In the Northern Hemisphere, the air conditioner sales season will begin soon, while in the Southern Hemisphere the sales season will soon be over. JARN carried out questionnaire and interview surveys ...
France- based Cemafroid is one of the few independent laboratories in the world able to provide users and manufacturers of refrigerated display cabinets with a complete range of tests providing data, ...
France-based Climalife has launched two new lubricants to address new refrigerant trends. Mobil Gargoyle Arctic 68 NH is a high-performance refrigeration oil that has been developed to address the gro...
Star Refrigeration UK and Controlled Environments Construction (CEC) US have created a joint venture called Controlled Azane Refrigeration. The new company aims to become the leading provider of low-c...
Panasonic has announced that the company’s 4 kW CO2 condensing unit for commercial refrigeration targeting small supermarkets, convenience stores, and petrol stations, is now available in the Un...
Toshiba Air Conditioning UK has launched a new generation of its pioneering refrigerant detection and management system, which further reduces costs, and saves space. Even more flexible, the new LD2 p...
The French giant Atlantic, in cooperation with Fujitsu General, the company’s partner, has launched an air-to-air (ATA) heat pump range operating on R32 in France. Atlantic is expanding its resi...
Years ago, air conditioning systems made users feel cold at the level of their feet during heating operation in winter, and made them feel a hot flush in their face during cooling operation in summer....
European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) will hold the annual forum at MuseumsQuartier in Vienna, Austria, on May 16, 2018, with the topic of Decarb Cities. An increasing share of humans live in cities a...
At HVAC&R JAPAN 2018, Bitzer exhibited its latest product highlights at its 90 -m2 booth. “We are very happy that we can present so many product highlights for Bitzer Japan’s tenth ann...
HVAC&R JAPAN 2018 was held from February 27 to March 2 at Makuhari Messe, organized by the Japan Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry Association (JRAIA). On the occasion of this year&rsquo...
On March 26, 2018, Carrier announced the commercial availability of its AquaEdge 19DV in North America. The centrifugal chiller features breakthrough technologies, Greenspeed intelligence and a low gl...
In Australia, ENGIE Refrigeration has supplied the world’s largest fleet of chillers, using the sustainable refrigerant R1234ze. A major hospital in Sydney is now home to this record-setting fac...
On March 19, 2018, Danfoss, Schneider Electric, and Somfy announced that they are partnering to create a Connectivity Ecosystem that aims to accelerate the adoption of connectivity in residential, midsize building, and hotel markets. Committed to openness and interoperability, the three companies combine 300 years of innovation and expertise with the largest global network of trusted installers in...
Trane introduces the next generation IntelliPak commercial heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) rooftop system connected with Symbio 800, a flexible controller designed to improve the cust...
— On June 10–13 in Sapporo, Japan The ninth Asian Conference on Refrigeration and Air-conditioning (ACRA 2018) will be held from June 10 to 13 at Sapporo Convention Center (SORA) in Sap...
At MCE 2018, CAREL focused the spotlight on its Internet of Things (IoT) range, exhibited in its entirety for the very first time. With this platform, CAREL guarantees a new unit-interaction experienc...
During the MCE 2018, Daikin held a press conference to announce that it takes the next step towards a sustain-able air conditioning, heating, and refrigeration industry by investing in a circular economy of refrigerants. Based on the experience of Daikin in Japan, Daikin Europe has decided to invest in recovery and reclaim of refrigerants. As a first step, Daikin will reclaim refrigerants...
Once more, Sonkor Global HVAC Solutions exhibited at MCE, presenting its Eurovent-certified intelligent fan coil systems capable of control-ling temperature, relative humidity, and air quality includi...
Canadian Pacific Railway has selected Thermo King’s SLXi-DRC units to fulfill its largest, single domestic reefer container order in Canadian history. Canadian Pacific is the first Thermo King c...
From the beginning of May 2018, Bitzer will be the largest independent manufacturer in the shell-and-tube heat exchanger (STHE) market world-wide. The contract between Bitzer Italia and Alfa Laval was...
On March 14, 2018, Lennox Inter-national announced the planned sale of its Australia, Asia, and South America businesses as the company streamlines its refrigeration portfolio to focus on its strong m...
Panasonic Vietnam in collaboration with Department of Science, Technology and Environment, Ministry of Construction organized a work-shop on ‘Energy-saving solutions to improve building air qual...
Citec G-Volution Series is the latest precision air conditioning system engineered to run seamlessly in critical environments by delivering constant, efficient, and intelligent cooling circulation con...
