F-Gas English Low GWP

All questions
HFC | Flammable | CO₂ | NH₃
Easy questions | Medium questions | Difficult questions

1

Difficult

Why do liquid and oil separators in CO₂ systems require particular attention?


Because of very high pressures – adequate PS and protection devices are required
Because CO₂ is flammable and separators must not be used
Because CO₂ needs no lubrication, so oil separators are unnecessary
Because sight glasses and level indicators must not be used in CO₂ systems

2

Difficult

What is the critical pressure of CO₂ (R744)?


Approx. 120 bar
Approx. 10 bar
Approx. 31 bar
Approx. 74 bar (abs)

3

Difficult

What characterises the transcritical process in CO₂ systems?


It occurs only at low temperatures
Heat rejection takes place above the critical point – the refrigerant does not condense in the conventional way (gas cooler instead of condenser)
Conventional condensation occurs
It is irrelevant to system operation

4

Difficult

What characterises the subcritical CO₂ process?


Operation above the critical point
The conventional condensation process below the critical point
The absence of condensation
The absence of evaporation

5

Difficult

When can dry ice (solid CO₂) form?


When the pressure drops suddenly below the triple point (approx. 5.2 bar abs, −56.6 °C), e.g. when venting liquid CO₂ or charging liquid into an evacuated system
During normal operation of the system
At high temperature
At high pressure

6

Difficult

What risks are associated with dry ice forming in a CO₂ system?


Blocked pipes and valves and system damage (and a sharp pressure rise when it thaws)
Improved efficiency
No risk
Pressure reduction

7

Difficult

How does CO₂ saturation pressure change as temperature increases?


It first decreases, then increases
It decreases
It remains the same
It increases rapidly

8

Difficult

What happens to CO₂ above the critical point?


It transitions to a supercritical state (no distinction between liquid and gas)
It turns into a liquid
It ceases to conduct heat
It turns into a solid

9

Difficult

What is the main characteristic of R744 (CO₂) refrigeration systems?


No need for control
Low operating pressures
Very high operating pressures
Low energy efficiency under all conditions

10

Difficult

What are the requirements for piping materials in CO₂ systems?


They must withstand high pressures (e.g. stainless steel, high-strength copper-alloy tubes such as K65)
It doesn't matter
Any material may be used
Only plastics

11

Difficult

How does a booster system work in CO₂ installations?


It is used to store refrigerant
Low-temperature (LT) compressors discharge into the suction of medium-temperature (MT) compressors – two-stage compression in a single circuit
It reduces evaporator pressure
It reduces the refrigerant quantity

12

Difficult

Why is pressure optimisation in CO₂ systems crucial?


It reduces the ambient temperature
It reduces the amount of refrigerant
It doesn’t matter
It enables the system to achieve maximum energy efficiency in transcritical mode

13

Difficult

What role does parallel compression play in CO₂ systems?


It lowers the ambient temperature
It increases energy consumption
It has no significance
It compresses flash gas from the intermediate receiver directly to high pressure, improving efficiency

14

Difficult

How does an ejector work in a CO₂ system?


It lowers the evaporator temperature
Stores the refrigerant
It increases the amount of refrigerant
It uses the energy of the higher-pressure refrigerant to raise the pressure of the refrigerant from the lower stage, which improves efficiency

15

Difficult

What is the function of liquid ejectors in CO₂ systems?


They reduce atmospheric pressure
They increase the amount of oil
They return liquid from the separator and allow partially flooded evaporator operation (better evaporator feed)
They raise the refrigerant temperature

16

Difficult

What are the characteristics of partially flooded systems in CO₂ systems?


The absence of liquid in the evaporator
Low operating pressure
The presence of liquid in the evaporator, which improves heat transfer and efficiency
Lack of regulation

17

Difficult

What is the main risk associated with standstill pressure in CO₂ systems?


Increased efficiency
A drop in temperature
A decrease in refrigerant quantity
A pressure rise as the refrigerant warms up during standstill (possibly exceeding PS and lifting the relief valves)

18

Difficult

How is standstill pressure limited in CO₂ systems?


By increasing the refrigerant charge
By completely shutting down the system and power supply
By raising the plant-room temperature
By using an auxiliary standstill (stagnation) cooling unit, e.g. cooling the receiver, with back-up power, and by selecting an adequate PS and relief valves

19

Difficult

What does standstill (stagnation) of a CO₂ system mean, and why is it important?


A state with no compressor operation or refrigerant flow – pressure rises with ambient temperature and may exceed PS
Normal system operation
Improved efficiency
A drop in system temperature

20

Difficult

Which safety class applies to R744?


A2.
A1
A3
B2L

21

Difficult

In a simple single-stage R744 system without an intermediate receiver (refrigerant flows from the gas cooler directly to the expansion valve), operating transcritically at 90 bar with a gas-cooler outlet temperature of 35 °C, the refrigerant upstream of the expansion valve is…


…a supercritical fluid
…a two-phase mixture at intermediate pressure
…saturated vapour at intermediate pressure
…a subcooled liquid

22

Difficult

In R744 transcritical systems, the gas cooler outlet valve controls:


The outlet temperature of the gas cooler
The pressure in the gas cooler
The inlet temperature to the gas cooler
The gas cooler fans

23

Difficult

What is the main reason for using K65 copper tubing in some R744 systems?


They come in a wider range of diameters
They bend easily
They have good low-temperature performance
They can withstand higher pressures

24

Difficult

Why should an evacuated R744 system initially be charged with refrigerant in the vapour phase?


To charge R744 more slowly and measure it more accurately
To prevent the drain valve on the receiver from opening
To prevent dry ice forming (until approx. 5.2 bar abs is exceeded)
To avoid damaging the compressor with liquid CO₂

25

Difficult

If moisture remains in an R744 system because it was not properly evacuated (dehydrated), what is the likely consequence?


Formation of carbonic acid, which damages the system
Formation of hydrogen fluoride and hydrofluoric acid
Reduced cooling capacity
Excessive discharge pressure

26

Difficult

The pressure of R744 at a saturation temperature of 20 °C is approx.


14 bar g
25 bar g
90 bar g
56 bar g

27

Difficult

At an ambient temperature of 25 °C, the standstill pressure in the low-pressure stage of an R744 cascade (without standstill cooling) will typically be…


…the same as the relief valve set pressure
…approx. 27.5 bar g
…the same as the high-pressure switch setting
…higher than the maximum allowable pressure (PS) of the low-pressure stage

28

Difficult

What is the correct definition of critical temperature?


The temperature at which a substance changes from a gaseous to a solid state
The temperature at which, for certain substances, electrical resistance is zero
The temperature above which there are no distinct liquid and gaseous phases
The temperature at which the vapour pressure of a liquid is equal to the ambient pressure surrounding the liquid

29

Difficult

In the gas cooler of a transcritical system, the supercritical working fluid…


…rejects heat as its pressure falls
…rejects heat during a phase change
…rejects heat as its temperature falls
…rejects heat at constant temperature and pressure

30

Difficult

Why does the efficiency of transcritical CO₂ systems fall in warm climates, and how is this mitigated?


At high ambient temperatures the system operates transcritically with large throttling losses – parallel compression and ejectors are used, among others
CO₂ freezes in the gas cooler – heaters are used
Gas cooler pressure drops – extra charge is added
Efficiency does not depend on climate