During the brewing process, certain temperatures have to be maintained. For the amber nectar to succeed, breweries need refrigeration solutions tailored to their processes and individual requirements.
When the EPA’s Greenchill’s Keilly Witman spoke at the Food Marketing Institute Expo last spring she said so-called natural refrigerants would dominate the conversation and begin to appear in supermarkets in North America. Was she right?
On June 1, the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the release of its draft Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) health assessment for ammonia. The draft assessment was available for public comment for 60 days and will be sent for independent expert peer review.
The conversation on ways to make ammonia work in a wider range of refrigeration applications is drawing increasing attention these days. At the most recent International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) conference in Milwaukee, technical presentations covered its uses in supermarkets, with heat pumps, in absorption refrigeration, and in conjunction with CO2.
At the most recent International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) conference, a focal point was the exhibit hall where more than 100 manufacturers, service providers, and educational organizations provided updated information.
While HFC refrigerants appear firmly entrenched in the HVACR industry landscape for the foreseeable future, it is interesting to see how so-called “natural” refrigerants such as ammonia, HCs, and CO2 could have an impact.
Ammonia is both a friend to refrigeration contractors and a danger, too. When used properly in refrigeration units, its outstanding heat transfer capabilities can keep food cold for long periods of time, it does not harm the environment, and it is biodegradable. But exposure to ammonia does pose a danger to human health.
The International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration will hold its 2012 Industrial Refrigeration Conference & Exhibition, March 17-21 at the Frontier Airlines Center in Milwaukee.
Now that the industry is all confused about HCFC refrigerants, it might be time to pay a bit more attention to another refrigerant that has been around a long time, doesn’t cost all that much, and has a solid track record.
