Natural refrigerants
Around the world, in many places as a result of national or regional legislation, there is a move away from traditional refrigerants in favor of refrigerants with lower global warming potential (GWP). In particular, there is a rapidly increasing market for natural refrigerants such as ammonia, CO2 and hydrocarbons.
While this is hardly the first time the refrigerants market has seen big changes, the current shift differs in the number of available options. Historically, the possibility of a one-to-one switch has allowed for a relatively easy process throughout the entire supply chain, with direct components making quick and simple retrofits possible. Today the situation is very different, and the “right” choice of refrigerant will very much depend on the equipment and application in question.
Alfa Laval is home to some of the market’s leading experts on the subject of natural refrigerants. Their expertise has allowed us to develop a wide range of heat exchanger solutions specially designed to handle the unique demands of working with challenging and sometimes dangerous substances like carbon dioxide (R744), ammonia (R717) and propane (R290). Contact us today, and we can work with you to find the optimal technology for your specific needs.
Expertise on the natural refrigerants of tomorrow
Questions about the right new refrigerant for heat pump, air conditioning or refrigeration applications? Looking to make the switch and not sure where to start? Hear Alfa Laval expert Matteo Munari, Head of Application and Product Development, describe some of the challenges that come with working with new natural refrigerants and how we have designed unique features to solve them.
White paper: Navigating a changing refrigerants market
A massive change is currently underway in the refrigerants market. Driven by environmental concerns, legislation is pushing a gradual phase out of traditional refrigerants in favour of new alternatives with lower global warming potential (GWP). Download this white paper for a fundamental primer on selecting and accommodating alternative refrigerants for diverse heating and cooling applications.
Our solutions
AlfaNova fusion-bonded plate heat exchangers
Built with our unique fusion bonding method, AlfaNova's 100% stainless steel design can withstand more extreme temperatures and pressures with greater fatigue resistance. It therefore offers a highly compact and efficient solution for cooling of very clean, sensitive liquids and when taking advantage of the low-GWP potential of ammonia.
Industrial semi-welded plate heat exchangers
Our compact semi-welded heat exchangers enable even higher efficiency and reliability when using ammonia as a low-GWP refrigerant in industrial refrigeration applications. Alfa Laval semi-welded heat exchangers are also ideal in cascade systems operating with CO2 as a secondary medium for freezing applications, reducing ammonia charge while preventing the risk of cross-contamination with their proven RefTight™ sealing system.
AC brazed plate heat exchangers
The AC line of brazed plate heat exchangers offers top thermal performance in evaporation and condensing duties, while maintaining a compact footprint. Alfa Laval has specially engineered the AC line for refrigeration/air conditioning chiller applications and heat pump applications and will optimize your distribution system based on choice of refrigerant.
CB brazed plate heat exchangers
Our CB range of brazed plate heat exchangers feature high efficiency, superior mechanical resistance and a compact footprint, making it ideal for demanding installations where space is at a premium. That’s why the Alfa Laval CB range has become a common replacement for other types of heat exchangers in refrigeration and many other applications.
Contact us to learn more
Driving innovation for natural refrigerants
We are a proud sponsor of the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC) #SustainableRefSummit. Hear from our experts Diego Orsucci and Tommy Angback at the 2021 Sustainable Refrigeration Summit here. The video will drive you through our recent innovations in the natural refrigerants space as part of the North America Sustainable Refrigeration Council's (NASRC) Annual Summit – Technology presentations.
