Technological Evolutions in refrigeration and air conditioning - Le nuove tecnologie su impianti e componenti

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MOSTRA CONVEGNO
MARCH 18, 2016
TECHNOLOGICAL EVOLUTIONS IN REFRIGERATION AND
AIR CONDITIONING
Didier COULOMB
Director General
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF REFRIGERATION ― www.iifiir.org

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1/ Growing needs of refrigeration
• Refrigeration is everywhere: cryogenics, medicine and health products, air
conditioning, food industry and the cold chain, energy, environment
• The population in developing and emerging countries is increasing with more
quantitative and qualitative needs
• Refrigeration for food and health products will dramatically increase: for
instance, refrigerated capacity storage is ten fold in developed countries versus
developing countries
• The IPCC forecasts a rise in air conditioning of 75% by 2100
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I – The context

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Energy consumption in refrigeration equipment, including air
conditioning equipment, must be reduced.
Latest estimation(*): 17% of worldwide electricity consumption (even
more in Middle Eastern countries due to air conditioning use), lack of
energy resources, and indirect global warming impact (the most
important one).
 Use of renewables, insulation, better energy efficiency…
The global commitment on climate change (COP21)
In Europe, the EU energy strategy: energy consumption reduction +
renewables + buildings renovation, cogeneration, eco-design,
labelling…
(*) IIR Informatory Note
2/ The energy issue :
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3/ The refrigerants issue
• Phase-out of HCFCs
Increasing use of high GWP HFCs would undermine the success of the
Montreal Protocol
• After years of discussion, negotiations started in Dubai in November 2015
• Thanks to the success of the COP21, negotiations will continue in 2016 and
an agreement on the phase-down of HFCs should be reached in October
2016 in Kigali
• In Europe, the F-gas regulations in 2006 and 2014 as well as the MAC
directive in 2006
IIR Informatory Notes
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II – Consequences
1/ Hermetic solutions and low charge
• Environmental issue for all refrigerants
• Safety issue for low GWP refrigerants, which are flammable or toxic
 Microchannels…
 Secondary refrigerants
IIR Informatory Notes on containment and charge
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2/ Low GWP refrigerants (1/2)
• Natural refrigerants:
 Innovative solutions with ammonia (indirect systems, cascades…)
 Hydrocarbons for low charges
 CO2 progressively going to South Europe
• R32 in Eastern Asia:
 Progressively in Europe (air conditioning…
• HFOs and mixtures
 Generally transitory solutions if moderate GWP
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2/ Low GWP refrigerants (2/2)
• HFOs and mixtures:
 long-term solutions in various applications
(mobile air conditioning…)
• No totally new refrigerants in the future: thermophysical properties
• Needs for new devices (sensors…)
IIR Informatory Notes and Guides, IIR Conferences
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3/ Non vapour-compression technologies
• Adsorption/absorption
Solar cooling
• Evaporative cooling and other technologies reducing refrigeration needs
• Magnetic refrigeration: near to the market (?), numerous initiatives
• Others (electrocaloric cooling…)
IIR Informatory Notes, IIR conferences
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4/ Whole energy solutions
• District cooling
• Cogeneration, trigeneration
• Use of all energy types (LNG…)
• Heat pumps
• Phase change materials, insulation …
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Conclusion
• Technologies are rapidly evolving
• Energy and environment issues are the main drivers
• Needs for regularly updated and neutrally selected information
 The IIR can help you!
Visit our website : www.iifiir.org
Please become an IIR member!
Thank you
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