11 2008

Condenser
November 2008
Na t ura l refri g era nt s
d on' t l ea ve a foot p ri nt
Condenser | November 2008 | A Publication of the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration 1
Research & Technical Committee, and the ASHRAE Journal
Committee. Bill was active on numerous ASHRAE standards
project committees involving refrigeration, including as a
member and Chair (from 1984-1992) of ASHRAE Standard 15
and a member of ASHRAE Standard 34, as well as a member
of numerous other standard and guideline project committees.
Bill worked tirelessly in support of the industry. In addition
to his long and distinguished service with ASHRAE, Bill was a
life member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
(ASME), and a member of the National Association of Practical
Refrigerating Engineers (NAPRE) and its successor association,
the Refrigerating Engineers and Technicians Association (RETA).
Bill was also actively involved in international refrigeration
activities as a member of the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR)
in Paris, the U.S. National Committee for the IIR and IIR Commission
B2. He also was a member of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group
(TAG) for the International Standards Organization (ISO), and had
served as Chair of ISO/TC86 Panel 1 on refrigeration safety.
Bill Richards is survived by his wife Marjorie of Ponte Vedra
Beach, Florida, three sons, and two grandchildren. His many
friends and colleagues will miss the wisdom and knowledge
that Bill was always willing to share with his peers in the
industry. Those of us who had the privilege of working with Bill
during his long career benefited from both his commonsense
practical experience and his encyclopedic understanding of
basic refrigeration principles. He will be missed.
M. Kent Anderson, IIAR President Emeritus
IIAR Founding Member Bill Richards
IIAR Founders Don Niederer, Bill Richards,
Chuck Hansen and George Briley
recognized during IIAR 25th Anniversary
Celebration in New Orleans, March 1997.
Bill was an active contributor to the IIAR
knowledge base as a technical paper
author and committee member.
I
nternational Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration Founding
Member William V. (Bill) Richards died in Jacksonville,
Florida on April 28, 2008 at the age of 85. In 1972,
he founded IIAR along with George Briley, Charles (Chuck)
Hansen, and Don Niederer. Bill was Chair/President of the
IIAR from 1976-78. He also served as
Chair of the IIAR Standards Committee
and as a member of the Code Committee.
He received the IIAR Member of the
Year award and was elected an
Honorary Life Member of the IIAR.
Bill was a leader of the refrigeration
industry throughout his long and
distinguished career. After graduating
from Northwestern University in 1944
with a degree in Mechanical Engineering
and serving in the U.S. Navy as a Lt.
(JG) during World War II, Bill went to
work for the H.A. Phillips Company in Chicago, serving as
Chief Engineer from 1950-1983. He received an MBA degree
from the University of Chicago in 1958. In 1984, he formed
the refrigeration design and consulting firm, RED International
Corporation, and served as its president until his retirement. Bill
was a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Illinois.
Bill held several refrigeration patents and published numerous
technical papers and articles in peer-reviewed industry
publications. He authored or co-authored more than ten IIAR
technical papers including, A Critical Look at Old Habits in
Ammonia Vessel Specifications, Ammonia for Air-Conditioning,
How Piping Affects Safety Relief Valve Performance, Improved
Freezer Operation using Secondary Circulating Methods and
Practical Pipe Sizing for Refrigerant Vapor Lines. Bill was also
a major contributor to the IIAR Ammonia Refrigeration Piping
Handbook. He designed innovative industrial refrigeration
and large ammonia air conditioning installations throughout
his career, including a large central system chilled water plant
design for McCormick Place in Chicago.
Bill was an ASHRAE Fellow and Life Member. He joined ASHRAEs
predecessor organization, the American Society of Refrigerating
Engineers (ASRE), in 1947 and was a member of the Illinois and
Jacksonville ASHRAE chapters. He served as President of the ASHRAE
Illinois Chapter in 1960 and was elected a Fellow of ASHRAE in
1987. He received the ASHRAE Distinguished Service Award in
1988 and the Distinguished 50-Year Member Award in 1997.
During his long participation as an ASHRAE volunteer,
Bill served as a member and/or Chair of many refrigeration
technical and standards committees. He also served as a
member and Chair of the R in ASHRAE Committee, on the
William V. Richards (2002)
2 Condenser | November 2008 | A Publication of the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration
International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration
1110 North Glebe Road, Suite 250
Arlington, VA 22201 | www.iiar.org
Phone: 703-312-4200 | Fax: 703-312-0065
Condenser Staff
Publisher | Bruce Badger | bruce_badger@iiar.org
Managing Editor | Bob Armstrong | bob_armstrong@iiar.org
Writer-Editor | Liz Milner | liz_milner@iiar.org
Layout & Design | Laura Dugan
Illustrator | Ron Curameng
CONTENTS
1 IIAR Founding Member Bill Richards
2 IIAR News Briefs
3 Chairs Message
4 Natural Refrigerants
8 IIAR Code Advocacy Update
9 IRC Publications Now Available from IIAR
10 Ammonia Refrigeration Developments
in Europe
12 Ammonia Refrigeration Foundation
Update
14 Energy Comparisons
15 PSM: It's Not That Hard
16 Emergency Response: Three Perspectives
19 What Do You Think?
Emergency Response Teamwork
20 Conference Registration Now Open
21 Conference Sponsors
22 Technical Program
24 Keynote Speaker
24 Dean Foods
25 Ideas on Energy Savings
28 Process Safety Management
30 Frost Free Freezer Doorways: Electric
Heaters or Conditioned-Air Vestibules?
IIAR News Briefs
IIAR Seeks Technical Director
T
he International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration has a unique
opportunity for a unique individual. Are you committed to the use
of ammonia and other natural refrigerants as the refrigerants of
choice for industrial refrigeration applications? Do you have a good
working knowledge of the variety of ammonia refrigeration applications
represented by the membership of IIAR? Are you well informed on the
various code and regulatory compliance requirements associated with
ammonia as a refrigerant? Can you write and edit technical documents
and publications?
If your answer to the above questions is yes, you may be the person
we are looking for. IIAR has an opening for a full-time Technical
Director. This person is customer service oriented and will join the IIAR
team located in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC. Job
requirements include an engineering or chemistry degree with industrial
refrigeration industry experience preferred.
This is a career opportunity with the potential for advancement.
Compensation will be commensurate with educational degrees and
industry experience. Benefits include medical, dental, vision and 401k
plan. Interested individuals should mail a resume and cover letter in
confidence to Bruce Badger, President, IIAR, 1110 North Glebe Road,
Suite 250, Arlington, Virginia 22201. EOE.
A Correction:
T
o our Readers: The editors of Condenser apologize for publishing
an erroneous equation that appeared in Dr. Atef Elansaris
article, Design of a High Humidity Forced-Air Cooling System for
Horticultural Produce, which appeared on page 25 in the August issue of
Condenser. The equation should have read:
Q
t
= Refrigeration load + Fan load
Q
t
=

W x SH x TR x 1.5

x 1.2 +

q x W x P

(1)
In addition, Dr. Elsaris definition of terms was not published alongside
his equation as it should have been. We present it here with our apologies:
Where:
Q
t
= total heat load, Kw.
W = weight of product package, kg.
SH = specific heat, 3.703 KJ/kg.C for table grapes.
TR = cooling range (t
1
t
2
), C.
t
1
= the maximum expected initial temperature for the product.
t
2
= final recommended cooling temperature, C.
CT = the time to achieve the final recommended product temperature (t
2
).
q = airflow (m
3
.hr
-1
.kg
-1
).
P = fan pressure (Pa).
K = fan efficiency (assumed to be 0.5).
7
8 x CT x 3600 K x 3600 x 1000
refrigeration industry in Europe.
The article includes information
covering current research on
a variety of ammonia blends,
other natural refrigerants and a
renewed focus on heat recovery from ammonia systems.
The Chinese Association of Refrigeration (CAR) has been
working cooperatively with IIAR for several years and we
held a joint US-China Ammonia Refrigeration Seminar in
Shanghai at the end of October. The event was organized
by CAR and was well supported. Technical presentations
covering Machinery Room Ventilation and Ammonia Detectors
were made by IIAR Chair-Elect Don Stroud and President Bruce
Badger, respectively. Each presentation was followed by an
active question/answer session. There is no doubt that our
partnership with CAR is worthwhile.
While in Shanghai, IIAR participated in another
international gathering: the Global Cold Chain China Summit.
This event was organized and hosted by the Global Cold
Chain Alliance (GCCA), endorsed by the United States
Department of Agriculture and supported by all of the major
Chinese refrigeration, refrigerated warehousing, frozen foods
and associated logistics organizations. In addition, a number
of industry manufacturing and contracting organizations based
in Southeast Asia provided sponsorship support and exhibited
at the associated trade show.
The Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) is a coalition
of four core partner organizations, including the International
Association of Refrigerated Warehouses (IARW), the World
Food Logistics Organization (WFLO), the International
Refrigerated Transportation Association (IRTA), and the
International Association for Cold Storage Construction
(IACSC). IARW promotes and supports excellence and
professionalism in the controlled-temperature warehouse
and logistics industry; WFLO dedicates itself to the proper
handling and storage of perishable products; IRTA supports
organizations involved in the transportation sector of the cold
chain; and IACSC works on behalf of organizations involved
in the construction of cold storage facilities.
These are four organizations with which IIAR shares a great
deal of common ground. We have been a Strategic Partner
in the Global Cold Chain Alliance for a number of years and
in the future we hope to find more opportunities to collaborate
and work together with the GCCA. After all, IIAR represents
the COLD in the cold chain.
I hope you enjoy this latest edition of Condenser and I extend my
best wishes to you all for a safe and happy holiday season.
by Brian Marriott, IIAR, Chair (2008-09)
I
IAR has a long history of working collaboratively with
other organizations that share our interest in the industrial
refrigeration industry. I think it is safe to say that our
most prominent partnership has been with the Refrigerating
Engineers & Technicians Association (RETA).
The relationship with RETA goes back many years. More
recently, we have worked together on the development of
ammonia refrigeration industry training guidelines. RETA and
IIAR have also partnered with the International Association of
Refrigerated Warehouses (IARW) and the Ammonia Safety
Training Institute (ASTI) to coordinate a series of Ammonia
Safety Days around the United States.
We are excited to announce another new alliance that will
serve our members well. With this issue of the Condenser, IIAR
launches a new partnership with the University of Wisconsin
Industrial Refrigeration Consortium (IRC).
The IRC is a collaborative effort between the University of
Wisconsin Madison and the industrial refrigeration industry
with a goal to improve the safety, efficiency, and productivity
of industrial refrigeration systems and technologies. The IRC
works towards realizing this goal by conducting applied
research, delivering training and providing technical assistance.
Two IRC publications, Engineering Safety Relief Systems
Guidebook and Industrial Refrigeration Systems Energy Efficiency
Guidebook, are now available in the IIAR on-line store at www.iiar.
org under Industry Books. Each book sells for $195 plus shipping.
We are actively sustaining the International I in IIAR. In mid
October we shared a booth with eurammon focused on Natural
Refrigerants at the successful and well-attended Chillventa
International Trade Fair held in Nuremberg, Germany. This new
event focuses on the refrigeration industry and is scheduled to
be held in Nuremberg every second (even) year. Numerous
attendees visited our booth with enquiries. These ranged from
the availability of technical and safety information on ammonia
and CO
2
applications to researching viable replacement
options for synthetic refrigerants to meet phase-out dates in
several European countries. We really appreciate the assistance
of several past and current IIAR Board members at the booth.
I also extend our sincere thanks to Dr. Karen Jahn, Managing
Director of eurammon and her associates for their enthusiastic
help and support. We look forward to eurammon participating
as Natural Refrigerant partners in conjunction with our IIAR booth
during our 2009 Annual Meeting in Dallas.
In this issue of the Condenser youll also find an update from
eurammon Chair Monika Witt on developments in the ammonia
CHAIRS MESSAGE
Na t ura l refri g era nt s
d on' t l ea ve a foot p ri nt
Ammoni a and CO
2
. Natural , energy effi c i ent, envi ronmental l y
fri endl y, sustai nabl e i ndustri al refri gerants that don' t c ontri bute
to your c arbon footpri nt.
footprint speaks for itself; no spoken dialog is needed to
convey this message of sustainability.
CO
2
has a baseline carbon value of one. Ammonia is
zero. Compared to the many synthetic refrigerants that are
on the market that have significantly higher carbon values,
natural refrigerants like carbon dioxide and ammonia do not
have a carbon footprint. That means they are much more
environmentally friendly than synthetic refrigerants, said Ansbro.
Members can view the video at www.iiar.org. It is
accessible from the pull-down box below the About Ammonia
Refrigeration tab. Members can download the file at my iiar
in the members-only section for use in PowerPoint displays or
for placement on their own websites. They can also link their
website to the video on Youtube.com where it is viewable to
the general public. Special links are provided in the members
only section of the website that will enable you to download
the video or create a website link to the Youtube file.
IIAR will also use the videos striking imagery to create print
ads based on the video. IIAR will place the ads in industry
trade publications. Versions of the ads will also be provided
to members who may want to support the campaign by
sponsoring placement of the ads with their logos and identity
marks in various trade publications.
Speaking out on behalf of the use of natural refrigerants has
always been a core element of the IIAR Mission. It was the
basis of formation of the organization more than 35 years ago.
Traditionally, the target audience for that message has been
code officials and regulatory agencies. This new campaign
will expand the target audience for IIAR advocacy efforts to
the industry-at-large and to the general public. This new focus
on a larger audience will be continued through a series of
promotional campaigns designed to educate America to the
fact that environmentally-friendly, safe and affordable substitutes
for halocarbons are readily available and require minimal
retooling of existing facilities. The campaign will also stress that
natural refrigerants are not an untested technology; instead, their
efficient and safe operation has been honed over 150 years.
We hope our members will join us in this effort to promote
the environmental advantages of natural refrigerants by
integrating the theme into their own ad campaigns. Our
philosophy is that a rising tide raises all boats. The more we
promote the advantages of natural refrigerants to better off the
industry will be as a whole, Ansbro concluded.
Natural Refrigerants continued on page 6
T
he phase-out of R-22 in 2010 provides our industry
with a strategic opportunity. Soon industrial refrigeration
facilities throughout the country will be forced to replace
their R-22 with an environmentally-friendly refrigerant. IIAR
is seizing this moment to debut a new marketing campaign
designed to make the refrigeration industry aware of how
much ammonia and other natural refrigerants can offer as
replacements for R-22.
The campaign features a new slogan: Natural refrigerants
dont leave a footprint. The goal of the new promotional
campaign, created by IIAR, is to promote the environmental
advantages of ammonia and other natural refrigerants.
The timing of this effort could not be better, says IIAR
Marketing Committee Chair John Ansbro. Our goal is to
remind IIAR members and industrial refrigeration opinion
leaders that the phase-out of R-22 and other halocarbons
in 2010 is the perfect opportunity to switch back to a time-
tested, proven reliable, environmentally-friendly refrigerants like
ammonia and CO
2
.
