Carrier Refrigeration

ContainerLINE November 2019 | Turning Point Please send your comments and story ideas to: heather.robbins@carrier.com ContainerLINE Carrier Transicold Communications Department 13995 Pasteur Blvd. Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 www.carrier.com/container ContainerLINE ® Carrier Transicold helps improve transport and shipping of temperature-controlled cargoes with a complete line of equipment for refrigerated trucks, trailers and containers. Carrier Transicold is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp., a leading provider to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide. Printed on recycled paper. © 2019 Carrier Corporation Carrier Transicold Container Refrigeration @SmartColdChain Refrigerant GWP* Ability to Achieve -40 C Cost Availability Flammability Refrigeration Unit Exists R-744 (CO2) Ultra-low Yes Low Widely Available A1 No Flame Propagation Yes R-513A Moderate No High Not Widely Available Yet A1 No Flame Propagation Yes R-134a High No Moderate Widely Available A1 No Flame Propagation Yes R-452A High Yes High A1 No Flame Propagation Yes R-404A Very High Yes Moderate and Increasing A1 No Flame Propagation Yes R-1234yf Ultra-low No Very High A2L Mildly Flammable Not Yet Depends on Region Depends on Region Depends on Region *Based on data from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report. Table A: Today's Container Refrigerants at a Glance the NaturaLINE unit's use of an ultra-low GWP natural refrigerant and its proven performance. Meanwhile, two "drop-in" refrigerant alternatives have been applied for traditional container refrigeration systems. R-513A, with a GWP of 631, can be used in some R-134a systems, but its GWP remains higher than the European Union (EU) F-gas Regulation's longer-term goal of an average GWP of around 400 by 2030. Container units purchased today that use R-513A will likely still be in use at that time. The situation is even starker for container refrigeration units that use R-404A, which has the container industry's highest GWP at 3,922. The drop-in alternative, R-452A, has a GWP of 2,140 — significantly better, but still higher than the GWP of R-134a and well above the final goals of the EU F-gas Regulation. Real vs. Theoretical Choices Fleets that are purchasing NaturaLINE units today are doing so not only because using a natural refrigerant improves their sustainability profile, but also because it offers a combination of capabilities, such as minus 40 degrees C deep-frozen temperatures, efficiency and use of a nonflammable refrigerant, not found together in any existing or proposed container refrigeration system. Given that container refrigeration systems are typically used for more than a decade, shipping lines planning their next round of refrigerated container purchases should strongly consider an ultra-low-GWP solution. It will help to guard against regulations, environmental taxes and phase-outs that other refrigerants will be subject to during their operational lifespan. For those container lines, Carrier Transicold's NaturaLINE unit is ready to take their shipments into the future. Looking further down the road, one component of both R-513A and R-452A — the hydrofluoroolefin R-1234yf — has an ultra- low GWP, and some container refrigeration unit manufacturers have floated the idea of using it as a future refrigerant, although to date, no such system exists. While use of R-1234yf is certainly within the realm of possibility, Table A shows that the natural refrigerant CO 2 ultimately offers advantages over R-1234yf, including thermal properties that enable lower deep-frozen temperatures, better cost efficiency and nonflammability. With nonflammable refrigerants, there is no concern about the potential for a volatile situation resulting on a vessel from a leak occurring within a container's confined cargo area. Moreover, the future ISO Standard 20854 on container refrigerant safety requires manufacturers to design equipment that addresses the potential for an excessive escape of flammable refrigerant and provides safeguards for operators and service technicians. These risk mitigation measures will likely add new components and costs to refrigeration systems. Regardless of the direction of refrigerants, Carrier Transicold will remain at the forefront to ensure customers have sustainable, efficient options to move their cargo in a safe and reliable manner. w Turning Point cont'd

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