“R32 has allowed us to achieve a 10% improvement in seasonal energy
efficiency ratio, compared with the equivalent equipment using R410a”
James Henley, product development manager, Daikin Applied UK
TECHNOLOGY
Adoption of best available technology is
the solution to meeting our long-term
greenhouse gas emissions reductions and
maintaining running cost efficiencies for end
users, according to James Henley, product
development manager at Daikin Applied
UK. “The threat of regulatory sanction is
always in the background, but our sector will
respond better to carrot than stick.”
Daikin Applied has launched a generation
of air-cooled scroll chillers using R32
refrigerant. Henley says: “Switching to
R32 has allowed us to achieve a 10%
improvement in seasonal energy efficiency
ratio, compared with the equivalent
equipment using R410a.”
More significantly, he adds: “A chiller
using R32 has a 63% lower CO2 equivalent
charge than a similar capacity R410a
counterpart.” This is because R32 requires
two-thirds the charge of R410A because it is
a better refrigerant – it has a higher cooling
capacity.
He continues: “In the event of
any leakage of refrigerant gas to the
atmosphere, that is a major difference and
marks a considerable technical advance in
line with the aims of F-Gas regulators, who
are seeking to dramatically reduce the global
warming potential of the refrigerant gases
used by our industry.” It also means an end
user can significantly reduce its potential
impact on the environment and meet all
of its legislative obligations with no loss of
performance, he says.
Henley believes that, in the end, it will
be the market – not regulators – that drive
change: “End users will be on the lookout
for the best available cost-effective
performance and the lowest potential
environmental impact, and R32 is an
important part of that strategy.”
HVAC – REFRIGERANTS
Training on flammable refrigerants
The Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board
(ACRIB) has prepared a specification for training programmes
for low GWP refrigerants, including R32. The ACRIB training
specification focuses on refrigerants that have a flammable
(A3) or low flammable (A2L) classification.
As a result, BESA Training and Logic Certification have
developed qualifications (see www.is.gd/efodoh and www.
is.gd/uhepap). They advise that there is a network of
authorised training providers that offer training and issue
certificates for the training in handling of these refrigerants.
Although training and qualifications that focus just on
hydrocarbon refrigerants have been on the market for some
time, ACRIB developed this new specification to ensure that
training could be broadened to include areas such as: the
difference between flammability classifications; methods
used to calculate maximum safe charge sizes; equipment and
component compatibility; and key safety and environmental
standards and regulations to take into account when
preparing method statements and risk assessments.
Original equipment manufacturers supplying R32
refrigerant-based air conditioning systems also offer training
courses in how to use it safely. These include (but are not
limited to) the below:
● Daikin UK has successfully trained around 1,000 installers
on the use of R32 refrigerant since the launch of its ‘R32
System Installations - Are You Ready?’ course in November
2016. Designed and launched by Daikin UK and delivered at
its nationwide training facilities, the course provides installers
with the essentials on installing, commissioning and servicing
R32 systems, in line with the 2015 F-Gas Regulation and
EN378 update (www.is.gd/siboxa).
● Panasonic hosts training days at its HQ in Bracknell,
Berkshire and recently released a CPD training course on R32
that allows installers to become more familiar with R32 and
understand how to safely install and maintain the refrigerant
(www.is.gd/tosuxa).
● Toshiba has joined forces with industry training
organisations Business Edge and the Practical Refrigeration
Training Centre to roll out its flammable refrigerant training
programme (www.is.gd/icuviv).
22 www.operationsengineer.org.uk May 2019
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