Initially, the campaign will consist of three basic elements:
1) a short video
2) on-line presence consisting of the video, downloadable
ads, press releases and announcements
3) trade magazine advertising
This isnt just paying lip-service to a fad, Ansbro continues,
Its capitalizing on ammonias strengths and the ever-increasing
desire of the industrial refrigeration industry to minimize its
carbon footprint. This effort addresses the marketing trend
toward sustainability. Were adding IIARs voice to the dialog.
We want everyone in the industry to be aware that ammonia
and CO
2
are the natural choices to capitalize on the transition
away from CFCs and HCFCs to more environmentally friendly
refrigerants like ammonia and CO
2
.
A short conceptual video, produced by IIAR, conveys the
message that natural refrigerants do not deplete the ozone
layer or contribute to global warming. The video opens with
a series of historical refrigeration images. The core message
of the campaign is encapsulated in the final frames of the
film which show footprints. Inside each footprint is an image
of assorted products and services, such as ice cream, meat,
produce, wines and spirits, pharmaceuticals and ice rinks that
rely on natural refrigerants. The footprints disappear and are
replaced with a winter vista and the text: Natural refrigerants
dont leave a footprint. The powerful image of a vanishing
Natural Refri gerants Don t Leave a Footpri nt:
IIAR Kicks Off Promotional Campaign
6 Condenser | August 2008 | A Publication of the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration
Natural Refrigerants continued from page 5
Natural Refrigerants Video Storyboard
Pr oud Sponsor
IIAR CODE ADVOCACY UPDATE
T
he following is a final report on code change proposals
and final actions affecting IIARs interests in the 2009
editions of the Uniform and International codes.
1. International Codes: The International Code Council
(ICC) codes have largely become the U.S. building, fire
and mechanical codes, with NFPAs Uniform Fire Code and
IAPMOs Uniform Mechanical Code holding ground in a
few states.
The International codes are published every three years,
with two 18-month code-development cycles between editions.
The first cycle was completed in May 2007, and proposals
that were approved in that cycle were published in the 2007
Supplement to the International Codes. The second cycle was
completed in October 2008, and proposals approved in
that cycle plus those previously approved and published in
the 2007 Supplement, will be merged with the 2006 code
text to produce the 2009 editions of the International codes.
In the two 18-month cycles combined, the ICC membership
considered nearly 5,000 code change proposals as a basis
for updating the codes to the 2009 editions. Seventeen of
these proposals were of interest to IIAR, including four that
were submitted by IIAR.
In addition to these 17 proposals, IIAR successfully opposed
one other proposal that would have been detrimental to IIARs
interests prior to the proposal being submitted. The Southeast-
Southwest ICC Code Action Committee was planning to
submit a new Section 1008.3 as follows:
IBC 1003.8 Rooms containing hazardous equipment.
Rooms containing hazardous equipment such as high
pressure boilers, refrigeration equipment, and high
voltage electrical equipment shall not be adjacent to or
below required exits.
After IIAR pointed out deficiencies with respect to the
proposed text involving refrigeration and high voltage electrical
equipment, the committee decided that they would not submit
the proposal. Nevertheless, it resurfaced as a recommended
proposal at a subsequent meeting of the groups parent
committee, the ICC Joint Fire Service Review Committee, but it
was again defeated after IIAR spoke in opposition. Following
that meeting, the proposal did not advance further.
2. NFPA Codes: The
NFPA fire and building codes
are published on a 3-year
cycle, with a single code
development cycle between
editions. The 2009 edition cycle for the NFPA fire and
building codes is now complete, and an IIAR authored rewrite
of the NFPA 1/Uniform Fire Codes refrigeration chapter,
Chapter 53 was approved for inclusion in the 2009 code.
This rewrite updates the chapter for consistency with ASHRAE
15, except for one item that the committee retained from
previous codes. This item requires that electrical equipment in
refrigerated process and storage areas, where a catastrophic
release could yield 40,000 ppm or more of ammonia, must
be classified for use in hazardous locations or have a shunt to
de-energize all equipment upon detection of a significant leak.
Obviously, this requirement presents significant challenges in
facility design and operation.
Even though IIAR was successful at getting similar provisions
out of the 2009 International codes and the 2009 Uniform
Mechanical Code, we were unable to prevail in our effort to
fix the 2009 UFC. Nevertheless, we will continue working to
revise this part of the code in the next code cycle.
3. IAPMO Codes: The IAPMO Uniform Mechanical Code is
published on a 3-year cycle, with a single code-development
cycle between editions. The cycle for the 2009 is now
complete.
IIAR submitted six proposals, all of which were accepted by
IAPMOs Uniform Mechanical Code Committee. In addition,
the committee considered two other proposals of interest to
IIAR, one of which was accepted.
Code Update continued on page 35
Don't miss Jeff Shapiro's Code Update Panel
at the IIAR 2009 Industrial Refrigeration
Conference & Exhibition in Dallas, Texas.
Monday, March 23 | 3:30 p.m.
piping requirements. Included in the sections on capacity
determination are methods for sizing relief devices for pressure
vessels (including oil separators), shell-and-tube process heat
exchangers, plate-and-frame process heat exchangers, oil
cooling heat exchangers, product storage tanks, evaporative
condensers, and positive displacement compressors. Principles
of engineering both single vent and multiple (headered) vent
systems are presented along with examples.
If you are involved with evaluating existing relief systems for
compliance, documenting the design and design basis for new
and existing relief systems, or engineering new relief systems,
this Guidebook is for you.
Industrial Refrigeration Systems Energy Efficiency
Guidebook
Douglas T. Reindl, Ph.D., P.E., Todd B. Jekel, Ph.D., P.E.,
and James S. Elleson, P.E.
Industrial Refrigeration Consortium
University of Wisconsin-Madison
As the price of energy
continues to rise, its fiscal
impact on food production and
storage facilities is of growing
global concern. Because
the operation of industrial
refrigeration systems in these
facilities represents a major energy
consumer, end-users are increasingly
seeking opportunities to improve their
efficiency to control plant energy costs.
This Guidebook is intended to be a desk reference for
refrigeration plant operators, engineers, utility managers,
consulting engineers, and contractors with the information
needed to identify, evaluate, and implement measures that
will improve the energy efficiency of industrial refrigeration
systems. In addition to the energy efficiency opportunities,
the Guidebook discusses potential barriers that may block
implementation of the efficiency improvement strategies.
Understanding these barriers is a first step toward removing
them and clearing a path for success.
The contents of the Guidebook are included in seven
chapters: Chapter 1 Introduction, Chapter 2 Overview of
Systems and Equipment, Chapter 3 Evaluating Refrigeration
System Performance, Chapter 4 High-Side Efficiency
Improvements, Chapter 5 Low-Side Efficiency Improvements,
Chapter 6 Compressors, and Chapter 7 Other Considerations.
Additional information on both publications is available in the
Industry Books section of the Online Store at www.iiar.org.
T
he International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR)
has entered an agreement with the Industrial Refrigeration
Consortium (IRC) to offer two IRC publications for sale
through IIAR. The IRC is a collaborative effort between
the University of Wisconsin Madison and industry. The
publications can be found in the online store at www.iiar.org
under Industry Books. Each book sells for $195 plus shipping.
Engineering Safety Relief Systems Guidebook
Douglas T. Reindl, Ph.D., P.E. and Todd B. Jekel, Ph.D., P.E.
Industrial Refrigeration Consortium
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Relief systems are a critical
engineering control aimed
at enhancing the safety of
industrial refrigeration systems. In
2000, ASHRAE made significant
changes to the calculations
required for sizing vent lines for
refrigeration-related safety relief
systems in its Standard 15, Safety
Standard for Refrigeration Systems.
These changes coupled with PSM requirements for end-users
to have documentation for the design and design basis of their
safety relief systems motivated the development of this Guidebook.
The Engineering Safety Relief Systems Guidebook:
* ||ovuos |uc|g|ou|u o| ||o opo|u||g p||cp|os o| p|ossu|o
relief valves.
* |ovovs couos u|u s|u|uu|us ||u| |o|u|o |o p|ossu|o |o|o| s,s|ous
* ||||ouucos uo||ous |o| sz|g p|ossu|o |o|o| vu|vos |o| oupuo||
other than vessels and positive displacement compressors.
* ||oso||s u uo|u|ou upp|ouc| |o o|g|oo||g su|o|, |o|o|
vent piping for manifolded (headered) relief systems.
* ||||ouucos uo||ous |o| os|uu||g ||o| |ossos |o p|ossu|o
relief devices.
* |||us||u|os ||o upp|cu|o| o| uo||ous p|oso||ou us|g oxuup|os
This Guidebook can be read from cover-to-cover or used as
a reference for specific questions that may arise in your design
work. The first few sections of the guidebook are intended to
provide background on safety relief systems. The terms and
definitions related to safety relief devices and systems are
reviewed first. Next, the most commonly applied pressure
relief devices in industrial refrigeration systems are presented
followed by discussion of their theory of operation. The
background portion of the Guidebook concludes with sections
that review current trends in relief vent piping.
The heart of the Guidebook includes sections that
cover methods for capacity determination and vent
IRC Publications Now Available From IIAR
By Monika Witt,
Chair of eurammon,
the European initiative
for natural refrigerants
N
atural refrigerants such as ammonia, propane
or carbon dioxide have no ozone depletion
potential with no or only a negligible impact on the
greenhouse effect. Ammonia has been used in refrigerating
technology for nearly 130 years, making it the only refrigerant
to be permanently on the market since it was first used.
This traditional refrigerant is typically used in large-scale
refrigerating plants on account of its excellent refrigeration
effect and its specific evaporation heat value of 1,262 kJ/
kg at 0C, which is second only to water. In recent years,
ammonia has also been used to solve many technical
challenges faced by medium and small capacity systems.
These including among others, cascade systems, optimized
operation and heat transfer, together with reduced refrigerant
charges.
Lower filling quantities with the same performance
In the context of plant safety, the potential toxicity of
ammonia is a major concern. Development therefore focuses
on reducing the plant charge, at the same time, limiting the
presence of ammonia in the cold store as a result of leaks. For
example, cascade systems are a possible solution, using both
carbon dioxide (R744), alternatively also potassium acetate
or potassium formiate solution as secondary refrigerant in the
second stage. In both cases, the reduction in ammonia charge
has no major influence on performance. At the same time, the
Ammonia Refr
ammonia is restricted to the refrigerant circuit in the plant room.
This solution is also suitable for existing two-stage ammonia
cascade systems, as these can usually be easily modified.
Developments in the field of compact tubular and plate heat
exchanger systems with high-efficiency exchanger surfaces
aim to reduce quantities of ammonia in the circuit through
enhanced heat transfer. For example, tubular heat exchangers
can be baffled to take better account of the different boiling
behaviour across the heat exchanger so that the ammonia
filling quantity can be reduced by around 80% compared to
a conventional bare-tube heat exchanger, without any loss in
evaporator performance. In addition, various heat exchanger
parameters such as dimensions and the number of passes
and tubes as well as the price are far more favourable than in
comparable machines, thus saving space and costs. Further
potential is offered by exchanger tubes with inner fins on the
inside tailor-made for ammonia applications. The inner tube
geometries and materials have until now been optimized
for the use of fluorinated hydrocarbons and not for the
requirements of ammonia.
New combinations extend the range of applications
New applications areas and ranges for use of
ammonia also result from using refrigerant blends. New
working substances with low global warming potential
include for example non-azeotropic liquid gas blends of
ammonia with propane (R290), octafluoropropane (R218),
octafluorocyclobutane (RC318) or isobutane (R600a).
Experimental tests have shown that compared to pure
ammonia, some of the blends tested have a lower discharge
outlet temperature, a lower compression pressure ratio, 5-10%
better refrigerating capacity and better machine oil solubility in
the refrigerating being used.
of ammonia plants with medium and large refrigerating
capacities can more than half their annual heating costs.
Natural refrigerants are also attractive solutions for heat
pump applications. New developments in recent years
such as hermetic scroll compressors, two-stage and 40
bar compressors for ammonia or two-stage centrifugal flow
compressors for carbon dioxide help to improve the energetic
efficiency here. In addition, new developments in directly
evaporating systems with soluble oil and plate heat exchangers
facilitate reductions of up to 50% in the specific ammonia
filling quantity. Considerable progress has also been achieved
for use in private housing applications: initial prototypes of
heat pumps with an output of 6 kW work reliably with a filling
quantity of less than 100g of ammonia. Up to now wide-
scale market use has been hindered by a lack of components
suitable for ammonia, such as hermetic or semi-hermetic
compressors.
Conclusion
In the future ammonia will continue to maintain its
established position in large-scale refrigeration, especially at
evaporation temperatures above 33C. But things are also
moving in the middle and lower capacity range, with an
increasing number of refrigerating companies being involved
in this sector. This is particularly true for systems with small
charges, where the latest results confirm the high energy
efficiency obtained as above that which was possible with
ammonia as refrigerant in the past. The progress that has been
made clearly indicates a trend towards systems with smaller
capacities using ammonia, either as a working substance in its
own right or in the form of blends.
In contrast to these dual fluid systems tested under laboratory
conditions, the refrigerant R723 which has been in practical
use for several years is an azeotropic blend. R723 consists
of 60% ammonia and 40% dimethyl ether; like ammonia, it is
used as a working medium in refrigerating systems. With an
almost identical pressure level, it offers a series of refrigeration
advantages over pure ammonia. The discharge temperature
can be reduced by about 15 to 20C compared to ammonia,
permitting the use of air-cooled condensers for example,
instead of cylinder head cooling fans or water-cooled
cylinder heads. In addition, the lower temperature on the
high pressure side avoids the thermal loads for the materials
and refrigerating machine oils. At the same time, there are
decisive improvements in the oil solubility for mineral oils which
can also be extended into the low temperature range, while
preserving miscibility with synthetic oils. Good problem- free oil
recovery is thus possible so that separate oil recovery systems
are not needed. Heat transfer during evaporation is also
improved. There is no negative impact on the efficiency of the
refrigerating process from impurities in the gas phase of the
dual fluid blend, such as vapour density, specific heat capacity
and evaporation enthalpy. The usual precautions taken when
working with ammonia must be observed.
Effective exploitation of waste heat
Given the steady increase in energy prices, operators
are finding it more important to bring down the operating
costs of their refrigerating systems by reducing the energy
requirements. Cold store operators or food processing
companies, for example, will find considerable potential
for savings in recovering waste heat to generate hot service
water. Depending on how the systems are designed, operators
rigeration Developments in Europe
You can help ARF continue and expand its research
programs by contributing your money and ideas. Read on to
find out how!
TAKE STOCK IN AMMONIA:
Buy Ammonia Bonds
ARFs latest fundraising drive gives you several ways to help
the ammonia refrigeration industry and yourself. You can Take
Stock in Ammonia by buying common stock shares at $50.00
each or preferred shares at $1,000. If recent events on
Wall Street have made you risk averse, consider purchasing
Ammonia Bonds, a life insurance policy that benefits the
Foundation. Ammonia Bonds are a way to increase your
ultimate gift to the foundation through a 10-year payout for
a Northwestern Mutual Life Policy in the Foundations name.
Jeff Welch points out that unlike Wall Street, an investment in
Ammonia Bonds is not an investment in junk, but an investment
in the future of a 150 year-old industry that delivers value to
the American people and to the world every single day.
