Building on the success of Refrigeration 2017, which saw over. 140 delegates ... heat pumps, (stationary and automotive)
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FEBRUARY 2018 · VOLUME 17.1 RRP $14.95 PRINT POST APPROVAL NUMBER PP352532/00001
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THE BRIEFING
Refrigeration exploration, clarification and edification
Refrigeration 2018 March 26–27 • Sydney
The Institute’s 2018 conference schedule kicks off next month with Refrigeration 2018. The two-day Refrigeration 2018 Conference is slated to take place at Novotel Sydney Brighton Beach on March 26–27. Building on the success of Refrigeration 2017, which saw over 140 delegates in attendance, the 2018 conference will continue to expand on the key topics and discussions that engaged the Melbourne audience. With Australia’s HFC phase-down having begun from January 1, the Refrigeration 2018 Conference will look at the state of the industry, and how it may respond to the future challenges initiated by the global HFC phase-down. What will the impact be on educators, legislators, regulators, end users, engineers, consultants and technicians? “We are certainly in a time of rapid transformation in the HVAC&R industry,” says AIRAH CEO Tony Gleeson, M.AIRAH. “The AIRAH Refrigeration 2018 conference will discuss how the industry needs to continue to adapt amid the COP21 ratification. It is AIRAH’s commitment to ensure the conference also delves into how the industry can move towards greater levels of energy efficiency and emission reduction.”
REFRIGERATION PRESENTATIONS Conference presentations will review the latest technology on offer. A trade display will give participants the opportunity during the breaks and cocktail functions to interact with leading industry suppliers on the latest technology offerings. With innovations and debate surrounding refrigeration more prevalent than ever, this year’s conference program is set to provide plenty of vibrant discussion.
Dario Ferlin, M.AIRAH
“The EPEE Gapometer has been developed to draw up a roadmap on how to achieve the ambitious requirements of the phase-down, and to measure whether or not market reality matches the roadmap,” Voight says. “Results are now available. They show that significant progress has been made, but that it is necessary to further accelerate the transition towards lower-GWP refrigerants to avoid severe product shortage and price increases. “Overall, the major challenge is to get the balance right between energy efficiency, the transition towards lower-GWP refrigerants, safety, and cost.”
THE BEST LOCAL CONTENT A number of Australia-based refrigeration leaders will also present over the two days, covering a range of topics. Leading the local charge, Dario Ferlin, M.AIRAH, from Woolworths will present “Energy performance benchmarking of an Australian transcritical CO2 supermarket”.
INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTES
In May 2016, Woolworths opened its pilot transcritical CO2 refrigeration system in a 3200m2 supermarket in Western Sydney (Greenway Village – Colebee). Peak temperatures in summer regularly exceed 40°C, with a design outdoor ambient temperature of 45°C.
A comprehensive line-up of knowledgeable speakers from various technical backgrounds will present at the conference. Two marquee keynotes will lead the way.
The same area of Western Sydney also hosts many recent built cascade R134a-CO2 Woolworths supermarkets, as well as the older parallel-rack R404a stores.
Dr Armin Hafner is a Professor in refrigeration technology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
Ferlin will outline why Greenway Village presents a great opportunity to benchmark energy performance of a warm-climate transcritical CO2 supermarket, albeit a pilot transcritical CO2 system.
Professor Hafner’s main fields of expertise include refrigeration and heat pump technology; CO2 technology for various applications such as supermarkets, industrial heat pumps, and transport refrigeration; system design for refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pumps, (stationary and automotive); compressor, ejector and compact heat exchanger technology; working fluids, with emphasis on natural working fluids, CO2, NH3 and hydrocarbons; and lifecycle climate performance of various energy systems. The conference’s second keynote address will be delivered by European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE) director general Andrea Voight. The EPEE is the voice of the refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump industry in Europe. 18
Andrea Voight
ECO L I BR I U M • FEBRUA RY 2018
He will discuss some of the variables that may impact a store’s refrigeration system energy consumption, and provide a format for showing the results of a benchmarking exercise in such a way that a non-technical audience (i.e., management) can appreciate and from which conclusions can confidently be drawn. ❚
For more information about the conference, or to view the program, go to www.airah.org.au/conferences
