SAFETY STANDARDS FOR HYDROCARBON REFRIGERANTS

摘要

A major barrier for using hydrocarbon refrigerants is navigating the safety standards. This is needed to not just make systems safe but also to get them accepted as safe. Based on the author's standardization work on EN378 and ISO 5149, the differences and similarities between EN 378:2008, ISO 5149 (draft standard) and to some extend ASHRAE 15:2010 will be explored, with special focus on hydrocarbon refrigerants, and what it takes to build a system that complies with both EN 378 and the coming version of the ISO 5149 standard. For hydrocarbons two types of systems dominate: Small factory sealed systems with up to 150g charge, and large chiller like systems, cooling down or heating up a brine. The focus of the article will be on large systems, and how to make hydrocarbon systems that complies with both EN 378 and ISO 5149. Danfoss choice of letting all components in contact with flammable refrigerants to be either ATEX zone 2 approved or compliant will be explained on the back-drop described above.