For details on purchasing stock or Ammonia Bonds, please
contact Belinda Ross at (703) 312-4200 or by e-mail at
belinda_ross@Nh3foundation.org.
Naturally Green: ARF's Second
Annual Golf Tournament and
Reception Returns
Its a win-win situation! Play on one of the finest golf courses
in the country while helping ARF. Slated for Saturday morning,
March 21, before the start of the annual IIAR conference, this
years golf outing will take place at the Bear Creek Golf Club
in Dallas, TX.
The Bear Creek Golf Club is a challenging Par 72 course
and a DallasFort Worth area landmark. Designed by
distinguished golf architect Ted Robinson, the course combines
rolling North Texas terrain, stands of mature live oak trees, and
meandering Bear Creek to create a stunning visual landscape.
Rated as one of the Top 50 Resort Courses in America by
Golf Digest, and one of the Ten Best Places to Golf by The
Wall Street Journal, Bear Creek has hosted PGA qualifiers and
was a stop on the PGA National Golf Series.
Centrally located near the DFW Airport just minutes
from Interstates 30, 35E, and 635 Bear Creek is the most
conveniently situated golf club in all of North Texas. To learn more
about The Bear Creek Golf Club, visit http://bearcreek-golf.com/.
The format for this years outing differs from the typical
scramble type of play and allows everyone to play their own
In the Pipeline: Joint ASME-ARF
Research Project Paves the Way
for Safer, Cost-effective Piping
A
RF was founded with the mission of supporting
ammonia research and education. ARF will reach
an important milestone at the 2009 IIAR Industrial
Refrigeration Conference in Dallas when the findings of the
first ARF supported research project, the ASME-ARF Low
Temperature Pipe Research Project, are reported.
As the title indicates, the research was a joint endeavor with
ASME. ARF chose to be a co-sponsor of this research because its
results will directly benefit IIAR members by determining whether
20F is a valid threshold for low temperature piping or whether
less expensive piping can be used without impairing safety.
The project was suggested by IIAR member Rich Merrill.
In a March 2008 Condenser interview, Merrill said that
investigation was needed into the temperature range
benchmark of 20F because no explanation for it was
provided in the existing standard. He noted that the present
code has many seemingly arbitrary features including a
blanket requirement to impact-test any steel if the design
temperature is 55F (-48C) or below, again with no
explanation given. In addition, these requirements were
written over 15 years ago, and modern steel manufacturing
techniques may be creating different material properties than
were applicable when the standard was written.
ASME Standards Technology LLC is the contracting and
project management entity for the impact exemption project.
The testing was performed by the Pressure Vessel Research
Council, and the results will be presented at the 2009 IIAR
Industrial Refrigeration Conference in Dallas, TX.
After the paper is presented in Dallas, it will go through an
approval and amendment process before it becomes an integral
part of IIAR-2 (Equipment, Design and Installation of Closed-
Circuit Ammonia Mechanical Refrigerating Systems) and ASME
B31.5 (Refrigeration Piping and Heat Transfer Components).
ARF Chair Jeff Welch says that future ARF-sponsored
projects will focus on safety and mechanical integrity. Two
likely areas for ARF-funded research are stress corrosion
cracking and sight glass composition.
Stress corrosion cracking in ammonia vessels was chosen as
an area for study because most stress corrosion research has
focused on ammonia storage tanks for agricultural purposes,
a focus that may not be relevant to ammonia refrigeration
vessels. This is one of the first stress corrosion research projects
to deal specifically with ammonia refrigeration systems.
Ammonia Refrigeration Foundation UPDATE
Club campaign now has the Foundation secured with an
endowment of over $ 250,000 with an additional $ 50,000
in pledges. This level of endowment permits ARF to be self-
sustaining and to fund modest projects. Your donation can help
ARF to take its work to the next level and fund more ambitious
research projects, scholarships and training programs.
Your ideas for future research and education initiatives are
also invaluable contributions to the work of ARF. Please submit
your ideas to the Education and Research committees of the
IIAR Board.
The Ammonia Refrigeration Foundation (ARF) is a non-profit
research and education foundation promoting educational and
scientific projects related to industrial refrigeration and the use
of ammonia and other natural refrigerants.
ball throughout the match. A unique scoring system for the
event will challenge the avid golfers to compete for the prize
of individual champion while allowing the more casual golfers
opportunity to have fun while helping their foursome compete
for team prizes.
Make plans to come out to Dallas early and support
the refrigeration industry by participating in this important
fundraiser. Further information will be available at the ARF
website, http://www.nh3foundation.org/.
In Conclusion
In the two years since its inception, ARF has become fully
operative and self-sustaining. The generous participation
by individual and corporate sponsors in last years Century
Sight Glass Alert
The IIAR Standards Review Committee (SRC) has issued
an industry wide alert concerning potential safety hazards
associated with bulls eye sight glasses used at industrial
refrigeration facilities.
One of the real benefits of membership in a trade
association like IIAR is the opportunity to learn about potential
safety hazards, says IIAR Chairman Brian Marriott. When
these situations have developed in the past, IIAR has taken on
the role of identifying the seriousness of a potential safety issue,
studying it and devising a solution that minimizes or eliminates
the potential problem.
In recent months, IIAR has become aware of bulls eye sight
glass failures in ammonia refrigeration systems. These failures
include leaks, glass cracks and blowouts. Some of these events
may have been associated with hydraulic shock.
The IIAR is in the process of investigating the cause of
failures, discussing the issues with sight glass manufacturers
and formulating a plan of action.
At this time, we dont have enough information to make
good sound recommendations on what actions, if any, need to
be taken. At the same time, the Standards Review Committee,
which has been examining the issue, believes it is prudent and
responsible to inform the industry of this potential safety issue.
Our goal is to get it on our industrys radar screen, so that it
can become part of the mechanical integrity procedures that
could identify indicators of the potential problem and prevent it
from occurring, Marriott said.
The Standards Review Committee recommends the
following as part of a mechanical integrity inspection program:
1) Inspect liquid level sight glasses to ensure they are free
of damage or any other abnormality. This includes etching,
scratching, cracks, any other surface damage, discoloration
and lack of clarity. Replace any glasses that are suspect
immediately. If possible, verify that gaskets are correctly installed.
2) Pay particular attention to all phases of operations as
well as equipment designs that may create conditions leading
to hydraulic shock events as indicated by piping vibrations
and loud noises. Immediate remedies should be sought to
eliminate hydraulic shock when it is known to have occurred
either intermittently or regularly. For further information, consult
IIAR Bulletin 116.
3) Remove all sight glasses that are no longer in use
especially in high traffic areasand replace with a plug.
4) If clear sight glasses are used, confirm with the OEM
or installing contractor, the glass material. If the sight glass
is constructed of soda-lima glass consider replacing it with a
borosilicate type glass.
The IIAR would like to hear from you regarding your
experience with this type of failure. In addition to collecting
information in the weeks ahead, the Standards Review
Committee will ask the IIAR Research Committee to develop a
work statement and make a recommendation to the Ammonia
Refrigeration Foundation to finance a formal study of the issue.
This is exactly the kind of work the foundation was formed to
perform, Marriott concluded.
By William J. Joe Buck
IIAR Education Committee Member
Cimco Refrigeration USA, Inc.
W
hy Ammonia? The shock waves from the phase-
out of CFC refrigerants have long died down,
but a new tremor is coming. The phase-out
of the HCFC refrigerants is not far away, and with it goes
Refrigerant-22. R-22 has long been the fallback refrigerant in
industrial refrigeration applications where ammonia cannot
be used. There are a number of solid engineering reasons
for this, with energy usage being one of the principal ones.
Putting aside such issues as relative pipe and equipment sizes,
capital costs and oil management issues, lets look only at the
comparative energy usage of different refrigerants.
Since we are interested in industrial refrigeration
applications, lets define appropriate operating conditions for
typical industrial processes. In many large food distribution
facilities there is a frozen storage area typically designed for
10F room temperature with 20F refrigerant evaporating
temperature and there are cooler areas with air temperatures
running from +28F to +55F. These coolers are typically
refrigerated with refrigeration evaporating temperature of
+20F. Industrial systems typically use evaporative condensers
designed for 95F condensing temperature. The systems
are typically large enough that screw compressors are most
common.
The energy usage of condensers and evaporators are
virtually the same for the different refrigerants, but a close
look at energy usage by the compressor is interesting. One
of the compressor manufacturers makes available a selection
program (Coolware by Frick) that among other information,
calculates the capacity (tonnage) produced by the compressor
and the amount of energy used by this compressor for various
refrigerants at particular operating conditions. It is interesting to
plug in different refrigerants at the same operating conditions
for a particular compressor and look at the results. Pressure
drops in the piping will be ignored for this analysis.
Lets look at the 20F evaporating temperature and
95F condensing temperature system first for one particular
compressor with a displacement of approximately 790 cfm.
Making the computer runs for this compressor using different
refrigerants with all other parameters held constant gives the
following data:
Refrigerant Capacity(TR) Shaft Horsepower Required HP/Ton
R-717 104.4 245.2 2.349
R-22 104.7 264.9 2.530
R-134a 53.8 148.6 2.762
R-404A 97.9 290.8 2.970
R-507 102.2 302.3 2.958
R-410A 151.5 415.3 2.741
It is plain to see that ammonia and R-22 are relatively close
in energy usage at 2.349 and 2.530 BHP/TR respectively.
All of the HFC refrigerants require more compressor energy
with R-404A being the worst at 26.4% more energy than
ammonia at these operating conditions.
Lets see if this holds up for the +20F system.
Refrigerant Capacity Shaft Horsepower HP/TR
R-717 275.8 317.5 1.151
R-22 253.0 313.1 1.238
R-134a 153.8 197.0 1.280
R-404A 248.5 347.7 1.399
R-507 257.9 360.7 1.399
R-410A 358.2 484.4 1.352
Again, ammonia uses the least energy. R-404A and R-507
tie as the worst using 22% more energy.
On industrial screw compressors, we frequently use
economizing to improve efficiency on low temperature systems.
This may give the halocarbons an advantage since they have
such a high enthalpy of their liquid phases, and economizing
removes some of the enthalpy of the liquid before it goes to
the evaporator. Lets adjust our 20F system to include a flash
economizer to look at the compressor energy alone ignoring
Energy Comparison of Refrigerants continued on page 40
OF REFRIGERANTS
ENERGY
COMPARISON
PROCESS HAZARD ANALYSIS
A thorough, orderly, systematic approach for identifying,
evaluating, and controlling the hazards of processes involving
highly hazardous chemicals.
* What can happen that might cause injury or damage?
OPERATING PROCEDURES
Written operating procedures, consistent with the process
safety information that provides clear instructions for safely
conducting activities involved in the process.
* How do we do things consistently?
EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION
Written directives on how and when to involve employees in
the operation of the process.
* What are employee responsibilities and where do I find them?
TRAINING
OSHA believes that the implementation of an effective training
program is one of the most important steps that an employer
can take to enhance employee safety.
* Lets seepretty straight forward.
CONTRACTORS
PSM includes special provisions for contractors involved in
and around the process and their employees to emphasize
the importance of everyone taking care that they do nothing
to endanger those working nearby who may work for another
employer.
* How to handle contracted employees.
PRE-STARTUP SAFETY REVIEW
A safety review is required before any highly hazardous
chemical is introduced into a process.
* Are we really ready to hit the start button?
MECHANICAL INTEGRITY
It is important to maintain the mechanical integrity of critical
process equipment to ensure it is designed and installed
correctly and operates properly.
* Nothing lasts forever, and we need to know when it is time
to be replaced.
HOT WORK PERMIT
A required checklist and guidelines to safely do hot work.
By Jeff Sloan
T
o safely operate a submarine at sea requires a number of
people doing a number of things, completing a number
of forms and reporting to one person. And nobody asks
why? Every maintenance action on the sub requires numerous
forms to be reviewed and approved by numerous people. And
nobody asks why? Everyone onboard is required to qualify,
not only in his own job, but must learn the basics of every job
onboard. And nobody asks why? They all know that if they
do not do it that way, someone might die.
Although working in industrial refrigeration is not really akin
to being aboard a submarine, we can relate to the forms,
qualifications and approvals needed to be in compliance with
the regulations required in the U.S. and adopted by many
other countries. Unless you are new to the industry or have
been away for the last ten years, PSM and RMP should be an
important part of your industrial refrigeration life.
Unfortunately as late as last year, companies were still
receiving huge fines for compliance-related issues. Lets face
factsit is not like it used to be. Companies simply cannot
ignore the rules stating things like, Weve been operating
just fine for thirty years, and we shouldnt have to change
things now. Although many people still drive vehicles without
licenses and insurance, they are none the less doing so
illegally. The same is true in regards to PSM and RMP.
When people come to my class on PSM and RMP, I have
only one homework assignment. Read 29 CFR 1910.119 and
40 CFR 68. You cannot follow rules if you have no idea what
they say. So, the first step in compliance is: Know the rules.
As an instructor, I can appreciate the need for professional
training in areas requiring technical and regulatory knowledge.
There are many schools and consulting firms available to
provide this instruction. You can also accomplish this task
in-house to a degree. The OSHA and EPA websites are full of
useful tools and information. There are also examples provided
on what and what not to do.
Lets take a look at the element sections of PSM for a moment:
PROCESS SAFETY INFORMATION
Documentation on the hazards, design specifications, and
materials used in the process.
* In other words what you need to know about the process
for safe operation.
PSM RMP: Its not really that hard
PSM RMP continued on page 27
Emergency Response:
Three Perspectives
by Liz Milner, IIAR Staff Writer
N
obody wants to think about worst case scenarios,
but an emergency plan is essential to any
operation that deals with anhydrous ammonia. No
company emergency plan is complete if it doesnt provide
guidance on how to work with local fire departments,
police, medical and other emergency personnel who may
be called in to assist you in the event of an emergency.
How do you coordinate with these services and make sure
that they complement your efforts, rather than complicate them?
How do you make the best use of the resources they offer?
Michael Chapman, the manager of PSM/RMP services
for Tyson Foods, explains that, The Environmental Protection
Agencys Risk Management Program requires covered
facilities to coordinate with emergency responders to ensure
effective and coordinated mitigation is implemented in the
event of an emergency. Facilities should never be weary
of emergency responders coming onto their property If
this type of mindset exists it may indicate lack of proper
preparedness on the part of the facility. In the event of
an incident, a facility wants the emergency responders on
their side. Nothing looks worse in the media spotlight than
a fire chief telling the world that the facility has not been
cooperative and was unprepared. It is much more pleasant
for the facility to hear that everyone was prepared and that
the incident was managed with very little consequence to the
public and environment and that the facility was very easy to
work with during the incident."
North Carolina is a national model for emergency response
planning. In addition to the aforementioned Michael
Chapman, I spoke to two other North Carolinians who are
involved in the State's emergency response program.
Amy Ikerd is Regional Response Team program manager
for the State of North Carolinas Department of Crime
Control & Public Safety; and James Peele is fire chief for the
Town of Williamstons Fire and Rescue Department and team
coordinator for Regional Response Team #1. They all agree
North Carolinas Regional Response System
The North Carolina Hazardous Materials Regional
Response Program is a network of seven teams in seven
regions strategically located throughout the state.
