When running a refrigeration system, the refrigerant will always leak into the atmosphere in various ways. The leakage of currently used refrigerants have a non-negligible impact on the global warming. The European Commission recently approved the Regulation No 517/2014 on fluorinated greenhouse gases (FGR).
This regulation implies, among other, that refrigerants with GWP of 2500 or more will be restricted from being used in stationary refrigeration equipment being placed on European refrigeration market. In this study a number of new refrigerants are analysed and evaluated as potential replacements for R404A which is a popular commercially used refrigerant with high global warming potential.
A few refrigerants from different manufacturers have been evaluated using a computer model of a basic vapour-compression system, as well as analysed from the position of refrigerant safety. It was found that the best short term replacement for R404A are two refrigerants called R448A and R449A and the best long term replacement is DR7.
Source: KTH
Author: Lindeman, Lukas