Citation:

Ankitkumar Tejani, Harsh Gajjar, Vinay Toshniwal, Rashi Kandelwal, 2022. "The Impact of Low-GWP Refrigerants on Environmental Sustainability: An Examination of Recent Advances in Refrigeration Systems" ESP Journal of Engineering & Technology Advancements  2(2): 62-77.

Abstract:

This paper examines a growing concern in the world regarding environmental conservation or possibly sustainable environment, which has brought forth a high demand for energy-efficient refrigeration technologies, mainly with respect to greenhouse gases (GHG). Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) used as conventional refrigerants are very much involved in global warming and depletion of the ozone layer, owning to high GWP. Hence, within the mechanical engineering domain, a significant amount of effort has been made to focus on superior substances which can be used as low-GWP refrigerants. The following section discusses the current trends in refrigeration systems that use low-GWP refrigerants and evaluates their effects on environmental sustainability. The environmental concerns of traditional refrigerants are introduced first. Then, the research focuses on the low GWP refrigerants – HFOs, natural refrigerants including CO2, ammonia, and hydrocarbons, as well as new generation blends that have a low impact on the environment. The study also investigates the aspects of refrigerants with low GWP and the technical and economic impacts on efficiency, thermodynamic characteristics and applicability to current refrigeration systems. Evaluating literature gives the overall picture of the advancement made in this field, which consists of innovations, case studies, and the impact of policies on sustainable refrigeration. At the methodological level, those are the experimental data from the laboratory experimentations combined with the computer simulations and analyses of the lifecycle assessments of the low-GWP refrigerants. The performance data suggest a shift towards higher efficiency and lower emissions of systems that employ these refrigerants. Nevertheless, other limitations to its use include flammability, toxicity, and the costs of its initial capital outlay, which are also brought into question. Based on the analysis, the future R&D prospects on low-GWP refrigeration technologies are detailed in the last part of the paper, and it highlights the necessity of sustained innovation, strong policy back-up, and combined efforts from all sectorial players to popularize low-GWP commercial refrigeration technologies in the near future. The results highlight the application of low-GWP refrigerants in enhancing environmental stewardship in the refrigeration industry; the study thus calls for the inclusion of low-GWP refrigerants into climate change policies.

References:

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Keywords:

Low-GWP Refrigerants, Refrigeration Systems, Natural Refrigerants, Lifecycle Analysis, Chlorofluorocarbons.