The RRTs provide advice, technical support, manpower
and specialized equipment to local jurisdictions. Unlike
regular fire department personnel, the regional response
teams do not show up at a site in response to an alarm;
the incident commander or local emergency management
coordinator must contact the State Emergency Operations
Center to place a formal request for the RRT.
The teams state-of-the-art equipment and supplies are
transported in a specially designed tractor-trailer truck. Each
truck has more than $1 million worth of equipment and
supplies including a generator and floodlights, an air-pack
refilling station, and a communications center and work area
that enables the team to do research on toxic chemicals at
the incident scene.
that close cooperation between state and local emergency
services and facilities that use ammonia is essential.
North Carolina poses special challenges to Hazmat services.
Its terrain ranges from the Appalachian Mountains to the
Outer Banks with businesses ranging from rural farms to heavy
industries. North Carolina has a number of entities that provide
hazardous materials response capabilities, but one unique
feature to the state is the Regional Response Team program.
This program provides statewide hazardous materials capabilities
for cities and towns that do not have adequate resources
available. While all but one of the States regional Hazmat
teams are located in big city fire departments, the majority of
facilities that use ammonia are located in rural areas. Amy Ikerd,
the states Regional Response Team program manager, points
out that regional response teams are subject matter experts; not
first responders. Due to travel time, rural roads and distances for
a responding team its not realistic to put regional response teams
(RRTs) in the role of first responders. Instead, local facilities and
emergency response agencies must be capable of holding the
situation until the help arrives. They must have plans in place that
clearly define when an incident is beyond their control, when
and how to evacuate and isolate the area, and how to get help
quickly. Depending on the location of the incident it can take up
to an hour and a half for the regional response team to reach the
scene of the incident.
Tyson's Michael Chapman is a firefighter in Wrightsville
Beach and former Coordinator of one of North Carolina's
Regional Response Teams. He has been involved in
establishing a protocol for managing hazardous materials
incidents and educating his colleagues on how to plan
Emergency Response continued on page 18
for hazmat emergencies at Tysons manufacturing plants.
Many Tyson facilities have in-house emergency response
teams that are trained in ammonia response. The local fire
departments often dont have this sort of training or lack the
proper equipment, so the Tysons teams provide the immediate
response with the local fire department giving support. Chapman
says the steps his facility follows in an emergency are:
1. The facility calls 911 and the local fire department is notified.
2. The National Response Center is notified if the incident
exceeds a reportable quantity.
3. Fire department personnel come to the scene and the fire
departments incident commander meets with the facilitys
teams leader.
4. If the incident exceeds the capabilities of the local first
responders, they call the States Regional Response Team for
assistance which can range from advice to the full-fledged
deployment of a hazmat team. The local responders
request for help must be made by the incident commander
or the local Emergency Manager to the States 24-hour
Emergency Management Operations Center.
5. At this point, the states emergency operations personnel
consult with the hazmat team captain on duty, assess
the incident using a check list and determine the most
appropriate response.
Factors that the countys emergency operations staff consider when
making the decision of whether or not to call in the RRT include:
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If the substance is either an Extremely Hazardous Substance
(EHS) (as listed by the US Environmental Protection Agency),
or if the name or components are unknown, the RRTs are
authorized to begin an immediate response. Otherwise, the
request is subject to the approval process.
6. When the RRT arrives, The Team Captain reports to the
Incident Commander for a briefing. The Team Captain
assists the Incident Commander in making decisions, but
isnt in command.
The steps they take are to:
1) determine what chemical(s) may have been released.
2) determine appropriate public protection measures
3) determine appropriate Personal Protective Equipment for
any necessary mitigation measures
4) determine the appropriate response to the situation.
The RRT provides assistance until the situation is under
control and the emergency is over.
Chapman says that three CsCommunication,
Coordination and Cooperationare paramount in the
establishment of good working relationships with local and
state level emergency responders. Local fire departments can
play an advocacy role by facilitating communication between
the facility and the state hazmat teams. He says his facilities
invite the local fire departments in on a regular basis. They host
tours for fire personnel at least once a year and he encourages
his hazmat teams to conduct ammonia emergency drills with
fire departments and other local emergency management
agencies. He says that it's important that the fire departments
and facilities with hazardous materials be familiar with each
others capabilities and limitations. He also suggests that
whenever you have a fire department with multiple shifts, you
make sure that representatives from each shift be included in
your plant tours and emergency drills.
The Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know
Act (EPCRA) mandates that facilities that use, store or produce
hazardous chemicals must report quantities of chemicals and
submit copies of Emergency Plans to the State Chemical
Accident Prevention Program Coordinator. They must also
maintain an easily accessible database which provides details
regarding on-site chemicals and the companys emergency
plan. Ikerd recommends that facilities also provide copies
of their emergency plans to local emergency management
agencies.
Chief Peele says that some facilities send him emergency
operations plans, however, the facilities are not required
to do this. Peele says that while it is not our place to
oversee compliance with EPCRA, if the facility requests it,
we can provide advice and technical assistance to plants in
formulating emergency plans. He also honors requests for
hazmat demonstrations and does practice drills with local fire
departments.
Chief Peele says that the number one way facilities can
work with hazmat regional response teams is by creating a
relationship with local emergency management coordinators
and the local fire department. He recommends that plant
managers invite hazmat team people to tour their plants and
get them acquainted with the facility and its layout.
Amy Ikerd stresses the importance of pre-planning and
building relationships with your local fire department, police
and other local emergency management people before an
accident occurs. You can accomplish this by serving on your
Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). LEPC members
include business representatives, local fire departments, local
emergency operations office and police. They establish a local
plan for dealing with hazmat emergencies. Build relationships
with your local fire department by attending fire chief meetings.
Schedule plant safety tours for each regional response team
chief in your region. Invite us to your facility and show us
how your facility is laid out. Most importantly, get to know
what resources are available to you and how to summon help
before there is an emergency. Know what you can do until the
fire department or hazmat team arrives.
For more ideas from an ammonia industry perspective, see
Kem Russells comments, on page 19 of this magazine.
Program History
In 1991, only North Carolinas largest cities had hazmat
resources. James Peele, the fire chief of Williamston, NC,
felt that because northeastern NC was far away from
any hazmat resources, it was critical to set up some kind
of hazmat response team in his area. Since Interstate
95 runs right through this area the possibility of a serious
hazmat spill was always present. Peele called a meeting of
regional fire chiefs and they put together a group of people
who loved hazmat. This was the origin of RRT#1. This
team of 36 people covers 25 of North Carolinas 100
counties. Because the team members are scattered among
jurisdictions, Chief Peele can have a hazmat trained fire
fighter at an incident scene in minutes. The downside is that
team members arent available every day, 24/7. Sometimes
its hard to get the whole team together for training because
its members come from so many different municipalities.
In 1993, a state advisory committee recognized that
most local emergency response agencies in the state could
not afford the required training and specialized equipment
needed for an effective response to a hazmat emergency.
They convened a focus group of fire chiefs and state and
local emergency management personnel who created the six
regional response teams. (Charlotte was added later.)
To learn more about the Regional Response Teams, surf to
these web sites: http://www.dem.dcc.state.nc.us/HazMat/
RRTPAGE2.htm and http://www.townofwilliamston.com/
NewSite/Government/FireDepartment.asp
NC Hazmat continued from page 17
by Kem Russell, Vice President Engineering,
Doubl-kold, Yakima, Washington
H
ow do you educate fire departments about ammonia,
and develop cooperation between the refrigeration
industry and fire departments at the same time?
With the support of my employer, I have found several
ways to both educate and develop cooperation between
industry and fire departments. Doing this has required that
we be proactive in developing programs and be actively
involved in those programs. Several of the things we have
done and found effective are:
1) I am actively involved in the Local Emergency Planning
Committee (LEPC). Being familiar with numerous refrigeration
facilities in our area I, as a representative of the LEPC, have
been able to draw upon very helpful and willing people from
many of those facilities to help provide valuable programs for
the emergency responders and chemical facilities in our county.
We have helped to plan, and have been an active participant
in several seminars and exhibitions sponsored by the LEPC.
The LEPC did an all-day event that included talks (one of
which I gave) and workshops on PSM/RMP, the realities of a
chemical release, and filling out Tier II forms.
We helped develop a 4-hour program to provide
information about the recent Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) High Risk Chemical Facility Top Screen Assessment.
I gave a presentation on RMP, and also helped a large
refrigeration facility representative give a presentation on how
to fill out the DHS Top Screen Assessment.
2) We have provided hazardous material handling training
specifically for ammonia, and I have helped provide instruction
during these classes. As a company we offer twice a year,
8-hour refresher training as well as awareness training. Once
a year we offer a 24-hour hazard material technician class.
We do charge a fee for these classes, but we also offer these
classes to local fire departments at a reduced rate, or for
free depending on the circumstance. Many fire departments
have had their people attend these classes with the industry
people. This has helped in developing communication and
understanding between the two groups.
3) We have planned and held ammonia response drills, which
have involved industry, fire departments, police departments,
sheriffs offices, local
ambulances, and
the state patrol. With
the cooperation of a
refrigeration facility,
we have simulated an
ammonia release (usually occurring in the machine room) by smoking
the room, using a smoke machine supplied by a fire department.
During the drill the fire department(s) and industry participants work
together to remove the smoke from the room, as well as enter the room
dressed in the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) level
(Level A or B) to accomplish the task given by the scenario. When the
drill is over, all parties involved participate in a de-briefing meeting,
which not only helps everyone learn, but further develops and improves
cooperation between industry and local emergency responders.
4) Having been involved in many programs in the committee,
the local fire departments know who we are. The largest fire
department in our county has asked our company to provide
training (for a cost) on ammonia and ammonia refrigeration in
special fire department classes. I have been the instructor for these
classes which involve about 3 hours of lecture about ammonia,
types of releases, regulatory issues, and examples of releases. In
addition, each class goes on a tour of two different refrigeration
facility systems to help familiarize the fire fighters on what
refrigeration systems look like, what they might expect to find,
how piping might be labeled, etc.
5) For smaller communities, we have provided training
regarding ammonia, and for one fire department we have
actually done releases of ammonia so that their hazmat
technicians can gain helpful experience for the day they may
have to respond to an ammonia release.
All of these programs and events have taken time and
effort. To make most of these happen has required us to
be proactive, to step out of our comfort zone (many times)
and either be a part of programs, or put them on. I think
the increased understanding and cooperation with local
responders, and continued education of refrigeration facility
personnel in how to be safe when working around and with
ammonia has been worth it.
Emergency Response
TEAMWORK
Facility personnel working cooperatively
with emergency responders
Low-Temperature Pipe Research
The first formal technical paper based on an Ammonia
Refrigeration Foundation research project will examine the
findings of a joint ASME-ARF study conducted during the
past year.
Codes & Standards
Industry experts will discuss the latest developments on
codes and standards relating to the ammonia refrigeration
industry, including those that are applied in countries around
the world. Reports will focus on fire codes, mechanical codes,
ASHRAE 15, IIAR 2 and other new IIAR developed standards.
Exhibit Hall
The exhibit hall will feature displays from the leading
ammonia refrigeration industry manufacturers and service
providers. In addition, several exhibitors will present
technomercials that combine product information and training.
These sessions will be held in a room immediately adjacent to
the exhibit hall.
T
he 2009 IIAR Industrial Refrigeration Conference &
Exhibition Technical Program spans 2 days, consisting
of End User Workshops, Panel Discussions, Formal Papers
and technomercials (exhibitor sponsored training sessions)
that examine the use of natural refrigerants and address
sustainability from a variety of perspectives.
Register Today!
IIAR now accepts American Express, along with
MasterCard and VISA. Register online at www.iiar.org.
Technical Program
Energy Conservation
Technical papers, workshops and panels will report on the
latest operating procedures and design strategies that reduce
operating costs and boost the energy efficiency of your system,
improving your bottom line.
System Maintenance/Mechanical Integrity
Workshops are scheduled that examine mechanical integrity
testing programs developed by end users that outline a unique
scheduling approach and set of procedures.
Registration Now Open
IIAR-Sponsored Tours Will Show Your
Spouse or Guest the Best of Dallas
Your spouse, kids or guests will have plenty to do in Dallas while
you enjoy the Conference & Exhibition. IIARs three tour offerings will
introduce them to the most fun, exciting and educational activities
in Dallas. Theres a tour each day, from Sunday through Tuesday:
Sundays tour, which takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.,
highlights the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Well visit the historic Sixth Floor Museum and also tour Dealy
Plaza where Kennedy was shot. Lunch will be authentic Texas
barbeque at legendary Sonny Bryans Smokehouse. The tour
will close with a shopping trip to Wild Bills Western Store.
On Monday, from 9:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., well explore
Dallas foremost fashion mecca, Northpark Center Mall, and
lunch at the NM Caf, one of the Citys trendiest restaurants.
Tuesdays tour, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., celebrates the
Legendary Ladies of Dallas with a tour of the city followed by
a visit to the Smithsonians Womens Museum. Learn about the
lives of Belle Starr, Bonnie Parker (of Bonnie and Clyde fame)
and a host of other uppity women at the museums interactive
displays and Womens Walk of Fame.
To learn more about IIAR-sponsored tours, check your
registration packet which will be mailed to you in December,
or visit the IIAR website, www.iiar.org.
I
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March 2225, 2009
Dallas, Texas
2009 Conference Sponsors
Airgas
Colmac Coil
Baltimore Aircoil
EVAPCO
FES
Frick-JCI
Guntner
Hansen
Innovative
Refrigeration
Systems
Parker
Stellar
Vilter
T
he IIAR Industrial Refrigeration Conference is the premiere
venue for the exchange of ideas among people in the
industrial refrigeration community. The presentation
of technical papers is one vehicle for disseminating new
technological breakthroughs and for refining existing
technology.
This years lineup of technical papers highlights issues
of safety, mechanical integrity and sustainability. The eight
papers that will be presented at the conference are:
1) ASME-ARF Low Temperature Pipe Research Project
2) Penalties for CO
2
Systems vs Ammonia
3) Designing an Inherently Safer Ammonia Refrigeration System
4) Natural Refrigerant Applications in North American
Supermarkets
5) Calculating Freezing Times in Blast and Plate Freezers
6) Pumped Recirculators vs CPR Feed
7) Extended Surface Air Coolers for Industrial Refrigeration
Plantsthe Contractors Perspective
8) Probability in Ammonia Refrigeration Risk Assessment
The abstracts that follow will give an idea of the scope of
these presentations and the practical implications their research
findings have for the industry.
