Two IIR Informatory Notes on hot topics

“Flammable refrigerants”

This Informatory Note was prepared by Daniel Colbourne.

The phasing out of ozone depleting substances and of the phasing down of substances that contribute to global warming have led to a growing interest in the application of flammable refrigerants. Following the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol concerning the phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons, flammable refrigerants have become more widely used and are likely to constitute the majority of refrigerants in the medium to long term. Until recently, flammability hazards arising from the use and application of these alternative refrigerants have so far been limited to the domestic and commercial refrigeration sectors. It is therefore essential that stakeholders across all other sectors understand and become familiar with the relevant considerations for handling flammability hazards that affect their application. These include flammability characteristics, classifications, governing rules such as safety standards and regulations covering the entire lifetime of systems and equipment including transportation, system design and construction and service, maintenance and other refrigerant handling activities. This Informatory Note aims to provide an introduction to these matters.

“Use of Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning”

This Informatory Note was prepared by Silvia Minetto (President of IIR Commission D2), William Alfonso Mauro (Vice-President of Commission B2), Santiago Martinez (Member of Commission D2) and Yang Zhao. 

Despite refrigeration and air conditioning accounting for a significant share of global energy consumption, the application of digitalisation for refrigeration and air conditioning purposes to these areas has so far received less attention than for other household appliances and mobility devices. 

The application of Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to the refrigeration and air conditioning industry offers great opportunities for control and prediction, using machine learning methods for instance, to take a step forward in achieving goals, reducing downtime costs with predictive fault diagnosis, while minimising energy consumption and maximising product quality or occupant comfort. 

This Informatory Note highlights the applications and potential benefits of IoT and AI in two key areas of this industry:. heating, ventilation and air conditioning on the one hand and the cold chain on the other. 

It describes the challenges to be met for wider application of these technologies in a context of sustainable development and formulates a series of recommendations to decision-makers.