Glossary
ASHRAE - American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers.
Azeotrope - A product resulting from
the combination of two or three compounds that have identical
vapour and liquid compositions. An azeotrope cannot be separated
into its substituent parts by distillation. Azeotropes will
fractionate slightly and experience temperature glide outside of
the identified azeotropic points (ASHRAE std. 34 definitions),
(See Appendix A).
Blend - A refrigerant mixture of two
or more refrigerants blended in a specific ratio which can be
separated by distillation. Regular blends may have up to 10° C
or more temperature glide.
Certified Person - A person who has
successfully completed the Environment Canada Environmental
Awareness Course for the Environmentally Safe Handling of
Refrigerants (previously for handling ODSs). This is not the same
as a trade certified and qualified person, nor is it intended to
imply any trade qualification. The certified person referred to
herein will include those persons who are actively involved in
the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry, e.g., Service
Person, Repair Person, Installation Person, (Refrigerant) Stores
Person, Domestic Appliance Technician, Refrigeration and Air
Conditioning Mechanic, Automotive Mechanic, Heavy-duty Vehicular
Mechanic/Technician, Industrial Mechanic, Technical
Representatives, and Power Engineers. This course is mandatory in
most provinces.
Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) - A stable
chemical containing only chlorine, fluorine and carbon atoms.
Chlorofluorocarbons are ozone-depleting substances (ODSs).
Consumption - Consumption of a
controlled substance for a given period is the sum of the
quantities produced and imported into the country during the
given period of time, less the quantity exported. For the purpose
of determining a calculated level of consumption, it excludes any
quantity of controlled substance that, when imported or exported,
was already used, recovered, recycled, or reclaimed.
Container - A container which
is intended to contain only ozone or non-ozone-depleting
substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), or
blends, whether the substance contained in the container is under
pressure or not. For example, a charging cylinder is a container
used to decant small amounts of refrigerant (of various types)
into a system, but is not an approved storage or transportation
container. Containers may be cylinders or drums made out of metal
or glass.
Approved Container - An approved
container is a storage drum or cylinder that conforms to the
Canadian Transport Commission specification (CTC) which permits
its use for the substance it contains. For imported products from
the United States, Department of Transportation container
specifications (U.S.) are also recognized for storage and
transportation.
Approved Cylinder - A
refillable/recyclable CTC approved container that is properly
colour-coded for the substance it contains as per the ASHRAE
Standard, and it should also be properly labelled in accordance
with this Code and CTC regulations.
Designated Ozone-depleting Substance -
An ozone-depleting substance that is listed by name in the
Montreal Protocol, or substances added to the list as subsequent
amendments to the Protocol.
Disposable Container - A container
designed to be used only once for the transportation or storage
of a virgin substance, such as CFC, HCFC, HFC, blends, designed
in accordance with CTC specification 39 (DOT 39 if made in the
U.S.A.). This container should not be used for recovery or
recycling purposes, or for any other use and should be returned
to the supplier when empty. Refillable containers are preferred
for replacing existing disposable containers, as they are
constructed with better one-way valves and designed for multiple
use. There is minimal chances for emissions to take place.
Global-warming Potential (GWP) - A
global-warming potential is the time-integrated change in
"radiative forcing" due to the instantaneous release of
1 kg of a trace gas expressed relative to the radiative forcing
from the release of 1 kg carbon dioxide (CO2).
Holding Charge - A charge of an inert
or a refrigerant gas put into a system or equipment to ensure
that there is a positive pressure to prevent leakage of air or
moisture into the system or the equipment.
Hydrochlorofluorocarbon - (HCFC) -
A chemical compound containing only hydrogen, chlorine, fluorine,
and carbon. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons are less damaging to the
ozone layer than chlorofluorocarbons. These compounds (HCFCs) are
considered as an interim replacement for CFCs.
Hydrofluorocarbon - (HFC) - A
chemical compound containing hydrogen, fluorine, and carbon. With
no chlorine or bromine, HFCs do not destroy the ozone layer but
have a global- warming potential, as do ozone-depleting
substances.
