6. Conclusion

Our presentation of the many industrial processes that use refrigeration shows their richness and diversity. Over and above these differences, what are the common threads running through all these applications? Without a doubt, we can identify three areas of future development in the design and operation of cold-using processes:

• the quest for reduced energy consumption, particularly electricity (the main source of energy for refrigeration machines in Europe); this quest for greater energy efficiency calls for innovative developments in technical components (exchangers, pumps, etc.) and refrigeration machines. Above all, it calls for optimization of system architectures and their control and management, with the integration of artificial intelligence and data communication devices;

• the replacement of HFC refrigerants...