4. Temperature levels

The many applications involving refrigeration technology range from absolute zero – 273°C to +30°C, with higher temperatures in the heat pump sector from +45°C to +120°C, and air conditioning from +10°C to +30°C.

Temperatures between – 150°C and +30°C can be assumed to be achieved by conventional, thermodynamic refrigeration systems with 1 to 4 compression stages.

For high temperatures (heat pump), the system is single-stage (sometimes two-stage), bearing in mind that if the difference between the temperature of the heat source and that of the heat output increases, the efficiency decreases and the heat pump system loses interest.

For temperatures below – 150°C, we enter the realm of cryogenics, and cooling and liquefaction processes call on other technologies