Mixture - A solution that
contains refrigerant compounds and may also contain oil and other
contaminants. The term cocktail mixture describes the inadvertent
mixing of two or more refrigerants, usually they are not
recyclable or reclaimable.
Near-azeotrope - Sometimes
called a NARM, this chemical product is formed by combining two
or more compounds. Its vapour and liquid compositions are nearly
identical. Near - azeotropes have a temperature glide of less
than 2°C (ASHRAE 34 definitions) (see Appendix A).
Ozone-depletion Potential (ODP) -
A measure of the relative capability of a particular chemical to
destroy ozone. The ODP is measured against CFC-11 which has an
assigned ODP of 1.0. Internationally accepted ODP values have
been established by UNEP.
Ozone-depleting Substance (ODS) - A
chemical compound that is sufficiently stable to reach the
stratosphere and is capable of reacting with stratospheric ozone,
leading to ozone depletion.
Perfluorocarbon - (PFC) - A chemical
compound containing only carbon and fluorine.
Recovery - The collection and
storage of refrigerant from any system or equipment, containment
vessels, etc., in approved external recovery storage cylinders,
or in drums for low pressure refrigerants during servicing,
repair, or before equipment disposal.
Reuse - The reuse of previously
recovered refrigerant without processing.
Recycling - To improve the
quality of recovered refrigerant before re-use. This is to clean
refrigerant by oil separation, distillation, and single or
multiple passes through replaceable core filter-driers to remove
moisture, acidity, and particulate matter. The cleaned
refrigerant can then be used at a job site or service shop.
Recycling may be done on or off site.
Reclamation - The re-processing
and upgrading of refrigerant by filtering, drying, or
distillation and chemical treatment of the recovered refrigerant.
The re-processed substance will require laboratory analysis to
verify that it meets a specific quality standard. This involves
processing "off- site" at a re-processing or a
refrigerant manufacturing facility.
Refrigerant - A fluid that
absorbs heat at a low temperature and pressure, with a change of
state, and rejects heat at a higher temperature and pressure.
SAE - Society of Automotive Engineers.
Servicing - Includes installations,
maintenance, testing and repair, alteration, conversion,
mothballing and decommissioning.
Sweep Charge - Sweep charge is a
procedure in which the refrigerant is circulated in a closed-loop
system to clean the equipment. The refrigerant is subsequently
recovered.
Threshold Limit Value (TLV) - the
measure of toxicity effect. It is the limit of concentration of a
substance in the air that an average person can tolerate without
any adverse effect for a period of eight hours of continuous
exposure. The TLV is assigned by the American Conference of
Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH).
Tonne of Refrigeration (tR) - a unit
for refrigeration capacity equal to 3.517 kW (12 000 Btu/h).
Ultraviolet Radiation B (UV-B) -
This form of radiant energy is emitted by the sun. It has a
wavelength between 280 to 320 nm. Exposure to excess UV-B is
harmful to humans, animals, and plants. The ozone layer forms a
protective shield that helps to protect the earth from excessive
levels of UV-B radiation.
UNEP - United Nations Environmental
Program.
White Goods - Household domestic
appliances such as freezers or refrigerators, that include a
115/230 volt self-contained plug-in refrigeration or air
conditioning system (or gas- operated system for mobile homes).
Zeotropes - Are refrigerant blends
consisting of a combination of two or more different chemical
compounds, often used individually as refrigerant for other
applications. Unlike azeotropes, zeotrophic blends separate more
easily into their substituent parts.
B 52-M1995 Mechanical Refrigeration Code
(as amended/updated from time to time) - This is a code of
practice to ensure that adequate safety standards are
consistently applied to refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat
pump systems. It applies to the design, construction,
installation, operation, and inspection of every type of
refrigeration system. This Code is mandatory in all provinces.
B 51 Code for Boilers, Pressure Vessel and Pressure
Piping Code - (as amended/updated from time to time)
This code of practice ensures adequate safety standards for all
types of installations involving high pressure systems [> 103
kPa (>15 psig) design pressure]. This Code is mandatory in all
provinces.
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