Grantee Research Project Results
High-Performance, Low-Global-Warming Refrigerant for Domestic Refrigerators
EPA Contract Number: 68D98147Title: High-Performance, Low-Global-Warming Refrigerant for Domestic Refrigerators
Investigators: Nimitz, Jonathan S.
Small Business: Environmental Technology and Education Center Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: September 1, 1998 through March 1, 1999
Project Amount: $69,898
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (1998) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: SBIR - Pollution Prevention , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
Two new nonflammable, nontoxic, nonfractionating, environmentally safe, medium- pressure refrigerant blends with performance superior to CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs, and other alternatives have been discovered. These refrigerants, called Ikon A and B, have attractive physical properties, zero ozone depleting potential, and very low global warming potential and total equivalent warming impacts (TEWI). Both appear superior in performance and environmental properties to any other alternatives available. They have been shown to have high thermal stability, low toxicity, and good compatibility with commercial materials. They could eliminate the need for the global warming refrigerant R-134a and the ozone-depleting refrigerant R-12 and allow improved energy efficiency, which will reduce fuel consumption and the amounts of CO2 produced. Although they appear suitable to replace R-134a and R-12 in domestic refrigerators, Ikon A and B have not yet been tested for this use. Tests by the EPA, Dole Foods, and Environmental Technology and Education Center (ETEC) have shown that Ikon refrigerants have 10-30% better energy efficiency than current refrigerants. In Phase I the technology will be reviewed, a refrigerator will be instrumented, baseline performance data with R-134a and R-12 will be collected, performance data with Ikon refrigerants will be obtained, and TEWIs will be calculated.Supplemental Keywords:
small business, SBIR, pollution prevention, air emissions, engineering, chemistry, EPA., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Air, Toxics, Sustainable Industry/Business, Chemical Engineering, air toxics, cleaner production/pollution prevention, Environmental Chemistry, climate change, Chemistry, Civil/Environmental Engineering, HCFCs, CFCs, Atmospheric Sciences, Chemistry and Materials Science, Engineering, Chemistry, & Physics, Environmental Engineering, ambient air quality, adaptive technologies, refrigeration, environmental monitoring, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), stratospheric ozone, environmentally safe refrigeration, zero ozone depleting potential, emission control technologies, chemical use efficiency, cleaner production, green design, ozone depletion, global change, clean technology, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), alternative materials, emission controls, emissions control, energy efficiency, Refrigerants, CO2 concentrations, greenhouse gases, Ikon refrigerants, reduced CO2 production, alternative refrigerants, alternatives to CFCs, global warming, refrigerators, emissions contol engineering, air emissions, pollution prevention, air quality, ambient air pollution, climate variability, green chemistryProgress and Final Reports:
SBIR Phase II:
High-Performance, Low-Global-Warming Refrigerants for Domestic Refrigerators | 1998 Progress Report | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.