Modern Building Services

MODERN BUILDING SERVICES JUNE 2022 17 FEATURE AIR CONDITIONING, COOLING & VENTILATION to simultaneous operation are residential and commercial comfort cooling and heating through 4 pipe fan coils or underfloor heating methods, domestic hot water use for hotels, leisure centres and spas, data centre cooling whilst providing heating and DHW to staff offices, or more industrial uses, in which chilled or hot water is required simultaneously in various forms through a process. Chilled water systems can be used with a wide range of terminals and generally emit lower noise levels at fan coil units than can be experienced with refrigerant velocities in pipework. Compressor technology Turbocor compressors are a further example of how technology has improved both efficiency and reliability in chillers. A multiple- stage compression design has reduced what would typically be a large centrifugal compressor into a more compact variant, even compared to its positive displacement screw or reciprocating compressor alternatives. With a low number of moving mechanical parts, the centrifugal compressor is an effective choice in any design. Because of its high rotational speeds - to generate an acceptable pressure difference - a large amount of friction is placed on the shaft bearings, which decreases efficiency and requires an essential source of lubrication. If the oil lubricating the shaft is not cooled sufficiently or develops flow problems, the result usually is catastrophic. Danfoss developed the compressor with a fully integrated inverter control system and revolutionised efficiency and reliability with magnetic friction- free shaft bearings. This means that the compressor can operate without oil , removing the oil cooling circuit with no wear and tear on the shaft bearings. Sensor rings that can detect the shaft position 100,000 times per second also provide improved control and monitoring. Refrigerant choice With a growing awareness of environmental issues, chillers also have the advantage of a range of refrigerant options. The refrigerant for DX is generally determined by whatever the system is designed with, usually R410a for larger applications due to the limited options available for R32 due to the flammability aspect and the concentration of potential leakage. The opportunity to select from various refrigerants can allow the corporate responsibility needs of the customer to be met. With changes in using alternative low global warming potential refrigerants such as R452B, R454B and R513A, we now have products available to meet specification and regulation across an extensive array of capacities. From being very much in the background not so long ago, this modern way of thinking for energy recovery and multiple-use products has given the chiller the push it needed to bring it back in line with the VRF possibilities, especially within the commercial market. More information can be found at www.aukdistribution.com Simultaneous operation We generally think of a chiller operating in a single mode as moving energy from one area and expelling in another; chilled water being a product of the evaporator in cooling and hot water via the condenser in heating. Generally, this energy would not be reusable and in turn lost to ambient air by the fan contained within the chiller chassis, acting to move air across the heat exchanger. When operating simultaneously, hot water can be generated using the heat rejected from the condenser and chilled water can be provided from the energy absorbed by the evaporator at the same time. The fan moving air across the heat exchanger is stopped and energy is transferred between the two heat exchangers, maintaining the refrigeration cycle’s operating pressures. This method not only provides a purpose to serve mixed applications, but also improves the system efficiency; what would normally be ‘lost’ energy is reused. Simultaneous operation can create a system efficiency of 8.8; that being 8.8kWof useful energy given out in terms of both heating and cooling in ratio to every 1kW of electrical energy consumed. These high efficiencies are not solely achieved from the concept of 4 pipe simultaneous systems, but also from the development of load control through both scroll and screw compressor innovation, inverter application and more complex control algorithms. We can make comparisons here with the simultaneous operation of a heat recovery VRF system, but unlike VRF there are no heat recovery boxes to install in the refrigerant pipework within the building. By using a third heat exchanger, either within the chiller or within a thermal store, energy to produce domestic hot water can also be utilised. This adds an efficient bivalent source to a traditional boiler or removes the need for a boiler entirely. The applications lending themselves Simultaneous operation with heat recovery serving both cooling, heating and hot water requirements Turbocor compressor