HEAT PUMPS ADOPTING A RANGE OF LOWER GWP FLUOROCARBON REFRIGERANTS

Increased adoption of heat pumps will help to decarbonise heating. The majority of heat pumps use fluorinated hydrocarbons with R-410A being most widely used currently, but lower GWP HFC-32, HFO/HFC blends and HFOs all have an important role to play in the wider adoption of heat pumps. This item reports on R-32, R-454C and R-1234ze(E) being used in a range of innovative heat pumps.

Improved heating efficiency for R-32 air-to-water heat pump: Compared to the previous R-410A model, the R-32 Heat Pump has higher efficiency (+5%) and uses 30% less refrigerant. It achieves a heating COP (coefficient of performance) of over 5 and a Domestic Hot Water (DHW) COP of up to 3.3. The models in the range will be rated A+++ in low temperature operation, the highest energy class, according to the new Energy Labelling Directive 2010/30/EC. The heat pumps are suitable for new build and refurbishment projects. To maximise the lifetime models also include a magnetic filtration system. This removes ferrous particles from the water, enhancing the performance of the system.
Source: Cooling Post and manufacturer’s information

Low GWP refrigerant R-454C to be used in heat pumps: The A2L mildly flammable Refrigerant R-454C with a GWP of 148 is to be used in a range of heat pumps in 2020. The refrigerant is a blend (a zeotrope) which means it has a temperature glide in the evaporator and a new refrigeration circuit design was completed early in the development process for the heat pump. The new heat pumps will have better performance than previous models and enable high flow temperatures, making it suitable for the refurbishment market and for operation on radiator heating systems. R-454C refrigerant is a HFC/HFO blend consisting of R-32/1234yf (21.5/78.5).
Source : Cooling Post

New high temperature heat pumps using HFO-1234ze(E): The heat pump range uses HFO-1234ze(E) with a GWP <1 and can be used in a range of heating applications delivering hot water up to 85°C. The heat pumps can utilize both natural sources, such as groundwater and sea water, and wasted heat sources, such as data centres, grey water or industrial processes, to offer sustainable energy solutions for multiple heating applications. The heat pumps can be used to supplement traditional boilers in applications such as district heating or industrial processes and can also simultaneously produce chilled water to replace chillers. These units are also very efficient, reaching a COP of 3.0 or more.

Source: Industry Emea and manufacturer’s information