An experimental investigation of refrigerant R449A as replacement for R404A in supermarket refrigeration systems.

In a global effort to mitigate global warming refrigerants with a high Global Warming Potential (GWP) will be banned in certain applications. The current European legislation prohibits a refrigerant R404A, which is commonly used in retail food refrigeration systems, from placing on the European market from the 1st of January 2020. Similarly, R404A will be soon unacceptable in retrofit and new supermarket systems in the USA.
A refrigerant R449A is a potential replacement for R404A but with the GWP that is significantly lower than R404A’s. In this study experimental investigations are conducted during the conversion of a supermarket refrigeration system from R404A to R449A. The performance data is presented and environmental benefits of the conversion are discussed.

在为减缓全球变暖开展的全球性行动中，高全球变暖潜值（Global Warming Potential）的制冷剂将在特定应用场景中被禁用。当前欧盟法规自2020年1月1日起，禁止将广泛应用于零售食品制冷系统的制冷剂R404A投放欧盟市场。同样，美国境内的制冷系统翻新改造项目及新建商超制冷系统也将很快不再允许使用R404A。
制冷剂R449A是R404A的潜在替代制冷剂，其GWP远低于R404A。本研究针对一款商超制冷系统从R404A向R449A的转换过程开展了实验研究，文中呈现了相关性能数据，并探讨了此次制冷剂转换的环境效益。