Aspects of adapting the cooling installation in a food cold storage system to the applicable f-gas regulations

Abstract

The paper presents the methodology of the analysis of the cooling system reconstruction in a food cold store under the regulations applicable from the beginning of 2020. They result from the so-called the F-Gas Act concerns the use of refrigerants with a low environmental impact. First, the elements of the existing regulations on the use of refrigerants were discussed. This part of article focus mainly on the F-Gas Act and the regulations it entails. Then, the refrigerants used so far in refrigeration systems were compared with substitutes, which were the only ones that have been approved for use since 2020, thanks to the low GWP index. Their properties are briefly described, along with the benefits (primarily for the environment) of their use. The main part of the work is the analysis of the reconstruction of the cooling system to use an alternative refrigerant. During the work, the construction of the cold storage was analyzed together with the system currently working in analysed location. Then, the heat balance was calculated, thanks to which it was possible to determine the demand for cold. Than, several refrigerants that meet the latest standards and application regulations were selected. Their operating parameters were examined, the possible variants of use were compared in relation to the determined demand for cooling and the most important operational features were summarized.