Global air-conditioning industry chain development trend Overview (part¢ò)
2008-07-30

What will HFCs face, a turning point?

In recent years, many manufacturers of HVAC and refrigeration industry use HFCs refrigerant (R134a/R410A/R407C, etc.). Many air-conditioning use R410A, coolers use R134a, refrigeration equipment used R404A, and it seems to be a foregone conclusion. However, the potential greenhouse effect of these refrigerants is high, although HFCs are not ozone-depleting substances (ODS). Accordingly, the research and the commercialization experiment of the natural refrigerants (such as CO2, NH2 and HCs) are carrying on. To the household air conditioning, hydrocarbon compound R600a has already been commercialized. Even if the United States lag behind the pace in the transition from R22 (HCFC) to HFCs, the new ban on the use of HCFC product will have the effect from 2010, many air-conditioning manufacturers intent to R410A. Many air conditioning manufacturers intent to turn to R410A. Some Industrial people believed that R410A would occupy most landscape of the world refrigerant market in the next few years. Using R410, the product will has a very big superiority in the energy-saving costs, the environmental protection and the energy conservation R134a is widely used in centrifugal ice machine and vehicle air-conditioning (although a manufacturer develops one kind the centrifugal-type ice hydraulic engine using HFC245fa, but have not promoted widely). However, at the same time, Europe begins to control HFCs, R134a will be forbidden used in new vehicle air-conditioning from 2011. Therefore, many European Compressor manufacturers suggest developing the compression engine using CO2. Although CO2 causes the global warming, but the traditional refrigerant creates the global warming 1400 times high compared CO2. Moreover, a small amount CO2 that air-conditioning releases out are negligible comparing with the large amount of CO2 that power plants and transportation discharge. However, a major drawback in CO2 system is that they must be operated under great pressure (five times higher than the traditional system), which caused a certain degree of engineering challenges. However, in recent years manufacturing technology and other advances in technology increase the feasibility of using CO2. However, the efficiency of CO2 air conditioning refrigerant is not high in the region with high temperature. Moreover, since needing high strength to be able to bear high pressure, the refrigerator compressor systems are cumbersome. The implementation also becomes difficult. Two large chemical companies DuPont and Honeywell launched a new l development on the HFCs refrigerant (R1234yf) with low GWP value. Which technology will replace the lubricants?

Since all the air-conditioning firms are confronted with the pressure of cutting down cost and improving efficiency, the choice of lubricants is essential for the efficiency of the refrigeration and air-conditioning compressor. Therefore, manufacturers felt that it is necessary to replace the lubricant being put into use now. In recent years, the main difficulties are the reliability of the HFCs and natural refrigerant lubrication unit. It becomes a trend that automobile manufacturers develop polyether (PAG) CO2 compressor. In Japan, the PAG, reformed by Idemitsu Corporation (Japan), has been used on all the CO2 heat pump water heaters. As a leading manufacturer, Idemitsu provides mature technical support. The factories set up in Tianjin are operated well. They supply lubricants for many compressor manufacturers. The main goal of Nippon Oil Corporation (NOC) is to supply POE (lipid oil) to meet the rapid growth of air-conditioning which use R410A in Asia. Especially in China, due to the increased output of HFCs products, NOC began to produce POE in China, to become the world's largest supplier of lubricants, and ensure a stable supply. On the other hand, as the production of R22 compressor in China are still active, NOC will cooperate with the China National Petroleum Corp., one of the two largest oil companies in China, to continue to supply the cycloalkyl mineral oil that R22 need. To meet the various services based on PAG, PVE, POE or mineral oil, manufacturers continue to develop various types of oil.