CONVERSION FROM DIRECT TO INDIRECT REFRIGERATION

SYSTEM WITH APPLICATION OF INNOVATIVE CONTROL

SYSTEM AS FORM OF ADJUSTMENT TO NEW F-GASES
REGULATION

Student: Nevena Aksić, Faculty of engineering science, University of Kragujevac

Mentor: Prof. dr Marija S. Todorović, Faculty of mechanical engineering, University of
Belgrade

Summary: International agreements will restrict in the near future the use of high-GWP
refrigerants in Europe. These restrictions will flavor the implantation of refrigeration systems
with low-GWP fluids, especially in applications with high leakage rate. To clarify possible
solutions for existing systems to accomplish the forthcoming F-Gas Regulation, in this paper
is presented simplified model of existing vapor compression refrigeration systems working
with hydro-fluorocarbons (HFC) refrigerant with direct expansion which is converted into an
indirect system with evaluation of energy consumption, refrigerant charge reduction and
control of HFC gases. The innovative controlling system presented in this paper is showing
that on existing systems whit HFC refrigerants can be accomplished the Total Equivalent
Warming Impact (TEWI) only of the indirect effect, associated to energy consumption without
direct effect of refrigerant leaking

Key words: Hydro-fluorocarbons, Indirect refrigeration, New F-gases regulation, HFC

control

1. INTRODUCTION
The 28th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol adopted the Kigali
Amendment on hydro-fluorocarbons (HFC), now included in the Montreal Protocol [1]. This
historic agreement aims to reduce the use and production of HFC worldwide, with the goal
being to reduce HFC emissions by over 80 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2,e)
by 2050. Kigali Amendment has fixed a phase-down schedule based on overall CO2,e
emissions, which is thus dependent on the GWP of each substance. This agreement follows
the same action line as the F-Gas Regulation adopted in Europe [2], which has limited the
GWP value of the substances that could be used in different refrigeration applications
according to different time lines. Referring to commercial refrigeration, the most important
restrictions and limitations are: a GWP limit of 2500 for stationary equipment from 2020 on
and the limit of GWP of 150 for multipack centralized refrigeration systems with rated
capacity of more than 40 kW from 2022 on, except for the primary circuits of cascade
systems, which GWP limit has been fixed in 1500. Another important aspect is the recharge
limit with refrigerant of GWP higher than 2500, which has been fixed at 40 tons CO2,e (10.15
kg of R-404A, 10.03 kg of R-507A). Those restrictions and agreements are facilitating the
transition towards more environmentally friendly solutions based on natural working fluids
[3] and the development of more efficient refrigeration solutions [4].

