Large industrial cooling and chilling systems need the most efficient refrigerant possible. They also need cost-effective ways to keep things cool. That is the reason ammonia refrigeration is still the standard for commercial and industrial refrigeration service. Why is NH3 still so popular? Let’s explore some of the reasons why.
What is a Refrigerant?
In order to cool, a cooling system needs evaporating gas to remove the heat. A refrigerant is a substance that can easily evaporate into a gas and then condense back into liquid, without changing it. The simplest refrigerant is water and you can feel a chill in the wind when you get out of a swimming pool. However, water is not an efficient refrigerant because of the huge temperature variances between liquid and gas forms.
The best refrigerants quickly evaporate when exposed to normal atmospheric conditions. Ammonia refrigeration systems can cool things rapidly. In fact, NH3 was one of the first refrigerants used years ago. However, it no longer sees residential use because the fumes are toxic. Yet this same property makes it ideal for an industrial refrigeration service. It’s easy to detect leaks because NH3 odor is strong and distinctive but this only one of many benefits.
Advantages of NH3 Cooling
Because NH3 is very efficient, companies can save a lot of money on their chilling and cooling costs. In fact, it’s possible to save as much as 20 percent over other refrigerant systems. This is not only good news for business, it’s great news for consumers because the savings translates into lower food prices for everyone.
Eco-Friendly
With so many concerns about the environment and the ozone layer, it’s nice to know that ammonia refrigeration is safe. Unlike CFC’s which can damage ozone and add to global warming, NH3 does no harm to the ozone if your industrial refrigeration service releases some into the atmosphere.
