What is Ammonia refrigeration?
Ammonia refrigeration uses anhydrous ammonia as the refrigerant in industrial vapor-compression systems, typical in dairies, cold stores, breweries and meat plants with large low-temperature loads.
Who runs ammonia plants and which rules apply
Large food and beverage plants choose ammonia for its efficiency at industrial scale. Because it is toxic, US sites holding enough of it fall under two federal programs: the OSHA Process Safety Management standard and the EPA Risk Management Program. Outside the United States, national safety and pressure equipment rules take their place.
Thresholds and the numbers engineers watch
Both OSHA, in Appendix A to 29 CFR 1910.119, and EPA, in 40 CFR 68.130, set the threshold quantity for anhydrous ammonia at 10,000 pounds in a process. Above it, the site must run a formal process safety program and, under EPA, submit a risk management plan.
For energy, the readings that matter are suction and discharge pressure, compressor power, condenser approach and cooling delivered. Unnecessary head pressure makes every compressor work harder for the same cooling.
What Aqueduct reads from an ammonia plant
Aqueduct takes compressor, condenser fan and pump power from electricity meters and, through a field device network controller, pressures and temperatures from the plant's Modbus or BACnet points. That gives kW per ton of refrigeration by compressor group and flags rising head pressure early. Ammonia leak detection and safety interlocks stay with the plant's own safety system.