Chris Seeton is widely considered to be an expert in the compressor/refrigerant industry. He has the notable distinction of being the person who won the first battle that allows new low global warming refrigerant regulations to come into effect by serving as the Global Technology Leader at Honeywell and leading the industry’s effort to replace R134a with R1234yf which came to fruition in 2015 (an EPA CAFÉ credit of 13.8 gCO2/mile or ~3 mpg per vehicle by just changing the refrigerant). Even today, he continues to drive change in the industry by leading two cooperative research project groups through SAE on developing new heat pump systems for electric vehicles.
Since 2006, CPI Fluid Engineering, a division of the Lubrizol Corporation (a Berkshire Hathaway company), has used Cambridge Viscosity ViscoPro 1600 viscometers as an important research tool in their testing. Recently, they built a new testing apparatus with expanded measurement capabilities.
Air conditioning systems use refrigerants to do the job of cooling an indoor space. These refrigerants, in the form of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), potentially contribute to climate change, and are currently being phased out of use in the United States. The phaseout approach, which was initially started in 2010, gives manufacturers time to develop ozone-friendly refrigerants as an alternative.
Boston—Cambridge Viscosity compressor viscometers have become the refrigerant industry standard worldwide. Compressor manufacturers are always looking for ways to improve their products and enhance energy efficiency, while also using more environmentally friendly refrigerants. Viscosity is an important metric, as the ideal refrigerant blend allows for optimal output of the compressor.
