Analysis of leakage of refrigerants in refrigerated installations.

Refrigerant leakages have an important direct impact on climate change due to their greenhouse gaseous properties and also an indirect impact because of the energy efficiency reduction of that equipment.
Cemafroid and Irstea, were involved in 2014 in a research program funded by AFCE (Alliance Froid Climatisation Environnement http://www.afce.asso.fr/) in order to develop a guidance document to help final users or maintenance companies to detect and to minimize refrigerant leakages.
This study was based on a general literature review in order to list best practices for a large scope of equipment. A general approach to estimate leakages was developed in order to identify in real conditions, the precise origins of leakages. This approach includes an online survey sent to more than 500 equipment owners to collect refrigerant and maintenance data. This approach was developed together with on-site visits in more than 20 different installations. The representative scope of equipment included in this study (HVAC, refrigeration equipment…) have been evaluated in order to identify which component is commonly responsible for refrigerant losses or which procedure of containment has to be promoted.
This paper presents the result of this study which is particularly important in the field of refrigerant especially HFC ones where the new regulation (as F-gas in Europe) reinforces all initiatives to limit uncontrolled emission of the greenhouse gas.