U.S.-based Tecumseh Products Company opened the new office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on March 4, 2018. The office will serve customers in the Middle East region with local sales and techni...
The YORK YZ chiller uses an integral, variable speed drive and advanced magnetic bearing technology that features a single moving assembly suspended in a magnetic field that does not require lubricati...
LU-VE Group participated in the INDEE Project through LU-VE Exchangers and Spirotech India. The project has been approved by the Indian government and the Ministry of External Affairs, the Norwegian g...
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Economy Division OzonAction Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP) organized the first Inter-Regional Thematic Technical Workshops and Regional Network M...
At the end of February 2018, Hitachi Appliances announced that intends to provide customers with a valuable new service called Exiida by accumulating, analyzing and utilizing operating data, such as r...
Starting in April, Fujitsu General began releasing new AIRSTAGE series models of multi air conditioners for store/office use in European markets. The new models are compact and can be installed more r...
Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning has adopted Frost Wash for its new Stainless Clean Shirokuma-kun E, W, and G series comprising 22 models, which were placed on the market in early March. An a...
On February 21, 2018, Mitsubishi Electric appointed Takeshi Sugiyama as the company’s new president & CEO, effective April 1, 2018. Takeshi Sugiyama replaced Masaki Sakuyama, who assumed the...
In late March, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Thermal Systems began selling 19 new Beaver room air conditioner (RAC) models for 2018, which comprise six highest-class SW series models with a high a...
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Thermal Systems and Beijer Ref, one of the world’s largest refrigeration and HVAC wholesalers, have agreed to pursue a strategic business collaboration in air-c...
Toshiba Home Technology resumed its fan business after a three-year break, releasing from mid-April four new living room fan models and two new tower-type fan models. By taking into comfortable airflo...
Kawasaki Thermal Engineering won the Japan Machinery Federation (JMF)’s President Award for its Efficio NZ natural chiller in the Energy-Efficient Machinery Award category for 2017. Within the f...
The Heat Pump & Thermal Storage Technology Center of Japan (HPTCJ), International Copper Association (ICA), and Japan Copper Development Association (JCDA) are proceeding with activities designed to enhance knowledge of heat pump & thermal storage systems in Southeast Asian regions through organizations centering on the Asian Heat Pump & Thermal Storage Technologies Net-work (AHPNW). ...
In February 2018, Mayekawa began selling circulating heating type heat pump air heaters using a non-fluorocarbon hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) refrigerant. These models are capable of supplying hot air at a...
From April, 2018, Panasonic began receiving orders for 7.3 kW (10 hp) condensing units adopting the nonfluorinated refrigerant CO2 (available in two types of specifications, a standard type and a type...
On March 19, 2018, Haier held an MRV variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system training session in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, together with its distributor Iglotech. About 20 people, mainly sales staff, attended. The training session was divided into three parts. Firstly, the new MRV 5 was introduced. Secondly technical training on the use of the new MRV 4 was provided, and thirdly practical o...
In March 2018, Gree won the central energy station project in Hengqin new development zone in the south of Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. It will provide nine units of permanent magnetic synchronous centrifugal chillers for the No.1 energy station of the project, with a total capacity of 25,000 tons. As the basic supporting facility project for Hengqin zone, the comprehensive intelligent ene...
According to Chinaiol.com, the out-put of R22 refrigerant was 34,870 sets, down 9.4% year on year, and down 19.3% month on month in February 2018. The R22 mainstream ex-works price was RMB 18,000– 18,500/ton (about US$ 2,850–2,930/ ton). The price of R22 kept rising because of a supply shortage. Limin stopped production for a month, and Sanmei stopped production for 10 days in order to...
The Chinese Ministry of Environ-mental Protection recently issued a notice on the work related to the management of the production and use of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) projects. In order to strengthen ODS supervision and management and effectively fulfill the relevant requirements of the Montreal Proto-col on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and its amendments, the productio...
In recent years, Yunnan County in Guangdong Province has seized a growth opportunity to develop modern agriculture in the highlands. During the provincial meetings in 2018, Yunnan proposed three objectives comprising green energy, green food, and healthy living destination, offering great business opportunities for the cold chain logistics industry. During the 13th Five-year Plan (2016&nd...
The launching ceremony of Guangdong Intelligent Manufacturing In-novation Demonstration Park and Sino-German Intelligent Manufacturing International Cooperation Demonstration Zone and the con-current ground breaking event of Midea-Kuka Smart Manufacturing Industry Park took place in Shunde on March 28, 2018. Midea-Kuka joint venture (JV) is among the first to operate its Smart Manufacturing Indust...
