Eurammon has published a new technical guide, “Choosing the Best Natural Refrigerant for Your Application,” to help system builders, consultants, operators and end users select natural refrigerants for refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump (RACHP) applications. Developed by the eurammon Steering Committee with contributions from member-company experts, the guide provides selection criteria, decision trees and references to documented installations.
The publication covers ammonia (R717), carbon dioxide (R744), hydrocarbons, water (R718), air (R729) and helium (R704). Together, these refrigerants cover operating temperatures from approximately -130°C (-202°F) to +200°C (392°F) and system capacities ranging from below 1 kW (approximately 3,412 BTU/h) to more than 20 MW (approximately 68.2 million BTU/h). Several refrigerants can be technically suitable within overlapping application ranges.
The guide presents a four-step selection process. Users first determine operating temperatures and temperature lift, then evaluate cooling or heating capacity, including peak and part-load requirements. The next steps assess system configurations, such as direct expansion, secondary loops and cascade systems, followed by local factors including component availability, technical expertise, efficiency and cost.
Application-specific decision trees cover cold rooms, process cooling with secondary fluids and heat pumps producing process steam at temperatures up to 160°C (320°F). They identify established refrigerant options, safety classifications, system technologies and available eurammon case studies. The publication also addresses regulatory requirements, including the EU F-Gas Regulation, the Kigali Amendment and relevant safety standards.
The guide is intended as general technical guidance and does not replace project-specific engineering design, risk assessment or compliance with applicable regulations.