1. DIRECT REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS

Existing refrigeration systems that are in the industry have many purposes, whether
cold storage for product regimes or for freezing, they all work on the same principle. The
basic components of the refrigeration system are: compressor, thermo-expansion valve,
condenser and evaporator [5]. The cooling cycle is carried out using a cooling fluid which
absorbs as a medium and draws heat from the space to cool down and emits it elsewhere. The
refrigerant enters the compressor in a saturated steam state and is compressed due to high
pressure, resulting in an elevated temperature (Fig. 1A). Heated, compressed steam is then
thermodynamically known as overheated steam, at a temperature and pressure where it can be
easily condensed with standard cooling air or water. This process is most often carried out in a
condenser that draws heat from the vapor through a fan through the air, or by water in the
tubes. After passing through the condenser, the refrigeration fluid is in the state of saturated
liquid, where it then enters the thermo-expansion valve, where rapid pressure reduction
occurs. This change in pressure leads to an adiabatic change in the evaporation of the liquid
part of the refrigerant. Only the cooling effect of this kind of adiabatic vapor causes a
reduction of the temperature of the mixture of liquid and steam of the refrigerant so that is
lower than the temperature of the space to be cooled. Such mixture is then sent through the
evaporator tube. The fans on the evaporator bring the warm air of the space that cools down to
the tube in which the refrigeration fluid is and the air passes the heat to the liquid part of the
refrigerant in the evaporator. The cycle ends when the refrigerant mixture in the evaporator
becomes saturated steam and returns to the compressor again.
 (A) (B)
Figure 1: Pressure diagram - enthalpy (P-h diagram) of the cooling cycle (1. Compressor
suction, 1a. Exit from the evaporator, 1s. Dew point of evaporation, 2. Exit from compressor,
2s. Dew point in condensation, 3. Sub cooling, 3a. Output from the condenser, 3s. Boiling
point at condensation, 4. Condition after leaving the expansion valve, 4s. Boiling point at
evaporation)
 This cooling process involves only four basic components (which can be seen on the
schematic diagram in Fig. 1B), which are connected with relatively long pipelines in
industrial cooling. Aggregate unit consists of: compressor, filters, receiver and oil tank. In
smaller industrial systems, the unit is connected to the condenser, while in the larger cooling
units it is located in the machine room, and the condenser is dislocated to the outside
environment. The evaporator is in a cooled room. In such a system, refrigeration fluids such
as HFCs with a high potential for the creation of porous piping and leakage sites have
considerably greater opportunities to venture into the atmosphere and to make large-scale
disasters [6]. The leakage usually occurs on the folds in the evaporator, the condenser or on
the pipes on the pipes. In practice, mechanical damages to pipes often occur due to poor or
clumsy operation in the cooling chamber. All this leads to a large amount of coolant in a
relatively short time in the atmosphere. This is one of the main reasons why F-gases are so
influential on Global Warming. Solving of such failures requires adequate equipment and
time for finding a porous place, which further increases the maintenance cost. In order to be
able to control the cooling fluid, it is necessary to reduce and limit its path by pipelines.

