ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 72

REFRIGERATION APPLICATIONS
COLUMN
Andy Pearson
Great Balls of Fire!
BY ANDY PEARSON, PH.D., C.ENG., FELLOW ASHRAE
My father, Dr. S. Forbes Pearson, known to everyone as Forbes, died in March of this
year. At his memorial service in April, I reflected on the fact that there are at least half
a dozen things that are now commonplace in the industrial refrigeration world but
that had not been done, or at least had not been commercialized, until he did them.
I likened this to a backroom songwriter who creates
a tune for someone else and then hears it all over the
place-on the radio, in a pub or a football stadium-
without anyone connecting him to the music that they
love so much. I was thinking of someone like American
songwriter Otis Blackwell. Otis who? Well, he's only the
guy who wrote " All Shook Up, " " Return to Sender " and
" Don't Be Cruel " for Elvis, and of course " Great Balls of
Fire " for Jerry Lee Lewis.
I wrote about one of the innovations commercialized
by Forbes in last month's column: reverse
cycle defrost. Two of his other innovations
relate to the use of carbon dioxide (CO2) as
a refrigerant. CO2 as a volatile secondary
refrigerant, where the circulating coolant
evaporates and recondenses without
a compressor, was first done for a
supermarket installation in Kilmarnock,
Scotland, in 1991 and has subsequently
been used for chill stores, air-conditioning
systems and blade server cooling around
the world. The concept of parallel compression was
developed in 2003 for single compressor applications
in transcritical systems to improve capacity and
efficiency in warm weather, although it is now
much more commonly used in multiple compressor
systems-a much easier proposition!
One of the most widely commercialized ideas led by
Forbes, among others, was the use of zeotropic mixtures
in refrigeration systems. This work in the 1980s
was done in parallel with several other researchers,
particularly in America. This led to lifelong friendships
with many of them, including Dave Didion of National
Bureau of Standards (which later became NIST) and
Don Bivens of the DuPont Company. The insight that
Forbes brought to this work was invaluable. He knew,
72
ASHRAE JOURNAL ashrae.org J U N E 2024
for example, that a good service technician, when
faced with oil return problems in an industrial R-22
system, might add a small amount of R-12 to improve
miscibility, even though the boiling points of the two
refrigerants were very different.
Searching for a substitute for R-502 in the mid-1980s,
His inventions are enjoyed by
millions.
Forbes decided to add some propane to R-22 in order
to improve oil return in the same way and set up his
own " great balls of fire " to establish how much propane
would make the mixture flammable. " Hardly any " was
the disappointing answer following a series
of flammability tests, but by adding a third
component, R-218, he managed to get the
propane proportion of his blend up to 5%
without the mixture being flammable.
The realization that mixing components
could provide beneficial characteristics
was a game-changer. The hydrocarbon
improved oil compatibility and the
perfluorocarbon, as well as providing some
fire suppression, gave an extremely low
discharge temperature, which was an essential factor in
the replacement of R-502.
There are now over 100 recipes for zeotropic blends
following this principle registered with ASHRAE SSPC
34, and we have all learned that temperature glide
does not prevent systems from operating reliably and
efficiently.
Forbes believed firmly in sharing information,
reckoning that he always gained more than he gave in
these exchanges. Any invention, whether technical or
musical, starts out as your own private thought but with
the hope that it will become public property; enjoyed by
millions to whom its origins are unknown.
Andy Pearson, Ph.D., C.Eng., is group managing director at Star Refrigeration in
Glasgow, UK.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR
http://www.ashrae.org

ASHRAE Journal - June 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - June 2024

Contents
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - Intro
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - CT1
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - CT2
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - Cover1
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - Cover2
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 1
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - Contents
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 3
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 4
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 5
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 6
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 7
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 8
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 9
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 10
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 11
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 12
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 13
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 14
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 15
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 16
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 17
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 18
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 19
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 20
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 21
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 22
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 23
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 24
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 25
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 26
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 27
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 28
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 29
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 30
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 31
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 32
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 33
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 34
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 35
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 36
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 37
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 38
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 39
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 40
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 41
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 42
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 43
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 44
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 45
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 46
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 47
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 48
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 49
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 50
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 51
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 52
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 53
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 54
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 55
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 56
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 57
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 58
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 59
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 60
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 61
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 62
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 63
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 64
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 65
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 66
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 67
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 68
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 69
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 70
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 71
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - 72
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - Cover3
ASHRAE Journal - June 2024 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_FYONLJ
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2024november_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2024november
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_BDMHLG
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_WJDGRY
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_ATMAHK
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_VHQRAW
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_XGMDXI
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_YELQLJ
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_QJLWMC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_MCDEBX
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_WNYSQY
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_XATVOD
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_FJSHSS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_CCBZDS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_XDEFVG
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2023november_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2023november
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_VHGNBL
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_WPKBNJ
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_UUVCDE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_RTGDEW
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraemexico_2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_LKRFXS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_AZSOFG
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_ERCDBH
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_QWDFRV
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_JHGVDF
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_OPUYHG
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_SREIBM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_LRTGLK
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_OKRFGH
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2022november_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2022november
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_TZSERA
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_LVRUIX
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_RPTVYZ
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/mini_pub_catalog
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_XIYTGD
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraemexico_2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_RFGDOB
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_PABXNU
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_REMKLS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_PICVBT
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_AOYTVW
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_JQOPLS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_IOYTBC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_SGAJJF
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_IGHYER
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_PDRKLS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2021november
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2021november_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_XCODFR
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_QSLFGO
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_ILKVNM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraemexico_2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_OPDJKD
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_VJKSRY
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_SDHUTC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_JPPKRR
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_SDLTTH
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_CKLLES
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_SLDOX
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_HJETUK
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_OLUHGE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2020october
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2020october_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_ZERDGH
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_QVMNEO
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_RTPOKE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_BBATRE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_STUBMW
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_TPEMPE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_JNMKDS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_FBTTPA
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_WQMMNE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_TVBRYN
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_showguide2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_KTUZMA
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_ABEDGD
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2019septmeber_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2019september
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_2019april
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_2019march
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201901
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_showguide2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_2018december
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_2018november
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2018fall_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2018fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_2018october
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraemexico_2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraeinsights_201806
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201805
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201803
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2017fall_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2017fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashrae_meetinginsert_201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2016fall_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2016fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_acrexindia
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2015summer_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2015summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/amca/2014summer2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/amca/2014summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_acma_2014summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_acmasupp_2013fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/pubcatalog_2013winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/achr_expo_mexico2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201208_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201208_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/pubcatalog_2012summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/pubcatalog_2012winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201111_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201109_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/pubcatalog_2011summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201103
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com