1) ASME ARF Low Temperature Pipe Research Project
An investigation of the impact test exemption curves of
ASME Section VIII, USC-66, in order to extend them to lesser
thicknesses. Specifically, the purposes of the investigation
included:
* Extension of the curves (particularly curves for material
groups A and B) to lower temperatures and to thicknesses
less than 0.394 inches
* To understand the technical and historical origin of these
curves
* To expand in a more systematic and complete way the
several exceptions to these curves, namely USC-66(d) and
UG-20(f)
* Evaluation of data and history in light of modern steel
production methods, which produce materials that are less
prone to low temperature failures
2) Penalties for CO
2
Systems vs Ammonia
CO
2
cascade systems have been used in refrigeration
for many years and are growing in popularity for a number
of reasons. Reduction in ammonia charge, reduced cost of
refrigerant, reduction in compressor size, reduced risk of
air ingress, and reduced energy consumption are all cited
as possible advantages with CO
2
cascade. This study
takes a detailed look at energy consumption using CO
2

cascade systems to determine whether they are in fact energy
competitive with two stage ammonia systems or other possible
systems over the range of temperatures normally encountered in
food freezing and storage applications.
3) Designing an Inherently Safer Ammonia Refrigeration
System
After approximately 12 years of research, the FAA
announced a new requirement in July 2008 which is designed
to make airline travel inherently safer. This requirement
mandates the use of nitrogen in airline fuel tanks to eliminate
the potential for a flammable atmosphere in these tanks. The
ammonia refrigeration industry has been emphasizing the use
of inherently safer designs for many years. Examples include
the use of secondary refrigerants and the elimination of
ammonia piping manifolds in processing areas.
The processes used to evaluate design options, however,
have tended to be relatively informal and qualitative in nature.
This technical paper will describe a formalized method that
has been used to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate
different options in ammonia refrigeration systems to determine
which option is inherently safer. The method involves adding
additional questions to Process Hazard Analysis (PHA)
studies to stimulate discussions on potentially inherently safer
designs. The method also involves the use of actual ammonia
accident investigation data that has been collected over a
three year period, published equipment and human failure
rate data, and ammonia dispersion analyses to evaluate
various design alternatives. The end result is a prioritized list of
recommendations which are designed to make the ammonia
refrigeration system inherently safer.
4) Natural Refrigerant Applications in North American
Supermarkets
Recent achievements with the application of CO
2

secondary and cascade systems in North American
supermarkets are presented. Practical information gained
through start-up and operation of these systems as well as
customer experiences is included. The results of a detailed
IIAR Technical Paper Presentations Spotlight
Safety, Sustainability
analysis are presented. These results focus on impacts of
distribution piping, material costs, and heat gain compared to
conventional direct expansion systems using HFC refrigerants.
An energy and TEWI comparison is made between several
system types including CO
2
secondary and cascade, as well
as various primary refrigerants. Projects successfully containing
the refrigerant charge in the mechanical room renew the
possibility of using ammonia on these systems. A discussion
of the potential of commercial ammonia systems in the U.S.
is added, highlighting needed developments for successful
implementation in the future.
5) Calculating Freezing Times in Blast and Plate Freezers
Recent experiences using carbon dioxide have shown
remarkable improvements in freezing times. Close analysis
of the freezing process has shown that this improvement is
a result of the elimination of hindrances which handicap
traditional freezer designs such as high suction line pressure
drops, intolerance of off-design operation and internal fouling.
The paper presents several methods of modeling the freezing
process which can be used in a simple spreadsheet, and
which helps to explain the benefits which can be gained by
using a correctly designed system with carbon dioxide as the
refrigerant.
The paper will provide an explanation of the theory behind
the freezing process and will convert this into a methodology
which can be implemented in a standard spreadsheet. For
more advanced users the option of automating the spreadsheet
by using macro programs will be explained.
6) Pumped Recirculators vs CPR Feed
The controversy over CPRs vs. pumped recirculators has
gone on for many years. Despite numerous articles and
papers, each claiming energy savings for its approach, the
problem has not been fully analyzed from a fundamental
standpoint. Using the simple concept of conservation of mass,
and employing thermodynamic properties of refrigerants, a
mass and energy balance can be modeled for each type
of system. This approach yields equations which can then
be used to predict the mass flows required for each type of
system. This allows the systems to be compared to each other
in a scientific manner. The paper will illustrate how feeding
cold liquid to the evaporators lowers pressure drops and
increases overall system efficiencies.
7) Extended Surface Air Coolers for Industrial Refrigeration
Plants the Contractors Perspective
Considering the very large range of evaporator coil
geometries, coil material combinations, coil defrost methods
and circuiting options available, the industrial refrigeration
contractor often faces considerable difficulties deciding which
evaporator design to use for a certain application.
The proposed paper will analyze:
* the impact of coil geometry on overall heat transmission
coefficient (u-value)
* the impact of material selection and fin thickness on overall
coil performance
* the importance of correct circuiting of air coolers
* performance differences between NH
3
and CO
2
* air pressure drop as a function of coil geometry
* vertical versus horizontal headers
* parallel flow versus counter flow and the impact on coil
performance
* the impact of internal (oil) and external (frost) fouling on the
performance of various coil geometries and materials
* high heat flux air coolers for cooling of fresh air supply to
food processing facilities
* vertical versus horizontal air flow
* evaporator capacity as a function of face velocity, gross
and net capacity
* evaporator design for low room dehydration
* effect of liquid overfeed rate on evaporator performance
* gravity flooded coils and the optimization of surge drum
height
* circuit orifices when are they needed and how are they
sized
* frost catch for evaporator coils
8) Probability in Ammonia Refrigeration Risk Assessment
Designers and users of ammonia in refrigeration and heat
pumps consider it a safe and economical refrigerant. The
number of accidents and lethal accidents are extraordinarily
rare compared to other risks in society. This is not generally
known and myths which depict ammonia as very dangerous
continue to influence regulators and society at large. This
paper demonstrates that ammonia's dangers have been greatly
exaggerated.
D
ean Foods Company has become a Founding Reporter
of The Climate Registry by being among the first to
join the organization. The Climate Registry is a non-
profit organization established to measure and publicly report
greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in a common, accurate
and transparent manner consistent across industry sectors and
borders. Thirty-nine U.S. states, six Canadian provinces, three
Native American tribes, two Mexican states and the District of
Columbia are the founders of the organization.
Dean Foods has demonstrated exemplary environmental
leadership by courageously stepping forward to support The
Climate Registry in its preliminary stages. We are deeply
grateful for their integral support in helping to address the
challenge of climate change, said Gina McCarthy, Chair of
The Climate Registry.
A leader in the dairy industry, Dean Foods has
demonstrated environmental stewardship on several fronts
by voluntarily committing to measure, independently
verify, and publicly report their greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions on an annual basis using The Climate Registry
General Reporting protocol. The protocol is based on the
internationally recognized GHG measurement standards of
the World Resources Institute and World Business Council on
Sustainability.
Dean Foods is honored to be a Founding Reporter of The
Climate Registry, said Michelle Goolsby, Executive Vice
President, Development, Sustainability and Corporate Affairs
for Dean Foods. We operate more than 100 manufacturing
plants in 35 states and have an extensive, nationwide
distribution system made up of more than 13,000 trucks
and trailers. This makes the monitoring and reporting of our
greenhouse gas emissions a significant undertaking. Together
with The Climate Registry, we look forward to improving
our awareness and increasing our efforts around sustainable
business practices.
Dean Foods Company is the largest processor and
distributor of milk and other dairy products in the United
States. The Company sells milk and a full range of other dairy
products under more than 50 well-known local and regional
brands and a wide array of private labels. The Companys
WhiteWave Foods division produces a variety of nationally-
branded dairy and dairy-related products, such as Horizon
Organic
dairy products, Silk
soymilk, and International

Delight
coffee creamers. WhiteWave Foods Rachels

Organic
brand is the largest organic milk brand and second

largest organic yogurt brand in the United Kingdom. The
Company recently released its first Corporate Responsibility
Update, which is available on its website at http://www.
deanfoods.com.
About The Climate Registry
Incorporated March 2007 in Washington, DC, The
Climate Registry provides accurate and transparent
measurement of GHG emissions and ensures consistency of
measurement metrics across industry sectors and borders.
The Climate Registrys accounting infrastructure supports both
voluntary and regulatory programs. For more information
please visit, http://www.theclimateregistry.org.
Dean Foods Climate Registry Founding Reporter
Earl M. Chip Jones,
Senior Vice President,
Corporate Responsibility
and Sustainability,
Dean Foods Company
Monday, March 23, 9:00 a.m.
E
arl M. Jones, III, (also known
as Chip), of Dean Foods
Company will deliver the Keynote Session remarks at
the 2009 Ammonia Refrigeration Conference & Exhibition.
Mr. Jones will provide real-life results from energy savings and
sustainability projects from an end users prospective. He will
review corporate strategies that have been applied at Dean
Foods Company.
Mr. Jones oversees Dean Foods Companys compliance
and ethics initiatives. His focus is on projects related to
sustainability, especially as it relates to energy conservation,
minimization of the use of raw materials and the continued
development of environmentally sustainable solutions for
the company. Projects he has been involved in include
anaerobic digesters being installed to produce methane
gas, projects designed to produce organic milk, and
energy savings projects for the refrigeration facilities
(variable speed evaporative condenser fans, variable
speed compressor motors, etc). His remarks will include an
overview of the company initiatives and changes in strategy
which have supported sustainability with economically
justified results.
Mr. Jones joined Dean Foods in March 2002 and handled
labor and employment matters, enterprise risk assessments and
the companys compliance and ethics initiatives. Prior to that,
he practiced labor and employment law in the Dallas, Texas,
office of Littler Mendelson, P.C.
There are two ways to determine optimum set points and
optimum operating strategies:
1) Do extensive research on your refrigeration plant to
determine the best set points and the best operating strategies.
You will need to conduct thousands of tests at different
refrigeration loads and at different ambient conditions. This
research can be costly and time-consuming, and success is not
guaranteed.
2) Hire somebody who has done similar research on other
refrigeration plants. The findings of this previous research can
be applied to your refrigeration plant. I think that this is the
method, because you will save time and money and benefit
from the experience of other members of the industry.
Lets look at optimization of operating set points.
Condensing Pressure
Winter operation. Our concept of optimum condensing
pressure is usually correct. The lower the condensing pressure
that we have; the more efficient the refrigeration plant. During
winter operation, the optimum condensing pressure is well
below 100 psig. Efficiency of the refrigeration plant will
improve if it operates at a condensing pressure closer to the
optimum condensing pressure. It is very important to minimize
this pressure, because many refrigeration plants run at minimum
Ideas on Energy Savings continued on page 37
by Sergei Khoudiachov, S. K. Energy Consulting
E
nergy savings in industrial refrigeration dont have to be
expensive. In industrial refrigeration, operators have a
unique opportunity to achieve significant energy savings
without significant investment. Optimization of refrigeration
plant operation can produce substantial energy savings without
vast capital investment.
For many years, the industry was focused on Programmable
Logic Controllers (PLCs) and Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)
as tools for saving energy. However, considerable energy
savings can be achieved for a majority of refrigerated plants
by optimizing the operation of these plants. This approach
doesnt require major capital investments and it pays back
within a few months.
Two steps are needed to optimize plant operations:
1) determining optimum set points and optimum operating
strategies
2) implementing of optimum set points and optimum
operating strategies
Determining optimum set points and optimum operating
strategies is a difficult but necessary task. Very often we
just guess at these points and strategies because of limited
knowledge of this issue. How can we reach the goal, if we
dont know what it is?
Editors Note | In todays world, energy
efficiency is the number one priority for the
thousands of industrial refrigeration systems
operating around the globe. Unfortunately,
many of these systems were designed and
built before reducing energy consumption was
the priority it has become during the past ten
years. As a result, achieving energy savings
can be a challenge for those responsible
for operating these facilities without making
significant new capital investment. This
article addresses some potential strategies
for dealing with this problem.
Ideas on
ENERGY
SAVINGS
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IN7RNA7IONAL AIR-CONDI7IONING - HA7ING - RIRIGRA7ING XPOSI7ION
* RMPs concernpotential incidents that may cause
environmental and health hazards outside facility boundaries
Doesnt look like that much, now does it? When you get
right down to it, most of the requirements just make good
management and safety sense. We all trust that the driver of
the other car has some idea what they are doing. We depend
on them adhering to most of the rules and laws of driving so
we can coexist on the road. In this example, we are only
talking about one other person, not hundreds. A car crash,
even though potentially fatal, does not usually take on the
aspect of the possibly large scale affects a release or incident
could impose.
Whether a company has just been lucky in not killing or
injuring anyone or having a release or accident over the
past twenty or thirty years, is no excuse for blindly continuing
to do things the way we have always done it. Regulatory
requirements aside, we owe it to our people to ensure their
safety. We owe it to ourselves to operate our systems safely
and efficiently. Training our people to do this is vital to our
success. However, training alone is not enough. We must
allow the skilled individuals to use what they have learned or
the value is lost.
Instructional materials are available from many sources.
Organizations like RETA, IIAR, IARW, etc., are wonderful
sources of information. Schools and consulting agencies can
provide training in many venues. If you want to concentrate on
your own people, the training can be done at your location. If
you like the added advantage of other company experiences,
maybe training at a school is for you. The most important thing
is to get going. There is no time like the present, and, since
the deadlines for PSM and RMP have both long passed, today
would be a good time to start.
Most violations are due to not having a written program.
Remember: If it is not documented, it did not happen.
Begin by reading the regulations to ensure you know what
they say. Look at your current program closely to see where
you may find holes. Have your program audited by an outside
agency. Sure, this will cost you money, but will most certainly
be less than any potential fine. Get serious about doing
things right.
Take a look at examples of other company failures. You
can find these at the OSHA and EPA websites for starters. Look
under news releases. Subscribe to what is known as Google
Alerts. On the Google site, you can set up a search for news
reports, blogs and the like for any word or series of words
to have a link e-mailed to you on a time schedule that you
decide. Nothing beats knowing what not to do in order to
get it right.
Fact is that regulatory requirements are a way of life and
once you get going, they really are not that hard.
MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE
Contemplated changes to a process must be thoroughly evaluated
to fully assess their impact on employee safety and health and
to determine needed changes to operating procedures.
* Is this change needed? Is this change smart?
INCIDENT INVESTIGATION
A thorough investigation of incidents is needed to identify the
chain of events and causes so that corrective measures can be
developed and implemented.
* What happened and how can we prevent this from
happening again?
EMERGENCY PLANNING AND RESPONSE
An emergency action plan for the entire plant must be
developed and implemented.
* If, despite the best planning, an incident occurs...
COMPLIANCE AUDITS
Are we paying attention to what we are doing? Have we
documented it?
* If we dont check ourselves, who will?
TRADE SECRETS
Hey, finally one that doesnt apply to our process.
* BUT, If it is not documented, it did not happen. So, you still
have to say so.
What about RMP? In addition to all of the PSM requirements,
RMP adds:
Management System
* Develop a management system to oversee the
implementation of the RMP elements.
* Identify a single person or position that has overall
responsibility for the RMP.
Hazard Assessment
* Offsite impacts including a worst case and alternate case
scenario.
* Hov uuc| uuuugo v|| u |o|ouso uo
* EPA provides computer software to accomplish this.
Five Year Accident History
* Count em; one, two, three, four, five.
Risk Management Plan
* Submitted to EPA using computer software designed by EPA
for that purpose.
What are the major differences in the two programs?
