Ammonia: Powering Industrial Refrigeration
Balancing Excellent Performance With Inherent Risks
As a natural refrigerant that has been used since the early days of refrigeration, ammonia (aka NH3 or R-717) has long been preferred as a highly efficient workhorse in low-temperature industrial refrigeration. While its superior thermodynamic properties are unparalleled, its toxicity requires the careful adherence to safe application procedures to ensure operator and customer well-being.
With 0 global warming potential (GWP) and ozone depletion potential (ODP), ammonia is in an elite class of refrigerants capable of complying with modern environmental regulations.
Ensuring Safety Is a Top Priority
Due to its toxicity, ammonia has been the subject of regulations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA’s Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals standard requires industrial operators to provide documentation for systems charged with 10,000 lbs. of ammonia.
Technological advancements have given rise to architectures that combine lower charges of ammonia in combination with CO2, removing the ammonia circuit from occupied spaces. This NH3/CO2 cascade configuration has potential uses within commercial and industrial refrigeration.