Zilon, a Russian manufacturer of ventilation equipment, presented on the market its new ventilation units for small residential and public premises. Zilon ZPVP supply and exhaust ventilation units are available in the versions featuring suspended installation, and horizontal and vertical connection of air ducts. With a wide range of air capacity and a water or electric heater, the ZPVP pr...
PlanetaClimat is starting production of Climatronic deep dehumidification units with a capacity of up to 4,000 liters of condensate per day. These dehumidifiers can remove up to 10–12g of moisture from 1 kg of passing air per pass, and the dew point can lie within the negative temperature zone. The temperatures of the treated air range from +10 to +45℃ at a relative humidity ranging...
In the fall of 2018, the Italian company Fondital, which specializes in the manufacturing of heating radiators, gas boilers, and polypropylene pipes, is going to launch production in Russia. The plant is planned to open in the territory of the special economic zone (SEZ) Lipetsk. It is expected that the factory will manufacture up to 10 million aluminum heating radiators per year. Moreove...
The Alpha3 circulator pump for heating systems from Denmark-based Grundfos was awarded the Russian prize Innovation Time-2017 as the nomination of Product of the Year in the Real Estate, Construction, and Repair category. The solemn awarding ceremony took place on December 8, 2017 at the Marriott Krasnaya Polyana Hotel in the city of Sochi. The pump features small dimensions and high ener...
In 2018, Rusklimat Vent, a part of the Rusklimat Holding, is starting cooperation with Trox Rus, a part of the Germany-based Trox Group, a world technology leader in the design, manufacture, and sale of in-door ventilation and air conditioning systems. Innovative system solutions, characterized by impeccable German quality and advanced technologies, are ideally suited for both big and sma...
Thermocool developed and manufactured liquid chillers, which are short listed for the National Prize in the Import Substitution Priority- 2017 as the nomination Priority-Equipment. The units were produced for the No. 4 Refrigeration Center of the Skolkovo Innovation Center, which offers services to the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech). The automatic concept is implemented...
During HVAC&R JAPAN 2018 held in February in Chiba Prefecture, JARN interviewed Tommy Simonsen, vice president marketing of SWEP International, and Joakim Fahlstedt, representative director of SWEP JAPAN, to gain an insight into SWEP’s business in Asia.
JARN (J): First of all, could you briefly introduce SWEP’s heat exchanger business?
SWEP (S): SWEP is a world-leading supplier of brazed plate heat exchangers (BPHEs) for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and industrial applications. Designed to make the most efficient use of energy, materials, and space, the technology is quickly gaining ground around the world, with SWEP at the forefront of developments.
SWEP is known for providing market-leading technology within our core markets. This is the result of more than 30 years of close collaboration with customers around the world. They have played an essential part in driving our development and efficiency, and in building up the application expertise that has allowed us to achieve leadership.
J: Could you please tell us the result for SWEP’s Position in Asia including China, India, Japan, and South Korea in 2017?
S: SWEP is in the leading position in these markets and some recent surveys verify such a leading position in China. In 2017, SWEP had growth in line with or above the market and industries it serves, such as in the HVAC sector’s air conditioning and heat pump markets in China. Both Japan and South Korea were showing double -digit growth in 2017 and especially in South Korea the results were outstanding among our major global accounts.
SWEP representatives at its booth during HVAC&R JAPAN 2018
J: How do you see market growth in Asia in 2018?
S: Asia is expecting moderately slower growth than in 2017 from the softening demand in China driven by Coalto-Electricity and air conditioning products. However, India is expected to grow faster after 2017, a year negatively impacted by demonetization and new Goods and Services Tax. Japan and South Korea are expected to grow at the same or at a faster pace than in 2017 thanks to the continuing positive general development in their economies. Above all, our export-driven accounts will lead the growth path.
J: SWEP has operations around the world. What percentage of your business does Asia account for?
S: Over a quarter of our total business is located in Asia, in which the biggest markets are in China followed by Japan, South Korea, and India.
J: What shares of your business in Asia do refrigeration and air conditioning account for?
S: Over 50% of SWEP’s Asia business is dedicated to these two segments.
J: BPHEs are a key part of your business. Northern European manufacturers are very strong in the heat exchanger industry. Are there any special reasons?
S: It is difficult to mention any particular reason. However, it could be fair to note that Nordic countries are focused on energy efficiency since they have strong demand for heating residences in long winters combined with increased costs of energy. This forms the basis of developing ever more efficient systems, of which heat exchangers are an integral part of.
