant (ammonia & dimethyl ether) for use in small medium size refrigeration systems
• Evaporative cooling as an alternative to traditional AC systems
  

Small water chillers of about 100 kW refrigeration capacity up to the capacity of centrifugal chillers

Screw chillers

• ILK Dresden: Azeotropic refrigerant (ammonia & dimethyl ether) for use in small medium size refrigeration systems

Scroll chillers

Natural

CO2 scroll chiller by Copeland

Commercial refrigeration equipment

Large supermarket systems

Natural

• UNEP: alternatives to HCFC's case studies- supermarket refrigeration plant using propane (page 10)
• GreenCoolingCounsil-R744.com: Transcritical CO2 supermarket refrigeration in Australia
• Danfoss: transcritical CO2 system in a small supermarket
• Earthcare: HC chillers in supermarkets in the UK
• GTZ: Conversion of Supermarket Refrigeration
  Systems from F-Gases to Natural Refrigerants

Fluorinated

• Retrofit in large supermarkets in germany from R22 to R422d (Dupont)
• Dupont: retrofitting success in Village supermarket from R22 to R438a
• Carter Synergy- retrofitting in large supermarkets from R22,R408a to R422d
• Arkema: retrofitting in Fiesta supermarkets using R427a
• Dupont: Sealand Mechanical: retrofitting success in offshore drilling and production vessels & supermarkets
• Dupont: R22 to MO29 in supermarkets
  

Cold storage

Natural

• Eurammon: deep freeze & cold storage facilities by JCI/ SSP for Lekkerland wholesale in Germany
• Eurammon: pumped recirculation plant using ammonia and water/ ethylene glycol
• McDonalds: world's first free HFC's restaurant- trans-critical CO2 unit by Fin-Dan- page18
  

Fluorinated

• UNEP: alternatives to HCFCs case studies- R-404A walk in freezer (page 20)
• Dupont: banana cold storage house retrofitted using R422d

Other/ not-in-kind

• Munters: pre cooling evaporative system for a vineyard
• Earthship: Air Cycle refrigeration case study

Ice cream freezers

Natural

• AIRAH- Uniliver's ice cream pilot using hydrocarbons during the Sydney Olympics (p14-16)
• McDonalds: world's first free HFC's restaurant- Ice cream machine (propane) by Carrier- page17

Ice making machines

Natural

McDonalds: world's first free HFC's restaurant- Ice making machine (propane) by Scotsman- page16

Vending machines

Natural

Sanyo Electric- R744.com: CO2 vending machines

Plug-in display cabinets

Natural

McDonalds: world's first free HFC's restaurant- cooler (isobutane) by Vestfrost- page15

Condensing unit systems (medium-sized commercial refrigeration)

Natural

Eurammon: CO2 recovery at Yara dry ice plant using ammonia condensing unit by Axima refrigeration

Heat pumps

Water-heating heat pumps

Natural

Earthcare- The use of natural refrigerants in small air conditioning systems & heat pump split systems

Fluorinated

• RS-44 heat pump trial
• Cotherm Water Heating: a retrofitting project for heating water in hotels in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
  

Industrial refrigeration

Spiral, tunnel and blast freezers Ammonia (R-717)S

Natural

• CO2/ Ammonia air blast freezing tunnel equipment for meat freezing in Australia (p21-24)
• Eurammon: CO2 shock-freeze systems by Bock Kältemaschinen

Fluorinated

• UNEP: alternatives to HCFCs case studies- blast freezer uses R404A (page 18)

Industrial heat pumps and heat recovery

Natural

• SINTEF: ammonia heat pumps for non-residential buildings in Norway
• 
  

Fluorinated

Johnson Controls- heat pump yields big savings for Toronto hospital

Cooling of blade server computers in data centres

Natural

Trox AITCS: ABN AMRo data center co2 system

Fluorinated

• Arkema- Canada Revenue Agency's server room using R427a
• Carrier: efficient cooling to growing data canter
  

Other/ not-in-kind

Trox AITCS: imperial college, London hybrid cooling system R134a & CO2

Industrial chillers

Natural

• Breweries in Brazil using Screw and Reciprocating Ammonia Compressors (Danfoss)
• Danfoss- Brewery in north Brazil using reciprocating Ammonia compressor
• Eurammon: Johnson Controls Ammonia refrigerating plant for Kraft Foods facility in Bahrain
• Eurammon: cascade facility by Star refrigeration using ammonia/CO2 for Asda distribution centers
• Eurammon: central refrigeration plant for building AC using R723 by Frigopol
• Eurammon: dry evaporation system using ammonia & brine/water for a Czech brewery
• Earthcare products: installation of a large AC Chiller in a church in Westminster abbey
• Munters: evaporative cooling system for a greenhouse
• GTZ: Converting Air-Conditioning Systems in Public
  Buildings in Mauritius to Natural Refrigerants

