Brief Insight about Traditional Ammonia Refrigeration

Ammonia is the most important refrigerant right from the 19th century. All those who are engaged in food preservation and industrial practice plants know ammonia as refrigerant of choice due to its matchless thermodynamic properties.

Traditional System

Environmental worries and new F-gas guideline are forcing experts and refrigeration technicians to take a serious look at natural refrigerants including air, water, carbon dioxide, ammonia and others as a long-term substitute for industrial refrigeration. Anyone engaged in food preservation and industrial procedure plants already know ammonia as the refrigerant of an option due to its supreme thermodynamic properties.

Having approved the test of time over more than a century as one of the best selections, ammonia is now getting attention in areas of application where it was unthinkable faster. Danfoss is a leading in ammonia refrigeration components, including mechanical, manual and electric valves. We are continuously working on emerging components that enable harmless and energy-efficient application of ammonia refrigeration system.

Ammonia is one of the most effective applications out there, with the application range from low to high or high to low temperatures. With the ever improving focus on energy consumption, ammonia systems are a secure and sustainable option for the future. Characteristically a flooded ammonia system would be 15-20 % well-organized than a DX R404A complement. Recent growths of NH3 and CO2 amalgamation contributed to growth the efficiency further. NH3/CO2 poured is tremendously efficient for low and very low temperature submissions (below -40’C), while NH3/CO2 brine systems are around 20% more effective than traditional brines.

Ammonia is a poisonous refrigerant, and it is also flammable at certain concentrations. That is why it has to be handled with care, and all ammonia structures have to be designed with security in mind. At the same time, unlike most other refrigerants, it has a typical odor that can be detected by humans even at very low absorptions. That gives a warning sign even in case of minor ammonia leaks. In case it is essential to reduce ammonia charge, mixture of ammonia and CO2 (as cascade or as brine) could be a good and efficient option.