Comprehensive investigations on Life Cycle Climate Performance of unitary air-conditioners

Wan, Hanlong; Cao, Tao; Hwang, Yunho; Radermacher, Reinhard; Chin, Simon

doi:10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2021.04.033

Cited by 12 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…The LCCP method (Hwang et al, 2015;Wan et al, 2021) separates emissions into five categories: leakage, E leak ; energy, E energy ; material, E mat ; manufacturing, E ref, man ; and disposal, E ref, dis ,…”

Section: Lccp Modelingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…All materials used to construct the chiller were assumed to be virgin as a conservative estimate, with the emission factors for virgin and recycled materials (Hwang et al, 2015) provided in Table 3. Although emission factors for the materials are lower for 100% recycled materials, the impacts on the LCCP emissions are minimal.…”

Section: Lccp Modelingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Policies, such as the F-gas regulations, tend to focus on the refrigerant's GWP to measure its environmental impacts, but quantifying total equivalent CO 2 emissions, CO 2eq , is a more holistic approach (Andersen, 1999). The life cycle climate performance (LCCP) framework, developed by the United Nations Environmental Program (Hwang et al, 2015;Lee et al, 2016), builds upon the Total Equivalent Warming model developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Makhnatch and Khodabandeh, 2014;Mota-Babiloni et al, 2020;Wan et al, 2021), by incorporating a "cradle-to-grave" mindset. LCCP calculations quantify indirect greenhouse gas emissions from power generation and embodied emissions (e.g., manufacturing, emissions embodied in manufacturing the system) in addition to quantifying direct CO 2 emissions as a result of the fluid's GWP (e.g., leaking, accidental release during servicing, end-of-life disposal, etc.,) (Mota-Babiloni et al, 2020;Wan et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Analyzing the carbon dioxide emissions of R134a alternatives in water-cooled centrifugal chillers using the life cycle climate performance framework

Akinseloyin,

Hall,

Stallbaumer-Cyr

et al. 2023

Front. Energy Res.

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Introduction: To reduce greenhouse gases, the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol seeks a phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons. R134a alternatives were analyzed for use in a water-cooled chiller: R450A, R513A, R516A, R1234ze (E), R515A, and R515B.Methods: A thermodynamic model of the chiller was employed to calculate compressor power, an input to the life cycle climate performance (LCCP) framework to estimate total equivalent carbon dioxide emissions, CO2eq. Emissions were calculated for an 809 kW [230 Tons of refrigeration (RT) nameplate] water-cooled centrifugal chiller at constant cooling capacity using five power sources (i.e., coal, distillate fuel oil, natural gas, nuclear, and wind) for a median chiller lifetime of 27 years. Two chiller operating profiles were considered: one using operational data from a university campus and a second from literature based on the Atlantic Fleet operation.Results and discussion: When powered via fossil fuels, over 90% of emissions were due to the indirect emissions from energy; therefore, the global warming potential (GWP) of the refrigerant was not the primary contributor to the total CO2eq emissions. With natural gas, total LCCP emissions were reduced for R450A (7.8%), R513A (4.7%), R516A (9.4%), R1234ze (E) (10%), R515A (8.4%), and R515B (6.4%) compared to R134a for the university campus load profile. For the round-the-clock Atlantic Fleet profile, there were emission reductions for R450A (3.6%), R513A (0.25%), R516A (2.3%), R1234ze (E) (2.4%), R515A (1.5%) and R515B (2.4%) compared to R134a. When coupled with renewable energy, the indirect emissions from the chillers substantially decreased, and GWP-dependent leakage emissions accounted for up to 74% or 40% of emissions from R134a alternatives powered by wind and nuclear, respectively. For operation using the load profile from the university campus chillers, R450A had the highest coefficient of performance (COP) of 5.802, while R513A had the lowest COP (5.606). Tradeoffs between alternative refrigerants exist in terms of operation, temperature glide, size of heat exchangers, system design, flammability, cost, availability, and material compatibility. In terms of flammability, R134a, R513A, R450A, R515B and R515A are A1 (nonflammable) fluids. R450A and R516A also have temperature glides of 0.4 K and 0.056 K, respectively, which can affect condenser design. In terms of equipment modification (sizing), R513A require fewer modifications.

