Refrigerant manufacturer Honeywell has used the AHR Expo in Orlando to unveil the R134a replacement R515, the latest in its line of very-low- GWP HFOs. The product will be marketed as Solstice N15.
The HFO blend, an azeotropic mixture of R1234ze(E) and small amounts of the HFC R227ea, is aimed at replacing R134a for use in chillers and heat pumps and the manufacturer says it will be commercially available in Europe by the end of March. At the same time, the manufacturer announced that Danfoss is adopting the nonflammable refrigerant, which claims a GWP of 299, for its new Turbocor compressor, the TGS490, suitable for both water-cooled and air-cooled chillers. According to the authoritative Bitzer Refrigerant Report, the volumetric refrigerating capacity of R515B is also more than 20 per cent lower than that of R134a. Frank Ford, Director of Product Management at Danfoss Turbocor said. “The new Turbocor TGS490 compressor has been fully optimised for both R1234ze and R515B, which means customers can benefit from improved system efficiency, but also match the cooling capacity of R134a, thanks to lower pressure characteristics of the new compressor.”
Honeywell said that Solstice N15 can be used immediately by chiller and heat pump manufacturers where safety standards and buildings codes limit the use of A2L and A3 refrigerants: ”Its similar product design to R1234ze will provide OEMs with a long-term solution that is flexible for both A1 and A2L refrigerants.”