2. INDIRECT REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS

A secondary working media or fluid (secondary refrigerant, secondary coolant, brine)
here called secondary fluid is in an indirect system (IS) used to transfer or remove heat from
the cooling object or heat source to the evaporator of the plant. Another secondary fluid can
be used to remove the heat rejected in the condenser of the plant. It is called secondary fluid
for the condenser side. Indirect systems with secondary fluid circuits have long been used for
systems with many units to be cooled or where long tubes or are needed [5] . Today there are
many indirect systems that have been in use for several decades and that have functioned very
well all this time. Examples of systems with many units to be cooled are larger butcheries and
dairies where direct systems often have proved to be more expensive and more complex.
Examples of applications with long tubes or pipes are artificial ice rinks, air conditioning
plants and ground source heat pumps where there are long collector tubes.
Indirect refrigeration systems are divided in two types of circuits, a primary refrigerant
circuit and one or two secondary circuits, one on the (cold) evaporator side and one on the
(warm) condenser side. Besides components of the direct system there are secondary fluids,
heat exchangers, tubes and circulation pumps for these secondary circuits. One of the
secondary fluids transports heat from heat source or cooling object to the evaporator. Indirect
systems have more and more replaced systems with direct expansion (DX-system) in
commercial supermarket applications, where the secondary fluid transports heat from the
cooling room or cabinet to ensure the right temperature of goods. Indirect systems are also
introduced at freezer applications and carbon dioxide is more and more used as phase
changing secondary working media or fluid [5] . Indirect refrigeration systems with secondary
fluid circuits are often constructed with compact refrigeration units where compressor,
evaporator and condenser are placed in the machine room. This type of system makes it
possible to drastically reduce the refrigerant charge. Since these units are placed in the
machine room this arrangement contributes also to a controlled use of natural refrigerants.
All this characteristics of indirect refrigeration are used to show that after converting
the existing direct refrigeration system into indirect we can accomplish the total control of
HFC refrigerant, wanted TEWI and energy results and also it’s a possible way to adapt direct
expansion systems to the F-Gas Regulation.
In some literature can be found information that the use of indirect systems instead of
direct expansion systems can reduce the total refrigerant charge by approximately 90%. The
indirect configuration avoids refrigerant leakage through the distribution lines and services
and reduces the overall annual leakage ratio since the refrigerant is contained inside the
machinery room. However, indirect systems usually introduce an increment in the energy
consumption of the system, caused by the extra temperature difference in the additional heat
exchanger between the refrigerant and the secondary fluid and the energy consumption of the
secondary pump. Nonetheless, this last effect could be minimized by a correct design of the
indirect system, since by introducing a secondary loop the large pressure drops of the
refrigerant through the distribution lines are avoided. Several researchers analyzed through
simulation the performance of indirect systems regarding multiplexed direct expansion
systems. Clodic et al. simulated, using field data, a French supermarket of 10,000 m2 sales
area with an R-404A primary system and propylene-glycol/water for plus regimes and Tyfoxit
(Potassium format based, colorless, non-toxic and non-flammable secondary refrigerant) for
minus regimes against a parallel R-404A direct expansion system [7]. They pointed out that
the introduction of the secondary loops introduced 6 K at medium temperature and 7 K at low
temperature, evaporating temperature drops, which resulted in a 33.7% increase in the system
energy consumption regarding the direct expansion system. For this system, the refrigerant
charge reduction was 56%. Arias, also simulating using field data, contrasted a R-404A direct
expansion system of a 2700 m2 supermarket against a similar system using indirect loops,
with propylene–glycol/water at 35% vol. for medium temperature and with CO2 for the low
temperature [8]. He estimated that the conversion to an indirect solution would avoid 90% of
refrigerant charge but would incur a 3% increment in energy consumption. He also performed
an estimation of the total emissions of the system to the atmosphere. For the case of Sweden,
for an indirect emission factor of 0.04 kg·CO2·kWh−1 emissions would be reduced by
74.0%, but considering the average indirect emission factor for Europe (0.51 kg·CO2·kWh−1
) the cut would be only 20.7% due to the increment of energy consumption of the indirect
solution. Finally, Beshr et al. simulated an R-404A direct expansion system for medium
temperature and low temperature, the same system with N40A (R-448A) as the main
refrigerant in direct expansion for low temperature with a loop of propylene–glycol/water
mixture. The use of the indirect solution, under a scenario of annual leakage rate of 10%,
resulted in an 89% reduction of direct emissions regarding the R-404A system and of 65%
using N40. They stated that the indirect solution would offer a good balance between indirect
emissions and energy consumption for cold climates, with an average annual leakage rate of
10%, and for all climates if the annual leakage rate were 2% or below [9]. As can be observed
from the literature review, indirect system solutions always offer large reductions in
refrigerant charge and thus direct emissions; however, depending on the system, the energy
impact can be positive or negative.
This negative energy impact is result of more operating hours of compressor in
indirect system and working pumps for second refrigeration fluid distribution. This increases
the annual costs. Financial balance can be easily achieved in savings after putting HFC gases
under control.

3. INOVATIVE CONTROL OF HFC GASES

Since HFC refrigerant now cools the glycol and water mixture, line of its pipeline is
reduced to the extent that it is possible to install further necessary installations for its control.
Hermetically it is possible to close the machine room or the aggregate unit in which HFC
refrigerant is located with different materials. The simplest possibility of such an isolation of
space is by the process of isolating the ULO (Ultra Low Oxygen) chamber, which involves
sandwich panels with chemical fillers for isolating joints. Then, in this environment, probe
detectors for HFC gases are installed, similar to those found in devices for detecting the
presence of HFC gases in the air. Inside the room or unit, air is pumped out by the air pump
so that the pressure is slightly below the atmospheric pressure. For further control, pressure
detectors and two independent pumps are installed. One pump works on the principle of HFC
gas recovery and is connected to the HFC gas storage container, while the other is a
conventional vacuum pump. All probes and detectors are connected by PLC with pumps, PLC
cooling chamber and monitoring system (Fig.2). When all components are installed and the
system is connected in its entirety, HFC gas is fully controlled (Fig.3).

