IIR TPTPR conference highlights

During the 4th IIR International Conference on Thermophysical Properties and Transfer Processes of Refrigerants held in Delft, the Netherlands, in June 2013, within the 3rd meeting of the IIR Working Party on LCCP Evaluation, two presentations dealt with the comparison of possible alternative refrigeration systems and refrigerants in the Dutch supermarket/food and beverage sectors.
During the 4th IIR International Conference on Thermophysical Properties and Transfer Processes of Refrigerants held in Delft, the Netherlands, in June 2013, within the 3rd meeting of the IIR Working Party on Life Cycle Climate Performance Evaluation, two presentations dealt with the comparison of possible alternative refrigeration systems and refrigerants in the Dutch supermarket/food and beverage sectors. These comparisons are based on life cycle performance, including economic aspects.

. A paper* by C. Infante Ferreira et al. is dedicated to the Dutch supermarket sector, which consumed 10.9 PJ primary energy in 2008, 61% of which is being used by refrigeration plants in the form of electricity.
The systems with the best scores – obtained by taking into account criteria such as CO2 equivalent emissions, yearly investment + energy costs and safety – were a direct evaporation system of R1234yf (medium-temperature range) cascaded with R744 (low-temperature range); a booster system with R1234yf; a booster with ammonia and CO2 as secondary fluid.
However, the authors stress that R1234yf still needs to prove its safety despite moderate flammability and the fact that ammonia is not currently an option since it is prohibited in the supermarket sector.
Hence, as of now, the best system is a booster with R290 and CO2 as secondary fluid.
* Life cycle performance of refrigeration systems in the Dutch supermarket system, C. Infante Ferreira et al.
http://www.iifiir.org/clientBookline/service/reference.asp?INSTANCE=exploitation&OUTPUT=PORTAL&DOCID=IFD_REFDOC_0008312&DOCBASE=IFD_REFDOC_EN&SETLANGUAGE=EN

. Another paper* by H. Wijbenga deals with the Dutch food and beverage sector, which consumed 129 PJ primary energy in 2008, 13% which is used by the refrigeration plants in the form of electricity.
The best energetic performance for cold storage (temperature maintained at 2°C) was obtained by the following systems: liquid overfeed of ammonia (11% savings compared to the reference system), direct evaporation of R1234yf (3% savings) and the reference system itself, a direct evaporation of R22.
The best energetic performance for freezing storage (temperature maintained at -20°C) was obtained for a 2-stage liquid overfeed of ammonia system (11% savings compared to the reference), a liquid overfeed of ammonia cascaded with liquid overfeed of CO2 (3% savings) and a liquid overfeed of ammonia system cascaded with direct expansion of CO2 (4% savings).
* Life cycle performance of refrigeration systems in the Dutch food and beverages sector, H. Wijbenga et al.
http://www.iifiir.org/clientBookline/service/reference.asp?INSTANCE=exploitation&OUTPUT=PORTAL&DOCID=IFD_REFDOC_0008313&DOCBASE=IFD_REFDOC_EN&SETLANGUAGE=EN

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