Flammable refrigerants
conference paper
Hydrocarbons are promising alternatives for CFC, HCFC and HFC refrigerants. Due to their flammable nature, safety aspects have to be considered carefully. The world-wide situation concerning acceptability and practical application of flammable refrigerants is becoming more and more complex and confusing. Quantification of the risks of using flammable refrigerants in specific applications is the only way to make the situation clear and to discuss this topic on the basis of facts and figures. Several Quantitative Risk Assessments (QRA) have been carried out by TNO, resulting in risk figures to be compared with generally accepted risk criteria. In addition, risk reducing measures may be evaluated by using the same kind of QRA's. The example QRA's carried out for the cooling system of a bulk milk tank and for a residential heat pump, show acceptable risk levels, as long as the proper safety measures are applied. Other QRA's for several applications (domestic refrigerators, air dehumidifiers, automotive air-conditioning etc.) containing up to a few kilograms of hydrocarbon refrigerant confirm these results. Several national, European and international (draft) standards and guidelines are available, almost always being inconsistent or conflicting. Most of them are based on refrigeration expertise and experience, and not on a quantification of the risks. A Working Group of CEN/TC 182 currently identifies and quantifies the risks of flammable refrigerants, creating a solid basis for a revision of the European safety standard for refrigerating systems and heat pumps.
TNO Identifier
776827
Publisher
IEA
Article nr.
8
Source title
6th IEA International Energy Agency Heat Pump Conference 1999 "Heat Pumps - a Benefit for the Environment", May 31 - June 2, 1999, Berlin
Place of publication
Berlin
Pages
1-6
Files
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