Low Global Warming Potential Refrigerants

Power generation and refrigeration are important sectors in energy systems engineering. They play a crucial role due to their impact on energy efficiency and optimization, which could lead to savings in energy use worldwide. Currently, the refrigeration market is dominated by the vapor compression technology, while the power generation market has recently seen an influx of low-temperature power systems including the organic Rankine cycle systems.

These technologies are typically developed as closed-loop systems, using refrigerants as working fluids. However, due to environmental issues associated with conventional refrigerants with high global warming potential (GWP), low GWP refrigerants have been gaining more attention.

Low GWP refrigerants can be classified into two groups: natural and synthetic. Both groups can have applications across multiple technologies, making them an alternative for conventional refrigerants evincing high lifetime in the atmosphere. Commercial, industrial, domestic, and mobile air conditioning and power generation systems are examples of their potential applications.

Nowadays, non-benign greenhouse gases such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) refrigerants contribute significantly to climate change leading to hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) being considered as potential alternatives. According to the Kigali Amendment, replacement refrigerants must satisfy specific needs, including the reduction of global warming potential. Since vapor compression refrigeration systems using HFC are present worldwide and have a negative impact on the environment, the transition from high GWP refrigerants to low GWP refrigerants has been initiated.

This Research Topic seeks original and innovative research articles on low GWP refrigerants and their applications in power generation and refrigeration systems. High-quality submissions will be considered for possible publication.

Saving energy and environmental impact are important issues in the industrial process and energy systems. Use of low GWP refrigerants can contribute to climate change mitigation. This Research Topic covers the aspect of advances in the following areas:

• Novel and energy efficient refrigeration systems
• Analysis of heat transfer in heat exchangers used in refrigeration systems
• Multi-approach evaluation of refrigeration systems
• Low GWP working fluid design and optimization
• CO₂-based mixture working fluids
• Thermophysical property prediction of refrigerant mixtures

Keywords: Refrigeration systems, low GWP refrigerants, energy saving, heat pumps, organic Rankine Cycle, Computer-Aided Molecular Design, Working Fluids

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.