{"query_echo":{"q":"","filters":{"analysis_type":["experimental testing"]},"warnings":[{"code":"facet_value_not_in_vocabulary","message":"Value 'experimental testing' for facet 'analysis_type' is not in the controlled vocabulary."}]},"total":{"value":1,"relation":"eq"},"page":1,"page_size":20,"self":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/api/v1/search?analysis_type=experimental+testing","stability":"beta","ai_marking":{"digital_source_type":{"uri":"http://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/digitalsourcetype/trainedAlgorithmicMedia","name":"Created using Generative AI"},"notice":"Summary and key insights are generated using artificial intelligence."},"results":[{"id":"rmi-000790","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/rmi-000790","title":"reclaimed-refrigerant-appendix-final_amended-21-may-2026-ae7dfbdd1b644335.pdf","publisher":{"name":"RMI","organization":"rmi"},"document_type":"report","language":"en","date_published":null,"source_url":"https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2026/05/Reclaimed-Refrigerant-Appendix-FINAL_Amended-21-May-2026.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The document describes testing conducted between August and December 2025 on a 3-ton residential split-system and a 5-ton packaged rooftop unit (RTU) to compare the effects of different R-410A refrigerant qualities. Results indicate that reclaimed refrigerant meeting AHRI 700 purity standards causes no measurable short-term performance penalty in capacity, efficiency, or power consumption compared to virgin refrigerant. Testing with recovered refrigerant and near-empty tanks showed similar stability, although recovered refrigerant quality is noted as inherently variable. Additionally, the RTU showed performance resilience down to 85% of nominal charge, likely due to the use of thermostatic expansion valves (TXVs).","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000790#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"There is no statistically significant difference in capacity, efficiency (COP/EER), discharge pressure, or power consumption between virgin and reclaimed refrigerant when using standard charging procedures from the liquid port.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000790#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Recovered refrigerant, which does not meet AHRI 700 standards, performed similarly to virgin and reclaimed samples in short-term tests, though its quality is inherently variable and may contain long-term reliability risks like acids and moisture.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000790#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Charging a system from a nearly empty tank to maximize non-condensable gas (NCG) intake resulted in a slight increase in discharge pressure (0.7%–2%) for the RTU, but this had no measurable impact on capacity or COP.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000790#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The 5-ton RTU maintained stable performance down to approximately 85% of its nominal refrigerant charge, with capacity decreasing by about 4% and efficiency changing by ±2%; however, degradation became more pronounced below this threshold.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000790#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The use of thermostatic expansion valves (TXVs) in the tested systems likely provided a buffer that reduced the immediate impact of low refrigerant charges on performance.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000790#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["heat pump","energy efficiency"],"geography_discussed":["Beltsville","Maryland"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["experimental testing","performance assessment"]}]}