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Mitsubishi Electric UK notes dramatic shift in R32 adoption

Over three quarters of company’s UK sales of RAC and PAC technologies in February 2019 were for R32 systems, reflecting a market shift towards the lower GWP product Mitsubishi Electric has said that UK demand for RAC and PAC systems has dramatically shifted within the last two years away from

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Latest Issue
Issue 323 : Dec 2024

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Preserving history for the future: temperature control and artefacts

It’s a very strange and humbling understanding, that the item in the museum’s glass case in front of you is so many times older than you are! That the person who made it might not have thought much beyond its primary use, much less that it would be a lasting record of their era. That it would survive not only them and the intended original owner, but so many centuries after. It makes you wonder what will remain long after we’re gone, and realise how important it is that such items are preserved as information for the future. It is always heart-breaking to hear if a museum piece or artwork has been destroyed by natural causes or human interference. While only so much can be done to prevent the latter, museums have an abundance of technology at their disposal. According to the Smithsonian, the most damaging causes of deterioration are: Neglect — lack of process, forgotten storage, or failure to maintain records can lead to secondary deterioration causes, such as… Water — from full-scale floods to creeping damp, water can cause so many problems for artefacts. Fire — of course, fire will obliterate many artefacts, but those that survive may also be damaged by the heat and smoke.  Pollutants — dirt and gas can react badly with some artefacts, hastening their decay. Chemicals in cleaning can also erode away materials. Even the oils on your hands can be harsh enough to pollute some delicate artefacts. Pests — taxidermy and natural materials can find themselves rapidly ruined by a hungry rodent or greedy bugs.   Light — sunlight or artificial light can cause fading, drying, and cracking.   Physical force — everything from impact to vibrations can affect artefacts. This is why museums display their pieces in cases or behind designated barriers. Of course, this isn’t always fool-proof. For example, did you know Michelangelo’s David has a delicate flaw in its ankles? A slight shift in angle, a strong vibration from a train or footfall, or a natural disaster like an earthquake would send David tumbling.  Theft and vandalism — intentional damage by vandals or mishandling by thieves can obviously cause an artefact or artwork’s condition to fall. One of the more difficult to control elements of potential deterioration is a combination of humidity and temperature. These two elements are noted to be able to accelerate the rate of decay, growth of mould, or warping. Without adequate protection, the cost of artefact lost can be immeasurable, from a loss of monetary value to a loss of any physical record of that item. Take the Oxford Dodo for example, which is the most complete single dodo specimen anywhere in the world. And yet, all that has survived is the head and a foot thanks to an infestation noted in the specimen around 1755; feather mites are highlighted as the main culprit for devouring the taxidermy dodo’s torso, wings, and feathers. Preservation Equipment advises that a high humidity can encourage fungal growth and pests in natural materials; could better temperature and humidity controls have saved more of the last dodo specimen? Humidity and temperature can not only encourage pests, but also bring a whole host of other problems. The Telegraph reported how, when the glass roof of the Natural History Museum was cleaned of around 150 years’ worth of dirt, it was quickly discovered that the gathered dirt and the decision to remove the solar reflective film from the glass had had unintended side effects. The result? Temperatures in the museum soared to 40°C and the humidity tumbled, and the artefacts and specimens have already suffered irreversible damage, the article states. The skin of specimens has cracked and dried, fading as they have been sun-bleached, and whale skeletons are also degrading as a result. The museum is not only looking into replacing the solar reflective film, but also at installing a new HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system to try and save the artefacts. The problem of correct temperature and humidity control stretches beyond the UK. Over in Denmark, the country faces losing many historical artefacts due to a rise in damp and mould growing in its museum storage areas, which are reported to lack air conditioning units. CPH Post commented that the museums are using old buildings such as barns or lofts to store the artefacts, which means they aren’t being protected by any level of temperature control. More than 70,000 items are at risk of being destroyed as a result of 118 buildings used for storage being marked as riddled with mould.  For both stored and displayed artefacts, it is vital that temperature and humidity are monitored closely. The optimum temperature is between 16°C and 20°C — though temperatures as low as 10°C probably won’t cause harm, the risk of condensation grows for anything below 10°C. In terms of humidity, the advised relative humidity is between 40% and 70%, to avoid drying out items or encouraging pest or fungal infestations. It has also been noted that rapid fluctuation in humidity can be problematic. A good HVAC system is invaluable for both museum and home collectors with artefacts to preserve. With this, temperatures and humidity can be monitored and controlled quickly, providing much-needed protection from the elements when it comes to artefacts and artwork. Sources:

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Mitsubishi Electric UK notes dramatic shift in R32 adoption

Over three quarters of company’s UK sales of RAC and PAC technologies in February 2019 were for R32 systems, reflecting a market shift towards the lower GWP product Mitsubishi Electric has said that UK demand for RAC and PAC systems has dramatically shifted within the last two years away from use of R410A towards lower GWP R32 refrigerant. The manufacturer has said that 80 per cent of sales in these segments last month was for technology designed for R32, a product that has a lower level of flammability. During the same time last year, R32 represented 30 per cent of its RAC and PAC sales, according to Mark Grayston, product marketing manager with Mitsubishi Electric Living Environmental Systems UK. Ongoing quota restrictions on the amount of CO2 equivalent that manufacturers such as Mitsubishi Electric are able to import to the UK under EU F-Gas regulation has been a key driver in pushing the market towards lower GWP products. This has proven to be the case even with the low levels of flammability and the subsequent handling challenges that these newer refrigerant products pose that is not present in higher GWP gas. Mr Grayston said that Mitsubishi Electric’s main focus for R32 products at present was the company’s HVRF technology, where it was in the process of expanding the capacity of outdoor units to between 22kW and 56kW. He added, “We have already moved the majority of our split systems (between 1.5kW and 14kW) to R32, with further R32 releases to come in 2019.” Mr Graytson said that changes introduced in the 6th edition of IEC regulation 60335-2-40 would widening the usage envelope for low flammability refrigerant such as R32. However, he argued that the EN378 safety and environmental standard has not been amended to pick up these changes, meaning some of the challenges to expanding use of the lower flammability refrigerant remained in place. Mr Graytson said, “With good design and following the manufacturers and regulation guidelines high capacity R32 systems can be designed and installed in most commercial applications. Currently R32 HVRF allows for higher capacity systems to be installed because water is run to each fan coil and therefore we don’t need to deal with refrigerant into the occupied spaces.” “As consultants and air conditioning installers gain more experience of A2L refrigerants the wider the scope will be for bigger high capacity systems to be released into the UK and European markets.”

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