* PSMs concernpotential hazard and protection of
employees inside a regulated area
PSM RMP continued from page 15
(3) Employers shall provide to employees and their
representatives access to process hazard analyses and to
all other information required to be developed under this
standard.
Well, that looks easy enough, under paragraph (c)(1) we
are required to develop a written plan of action as to how our
employees and co-workers will participate in our Employee
Participation program. In the second part of that paragraph,
however, we need to address all of the requirements stated in
this section, which contains two more paragraphs.
Under paragraph (c)(2) we have two new goals. The first
goal is talk to our employees, (and their union if applicable),
as to how we are going to conduct our process hazards
analyses (PHA), (1910.119(e) Process hazard analysis).
This means identifying the processes or means we will use
to identify the hazards of our ammonia refrigeration system,
explaining why we selected this process, identifying the
people who will conduct the PHA, and the procedure for
allowing our employees access to the information that we
collect or generate along the way. The second goal is to
decide how we plan to complete our PSM program.
The requirements of paragraph (c)(2) arent relevant to most
of us because they have already been completed in the very
early stages of developing a PSM program.
James C. Marrella, Coordinator OSHA/EPA Compliance,
United States Cold Storage, Inc.
T
hink of OSHAs Process Safety Management (PSM) as a
spunky 16-year-old. It may seem a bit of a reach, but the
fact is that the PSM had its 16th anniversary last May.
Like any adolescent, its growing pains may give you a pain if
you dont fully understand the logic behind the language.
To make dealing with the PSM less of a challenge, this
article will review OSHAs Process Safety Management
Program with one very important toolthe tool of hindsight.
Were going to take an in-depth look at the Employee
Participation section of the PSM. In the event that you need
further clarification, feel free to contact the IIAR; we love to
hear from you!
Lets look at the wording of OSHAs PSM section
1910.119 (c) Employee participation:
(1) Employers shall develop a written plan of action
regarding the implementation of the employee participation
required by this paragraph.
(2) Employers shall consult with employees and their
representatives on the conduct and development of process
hazards analyses and on the development of the other
elements of process safety management in this standard.
PROCESS
SAFETY
Management
and like most adults, they must see a value or a purpose for
their duties and in some cases this is where training can play a
big part. Dont be afraid to develop a training program before
enacting any program no matter how simple it may appear.
Also the training should include the intent of the program; your
employees must know what the goals are.
The intent of OSHAs employee participation program is
to get our employees involved and keep them engaged in
each element of the PSM program, including the facilitys
PHA, which is critical. My companys employee participation
program is under seven pages, with three appendixes and
several one word sentences. Yes; you can have one word
sentences and here they are:
Who? What? When? Where? How? and Why?
OK, these are more like questions, but questions can be
made into sentences such as the ones below. Also, please
keep in mind that some of the questions may not apply but you
will not know that until you ask the questions. Dont assume
anything.
To develop our employee participation program we should
ask the following questions:
1. What are the requirements of our employee participation
program and are they listed in our program?
2. Who are the people responsible for developing;
implementing and ensuring the SUCCESS of our program
and are they listed in the program?
3. When are the requirements to be enacted and is the timing
stated in our program?
4. Where can more information be obtained relating to our
program requirements?
5. How is the program implemented?
6. Why have the implementation decisions and priorities been
made in developing our program?
Sixteen-year-olds need clear-cut, easy to follow rules in
order to make it safely through a dangerous world. By
following these guidelines, you can make PSM, that most
troublesome 16-year-old, your partner in achieving a stellar
safety record.
The requirement in Paragraph (c)(3), is virtually the same
as in paragraph (c)(2) except it applies to developments after
May 26, 1992. Both requirements call for the same actions;
allow our employees to have access to our PHA along with
the data and allow them to see and read all of that good stuff
relating to our PSM documentation.
So, if paragraph (c)(3) is virtually the same as paragraph
(c)(2) why do we have paragraph (3)? Well, the best way
to explain this is that OSHA is concerned with two different
periods in a facilitys life: before PSM and after PSM. If you
are a new facility under construction and the systems initial
ammonia charge is going to be over 10,000 lbs., or if you
are under 10,000 lbs., and expanding your process to the
point where your facility will have over 10,000 lbs., then you
need to follow the requirements under (c)(2).
After you have completed the requirements under paragraph
(c)(2), and if there were no paragraph (c)(3), you would have
no further requirements under employee participation. Consider
paragraph (c)(3) to be employee participation maintenance
or PSM after PSM.
Now, with that behind us; what did we learn? Well
we learned that if we are a new facility under construction
with a system ammonia charge greater than 10,000 lbs or
if we plan to expand our existing system and increase our
ammonia charge to a level greater than 10,000 lbs., our
employee participation program must be in writing and we
need to inform our employees on our approach to our process
hazard analysis, and how we are going to address the other
requirements in OSHAs process safety management.
Also, once we are up and running, our employee
participation program should include instructions on how we
will gain and maintain our employees participation in our
facility PHA and how we plan to keep them informed of all of
the documentation generated by the PSM program.
It would be easy to post a paragraph saying, Company
ABC has an Employee Participation Program which gives all
ABC employees access to the facility PSM program. Please
see our PSM coordinator. Done, finished; Miller Time!
Well, its not quite that simple! This is a good time to talk
about regulatory compliance. I am a firm believer in the old
adage known as the KISS principal; Keep It Simple and
Sensible. (Yes, I did change it a bit!) Too simpleno matter
how sensiblewill get you into trouble. Regulatory compliance
can be more art than science; the art is in knowing how to
develop a compliance program that will keep your employees
safe without shooting yourself in the foot.
Yes, shooting yourself in the foot. When developing any
type of safety and health program, the key is to try to stay
within reasonable, achievable and sensible boundaries.
Credibility is the key. Remember we are dealing with adults,
attention to moisture precipitation. Correct calculating procedure
for zero moisture precipitation in the absence of a conditioned-
air vestibule or other specific means of dewpoint-temperature
reduction is along an adiabatic air-mixing line as described at
the end of this article; calculating infiltration-air refrigeration-load
in this manner and providing system designs accordingly are
effectively mandated by law in food-processing facilities where
USDA Regulations prohibit moisture precipitation.
The step-by-step additions of artificial heat have tended to
coincide with a matching step-by-step reduction in doorway
frost and ice, and the total amount of heat finally provided
(once ice-crystal precipitation essentially disappears) tends
to agree with the psychrometrically determined amount of
artificial sensible heat (and added refrigeration) required to
lower dewpoint temperature in the outer room from a normal
level to the level at which only adiabatic air-mixing can
occur. (The added heat and refrigeration called-for by the
psychrometrically based calculation shown later amounts to
124% of the normal level load. Traffic-door heater sizes
coinciding with the disappearance of airborne ice crystals
are found to range from approximately 150 to well over
300 watts/ft of doorway area. Two hundred watts/ft are
assumed in the case of Table 1.)
Outer rooms have been examined in which traffic-door
heater size had been incrementally increased until doorway
frost and ice largely disappeared. The size, temperatures
and usage of all openings (including leakage areas) were
measured, and all heat gains were calculated in their sensible
and latent components. The outer-room air-cooling units were
found to either provide sensible-cooling only or no cooling at
all (because of very large freezer exfiltration), and the amount
of artificial sensible heat released at the doorway was found to
not only agree reasonably well with psychrometrically based
calculations, but that all refrigerating effects occurring within
the outer room reasonably agreed as well.
Conclusion Based On Practice
The introduction of large amounts of electric resistance heat
to reduce doorway frost and ice is seen to confirm established
psychrometric principles and to strongly recommend these
principles for the proper design and application of energy-
efficient vestibules.
George R. Smith, M.E., Founder of HCR, Ret.
R
ecent years have seen a doubling or more of doorway
usage in distribution-type freezers. The increase stems
primarily from the use of well-designed racking systems
in conjunction with computer-assisted warehousing. A great
benefit has been the doubling of effective freezer space at a
fraction of the cost of equivalent new-freezer size. A drawback
has been the increase in doorway frost and ice resulting from
the greater doorway usage, for which soundly engineered
remedies are needed.
This article is in response to the wide-scale and very-
mistaken practice of releasing ever-increasing amounts of
electric resistance heat at freezer entryways in attempts to
eliminate doorway frost and ice. Although the heat is usually
applied to the outer-room side of fast-acting traffic doors, one
manufacturer has recently displayed a model featuring all of
the heat applied to the freezer side. The cost penalty involved
in either case, including refrigeration required to remove
the heat, is illustrated in Table 1 for a typical high-usage
doorway. For the circumstances assumed, $10,275 additional
refrigeration-plant size and $11,929 more annual operating
cost are calculated for the traffic door (door design B) than
for a fast-acting conditioned-air vestibule (door design A)
designed in accordance with the psychrometric happenings
which underlie doorway frost and ice.
Psychrometric Principles Upheld
Although releasing unconfined electric-resistance heat at
freezer doorways constitutes very poor design, the step-by-step
increases in heater size of the past few years serve well as
preliminary testing for what ought to be a formal study of the air-
mixing that occurs just inside these doorways. In the absence of
such a study, customary infiltration-air calculating procedure has
been to assume adiabatic mixing regardless of the conditions
of the infiltrating and exfiltrating airstreams, and in spite of
airborne ice crystals and frost and ice accumulations commonly
seen just inside the doorway, and prematurely frost-clogged
coils frequently seen some distance away. Figures 1 through 5
are photographs of these occurrences. Customary procedure
is to calculate infiltration-air heat-gain along a hypothetical
straight-line air-mixing path on the pyschrometric chart without
Frost-Free Freezer Doorways:
in a very significant reduction in total owning and operating cost
compared to the electrically heated door. These costs, typically,
are also summarized in Table 1.
Psychrometric Principles
The psychrometric plots of Figure 10 illustrate the straight-line
adiabatic air-mixing process applicable to precipitation-free
infiltration and graphically depict the apparatus-dewpoint
calculating procedure applicable to the air-cooling and air-
warmup processes attendant thereto. ASHRAE Handbook,
Refrigeration Systems and Applications, Chapter 26, Refrigeration
Load and ASHRAE GRP 158, Load Calculation Manual,
Appendix A6, fully explain these processes and procedures.
The symbols used for Figure 10 are defined as follows:
Point N (Normal) 40F/80% RH H
TN
total heat for Point N
Point L (Lowered) 40F/45% RH H
TL
total heat for Point L
Point V (Vestibule) 42F/44%RH W
N
moisture change at Point N
Point F (Freezer) 10F/90%RH W
L
moisture change at Point L
SHR Sensible-Heat Ratio EAT coil entering-air temperature
ADP Apparatus Dewpoint LAT coil leaving-air temperature
BF Bypass Factor DPT dewpoint temperature
Calculations Based on Use of a Conditioned-Air Vestibule
Point N of Figure 10 is a normal outer-room design which
applies where a properly designed conditioned air vestibule
is provided at the freezer doorway. Using the ADP Method of
relating the cooling coil to the room, a straight line of 0.75
SHR (the cooling-load characteristic assumed for this example)
is extended from Point N to the saturation curve, which
occurs at 30F. Therefore, the coil leaving-air temperature
(shown graphically) is 40(1BF)(4030) = 32F where BF
is assumed to be 0.20 (a typical cooling-coil design). Plotting
32F on the air-cooling/air-warmup line and extending
dashed lines as shown, H
TN
= 14.111.6 = 2.5 Btu/lba
and W
N
= 0.004170.00359 = 0.00058 lbw/lba, which
constitute the basic quantities for refrigeration-coil selection and
system-size overall.
The heavy dashed line between Point N and Point V
represents the dewpoint-temperature step-down effect that
occurs where air-density in the vestibule is made identical to
air-density in the outer room.
Widespread Need
The importance nationally of well conceived entryway designs
for freezers is further apparent from the following statement by
an ASHRAE Technical Committee seeking improved data for the
determination of infiltration-air refrigeration load:
In recent years the size and number of refrigerated
distribution and storage facilities have grown significantly and
it is now estimated that refrigerated warehouses use 1 x 1014
BTUs of energy per year. In spite of this large use of energy
and the fact that infiltration represents 50%, or more, of total
refrigeration load, the method of calculation for this load is
fundamentally left to the experience of the design engineer.
(ASHRAE Transactions, 1989, V. 95, Part 2, authors italics).
Heated Doors Described
Referring to Figure 6, heat from large wattage heat-lamps
or blower/heater units flows freely into the outer room. This
artificial sensible heat together with cold/dry exfiltration air
from the freezer combine to effect a lowering of the outer
rooms dewpoint temperature. If a sufficiently large amount
of heat and corresponding refrigeration are introduced, a
dewpoint temperature is reached at which airborne ice-crystal
formation will not occur as outer-room air infiltrates the freezer.
However, achieving the low dewpoint temperature requires an
inordinate amount of electrical energy and entails a significant
increase in refrigeration load. The psychrometric plot of Figure
7 shows, for a typical situation, the lower-than-normal outer-
room dewpoint temperature which must be attained for frost-
free operation and provides the calculating basis described
later for heater sizing and its related added-refrigeration load.
Typical owning and operating cost consequences of this
entryway design are summarized in Table 1.
Conditioned-Air Vestibules
Referring to Figure 8, heat is needed, except for minor air-
leakage and brief door-openings, only for the air trapped within
the vestibule each time it closes. This small amount of air requires
a correspondingly small amount of artificial sensible heat and
cold/dry freezer exfiltration to lower its dewpoint temperature
to a non-frost-producing level. Although the psychrometric plot of
Figure 9 shows essentially the same adiabatic air-mixing path as
seen in Figure 7, the much smaller amount of air to treat results
Frost Free continued on page 32
Electric Heaters or Conditioned-Air Vestibules?
Figure 6. Freezer doorway served by an externally heated door.
Calculations Based on No Vestibule Used
Point L is at the lowered outer-room dewpoint temperature
required for no moisture precipitation where infiltration is
directly into the freezer. The maximum allowable dewpoint
temperature is determined by means of an adiabatic air-
mixing line drawn tangent to the saturation curve from freezer
conditions, Point F, to the 40F DB line. Point L, at the
intersection of the air-mixing line with the 40F line, reveals
21.5F to be the maximum allowable dewpoint temperature
for the outer room, above which moisture precipitation at the
freezer doorway is predicted to occur. (Line FL is extended
Frost Free continued from page 31
Figure 1. Infiltration to a 10F freezer opening to a 40F outer room.
(For any given set of freezer and outer-room conditions, at what percent
door-open time does ice-crystal precipitation cease to be acceptable?)
Figure 2. Walls and ceiling inside the doorway of a 10F freezer
opening to a 55F loading dock. (Does this illustrate the limited
dehumidifying ability of outer-room coils operating at customary coil TDs?)
Figure 3. Unit cooler in a 20F freezer. (What can be surmised about
freezer rh where this is observed?)
Figure 4. Vestibule between a 10F freezer and a 40F outer room.
(Did the designer forget to view his psychrometric chart?)
Figure 5. Penthouse unit for a 10F freezer operating at a very large
coil-TD. (This photograph was taken shortly after the coil was switched
froma 27F suction line to a 40F suction line. The frosting shown
occurred coincident with a several-degree rise in freezer temperature. The
change in suction temperatures had been recommended by someone as
part of an "energy management" program. The coils, after two months,
were returned to the 27F line following which the freezer temperature
returned to 10F and the coils again frosted and defrosted normally.
