An environmental evaluation of mechanical systems using environmentally acceptable refrigerants

New hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant gases in domestic refrigerators require the use of the newly developed synthetic lubricants. Research carried out so far indicates that the hermetic compressor used in these refrigerating systems is one component that is likely to be directly influenced by this change in working fluid. This may affect system performance as well as system durability such that a potential environmental improvement may result in a shift in environmental pollution. An environmental evaluation, using a life cycle assessment (LCA) computational tool, is carried out to study the influence of the individual components on the overall product environmental contribution. The manufacture and the recovery of the refrigerants addressed in this study were also included in this evaluation. In this LCA study, the hermetic compressor was found to contribute significantly to a number of impact categories as compared to other product components of concern. This becomes of primal environmental significance in view of the possibility that tribological characteristics, due to the presence of the new refrigerant/lubricant combinations, may influence its performance.