September 9, 2016
On August 30, AHRI members and staff visited UL in Northbrook, Ill., to review the on-site progress of AHRTI Research Project 9007, Benchmarking Risk by Real-Life Leaks and Ignitions Testing. The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Technology Institute (AHRTI) is the research arm of AHRI. This project conducts refrigerant leak and ignition testing under real-life conditions to understand the risks associated with the use of flammable (i.e., A2L and A3) refrigerants. Members and staff toured UL’s lab and reviewed the test setup and interim testing results. The Research Chair of ASHRAE’s Multidisciplinary Task Group on low-global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants, and members from CANENA’s Working Group (WG) 10 also attended the review. The WG is responsible for adding requirements for A2L refrigerants to the scope of the North American version of IEC Standard 60335-2-40. This research project is part of the $5.8 million research effort by AHRI, ASHRAE, the state of California, and the U.S. Department of Energy to identify appropriate climate-friendly alternatives to HFC refrigerants. For more information please contact UL’s Keith Opperman. Keith.Opperman@ul.com