Would the occurrence of supersaturation prior to direct air contact with
the coil explain the radical changes in frost density and heat transfer that
had occurred?)
Figure 9. Normal
outer-room design
using conditioned-air
vestibules.
Figure 7. Lowered outer-room
design required for externally
heated doors.
Frost Free continued on page 34
Figure 10. Depiction of an
upper-limit adiabatic air-
mixing path and the ADP
calculating method.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 8. Freezer
doorway served by a
conditioned-air vestibule.
with Line FV of Figure 10. In doing so, a lowered dewpoint
temperature within the vestibule will have been achieved
because of the resultant greater inflow of cold/dry air from the
freezer than of warm/moist air from the outer room.
The use of externally heated doors or any other manner of
adding heat (including hot-gas reheat) directly to the freezer or
to its outer room is not an economically justifiable alternative to
a fast-acting conditioned-air vestibule.
The effects on freezer-system design and operation of non-
adiabatic air-mixing at the doorway should be formally studied
and the results made known to refrigeration engineers.
Summary
First-year savings where a properly designed freezer
vestibule is used rather than an electrically heated door often
amount to a reduction in cash outlay in excess of $20,000
per doorway the very first year apart from the first-cost
difference between the two designs. This freezer-vestibule
advantage is substantiated by established psychrometric
calculating procedure.
to Point V where step-down from N to V, as stated above,
applies instead.)
Assuming the same airflow rate as for normal-system sizing,
W
L
is the same as W
N
for the revised coil selection needed
in order to achieve Point L. The new air-cooling/air-warmup
line is then fitted between Point L and the saturation curve in
accordance with whatever BF may apply. Using BF = 0.23,
H
TL
= 12.26.6 = 5.6 Btu/lba.
Therefore, for the airflow rate and BF stated, the amount
of artificial sensible heat and cooling required to lower the
outer-room moisture level to Point L is H
TL
H
TN
= 5.62.5 =
3.1 Btu/lba, which means that the tonnage requirement for the
outer room is increased to (5.6/2.51)(100) = 124% more
than the requirement for the normal outer-room design and
that compressor horsepower, because of the lowered leaving-
air conditions, is increased even more.
Conclusions Based on Psychrometric Principles
Freezer entryways should be equipped with uniformly mixed-
and conditioned-air vestibules and controlled in accordance
Doorway Cost comparison in a Typical Warehouse Freezer
Doorway width by:
height
Freezer condition
Outer-room conditions
8 ft x10 ft
10F, 90% rh
40F, 90% rh
Daily warehouse hours (DWH) 16 24
Passes through doorway/day 320 480
Doorway refrigeration load and
electricity usage
Door Design A
(fast-acting
conditioned-air
vestibule) Door Design B
Door Design A
Advantage Door Design A Door Design B
Door Design A
Advantage
Freezer load (tons) For DWH 3.5 5.96 3.5 5.96
For after hours .55
Total load referred to DWH 3.5 6.51 3.5 5.96
Total referred to 24-hour day
Freezer refrig. first-cost
2.33 4.34 2.01
$6,030
3.5 5.96 2.46
$7, 380
Outer-room benefit (tons)
For DWH
For after hours
Total benefit referred to DWH
Total referred to 24-hour day
Outer room refn. first cost
.73
.73
.49
1.33
2.18
3.51
2.34 2.83
$4,245
.73
.73
.73
1.33
1.33
1.33 2.06
$3,090
Combined first-cost savings $10, 275 $10, 470
Electricity: est. annual cost at
$0.06 kWh ($)
For DWH
For after hours
Total
$3,871 9,445
6,355
5,574
6,355
$11,929
5,592 13,363
3,337
8,051
3,337
$11, 388
1. These tabulations are for preliminary judgment purposes
2. $3,000/ton installed cost assumed
3. $1,500/ton installed cost assumed
Table 1: Doorway cost comparison for a typical freezer warehouse. (Information provided by HCR, Inc.)
Frost Free continued from page 33
Code Update continued from page 8
2007-2008 International Code Proposals of Interest to IIAR
Item # Proponent Sections Issue
Public Hearings
IIAR Position & Notes
Final
Action
1
F92 Aaron Coate 606.9 Location of
remote controls
for refrigeration
equipment
Watch
Attempts to eliminate the requirement for A1/B1 refrigerant machine rooms to have
remote controls outside of the machine room entrances to activate emergency ventilation
and to shut-off equipment in the machine room
D
F93 IIAR 606.10.1.1,
606.10.2.2
EPCS Set Point Support
Changes the buffer between PRV rated operating pressure and the EPCS operating
pressure from 15 psi to 10% of the PRV rated operating pressure. This provides a greater
factor of safety to prevent weeping of a PRV in an overpressure condition before the
EPCS operates
A/S
F94 IIAR 606.13 Ammonia
machine room
ventilation
discharge
treatment
Support
Deletes the requirement to treat the discharge from exhaust ventilation systems serving
ammonia machine rooms
A/S
F191 AAMA Smoke
Vent Task
Group (vent
manufacturers
trade
association)
910.1, 910.2,
910.2.1,
910.2.2,
910.2.3
Smoke &
heat vents for
warehouses,
including freezers
Watch
Proposes to modify the current exemption that permits no smoke/heat vents, draft curtains
or mechanical smoke removal systems in warehouses equipped with ESFR sprinkler
systems and in frozen food warehouses with Class 1 and Class 2 commodities. As
revised, implies that mechanical smoke removal and draft curtains could be required in
such warehouses.
D
F235 Underwriters
Laboratories
2211.7.1 Gas detection Watch
UL is introducing a requirement for gas detectors to be listed per UL 2075, when used
at motor vehicle fueling stations. At some point in a future code cycle, this is likely to
progress into other parts of the code that require hazardous gas detectors, such as
ammonia detectors.
A/S
F249 Steel Tank
Institute
Chapter 45 Pressure vessels
must meet ASME
BPVC
Watch
Adds a requirement that pressure vessels be in accordance with ASME Boiler and
Pressure Vessel Code. This should not be a problem for IIAR, as IIAR2 already references
the BPVC.
A/S
F251 Washington
State Assn Of
Fire Marshals
2703.2.2.2 Health Hazard
Level 3 & 4
hazardous
materials,
Category M
Piping Required
Watch
This proposal would add a requirement for all piping conveying flammable, corrosive
or toxic gases or liquids (among other hazard categories) to meet ASME B31.3
requirements for Category M piping. While this would not immediately impact ammonia
refrigeration, because ammonia refrigeration is exempted from IFC Chapter 27, it would
impact ammonia in other applications. If approved, the change could later be proposed
to be extended to cover refrigerant piping
D
F255 Michael Jacoby,
Seven Valleys,
PA
2704.9 Community
evacuation
planning and
alarms
Watch
Submittal by an apparent activist would require, among other things, an alerting
system to warn the community of a hazardous materials incident. While this would not
immediately impact ammonia refrigeration, because ammonia refrigeration is exempted
from IFC Chapter 27, it would impact ammonia in other applications. If approved, the
change could later be proposed to be extended to cover refrigeration systems
D
F259 Joint Fire
Service Review
Committee
2705.1.11.1 Process hazard
analysis for PSM
for on-site review
Watch
Would require PSM documents to be available on site for review by the fire official at
PSM regulated facilities
D
G28 Robert Davidson 307.1 Rooftop storage
of flammable
gases
Watch
Specifically exempts rooftop storage of flammable gases above a canopy from being
classified as a Group H occupancy. Currently, the code never applies an occupancy
classification to rooftop systems, but by specifically exempting rooftop flammable
gas systems above a canopy, the change would imply that other rooftop storage of
hazardous materials IS a Group H occupancy, which would impact rooftop ammonia
refrigeration equipment.
A/M
S56 Philip Brazil,
PE, SE, Reid
Middleton Inc.
1604.6 Component
Importance
Factor.
Watch
The proposal states that the component importance factor shall be 1.5 where any of the
components conveys hazardous materials. Previously it was 1.0 except under specific
conditions. Because this is in the IBC with no refrigeration exemption, it would require
refrigerant piping support to have a 1.5 safety factor for lateral force resistance bracing
D
S131 Philip Brazil,
PE, SE, Reid
Middleton Inc.
1707.8 Mechanical
And Electrical
Components.
Watch
Currently, periodic special inspection is required during installation of piping systems
intended to carry flammable, combustible or highly toxic contents. This proposal would
change the requirement to apply to ALL tubing for the conveyance of ALL hazardous
materials and their associated mechanical units in structures assigned to Seismic Design
Category C, D, E or F
D
Code Update continued on page 36
1
A/SAccept as Submitted A/MAccept as Modified RReject
Public Hearings
Final
Action
1
M90 Steel Tank
Institute
ASME BPVC Watch
Companion to F249. Adds a requirement for pressure vessels be in accordance with
ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code
A/M
M91 Mona Casey 1101.10 Lockable valve
cap requirement
for access ports
on refrigeration
systems.
Watch
Adds a new requirement for lockable valve caps on refrigerant access ports. Although the
proposed requirement was recommended for disapproval by ICCs Mechanical Code
Development Committee at the first hearing on this item, the ICC membership voted
to overturn this action and passed the proposal by a margin exceeding the required
2/3 super majority. The driving issue behind this new requirement is concern over the
accessibility of refrigerant vapor for huffing by children.

Obviously, huffing of ammonia wasnt an issue, but ammonia was ensnared in the new
requirement because the requirement applies to all refrigeration systems. The approved
code text does NOT exempt valve caps that are located in relatively inaccessible places,
such as on rooftops or elevated equipment platforms. Likewise, even valves in locked
valve boxes are NOT specifically exempted from the locking cap requirement.

Nearly everyone at the ICC Final Action hearing had expected the final text to simply
require securing access ports in an approved manner, but the discussion strayed from
the published public comment that was being debated, and ICCs membership ultimately
accepted the locking cap requirement as the only code-accepted methodology.
A/S
M94 IIAR Outdated/
irrelevant hazard
classifications
Support
Deletes fire code hazard classifications for refrigerants from the mechanical code. The
IFC classifications for hazardous materials are not consistent with the IMC classifications
of refrigerant hazards, which are based on ASHRAE 34. Inclusion of the IFC
classifications in the IMC is irrelevant and can lead to misapplication of the code
A/S
M95 IIAR 1104.2.2 Electrical
classification
of ammonia
process/storage
areas
Support
Deletes the requirement to use classified (hazardous) location electrical equipment in
process and storage areas where ammonia refrigeration is provided. This change would
make the IMC consistent with requirements of ASHRAE 15 and is presumably justified
based on the presence of ammonia detection.
A/S
1
A/SApproved as Submitted A/MApproved as Modified DDisapproved
2007-2008 Uniform Mechanical Code Proposals of Interest to IIAR
Public Hearings
Committee
Action
1
85 IIAR 1102, 1701 Requires refrigeration systems to comply with ASHRAE15 and, for ammonia
systems, IIAR2
Support A/S
86 Underwriters
Laboratories
1105.2 Modifies the provisions for occupied space to include any space with a
door that can be closed after entry.
Watch A/M
87 IIAR 1105.3.3,
1121.1
Eliminates the requirement for refrigerant detectors in areas other than
machine rooms to activate automatic valves to stop the flow of refrigerant out
of the machine room and stop the flow of refrigerant to evaporators. Also,
reclassifies machine rooms with flammable refrigerants from Class I, Div.1
electrical to Class I, Div. 2 and exempts ammonia systems from ever requiring
a process or storage area to have classified electrical equipment.
Support A/S
88 IIAR 1108.5 Changes the threshold for activation of emergency ventilation for ammonia
from 50% of IDLH (150 ppm) to 1,000 ppm
Support A/S
89 IIAR 1108.7 Adds an exception to the requirement for treatment of room ventilation exhaust
so that this provision no longer applies to ammonia machinery rooms
Support A/S
90 IIAR 1120.0 Changes the basis for calculating water diffusion tank volume from 1 gallon
per pound of ammonia for the entire system charge to 1 gallon per pound
of ammonia based on the maximum release rate from the single largest relief
valve over a 1-hour period
Support A/S
91 IIAR 1122.0 Adds a requirement to provide an emergency pressure control system Support A/S
92 California
Dept of Health
Services
1131.0 Modifies the requirement for cooling towers, evaporative condensers and fluid
coolers such that plume discharges must be a minimum of 25 feet above and
25 feet horizontally away from any ventilation inlet to the building.
Watch R
1
A/SAccept as Submitted A/MAccept as Modified RReject
Code Update continued from page 35
Ideas on Energy Savings continued from page 25
allowable pressure, 40-50% of annual operating time. Every 1
psig of lower condensing pressure will save approximately $3
per operating horsepower based upon $0.10 per KWh.
However, we are often wrong in the implementation of
better condensing pressure. There are several barriers to
reducing condensing pressure. Some of these barriers are
real, others are imagined. However, every barrier can be
surmounted. Hot gas defrosting very often is an imagined
barrier. Some people do hot gas defrosting at 150 psig,
other people do this defrosting at 120 psig. The majority of
evaporator coils can be defrosted at condensing pressures
lower than 100 psig. Hot gas defrosting at low condensing
pressure requires precise adjustments of the defrost process,
but the savings in lower operating compressor energy are
significant. As stated before, the savings in the reduction
of compressor BHP can be as much as $3 per operating
horsepower per 1 psig of reduced condensing pressure.
Summer operation. During summer operation, condensing
pressure should be at the optimum level. At optimum
condensing pressure, the total power consumption of
compressors and condensers is at its lowest point. Condensing
temperature (pressure) should fluctuate and will follow the wet
bulb temperature of the ambient air. These days, many PLCs
use the wet bulb approach to control the condensing pressure.
The wet bulb approach uses the temperature difference
between condensing temperature and wet bulb temperature.
PLCs dont use this feature during winter operation, because
condensing pressure should be kept at the minimum allowable
level. However, the wet bulb approach can be very useful
during the summer.
Example:
A refrigeration plant has 5,000 BHP of compressor power
and 500 BHP of condenser (pumps and fans) power. This is
a production facility. This facility is online 24 hours a day, 5
days a week. On weekends only 500 BHP of the compressor
power is required. The set point of the condensing pressure is
120 psig. During the weekend, the wet bulb temperature is
70F. Condensers are running at full capacity, but condensing
pressure only reaches 125 psig. The total power use is:
500 BHP (compressors) + 500 BHP (condensers) = 1,000 BHP
Assume that the wet bulb approach feature was installed
for the refrigeration plants PLC and set to 15F. (Typically, the
optimum wet bulb approach is in the range of 8-15F.) The
new condensing temperature set point will be 70F + 15F=
85F. Condensing pressure will increase from 125 psig to
150 psig (85F). Compressor power will increase to 550
BHP. Condenser power will be reduced from 500 BHP to 50
BHP. The total power use will be:
550 BHP (compressors) + 50 BHP (condensers) = 600 BHP
The energy savings of using wet bulb approach feature is
1,000 BHP 600 BHP = 400 BHP
The wet bulb approach is a useful tool to save energy,
when wet bulb temperature is high (summer operation) and
the refrigeration load has significant fluctuation. This approach
will balance the compressors and the condensers capacities
to keep total power use at a minimum. When the refrigeration
load is low, the condenser capacity will be reduced. When
the refrigeration load is high, the condenser capacity will
increase.
