Industrial refrigeration poses numerous challenges to its professionals. To keep equipment operating at maximum capacity requires predictive maintenance and using energy-efficient systems. Furthermore, the industry must switch over from high global warming potential (GWP) working fluids without increasing energy or water consumption.
Refrigerants
There is no single refrigerant suitable for all industrial refrigeration plants; your selection will depend on various factors including machine compatibility, installation costs, safety considerations and maintenance needs.
Highest technology industrial refrigeration Melbourne systems are much larger than grocery store systems and therefore require powerful halogen free refrigerants, with ammonia being one of the oldest and most frequently used refrigerants for these systems.
Ammonia can be harmful, toxic and highly flammable – thus necessitating stringent safety procedures when handling it. For this reason, strict precautions and standard operating procedures (SOPs) must be observed for its safe operation.
Modern refrigerants containing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), like R-407C and R-134A, offer powerful performance, with zero ozone depletion potential and zero halogen presence. Unfortunately, their global warming potentials still exceed industry requirements so their use is gradually decreasing; hence ARANER has invested significant effort into creating new generations of HFC refrigerants with lower global warming potentials (GWPs).
Compressors
Refrigeration compressors operate using electricity and are the heart of any refrigeration system. Their efficiency in terms of energy use will have a direct effect on overall operating costs.
Piston compressors use pistons and cylinders to draw refrigerant in before compressing it down into smaller volumes before discharging. While durable and reliable, their mechanical design may cause noise or vibration issues that disrupt their functionality.
Rotary vane compressors utilise multiple areas with different diameters in their cylinders to generate different pressures as they rotate, making these quieter and more energy-efficient than screw or reciprocating compressors. You’ll find them featured in our larger QBE, CWE and CWT industrial chillers.
Condensers
Condensers convert high-pressure refrigerant gas to liquid state through thermodynamic contact with cooler external fluid, thus decreasing its temperature and increasing cooling efficiency of a system.
Highest technology industrial refrigeration Melbourne condensers come in various varieties. One such condenser type is the tube in tube (double-tube), which uses counter current flows to achieve maximum heat transfer efficiencies. Other choices are shell and coil and evaporative condensers.
Mayekawa will showcase their latest developments in sustainable industrial refrigeration at Chillventa. This includes their ultra-low GWP Optyma Plus condensing unit designed specifically for natural refrigerant systems and offering exceptional energy efficiency and control capabilities. In addition, new case controllers from their MPX range, and Heosbox CO2, which is suitable for trans critical CO2 refrigeration applications will also be showcased.
Heat Exchangers
Industrial heat exchangers function much like their domestic counterparts in cars and refrigerators by transferring heat from liquid to air, but differ by working under high-pressure and potentially corrosive environments.
Refrigeration systems play an integral part of commercial and industrial refrigeration systems, ensuring temperatures remain ideal while the cooling mechanisms function effectively. Furthermore, this equipment can help recycle heat generated during other industrial processes thereby saving on electricity and resources.
There are various kinds of heat exchangers, from coil to shell-and-tube models, that can help regulate temperatures effectively in refrigeration applications. Coil heat exchangers feature heated coil wires that are effective with organic refrigerants; plate-and-frame heat exchangers feature corrugated plates separated by flow channels to quickly cool vapors; while semi-welded plate exchangers are compact solutions suitable for most situations when dealing with halocarbon refrigerants.
Controls
Food production and distribution require temperature accuracy from farm to table, which demands efficient refrigeration systems throughout. To do this successfully requires high operational efficiencies across the food continuum.
At Chillventa 2022, visitors will discover innovative controls that optimise energy consumption and maintenance costs, including innovative innovations that reduce energy use while improving product care as well as solutions to reduce system maintenance costs.
Danfoss recently unveiled an emerging portfolio of products designed for large industrial transcritical CO2 systems. These systems feature higher capacities, pressures and temperature ratings than traditional systems. Furthermore, these new controls are easier to operate, potentially helping lower installation costs by eliminating a control room altogether and offering greater flexibility and reliability.