Ammonia ’ s Future

AS HRAE Jou rna l ash rae .o rg Fe b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 Andy Pearson, Ph.D., CEng, is managing director at Star Refrigeration Ltd., Glasgow, U.K. About the Author In recent years ammonia has been applied in many applications where traditionally it was not common. This article reviews the progress that has been made in bringing ammonia systems to a wider market and explores other possible applications that might be seen in the near future. The move away from ozone depleting and global warming refrigerants has given a boost to system designs using ammonia. Recently, the environmental focus has shifted to energy efficiency, sustainability and carbon footprint. This has further reinforced ammonia’s reputation as an eco-friendly choice for industrial systems, and has even sparked interest in ammonia from some unlikely quarters. The interaction between ammonia and the environment is well understood, and it is unlikely to be subject to restrictive legislation beyond the extent of the constraints that are already in place. In this sense it can be considered to be future proof.