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Future-proof compressed air drying: KAESER investing for a better evironment

Monday 26 August 2019

The use of small volumes of the future-proof R-513A refrigerant provides security of supply for maintenance work throughout the entire life of the refrigeration dryer.

Innovation

• The use of greenhouse gases is becoming ever more strictly regulated throughout the world. Installation of highly compact heat exchangers - such as SECOPACK LS and microchannel condensers - considerably reduces refrigerant demand.
• The greenhouse gas potential of R-513A is significantly lower compared to the refrigerants that have commonly been used in refrigeration dryers up until now.
• R-513A is equivalent to R-134a. It is neither toxic nor flammable.
• Anybody using refrigeration drying in compressed air treatment is required to comply with the F-gas regulation. The new EU 517/2014 directive represents the end for certain refrigerants that are still currently used in these dryers.

Nearly every compressed air station uses refrigeration dryers, since most applications require these machines to deliver a dependable supply of quality dried compressed air.

The F-gas regulation EU 517/2014 has been in force since 2015. It is intended to minimise the emissions of partly-fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) as they significantly contribute to global warming.

The effects of this legislation can already be felt by operators of compressed air stations, because F-gases are used as refrigerants in refrigeration dryers.

This means that operators have to comply with the directive’s stipulations when they service or repair existing refrigeration dryers, or when new refrigeration dryers are purchased. The refrigerants used up until now are being withdrawn from the market.

All refrigerant dryers from Kaeser Compressors will therefore use the new R-513A refrigerant by the end of 2019. It is climate-friendly and provides users with peace of mind when it comes to future-proof operation.

More environmentally friendly alternative

KAESER is supporting all customers to convert their systems to a more environmentally friendly alternative.
When planning the purchase of a new dryer, consideration should be given to make sure that the unit uses a refrigerant that complies with the requirements of the directive, not just today, but also in the years to come, and that the refrigerant will be available for future service work.

Some manufacturers use materials that are legal today, but which will eventually become prohibited, or which will simply no longer be offered, due to their high global warming potential.

This means that those operators who use these materials will soon be faced with the same problem – KAESER is aware of this issue and takes early preventative countermeasures accordingly.

It rarely makes sense to retrofit older but functional machines to use new refrigerants. Operators are well advised to take note of the currently-used refrigerants in their equipment and to obtain information regarding alternative strategies.

KAESER’s experienced and certified personnel are available to assist you. Certified service is advisable for all refrigeration dryers in order to provide different solutions with regards to this subject; this is especially true for older systems where refrigerant conversion is uneconomical.

All KAESER refrigeration dryers are designed to provide maximum efficiency and energy cost savings. Thanks to the new refrigerant, they are also future-proof for their entire service life when it comes to applicable refrigerant legislation. Moreover, they are exceptionally efficient, require minimal maintenance and are easy and quick to service.