Refrigerants
A vapor-compression chiller uses a refrigerant internally as its working fluid. Many refrigerants options are available; when selecting a chiller, the application cooling temperature requirements and refrigerant's cooling characteristics need to be matched. Important parameters to consider are the operating temperatures and pressures.
There are several environmental factors that concern refrigerants, and also affect the future availability for chiller applications. This is a key consideration in intermittent applications where a large chiller may last for 25 years or more. Ozone depletion potential (ODP) and global warming potential (GWP) of the refrigerant need to be considered. ODP and GWP data for some of the more common vapor-compression refrigerants (noting that many of these refrigerants are highly flammable and/or toxic):
| Refrigerant | ODP | GWP |
|---|---|---|
| R134a | 0 | 1300 |
| R123 | 0.012 | 76 |
| R22 | 0.05 | 1700 |
| R290 (propane) | 0 | 3 |
| R401a | 0.027 | 970 |
| R404a | 0 | 3260 |
| R407a | 0 | ?? |
| R407c | 0 | 1525 |
| R408a | 0.016 | 3020 |
| R409a | 0.039 | 1290 |
| R410a | 0 | 1725 |
| R500 | 0.7 | ??? |
| R502 | 0.18 | 5600 |
| R600a | 0 | 3 |
| R717 (ammonia) | 0 | 0 |
The refrigerants used in the chillers sold in Europe are mainly R410a (70%), R407c (20%) and R134a (10%).
Read more about this topic: Chiller