Figure 2: Hermetically closed controlling unit

Figure 3: Closed and control part of system

In the case of air passage in such a closed environment, the pressure detector detects
pressure, but the probe for the presence of HFC gas does not send a signal to the PLC, so that
the vacuum pump is pulled from the controlled air to the re-set pressure. In case of leakage of
HFC gas from the aggregate unit, the probes register the presence of HFC gas, the pressure
sensors change, and the PLC sends the signal to the recovery to extract HFC gas from
controlled conditions. This gas is further stored in a bottle, where it is possible to reuse it if it
is a one-component F-gas such As far as a two-component gas, it is possible to recycle it [6].
For all this time, the mixture of glycol and water smoothly cools the desired room.
 Another advantage of this HFC gas control is the rapid leakage detection and direct
connection to the compressor controller and after the leaking is detected, the signal is sent to
the PLC to stop the compressor, which allows the rest of the HFC gas to be retained in the
compressor. The existing compressor controller stops operation only after a large drop in
compressor pressure due to insufficient amount of refrigerant. In practice, there are frequent
cases of compressor failure due to slow detection of a refrigerant defect that drains the
compressor oil from the system.
This reconstruction ensures the safe operation of both repairers and workers working
inside the cooling chamber. Complete HFC gas control provides significant savings,
adaptability to F-gas regulations and reduced environmental impact.
How important is the environmental impact achieved by this method of conversion
and control, it cannot be shown without the previously shown influence of HFC on Global
Warming. The influence of HFCs on the global warming is best demonstrated by TEWI:

TEWI = (GWP × L × n) + (GWP × m [1-αrecovery]) + (n × E annual × β)

Annual TEWI (kg of CO2)

Charge
System Refrigerant Leak GWP/kg Energy
(l) Direct Indirect Total
(kWh)
Direct
R-404A 2500 0.15 3.874 506 659 329 988
expansion
Indirect R-404A/
500 0.04 3.874 584 1< 379 380
controlled Propylene

4. CONCLUSION
In this paper, a cost-effective and economical proposal is presented as to how to keep
HFCs in use so that the requirements set by the New F-Gas Regulations are met. The
advantages and disadvantages of conversion from direct to indirect expansion system are
show, but also the ways how economically those disadvantages can be solved. Many positive
effects are demonstrated through the operation, which allows the control of the HFC gas, the
most important is the fast signalization of leakage, localization and storage of refrigerant,
which enables efficient and safe operation.
The technology proposal is such that it can fully meet all the requirements of the regulations.

REFERENCES
[1] United Nations Environment Programme. Report of the Twenty-Eighth Meeting of the
Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer; United Nations
Environment Programme: Kigali, Rwanda, 2016.
[2] European Commission. Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 of the European Parliament and of
the Council of 16 April 2014 on Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases and Repealing Regulation
(EC) No 842/2006; European Commission: Brussels, Belgium, 2014.
[3] Tsamos, K.M.; Ge, Y.T.; Santosa, I.; Tassou, S.A.; Bianchi, G.; Mylona, Z. Energy
analysis of alternative CO2 refrigeration system configurations for retail food applications in
moderate and warm climates. Energy Convers. Manag. 2017
[4] Ge, Y.T.; Tassou, S.A. Control optimizations for heat recovery from CO2 refrigeration
systems in supermarket. Energy Convers. Manag. 2014
[5] Марковски, М., Расхладни уређаји, Машински факултет, универзит у Београду,
Београд 2006.
[6] Refrigerant report 19, Bitzer, A-501-19
[7] Clodic, D.; Le Pellec, C.; Darbord, I. Comparison of Energy Efficiencies of Commercial
Refrigeration Direct and Indirect Systems. In International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
Conference, Paper 421.
[8] Arias, J. Energy Usage in Supermarkets—Modelling and Field Measurements; Royal
Institute of Technology: Stockholm, Sweden, 2005.
[9] Beshr, M.; Aute, V.; Sharma, V.; Abdelaziz, O.; Fricke, B.; Radermacher, R. A
comparative study on the environmental impact of supermarket refrigeration systems using
low GWP refrigerants. Int. J. Refrig.