What is the common abbreviation for Ammonia in refrigeration applications?

In refrigeration applications, ammonia is commonly referred to by the abbreviation R717. This designation is part of the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) refrigerant classification system, where R stands for refrigerant, and the numbers indicate the specific substance.

Ammonia (R717) is widely used in industrial refrigeration due to its efficiency and thermodynamic properties. It has a high latent heat of vaporization, making it very effective for heat transfer. Additionally, ammonia is environmentally friendly as it has no ozone depletion potential and a very low global warming potential, which makes it a preferred choice for many industrial applications.

The other substances listed, like R134a, R410A, and R404A, are all synthetic refrigerants that are commonly used in residential and commercial applications, but they do not represent ammonia and thus are not associated with its abbreviation. These refrigerants have different chemical compositions and properties suited for different uses, but for industrial applications involving ammonia, R717 is the recognized standard abbreviation.