The desire to open “W-refrigerant.com”

The refrigerant information dissemination site “W-refrigerant.com” has been newly opened. For refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, the refrigerant transports the energy inside the system, so to speak, it is a material like blood for man. Although the type varies widely depending on the application, it will play an extremely important role in determining the system performance and energy consumption.

Fluorocarbons, a representative of the refrigerant, appeared in the world as a refrigerator in the 1920s, and was touted as a “dream chemical” because it was a very good substance as refrigerants. However, the CFC and HCFC type fluorocarbons were subsequently found to be ozone depleting substances, which became the current HFC type fluorocarbons as an alternative refrigerant. However, even this HFC fluorocarbons is found to be a global warming substance, and a further refrigerant conversion is demanded.

Since the impact on the environment is also large and the refrigerant that holds the initiative is also used for many systems in this way, recently, refrigerant manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, and various countries have become confused and many new refrigerants have been proposed one after another. For this reason, it is a situation where even experts can not decide which refrigerant to select. And various information was scattered even on the Internet, and there was no site that comprehensively transmitted all information that include the refrigerant itself and the policy for the refrigerant.

Our research group has already continued research on refrigeration and air conditioning technology for more than 30 years through joint research with national projects and the private sector. Because of this, much information is gathered about the refrigerant.

Taking advantage of such experience, since we believe that as academics it is our duty to send information based on scientific evidence, we have launched such a site.

We hope that this site will help experts and the general public to understand the refrigerant situation correctly and help the refrigerant to be selected in the right direction.

2019.04.30
Kiyoshi Saito, Waseda University

URL : http://www.saito.mech.waseda.ac.jp/