Airgas introduces automated refrigerant reclamation technology
Airgas Refrigatron System makes refrigerant reclamation faster, safer and more cost-effective.
The Airgas Refrigatron system is designed for large-scale reclamation of used refrigerant gases. Its Refrigatron technology assures that Airgas properly identifies the contents of returned refrigerant gas cylinders, which enables the company to pay HVAC contractors the highest price for used gases. It also makes the reclamation process less labor intensive, safer and more cost-effective.
Airgas Refrigerants Inc. is a full-service refrigerant gases supply and reclamation company with approximately 115 employees nationwide. The company’s first Refrigatron system is installed at its 95,000-sq.-ft. plant based in Smyrna, Ga., which houses an estimated 40,000 refrigerant cylinders. Over the past 10 months, this system has already analyzed and recovered more than a million pounds of used refrigerants. Reclamation is only part of the function of the Smyrna plant. The company also packages its ASPEN brand refrigerant gases here.
This
multi-phase system allows for quick analysis and recovery of used refrigerant
gases to then be reclaimed to 99.8% purity and resold. The system streamlines
the process of moving, analyzing, evacuating and storing refrigerants from
cylinders containing used refrigerants. Refrigatron automates Airgas
Refrigerants’ standard operating procedures. Using two zero-gravity lifts to move
30-, 50- and 125-lb. cylinders and two in-line gas chromatograph mass
spectrometers, the system renders an ARI-700 specification result and records
it for labeling and for future use. Airgas estimates that it achieves much
greater accuracy and saves 45 minutes for each cylinder tested using its new
mass spectrometer method.
With Airgas Refrigatron refrigerant gases are automatically and properly evacuated to nine 10,000-pound storage tanks for storage prior to purification. Airgas estimates that an average shift allows two technicians to test and empty approximately 130 cylinders and evacuate approximately 6,500 to 7,000 pounds of refrigerant. The company expects the machine to help it reclaim about three million pounds of refrigerants in the coming year.
The Airgas Refrigatron
system is the result of more than two years of planning, engineering and
construction. The system was designed and built by the Airgas Research and
Development group located in Cheshire, Conn., and shipped to Smyrna for installation and testing in early
2011. Chemist and Refrigatron operator Michael Kuchcinski (pictured top left) was
responsible for the configuration of the mass spectrometers as well as the
analytical methods and routines, which allow Refrigatron to provide analysis of
38 compounds with unparalleled speed and accuracy. Kuchcinski also played a key
role in the installation and operational qualification of the Refrigatron
system. During a typical shift, Kuchcinski and a fellow operator will test and
evacuate about 130 cylinders comprising 6,500-7,000 lbs. of refrigerants for
reclamation.
Airgas is pursuing multiple patents on the innovative processes and technologies that comprise Refrigatron. The system is engineered for durability, with easy access to high-wear parts and fast-swappable components to prevent down time. The system currently boasts greater than 99% uptime since its installation.
“Airgas
Refrigatron was born from the idea that there must be economies of scale to
make reclamation cost-effective sooner rather than later,” said Ted
Schulte, president of Airgas Refrigerants. “We’ve learned from other
refrigerant phase-outs, saw the market for reclaimed gases looming, and sought
to find a way to make handling thousands of small tanks cost-efficient and
safe.”
Airgas is committed to honoring environmental regulations and contributing to the safe repurposing of reclaimed gases. The phasing out of R-22, by far the most widely-used refrigerant in the United States, spurred Airgas Refrigerants to more actively pursue the market and to reengineer and automate the refrigerant gas testing and recovery processes to make them more economically efficient.
Source: Airgas Refrigerants Inc.
Airgas
Refrigerants Inc.’s Refrigatron enables two operators to analyze and evacuate
about 6,500 pounds of refrigerant gases per shift for reclamation. Photo
credit: Airgas Inc.
The Airgas Refrigatron system is designed for large-scale reclamation of used refrigerant gases. Its Refrigatron technology assures that Airgas properly identifies the contents of returned refrigerant gas cylinders, which enables the company to pay HVAC contractors the highest price for used gases. It also makes the reclamation process less labor intensive, safer and more cost-effective.
Airgas Refrigerants Inc. is a full-service refrigerant gases supply and reclamation company with approximately 115 employees nationwide. The company’s first Refrigatron system is installed at its 95,000-sq.-ft. plant based in Smyrna, Ga., which houses an estimated 40,000 refrigerant cylinders. Over the past 10 months, this system has already analyzed and recovered more than a million pounds of used refrigerants. Reclamation is only part of the function of the Smyrna plant. The company also packages its ASPEN brand refrigerant gases here.
Airgas
Refrigerants Director of Operations Pat Kitchin (left) confers with chemist and
Refrigatron operator Michael Kuchcinski, (foreground) and Airgas Refrigerants
President Ted Schulte. Holding a label with an ARI-700 result, Schulte can see
the exact composition of the gas in the cylinder within minutes.
With Airgas Refrigatron refrigerant gases are automatically and properly evacuated to nine 10,000-pound storage tanks for storage prior to purification. Airgas estimates that an average shift allows two technicians to test and empty approximately 130 cylinders and evacuate approximately 6,500 to 7,000 pounds of refrigerant. The company expects the machine to help it reclaim about three million pounds of refrigerants in the coming year.
An
operator puts the finishing touches on a 30-lb. cylinder of ASPEN brand R-22 Cylinder. The Smyrna, Ga., plant reclaims
used refrigerant gases and packages the ARI-700 product in its own ASPEN brand cylinders.
Airgas is pursuing multiple patents on the innovative processes and technologies that comprise Refrigatron. The system is engineered for durability, with easy access to high-wear parts and fast-swappable components to prevent down time. The system currently boasts greater than 99% uptime since its installation.
Airgas
Refrigerants President Ted Schulte, Senior VP Sales and Purchasing Jay
Kestenbaum and Director of Technical Services and Project Administration Randy
Perry confer in front of a row 10,000-lb. refrigerant bulking tanks.
Airgas is committed to honoring environmental regulations and contributing to the safe repurposing of reclaimed gases. The phasing out of R-22, by far the most widely-used refrigerant in the United States, spurred Airgas Refrigerants to more actively pursue the market and to reengineer and automate the refrigerant gas testing and recovery processes to make them more economically efficient.
Source: Airgas Refrigerants Inc.
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