Overcoming the challenges of low-GWP refrigerants
克服低 GWP 制冷剂的挑战
Lower-GWP refrigerants are generally flammable, which means safety standards and building codes need to be revised to reflect their potential impact.
This flammability will sometimes lead to restrictions where systems can be installed or the maximum charge—and hence capacity—that can be used. It also means components need to be compatible with flammable refrigerants, to ensure they can't be considered an ignition source.
Technology and components suitable for lower-GWP refrigerants are well developed and have been available on the market since 2018—allowing OEMs to start creating compatible systems.
However, there is currently no perfect drop-in replacement for R410A. With any lower-GWP alternative, OEMs need to deal with at least one drawback—whether flammability, availability, or compatibility with materials. In each case, the challenge is finding the best compromise for their users, targets and designs.
Although refrigerant transition means component and system optimizations are necessary, the cost and performance improvements can be significant in the medium term.
低 GWP 制冷剂通常易燃，这意味着需要修订安全标准和建筑规范以反映其潜在影响。
这种易燃性有时会导致系统安装位置或最大充注量受限，从而导致可以使用的制冷量受限。这也意味着零部件需要与易燃制冷剂兼容，确保不会被视为点火源。
自 2018 年以来，适用于低 GWP 制冷剂的技术和零部件已相当成熟，并已投放市场，从而允许 整机生产商开始建造兼容的系统。
然而，目前尚无 R410A 的完美直接替代品。对于任何低 GWP 的替代品，整机生产商都需要应对至少一个缺点，比如可燃性、可用性或与材料的兼容性。在每种情况下，挑战都在于为用户、目标和设计找到最佳折中方案。
尽管制冷剂转换意味着需要对部件和系统进行优化，但中期来看，成本节省和性能改善会很明显。