Panasonic, Mayekawa, Sanden, Yamato, Carel, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries will be presenting their innovative natural-refrigerant technology case studies at the 2nd annual ATMOsphere Asia 2015. These case studies will cover a range of topics from commercial & industrial refrigeration to air conditioning and heat pumps.
The ATMOsphere Review Board has announced its second round of case studies selected for presentation at ATMOsphere Asia 2015, which will take place from 3-5 February in Tokyo, Japan."Transfer pressure control type" CO2 refrigeration system by Hidekazu Tachibana, Panasonic
The presentation will provide an introduction to Panasonic’s environmental strategy and related solutions for food logistics. In particular, it will focus on Panasonic’s CO2 refrigeration systems discussing the current record of installations, as well as future developments. The case study will look at Panasonic’s “Transfer pressure control type” CO2 refrigeration sytems, in which the automatic control of transfer pressure from the condensing unit was developed. This keeps the before-expansion valve pressure constant for all seasons. The new “Transfer pressure control type” CO2 refrigeration system features a smaller and lighter body. It is easier and less costly to install than conventional models.
Introduction of “Pascal Air” – an air refrigeration system by Nobuya Ishitsuka, MAYEKAWA MFG
Flurocarbon refrigerants currently used in conventional refrigeration systems in food, fisheries, dairy and beverage industries have an impact on the environment due to their ozone depletion potential and/or their global warming effects. Efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of flurocarbon refrigerants have been undertaken using natural refrigerants such as ammonia and CO2 for low temperature applications up to -45°C. However, replacement measures still lag behind for refrigeration systems in the lower temperature zones (-50°C ~ -100°C). Currently, cascade systems using HFC23 and HCFC22 are used in this temperature range; however, according to the Montreal protocol, production of HCFC22 will be prohibited after 2020. HFC23, a byproduct of HCFC22 with a GWP of more than 11,700, is expected to become scarce when production of HCFC22 stops, as well as to become the subject of future regulations.
Mayekawa has developed a refrigeration system using air as the working fluid. Known as the “Pascal Air”, this refrigeration system produces the extremely low temperatures (-50°C ~ -100°C) required in cold warehouses. The presentation will highlight how the “Pascal Air” has been applied in cold warehouses, food freezing and the pharmaceutical industry.
CO2 cascade heat pump for CVS by Yukio Yamaguchi, SANDEN Corporation
SANDEN will present its CO2 cascade refrigeration system which equips 3 CO2 loops in one system. While HFC-CO2 cascade refrigeration systems are well known globally, SANDEN’s cascade system is unique in that it equips the CO2 loop not only on the lower side, but also on the higher side. SANDEN developed a pressure control system to improve the COP of the refrigeration system, improving COP by about 20%. It also developed an all aluminum gas cooler for the CO2 loop, one of the best solutions for reducing the cost of the system. During the case study presentation, SANDEN will discuss the application of its CO2 cascade heat pump in CVS stores.
F-Gas Free Ultra Eco-Ice System with CO2 Refrigerator by Sadao Nishimura, Yamato Co.
Yamato will present its F-gas free Ultra Eco-Ice System, designed for display cases, which uses a CO2 refrigeration system and brine-ice thermal storage system. It allows end users to retrofit existing display cases to use brine, rather than replacing the entire case. There is no high pressure CO2 within the supermarket. The system operates the thermal storage with multiple CO2 systems to ensure operation with cold storage and other CO2 units if one should fail. This ensures high safety and reliability within the system. Yamato will focus on a demonstration project which retrofitted the high and medium temperature display cases of an HFC system to a CO2 brine system.
Integrated CO2 systems for warm climates by Katsunori Shibata, Carel
Within the commercial refrigeration industry, SWC and CAREL Japan are drawing from lessons learned in Europe and implementing the technology in Japan. Given the Japanese market’s large focus on convenience store formats, the most applicable solution is a small footprint CO2 transcritical compressor rack. The CO2 transcritical compressor rack is a system able to run with a maximum pressure of 120bar on the high side. Through the use of a high pressure valve (HPV) and a receiver pressure valve (RPV), the high stage pressure can be controlled, maximising the COP of the entire system and regulating the intermediate pressure lower than 60barg. This allows for the installation of standard components from the liquid line to the cabinets. Two compressor racks have been installed in different labs to test the technology and provide real training.
Regarding the issue of efficiency in conditions of high outside temperatures during the summer, parallel compression offers a solution. The parallel compressor is an additional compressor that brings the gas from the receiver and directly discharges it on the high pressure line, avoiding the refrigerant passing through the receiver pressure valve and later through the medium temperature compressors. A problem with this solution is the added cost of components. To assist in the deployment of this system, CAREL has developed a unique controller that is able to manage the entire system in one single board, including the medium temperature compressors, low temperature compressors and even one parallel compressor, as well as the high pressure valve and receiver pressure valve. The controller dramatically improves the usability of the system and optimises the management of all compressors and valves, further improving efficiency and control stability. This technology, which was developed and tested in Europe, is an excellent solution for Japan as it is ideally matched with the small footprint compressor racks for convenience store formats.
CO2 Heat pump water heater for commercial use by Hironari Fujiki, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has developed a two-stage compressor for commercial CO2 heat pump water heaters. Employing the world’s first combination of rotary and scroll mechanisms and intermediate gas injection, it realises high reliability and high efficiency under a wide range of conditions. The Q-ton, a commercial CO2 heat pump water heater equipped with this compressor, has significantly improved the heating capacity and COP, making it possible to introduce heat pump water heaters in colder regions, which has proved difficult in the past. Energy costs were reduced by approximately 50%. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ presentation will focus on the product and its energy saving results, providing site examples at a hotel, a factory and a care home for the elderly.
Kawasaki turbo chiller using water as a refrigerant by Hayato Sakamoto, Kawasaki Heavy Industries
It is widely recognised that refrigerants such as HFCs contribute to global warming and their reduction is unavoidable. Therefore, Kawasaki Heavy Industries will discuss the imperative development of turbo chillers using non HFC refrigerants. The company has developed a turbo chiller using water as the refrigerant for air conditioning applications. Its refrigeration capacity is 100USRt (352kW) and its COP is 5.1 at a 30°C water cooling temperature. Kawasaki’s turbo chiller has comparable performance to other chillers using HFCs, and its components are optimally arranged so that it is as compact as conventional chillers.
Since 2013, the turbo chiller has operated as the air conditioning refrigerator in Kawasaki’s office building. Control characteristics such as the temperature fluctuation of the chilled water, load following capability and effects of surge avoidance control, etc. have been confirmed. In addition, the reduction of CO2 emissions assuming the standard load pattern is estimated to be about 30% when existing chillers are replaced with the turbo chiller.
About ATMOsphere Asia 2015
3-5 February 2015 at the Shin Marunouchi Building in Tokyo, Japan
ATMOsphere Asia returns for its second edition, once again serving as the meeting place for HVAC&R industry stakeholders from both Asia and around the world to discuss the latest natural refrigerant market trends, technology innovations and regulatory issues. The conference programme covers a range of applications including commercial, light commercial, industrial & transport refrigeration, heat pumps and air conditioning.
To register for the event, please visit www.ATMO.org/asia2015/registration
View preliminary programme
For general information, please visit www.ATMO.org/asia2015
