European Advances in Supermarket Refrigeration Leak Reduction Christoph Meurer Solvay Fluor GmbH, Germany.

European Advances in Supermarket Refrigeration

Leak Reduction

Christoph Meurer

Solvay Fluor GmbH, Germany

Agenda

• European Supermarkets

• Business Specifics

• Refrigeration Specifics

• European Legislation and Standards

• Emission results from the field

Market Structure Germany

Sales Area Nr. of stores

Other Food retail < 4000 ft² 36.332

Discounter ≈10.000 ft² 12.770

Supermarket 4.000-15.000 ft² 9.230

Cons. market 15.000-50.000 ft² 1.682

Hypermarket > 50.000 ft² 681

European Supermarkets – Business Specifics

European Supermarkets

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

Italy Spain Germany UK France USA

Average Retail Space [m²]

European Supermarkets – Business Specifics

European Supermarkets

• Shops are generally smaller

• Deviations in business structure from country to country

• Discounters are gaining popularity –

especially in GER

European Supermarkets – Business Specifics

European Supermarkets

Conventional Multiplex Low-Charge Multiplex

European Supermarkets – Refrigeration Specifics

European Supermarkets

• Accessability of pipework key design criteria for Supermarket chains

• Leak test methods are being optimised (pressure drop tests overrated / new detectors find leaks < 5g/anno)

• Nr. of flares reduced

• Total pipe length reduced

European Supermarkets – Refrigeration Specifics

European Supermarkets

• Capacity of refrigeration packages

relatively small typical GER

supermarket:75 kW medium / 35 kW low

• Discounter markets (GER) usually operate

with plug-in freezers for low temp and

distributed systems for medium temp

European Supermarkets – Refrigeration Specifics

• Design Criteria

• Pipes shall be joined by welded or brazed joints

• Flares joints shall not be used

• Detailed requirements for relief / safety valves

(usually blowing to low pressure side not ambient)

• Systems > 300kg shall be located in machinery

rooms (min. compressor racks)

• ….

European Supermarkets – Legislation

STEK Regulation (NL)

STEK Regulation (NL)• Service Criteria

• Systems with charge > 3kg shall be inspected

annually

• Systems with charge > 1000kg shall be under

constant supervision

• Logbooks must be kept for all systems > 3kg

charge

• Refill / top up only permitted if leak is identified

European Supermarkets – Legislation

European Legislation

• Service / Maintenance regulation framework

similar to NL STEK

• Mandatory service intervalls:

• charge > 3kg every 6 months

• charge > 300kg every 3 months

• Legal Base for that part is „Protection of the

environment“ member states may install

additional requirements

EU F-GAS Regulation (Draft)

European Supermarkets – Legislation

European Standardisation

• No flared joints for pipes between 9mm

and 19mm

• Flared joints shall not be used to connect

TXVs

• Operating party must keep logbooks of

refrigerant consumption

EN 378-2000

European Supermarkets – Standardisation

European Supermarkets

• 96% of the total refrigerant loss was through field

assembled joints

• 15% of the leaks were responsible for 85% of

refrigerant loss

• 21,6% of all detected leaks where flared joints –

They are responsible for close to 50% of lost

refrigerant

Location and Severity of Leaks*

* FKT Study – Leak tightness of Refrigeration Systems (1999, ILK Drseden)

Emission Results from the field

Survey and long term of analysis of62 supermarket refrigeration systems

in two German states. Charge size from <10 to >360 kg

German Tightness Study*

• 0,16% of brazed joints had leaks

• Systems with substantial leaks over long

periods had leaks in unaccessible parts of

the system

* FKT Study – Leak tightness of Refrigeration Systems (1999, ILK Drseden)

Emission Results from the field

German Tightness Study*

* FKT Study – Leak tightness of Refrigeration Systems (1999, ILK Drseden)

Emission Results from the field

10.5

9.3

3.2

2.3

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

All Systems Large Systems All Systems w/ototal loss

Large Systemsw/o total losses

Annual Leakages from Supermarket Systems [%]

German Industry Targets*

Avg. annual Leaks from stationary Systems [%]

FKT Study – Improving Leak tightness of Refrigeration Systems (2003, ILK Drseden)

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10

2003 6.2005 6.2008

small (<10kg)

mid (10..100kg)

large (>100kg)

Statistics from NL

• Overall leakage rate < 4.5% (2000)

• Leackage rate per sector

• AC < 1%, Process < 1%, industrial < 5%

• Fishing industry 80% … 200%

• Tremendous reduction (50%) of refrigerant

market in spite of economical grow

• Elimination of odd-jobbers/fly-by-nighters

• Increased fleet efficiency (service)

Summary

• Business Structure in Europe different from

US

• Means for leak reduction are often simple

• Some areas (NL/GER) have demonstrated

that very tight DX systems are possible

• Target values of 2% leak p.a. are realistic

• EU legislation will address the issue