Fluorinated

• Dupont: retrofitting to R422a in a meat processing factory in France
• Dupont- Alta refrigeration retrofitting successes in the industrial refrigeration sector using R422d
• Retrofit of an air cooled chiller with an oil-less centrifugal compressor- R134a (Turbocor)
• Retrofit of a water cooled chiller- R134a (Turbocor)
• UMC: retrofit of a 260 ton screw chiller using r134a
  

Other/ not-in-kind

• Johnson Controls: installation of a hybrid system gas drive absorption chilled-heater for the McCormack building in Boston
• Distributed Energy: Arizona University increases turbine efficiency with ice storage
• Dow Chemical: heat transfer fluid as a second refrigerant at Wal-Mart

Foam

Extruded polystyrene foam

Natural

• Dow Chemical: extruded polystyrene used in Aberdeen regeneration project
• Dow Chemical: extruded polystyrene boards used in a carbon neutral business zone
  

Rigid polyurethane foam (various applications)

Natural

• Transition to Hydrocarbon blowing agent (HRP Associates)
• Dow:mini cases and general information about its polyurethane products
  

Fluorinated

• Adoption of HFC365mfc/HFC227ea (Huntsman/Yangzhou Tonglee Reefer Equipment Co. Ltd)

Polyethylene foam

Natural

• NCDENR: use of Acetone as a blowing agent
• Commonwealth of Massachusetts- Crest Foam use of CO2 in Polyurethane foam process

Other/ not-in-kind

Methyl formate as a blowing agent by Foam supplies Inc.

HCFC-141b

Foam

Rigid polyurethane foam (various applications)

Natural

• UNEP: alternatives to HCFCs case studies - refrigerator manufacturer in China using C-pentane as a blowing agent (page 16)

Phenolic foam

Natural

Hydrocarbon information about Phenolic foams

Solvent applications

Cleaning

Fluorinated

3M: HFEs as solvents

Speciality solvents

Precision cleaning and as a carrier solvents

Fluorinated

3M: HFEs as solvents

Cleaning implantable or surgical medical devices

Fluorinated

IOWA healthcare case studies with steriliant mixtures example

Electronics cleaning

Fluorinated

3M: HFEs as solvents

Fire protection

total flooding applications (HCFC-124)

Natural

BRE- fire suppression in buildings using water, mist, fog or other similar systems

General Information:

Refrigeration

• AIRAH: Natural solutions case studies
  
• Johnson Controls: paper on natural refrigerants and different applications & examples
  
• Earthcare: product range- mini cases: heat pump air conditioning split system, large air conditioning system using ammonia and slurry-ice, ground source heat pumps, hydrocarbon air cooled chillers
• General information about CO2 as a refrigerant for industrial refrigeration
• Danfoss: food retail CO2 refrigeration systems overview
• Thermea: CO2 heat pumps and heat recovery general information
• GTZ Proklima book on natural refrigerants
• GTZ: Converting the Production of Refrigeration
  Equipment to Natural Refrigerants

Foams

• Dow Chemical: interesting variety of case studies and product range of foams by Dow
• Alternative blowing agents

Fire Protection

• General information: DuPont fire extinguishants- the role of HFCs in global fire protection

Disclaimer

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) does not endorse the performance, worker safety, or environmental acceptability of any of the technical or policy options described on this web page. The decision to implement one of the options presented in this web page requires careful consideration of a wide range of situation-specific parameters, many of which may not be addressed by the linked resources. Responsibility for this decision and all its resulting impacts rests exclusively with the individual or entity choosing to implement the option. UNEP does not make any warranty or representation, either expressed or implied, with respect to its accuracy, completeness or utility; nor do they assume any liability for events resulting from the use of, reliance upon, any information, material or procedure described herein, including but not limited to any claims regarding health, safety, environmental effects, efficacy, performance, or cost made by the source of information. Moreover, the views expressed on the linked resources do not necessarily represent the decision or the stated policy of UNEP, nor does citing the trade names or commercial processes constitute endorsement.

Trademarks

All trademarks and service marks used in this document are the property of their respective companies.