Suction Pressure
We were usually taught that at a higher suction pressure,
compressor efficiency will improve. Although this is always
true for refrigeration compressors; it is not always true for
refrigeration plants.
Refrigerated holding rooms (coolers, freezers) with single
speed evaporator fans should be operated at optimum
suction pressure. Increased suction pressure will reduce the
temperature difference between suction temperature and air
temperature in the refrigerated room. To keep the refrigerated
capacity required for this room, the evaporator surface
should be increased and additional evaporators should be
operated. To run additional evaporator fans, electrical energy
is required. This energy will be released in the refrigerated
room and additional refrigeration capacity or additional
compressor energy will be needed to remove this parasitic
refrigeration load. To estimate the efficiency of the refrigeration
plant at a higher suction pressure, the energy savings from the
compressor operation should be compared with losses from
the operation of additional fans. Sometimes, higher suction
pressure will lead to an increase of total (compressors and
evaporator fans) power use. To keep total power use at a
minimum, the refrigerated plant should be operated at optimum
suction pressure. An important factor of in the calculation of
optimum suction pressure is the power of evaporator fans.
If your refrigeration plant has evaporators with single speed
fans, make sure that the suction pressure of these evaporators
is optimal.
Hot Gas Defrosting
Significant energy loss is related to hot gas defrost,
caused by the wrong frequency of defrosting. To optimize this
frequency, a criterion of optimization should be chosen. For
cold storage facilities, the criterion should be the minimum total
losses related to the frost and to hot gas defrosting.
Assume that the refrigeration plant operates at the optimum
suction pressure.
Ideas continued on page 38
Frost penalties. Frost will reduce the efficiency of heat
transfer from room air to the refrigerant in the evaporator
coil. Assume that due to frost, evaporator capacity has been
reduced to 90% of initial (clean coil) capacity. An additional
evaporator should run 10% of operating time to compensate
for this loss of capacity. The additional evaporator fans energy
should be spent as well as additional compressor energy to
remove the heat of these fans.
Hot gas defrosting penalties. The efficiency of hot gas
defrosting is low and is usually less than 20%. This means that
from 100 units of heat provided by hot gas, less than 20 units
are available for frost melting. Over 80 units will be removed
by the refrigeration plant as a parasitic refrigeration load. Hot
gas supply during defrosting usually doubles the amount of
gas generated during cooling mode. This means that after 35
minutes of hot gas defrosting, the coil, as well as part of the
refrigeration plant, will run for the next hour in cooling mode to
remove the heat of defrosting.
To determine the optimum defrost sequence, different
frequencies should be chosen and total frost + hot gas defrost
penalties should be compared. Typically, evaporator coils
should be defrosted at 80-90% of capacity.
The rate of frost formation depends of the following factors:
* |oupo|u|u|o u||o|o|co |o|voo| ovupo|u|o| |oupo|u|u|o u|u
the temperature of surrounding air
* |o|u|vo |uuu|, o| ||o u| | ||o |o||go|u|ou |oou
* ovupo|u|o| co| opo|u||g |uo
The suction temperature difference should be kept at an
optimum level. Relative humidity in the refrigerated room will
be higher during the summertime due to the higher moisture
that is contained in ambient air. Operating time between
defrost cycles should be changed a few times a year to keep
total losses at minimal levels. Do not defrost the evaporator if it
isnt frosted.
Optimum Operating Strategies
Condenser sequence. Heat rejection per BHP of fan and
pump energy use is condenser efficiency. The efficiencies
of different condensers can vary significantly. Generally,
condensers with centrifugal fans use 50-100% more energy
than condensers with axial fans. To save energy, more efficient
condensers should be run more than less efficient condensers.
Efficient condensers should be first in the condenser control
sequence.
Example:
A refrigeration plant has 8 condensers. Two condensers
have equal capacity, but the first one has a fan power of
40 BHP while the second has a fan power of 20 BHP. In
the condenser sequence, the first condenser operates all
year round, or 8,760 hours; the other condenser operates
only 1,000 hours. The first condenser (40 BHP) is first in
the condenser sequence; the second condenser (20 BHP) is
the last in the condenser sequence. The switching of these
condensers in the condenser sequence will save a lot of
energy.
(8,760 Hrs 1,000 Hrs) x (40 BHP 20 BHP)
x 0.747 = 116,000 KWh
At an energy cost of $ 0.1/KWh your savings will be
$11,600.
This represents an excellent energy savings without any
additional investment.
Compressor sequence. Due to the fluctuation of refrigeration
loads, the capacity of compressors should be changed. The
slide valve of the screw compressor can provide a smooth
change of capacity, but the efficiency of this compressor
will deteriorate at part load. Compressor performance will
gradually degrade until the compressor is unloaded to
approximately 50%. As the compressor continues to unload,
its efficiency will decrease sharply. This means that we should
avoid operation of screw compressors at capacities lower
than 50%.
How can we do this?
* |ouuco ||o ||uc|uu|o| o| ||o |o||go|u|o| |ouu
Example.
A freezer has four evaporators. During low refrigeration
load, the operating time of each evaporator is 40%. This
means that the evaporators will cycle on and off. This cycling
will create an artificial fluctuation of refrigeration load. Two
evaporators can be switched off and the operating time of
the remaining evaporators will increase to 80%. Operation
of the plant will be more stable and it will be easier to keep
compressors at a capacity higher than 50%.
* Uso uouu|u||g vu|vos |o uu,us| |ovo|s o| |uus
The majority of vessels have solenoids and hand expansion
valves to adjust the liquid levels. Solenoid valve cycling
creates an artificial fluctuation of refrigeration load due to the
fluctuation of flash gas input. Modulating valves will help to
stabilize this load.
Why is optimization of the refrigeration plant operation the
best way to save energy?
The typical capital investment in energy-saving equipment
provides payback in 2 years. To save $50,000 of energy
costs; $100,000 would be invested. The same $50,000
can be saved by optimizing the operation of the refrigeration
plant. The costs of this optimization, however, can be as low
as $5,000$10,000. Optimization payback time can be 10
to 20 times shorter than that for regular investment in energy
saving equipment.
That is why I think that the optimization of refrigeration plant
operation is the best way to save energy.
Appendix 1: Optimized suction pressure
A majority of storage coolers and storage freezers have
single speed evaporator fans. Suction pressure for these
coolers and freezers should be optimized.
It is common knowledge in the industry that raising the
suction pressure improves the compressors efficiency (BHP/
TR). Typical improvement might be a 1% to 2% increase
in saturated suction pressure per degree F. If all space
temperatures are satisfied and evaporator coils are in a low
load mode, the suction pressure usually increases to the
maximum until some limiting temperatures are approached;
thus, the efficiency of the compressors is improving. However,
in order to operate the entire refrigeration plant efficiently, we
have to pay attention to evaporator fans.
There are four steps to optimized suction pressure.
Step 1. Compressor efficiency.
Example. Freezer temperature is 0F; single stage screw
compressor with economizer; condensing temperature is 75F
at 125.8 psig head pressure; saturated suction temperatures
are 5F, 10F., 15F, 20F. Compressor efficiency at
suction temperature of 10F.
Ecomp= 221.1 BHP / 163.9 TR=1.349 BHP/TR
Table 1. Compressor efficiency at different suction
temperatures
Suction temperature
Degrees F
Compressor efficiency
BHP/TR
5 1.237
10 1.349
15 1.469
20 1.599
If we increase the suction temperature, our compressors are
using less energy (BHP) per unit of refrigeration (TR) and their
efficiency is improved.
Step 2. System efficiency.
To estimate efficiency of the system (compressors +
evaporators) we have to add the efficiency of the compressors
and evaporators.
Compressor efficiency is presented in Table 1.
The efficiency of evaporators can be estimated as follows:
Example. Evaporator coil fan power is 15 HP; the capacity
of the coil is 20 TR at temperature difference (TD) of 10F.
Evaporator coil efficiency at TD of 10F (suction temperature
10F)
Eevap (10) = 15 HP/ 20 TR = 0.75 HP/TR
Capacity of the coil is proportional to TD (temperature
difference). At a TD of 5F, the capacity of our coil is 10 TR.
Evaporator coil efficiency at a TD of 5F (suction temperature is
-5F) Eevap (5) = 15 HP/ 10 TR = 1.5 BHP/TR.
Table 2. System efficiency at different suction temperatures.
Suction
temperature
degress F
Compressor
efficiency
BHP/TR
Evaporator
efficiency
BHP/TR
System
efficiency
BHP/TR
-5 1.237 1.5 2.737
-10 1.349 0.75 2.099
-15 1.469 0.5 1.969
-20 1.599 0.375 1.974
From this table we can see that efficiencies of the system
are better (less BHP per TR) at suction temperatures 15F
and 20F, than efficiencies at suction temperatures 5F
and 10F. This means that the highest suction temperature
(pressure) is not the most efficient for this refrigeration plant.
Appendix 2: Optimized suction pressure
Evaporator fan motors not only use electricity, but all the
energy used by the motors must be removed from the space as
refrigeration load. This load is parasitic. In order to obtain an
estimate of the useful refrigeration load we have to subtract this
parasitic load from total gross refrigeration load.
Qnet = Qgross Qfan
Useful efficiency of the system (compressors + evaporators)
can be estimated as follows:
Esystem useful = Ntotal / Qnet
Where: Ntotal = Ncomp + Nfan
Esystem useful system efficiency, BHP/TR
Ncomp compressor power, BHP
Nfan fan power, BHP
Qgross total refrigeration load on evaporator coil, TR
Qfan heat added to refrigerated space by evaporator fans, TR
Step 3. Useful system efficiency.
Example. Gross refrigeration load is 100 TR; T.D.
(temperature difference) is 10F (suction temperature is 10F);
Eevap (10) and Ecomp (10) Nfan =Eevap (10) x 100 TR =
0.75 x 100 =75 HP
Ncomp = Ecomp (10) x 100 TR = 1.349 x 100 = 134.9 HP
Ntotal =Ncomp + Nfan = 134.9 + 75 = 209.9 HP
Qfan = 75 HP x 0.212 TR/HP = 15.9 TR
Qnet = Qgross Qfan = 100 15.9 = 84.1 TR
Esystem useful = Ntotal / Qnet = 209.9 BHP / 84.1 TR =
2.496 BHP /TR
Ideas on Energy Savings continued on page 40
Table 3. Useful system efficiency
Suction temperature
deg.F
Temperature
difference deg.F
Useful system
efficiency BHP/TR
5 5 4.03
10 10 2.496
15 15 2.203
20 20 2.144
From this table we can see that useful system efficiency at
suction temperature of 20F (T.D. is 20F) is the best and
almost twice more efficient than system efficiency at 5F.
Optimum suction temperature depends on the evaporator fan
power. If our coil would have fan power of 4 HP instead of
15 HP, optimum suction pressure will be 10F (T.D. is 10F).
Step 4. Real life optimum T.D.
In real life, optimum T.D. can be increased by the following
factors:
* suc|o| p|ossu|o |ossos
* ||os| o| ||o co|s
* uc|uu| |u| povo| usugo |ou| |u| povo| cu| |c|ouso up |o
25% due to increase of cold air density
To get real life optimum T.D. we have to take the best T.D.
from Table 3 and add the real life penalties, usually 24F.
This estimation has shown that a refrigeration plant has
to run at an optimized suction pressure or at optimum T.D.
regardless of the refrigeration load.
eLibrary resources:
A Structured Approach to Energy Savings in
Refrigeration | Richard Crouch | 1992
An Economics Approach to Energy
Conservation | Bruce Schaeffer | 1980
Comprehensive, System-wide Approach to
Refrigeration Equipment Control for Maximum Energy
Efficiency | James Conant and Michael Ghan | 2007
Conserving Energy and Obtaining Utility Rebates in Ice
Cream Manufacturing Operations: H.P. Hood Inc. Case
Study | John Johnson | 1992
Energy Cost Trends and Energy Cost Reduction
Strategies for Food Processors and Refrigerated
Warehouses | Elizabeth Lowe | 2004
Energy Efficiency Case Studies in Ammonia Refrigeration:
Heat Pumps, Head Pressure Reduction and Optimized
Control Systems | Marcus Wilcox | 1996
Optimizing Industrial Refrigeration Efficiency with
a Kaizen Blitz | Marcus Wilcox and Robert
Morton | 2007
State-of-the-art Energy Efficiency in Refrigerated
Warehouses | Marcus Wilcox | 1999
other system operating problems that might be introduced on
the halocarbon system.
Refrigerant Capacity Shaft Horsepower BHP/TR
R-717 305.6 330.8 1.082
R-22 299.3 334.3 1.117
R-134a 191.2 219.6 1.149
R-404A 324.4 394.9 1.217
R-507 333.9 408.6 1.224
R-410A 439.3 529.6 1.206
Even here, R-507 uses 13% more energy than ammonia.
We will not bother to run the economized ratings for the
+20F system since economizing is most effective at higher
compression ratios.
Conclusions:
* Many refrigerated facilities must be as efficient as possible
to be competitive.
* Energy costs to run the refrigeration compressors are a
major percentage of the total energy costs for the typical
facility.
Energy Comparison of Refrigerants continued from page 14
* Because of its efficiency, ammonia has been the refrigerant
of choice in refrigerated facilities for over a century.
* Where ammonia could not be used, R-22 has been a
favored replacement because its energy penalty has not
been excessive.
* As R-22 is phased out, the energy penalty for using the
commonly used HFC refrigerants will be much higher.
* Capital costs for HFC refrigerants in comparable industrial
systems will almost always be higher than an ammonia system,
but considering the energy costs (not even counting maintenance
costs), life cycle cost differences will be much higher.
Many companies are aware of the fact that R-22 is going
away, and we often receive calls from end users asking our
advice on which refrigerants they should convert to. If we fail
to inform them of the relative energy usage as shown above,
we are not doing our duty to our customers. Steve Shutt, NHL
Hall of Famer and Manager of Hockey Operations for Cimco,
says, Energy to maintain the ice is a major cost for operating
a hockey rink, and except where absolutely prohibited by
local regulations, we strongly recommend to our customers that
they use ammonia as the refrigerant.
For more information go to www.baltimoreaircoil.com/vca4
or call 800.ILUVNH3
Sustainable
Performance
Easy Maintenance
Oversized access doors
Drives accessible from the exterior of the unit
Hygienic cold water basin
Premium Efciency/VFD Duty Motors as standard
IBC Compliance
Variety of Budget Friendly Materials Options
BAC introduces
the new VCA Evaporative Condenser
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KEEPING YOU
IN 'TOUCH' WITH YOUR
REFRIGERATION SYSTEM
Refrigeration Division
FES Systems Inc.
3475 Board Road York, PA 17406
Tel: 800-888-4337
717-767-6411
Fax: 717-764-3627
sales@fessystems.com
www.fessystems.com

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