ASHRAE Journal - November 2014 - 37

TECHNICAL FEATURE

into a suitable form; thereby, enabling its adoption and
appeared in the ASRE Refrigerating Data Book and Catalog.
enforcement by cities, states, and other jurisdictions as a This same era brought forth the development of CFCsingle code.
based refrigerants with a corresponding rapid commerBy 1919, the ASRE committee had crafted a more subcialization of refrigeration technology using these new
stantial refrigerant safety code that included key defini- refrigerants for commercial refrigeration and residentions, sizing for safety relief valves, system pressure test
tial refrigerators as well as comfort cooling applications.
requirements, and emergency discharge of refrigerants
The expansion of CFC refrigerant usage created
from systems. The committee's efforts continued and
increasing pressure on the ASRE committee to include
the next iteration of the New York City code appeared in this new class of refrigerants within the scope of the
1922. As interest in the committee grew, ASRE formalcode and to craft appropriate revisions for its safe use.
ized committee rules and procedures as well as a plan to One of the main challenges at that time was that experensure the committee would remain appropriately baltise with this new class of refrigerants among committee
anced with the various stakeholders identified. By 1926,
members was still maturing, and their lack of familiarthe committee had grown to 40 memity/experience translated into a slow
PHOTO 1 Early refrigeration safety standards helped
bers having interest categories that
rate of change in the code. Some
the technology safely grow.
included: manufacturers, employers
viewed the slow moving committee as
(end-users), employees, government,
intentional blocking the further cominsurance, and independent (general
mercialization of this new technology,
interest). The concept of balancing
but the committee continued to make
interested parties as members on this
revisions to the code and the next
code committee was momentous, and
edition included restrictions on the
this principle is one of the foundation
refrigerants themselves.
pillars for the ASHRAE committees
The restrictions came in the form
responsible for developing its stanof limits to the size of refrigeration
dards today.
systems based on the volume of one
The balance of membership interor more spaces that would collect
ests became increasingly important
refrigerant in the event of a leak. This
with the market quickly expanding
concept formed the foundation for
due to the development of domestic
what later became known in Standard
refrigerators and direct-expansion
15 as "refrigerant quantity limits"
air-conditioning systems. Because
(RQLs) or what is now known today
the code had been written, primarily,
as the "refrigerant concentration
to address safety concerns associated
limits" (RCLs). These measures were
with large industrial systems, signifiintended to set the maximum concant modifications to the code were required to accomcentration of a refrigerant in air that would be allowed
modate the smaller refrigeration systems serving these
in the event of a complete loss of refrigerant into an
emerging applications while ensuring ongoing safety.
occupied space in the event of a leak.
A committee with balanced interests also provided the
ASRE redesignated Standard B9 to B9.1 and published
producers and users of these "new" technology applicaupdated versions in 1950, 1953 and 1958. In 1959, ASRE
tions a voice. Because fluorochemical refrigerants had
and American Society of Heating, and Air Conditioning
not yet been developed, the early versions of this code
Engineers (ASHAE) merged to form the American Society
were limited to sulfur dioxide, ethyl chloride, carbon
of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers
dioxide and ammonia as refrigerants.
(ASHRAE). The next published version of B9.1 came under
In 1932, the national standardizing agency, American
the ASHRAE banner in 1964. As a body overseeing the
Standards Association (ASA), formally approved
development of consensus standards, ANSI superseded
Standard B9, American Standard Safety Code for Mechanical
ASA and the 1971 edition of B9.1 was published with the
Refrigeration, and the 1930 edition of this standard
ANSI designation as "ANSI/ASHRAE B9.1-1971."
N OVEM BER 2014

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ASHRAE Journal - November 2014

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