When

Tuesday February 18, 2020
• 4:30 – 6:00 Check-in, brewery tour, and social hour
• 6:00 – 7:00 Dinner
• 6:15 – 7:15 Technical Presentation

Location

Exile Brewery
1514 Walnut St
Des Moines, IA 50309

Tour

Every tour attendee must pre-register.

Presentation:

The Future of Refrigerants
Safe non-flammable low toxicity F-gases allowed for an exponential increase in the standard of living of society through increased food productivity, reduction in heat related deaths, increased worker productivity and migration of people to cities and to hotter climates.  Refrigerant safety was successfully maintained during the chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerant transition starting the 1990’s to lower ozone depleting refrigerants with the development hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC’s) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFC’s) chemistries.  The orderly transition from CFCs to HCFCs and HFCs achieved a balance between the societal environmental demands for reduced ozone depletion while continuing to improve the standard of living in developing countries and minimize the societal safety impacts for everyone.

New societal environmental demands to control climate change are driving the development of new regulatory policies to restrict and lower the direct GWP (global warming potential) impact of F-gases.  These regulatory activities have driven significant refrigerant technology development activities globally as a result of climate change concerns.  Today designers are being asked to consider new lower direct GWP unsaturated hydrofluorocarbons (HFOs) refrigerants, some of which are slightly flammable under certain conditions, as well as revisiting the application of natural refrigerants, like carbon dioxide, ammonia, hydrocarbons and water.  This presentation will cover a brief history of refrigerants, how much refrigerants contribute to global warming, update the current regulatory situation, how to name and explain the new ASHARE 2L flammable classification and discuss the future challenges with the new refrigerants.  Insights will be shared into the impact on safety and other design considerations with the various refrigerants being proposed by application.

Presenter Biography:
Stephen “Steve” Kujak
Director – Next Generation Refrigerant Research – Ingersoll Rand
La Crosse, WI

From refrigerants to air conditioning and refrigeration product development, Steve Kujak has spent over 27 years being involved in numerous technology and product development projects involving development of new refrigerants, lubricants, compatibility of system materials and environmental sustainability initiatives. Steve holds bachelor of science in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and a master’s degree in analytical chemistry from the University of North Dakota. Steve has been an author or co-author on greater than 40 publications related to refrigerants and has 14 patents related to HVAC products, including a number refrigerant composition patents related to R410A alternatives.

Steve has been member of ASHRAE since 2006 and is a distinguish service member of ASHRAE. His ASHRAE and industry activities include contributing to refrigerant safety and use standards.  He the vice chair of ASHRAE Standard 34 “Designation & Safety Classification of Refrigerants”, which includes also serving as the toxicity subcommittee chair for the last 10 years.” He is a member of Research Administration Committee (RAC) and a past chair for T.C 3.1 “Refrigerants and Secondary Coolants. Outside of ASHRAE.

He was awarded the ASHRAE Crosby Field award for highest rated presentation of a technical paper in 2016 and was also awarded the George Briley Refrigeration Committee award for best ASHRAE journal article on refrigeration in 2017 and 2018.

He is involved with AHRI and is participating in the Alternate Refrigerant Evaluation Program (AREP) and the ARTI Flammability Research Subcommittee.

As director of next generation refrigerant research at Ingersoll Rand, he leads a cross function team of technologists working on low global warming refrigerant technologies that delivers refrigerant technology innovations for Trane and Thermo King. His hobbies include outdoors activities, like gardening, fishing, hunting and camping with his family and is involved in local organizations working on environmental conservation minded projects.

There will be 1 PDH available for presentation.  No certificates will be given, the sign in sheets will serve as proof of attendance.