THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF CHARGE REDUCTION IN INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS

The reduction of refrigerant charge in a cooling system is generally understood to be a beneficial goal but the real advantages are sometimes overlooked and other apparent benefits might not be as advantageous as is supposed. There are also some disadvantages which should be carefully considered in deciding what charge level to adopt for a system. Real advantages include reduction in cost of refrigerant, reduction in size of system and reduction of risk of injury in the event of a major refrigerant leak. Apparent advantages which might not actually transpire include reduction in environmental impact, increased scope for installation location and improved efficiency. Potential disadvantages include increased maintenance cost and higher annual running costs. This paper considers the main effects of charge reduction on system design, operating behaviour, cost and reliability and assesses what benefit is delivered. The potential disadvantages are also discussed with a range of measures which must be taken into account to minimise or eliminate these effects.