Component Optimization for Improved Refrigerant Recovery

Refrigerants are known to have harmful impacts on the environment. It is essential that those that are particularly harmful with a high global warming potential (GWP) are recovered correctly for proper recycling or disposal. Unfortunately, all too often, refrigerant is not properly recovered either due to system failure, technician error, or unincentivized industry practice. With implementation of the AIM act, proper refrigerant recovery of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) will be necessary to enable the transition to lower GWP refrigerant solutions and minimize harmful effects on the environment. To ensure proper recovery occurs, improvements in the recovery process are needed. Any methods of making the recovery process easier, faster and cheaper will increase the likelihood of proper refrigerant recovery. Systematic experimental evaluation will be used to quantify impacts on increasing the speed of the refrigerant recovery process for individual recovery machines typically used for residential and light commercial systems. Based on gathered data, possible solutions for recovery machine and/or process improvement will be identified. These include, but are not limited to, optimized heat exchanger designs to maintain proper temperature and pressure control, improved pump and fan design, and additional process improvements that will ultimately lead to faster and easier refrigerant recovery. The developed product will replace existing technology on the market by delivering a solution that results in easier and faster refrigerant recovery. Total unit cost and weight will be kept the same as the existing baseline or with only marginal increase to maintain competitive advantage. Performance improvements incorporated are readily available and easily integrated, drawing from state-of-the-art technology established in other HVAC&R products. Phase I efforts will result in a prototype design for an improved recovery machine that will be constructed and tested in a Phase II effort. Work will be conducted by Optimized Thermal Systems, Inc. (OTS), an engineering consulting company with extensive experience in the field of energy conversion and a vast network in the HVAC&R industry. Early laboratory testing will be conducted in OTS’ Beltsville, Maryland facility followed by systematic analysis and design for an improved recovery machine product.