The European rail industry is embracing R290, a hydrocarbon refrigerant with a global warming potential (GWP) of 3 for train HVAC systems. As well as aligning with the European Union’s F-Gas regulations and potential restrictions on PFAS substances, this shift marks a significant departure from high-GWP HFCs like R407C and R134a. Liebherr Transportation Systems, a … Continue reading Hydrocarbon-based railway HVAC does without secondary loop
Ford announced at the recent ATMOsphere MAC Summit in Berlin that it aims to tackle the challenge of electric vehicle thermal management with the use of R290-based full secondary loop heat pumps. Developed with Denso, the technology uses propane as a refrigerant and is said to surpass traditional direct expansion systems by demonstrating significant efficiency … Continue reading Ford and Denso explore hydrocarbon refrigerant for EV thermal management
The Australian automotive industry is taking a proactive approach to environmental responsibility, with the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and Motor Trades Association of Australia (MTAA) securing a $1 million grant to develop a national product stewardship scheme for end-of-life vehicles (ELV). However, publicity surrounding the announcement – including a study into ELV stewardship … Continue reading End-of-life vehicles proposal must reflect importance of refrigerants
Chemours and Honeywell have announced the development of a “retrofit approach for vehicles using the legacy R134a mobile air-conditioning refrigerant” that enables these systems to run R1234yf. As Honeywell rightly points out, there are hundreds of millions of cars on the roads “potentially leaking R134a every day.” Replacing all that refrigerant, with its global … Continue reading Retrofits to return: Why it won’t be simple
During the 2024 Wire & Gas Gala Awards Dinner, VASA president Brett Meads unveiled a crucial new awareness campaign designed to address the risks posed by DIY refrigerant products and emerging multi-refrigerant market. In his speech, Meads was joined by John McCormack, a director of Refrigerants Australia, and Michael Bennett AM, former ARC chair and … Continue reading Refrigerant awareness campaign announced at Wire & Gas 2024
Britain’s biggest supermarket chain has adopted cutting-edge transport refrigeration technology with the addition of two trucks to the Tesco fleet equipped with propylene (R1270) and CO2 (R744) refrigeration units from German manufacturer EcoolTec Tesco becomes the first in the UK to embrace EcoolTec’s all-electric TM182 units, which stand out in the heavy commercial transportation sector … Continue reading EcoolTec reefer with dual-circuit system uses both R1270 HC and R744 CO2 refrigerants
Results from the 2022-2023 motor vehicle refrigerant survey are in, suggesting a bit of a bounce-back for hydrocarbon refrigerant usage – although participation in the survey was higher with 548 vehicles analysed compared with 500 last year. Continue reading HC bounceback detected in 2022-2023 vehicle refrigerant survey
The last of this year’s future:gas refrigerant seminar series take place in Darwin and Perth during the first week of September. More alternative refrigerants and technologies are on the horizon as the global automotive industry grapples with the technical challenge of simultaneously keeping vehicle occupants comfortable and every component of an electrified drivetrain at optimum … Continue reading Final two future:gas seminars for 2023
More automotive industry bodies have pledged their support for the 2023 future:gas refrigerant seminar roadshow, with MTA SA/NT, MTA WA and VACC joining the AAAA, TaT, SAE-A and VASA alongside Refrigerants Australia, Refrigerant Reclaim Australia and the Australian Refrigeration Council in helping organise, fund and promote this important industry-led education initiative. Corporate sponsorship from Opteon, … Continue reading Automotive leg of future:gas 2023 approaching fast!
Eight of the HVAC industry’s top experts – three of whom are VASA directors – will deliver this year’s future:gas refrigerant seminar series, which for the automotive sector kicks off in late July aimed at businesses and technicians in the automotive air-conditioning business. The impressive speaker line-up comprises Refrigerant Reclaim Australia general manager Kylie Farrelley, … Continue reading Automotive speaker line-up confirmed for future:gas 2023