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Section: Lccp Modelingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Lccp Modelingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Analyzing the carbon dioxide emissions of R134a alternatives in water-cooled centrifugal chillers using the life cycle climate performance framework

Akinseloyin,

Hall,

Stallbaumer-Cyr

et al. 2023

Front. Energy Res.

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“…The study estimated that LCCP values could be reduced by up to 60% by replacing R-410A with R-290. These findings highlighted the importance of choosing environmentally friendly refrigerants and the important role can play in reducing carbon emissions [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

The Analysis of Next-Generation Refrigerants in Terms of Energy, Exergy, and LCCP Perspective

ÖZER,

KARAAGAC,

ERGÜN

et al. 2023

Düzce Üniversitesi Bilim Ve Teknoloji Dergisi

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In this study, commonly used hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)-based refrigerants R404A and R410A, as well as hydrofluoroolefin (HFO)-based environmentally friendly next-generation refrigerant R1234yf with a low global warming potential (GWP), were analyzed in terms of energy, exergy, and life cycle climate performance (LCCP) in refrigeration and air conditioning systems. All three refrigerants were examined at four different evaporation temperatures (-30°C, -15°C, -5°C, 0°C) with a constant condenser temperature of 50°C using a simulation program. For different evaporation temperatures, the performance of the refrigerants was evaluated using the first and second laws of thermodynamics, and performance coefficients, exergy efficiency, and exergy destruction were calculated. Additionally, the amount of kgCO₂e equivalent was calculated using the LCCP method. In the study, it was found that the compressor energy consumption of R410A and R1234yf refrigerants was similar and approximately 7% lower than that of the R404A refrigerant. The highest coefficient of performance (COP) value was determined for R1234yf. It was observed that R1234yf refrigerant had the highest exergy efficiency starting from -15°C. The kgCO₂e equivalent emission values calculated using the LCCP method revealed that R404A had the highest CO₂ emissions, while R1234yf had the lowest. Furthermore, based on the simulation study and theoretical calculations, it was determined that R410A and R1234yf refrigerants could be considered as alternative choices to R404A refrigerants in systems where two refrigerants are used.

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“…Furthermore, split ACs based on propane perform better in warm climates ( 9 ). An assessment of the Life Cycle Climate Performance studies indicates that ACs using propane have the lowest climate impact compared to other low-GWP alternatives of HFC-410A in this sector ( 11 ), primarily due to the lower refrigerant emissions (during the usage phase in the equipment’s lifetime and end-of-life phase) followed by lower energy consumption as compared to other low-GWP alternatives ( 12 ). Further details are provided in SI Appendix .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The key role of propane in a sustainable cooling sector

Purohit

Höglund-Isaksson

Borgford-Parnell³

et al. 2022

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Split air conditioners (ACs) are the most used appliance for space cooling worldwide. The phase-down of refrigerants with high global warming potential (GWP) prescribed by the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol has triggered a major effort to find less harmful alternative refrigerants. HFC-32 is currently the most common refrigerant to replace HFC-410A in split ACs. The GWP of HFC-32 is about one-third that of HFC-410A but still considerably higher than that of a growing number of nonfluorinated alternatives like propane with a GWP of <1, which have recently become commercially available for split ACs. Here, we show that a switch to propane as an energy-efficient and commercially available low-GWP alternative in split ACs could avoid 0.09 (0.06 to 0.12) °C increase in global temperature by the end of the century. This is significantly more than the 0.03 (0.02 to 0.05) °C avoided warming from a complete switch to HFC-32 in split ACs.

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Comprehensive investigations on Life Cycle Climate Performance of unitary air-conditioners

Cited by 12 publications

References 24 publications

Analyzing the carbon dioxide emissions of R134a alternatives in water-cooled centrifugal chillers using the life cycle climate performance framework

Analyzing the carbon dioxide emissions of R134a alternatives in water-cooled centrifugal chillers using the life cycle climate performance framework

The Analysis of Next-Generation Refrigerants in Terms of Energy, Exergy, and LCCP Perspective

The key role of propane in a sustainable cooling sector

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