Air conditioners and other cooling equipment require hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants, which are potent greenhouse gases and significant contributors to climate change. The refrigerants utilized in these systems are thousands of times more potent greenhouse gases than carbon dioxide.
Concerns about global warming on hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants are causing people to look for more environmentally friendly alternatives as a result of these implications.
Fortunately, a technology has been developed that might be able to solve this issue.
A More More Environmentally Friendly Air Conditioner
On Aug. 22, the researchers who wrote the paper "Materials for practical solid-state barocaloric cooling: A chemist (re)invents an air conditioner" presented the findings at the American Chemical Society's (ACS) fall meeting.
SciTechDaily (via American Chemical Society) reported that researchers have developed a prototype air conditioner that may eventually take the place of current systems. In addition to being far more environmentally friendly, it effectively cools an area using a type of refrigerant.
As has been mentioned previously, the hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants used in air conditioners and other cooling equipment are potent greenhouse gases and significant contributors to climate change.
Scientists said that solid refrigerants might be the ideal answer for this problem. They argued that solids won't seep from air conditioning equipment into the environment like gases do.
What Is the Materials Used for the Research
Barocaloric materials, a type of solid refrigerants, function similarly to conventional gas-liquid cooling systems.
SciTechDaily said that the long, flexible molecular chains that are frequently floppy and disordered are the primary structural feature of these barocaloric solid materials. Under pressure, however, the chains shift and become more rigid and organized, which causes heat to be released.
However, barocaloric systems have a significant drawback. The majority of these materials are said to need high pressures to drive heat cycles. The systems require pricey, specialized equipment that is impractical for cooling applications in the real world in order to generate these pressures.
The materials we reported are able to cycle at 3,000 psi, which is a pressure that a normal hydraulics system can operate at.
The research team has now created a ground-breaking prototype that shows how these novel materials can be used in an actual cooling system. The researchers intend to test a range of barocaloric materials once they have the equipment in hand.
What Are the Refrigerants Being Used in Air Conditioners Today
Different types of refrigerant have been used in air conditioners over the years, with some contributing more to climate change than others.
However, there are two that you would probably find on the market right now.
These are R410a and R32. They are also the best refrigerant options because they are neither ozone-depleting nor environmentally hazardous.
Fundamental differences exist between R32 and R410a; R32 is newer technology and energy-efficient, whilst R410a is more durable.
R32 is classified as a flammable gas, in contrast to R410a. R32 must therefore be handled cautiously, and those handling it need special training. Both gases can be used safely in home appliances.