During Mostra Convegno Expocomfort (MCE) 2018 held in Italy in March, Midea Group obtained the Blue Angel Ecolabel for its All Easy series split type residential air conditioners using low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant propane (R290). The Blue Angel Ecolabel is conferred by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety. During MCE, JARN interviewed Qiu Xiangwei, general manager assistant and chief product manager, Residential Air Conditioner Division, Midea Group, to hear about Midea’s research and development (R&D) status in the field of environmentally friendly air conditioners, and its global R&D strategy.
During 2018 AHR Expo held in January in Chicago, JARN interviewed Laura T. Wand, vice president and general manager, Global Chiller Products, Building Technologies & Solutions, Johnson Controls (JCI), to hear mainly about YORK’s YZ magnetic bearing centrifugal chiller.
From March 8 to 11, Appliance & Electronics World Expo 2018 (AWE 2018) was held at Shanghai New International Exhibition Center. This major event was organized by the China Household Electrical Appliances Association (CHEAA).
— Continued from March Issue
Contributed by Masataka Yamane, HVACR advisor
Multiple Compressor Types
Two-piston
Rotary compressors take in, compress, and discharge refrigerant in one rotation. The pressure in the compression chamber during one rotation changes depending on the rotation angle. This creates a large difference in the rotational torque of the electric motor and the compressive force (load torque) in the compression chamber, resulting in an uneven rotational speed and increased compressor vibration.
In particular, when the compressor is operating at a low speed, vibration is noticeable. In order to solve this problem, a two-piston type rotary compressor was developed. The two-piston type sets the two pistons apart at a 180 degree angle in order to balance the mass of two pistons, leading to small torque fluctuations and a substantial decrease in vibration in the direction of rotation. The two-piston type compressor can be produced on existing production lines, giving it the advantage of relatively low cost. As a result, the two-piston rotary compressor is widely used today for inverter air conditioners.
One-piston
Production costs for two-piston compressors are higher than those of one-piston compressors. With a view to reducing costs, manufacturers have worked on ways to achieve low-vibration operation with inverter-driven one -piston rotary compressors. They employed power electronics technology to achieve torque control, which reduces vibration by aligning the load torque created from compression with the electric motor torque. This enabled one-piston rotary compressors to also operate at low speeds with little vibration, although one-piston types are inferior in level to the two-piston type rotary compressor.
Swing Type
Swing-type rotary compressors are a family of rolling piston rotary compressors and have a unique design around the vane. A standard rotary compressor has separate piston and vane parts, but a swing-type compressor has an integrated piston and vane, with compression occurring in the cylinder. This is said to achieve advantages including reduced gas leaks, high efficiency regardless of capacity size, little vibration, and high durability.
Variable Cylinder Type
The variable cylinder rotary compressor was developed from the two-piston rotary compressor. During low-load operation, inverter air conditioners may operate intermittently even when the capacity is reduced to a minimum level. The variable cylinder rotary compressor can operate continuously with low energy consumption even at low-load operation. It reduces its compressor capacity by half to do this, by retracting the vane of one of its two compression chambers into the cylinder’s spring during low-load operation to stop the compression action. This enables continuous compressor operation even during low load operation of the inverter air conditioner. Eliminating intermit-tent operation enables comfortable and energy-efficient air conditioning during times of low load such as in between seasons.
Two-stage Compression
A two-stage compressor able to compress high- pressure refrigerant such as CO2 divides compression into two stages using one two-piston rotary compressor. The compressed CO2 in the first compression chamber is delivered to a second compression chamber, where it is com-pressed further. Vapor refrigerant is injected from a gas-liquid separator located between the discharge port of the first chamber and the second chamber. This keeps the discharge temperature of the CO2 refrigerant from overheating and enables compression of the CO2 refrigerant, which is difficult to compress sufficiently in one stage. This two-stage compression type rotary compressor is used in heat pump water heaters capable of supplying high-temperature hot water.
Scrotary
The so-called scrotary compressor has been developed and adopted in commercial CO2 heat pump water heaters. It uses a two-stage compression refrigeration cycle with a gas-injection cycle. Due to the properties of this refrigeration cycle, the differential pressure is higher on the high-stage side than on the low-stage side. Taking this into account, the hot water heater uses two-stage compression with a rotary compressor design on the low-stage side, which demonstrates efficiency when there is low differential pressure, and a scroll compressor design on the high-stage side, which demonstrates efficiency when there is high differential pressure, attached to either end of the electric motor. This structure is able to substantially increase heating performance when the outdoor temperature is low.
Developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems, this compressor was used for heat pump water heaters, and then applied to 10-hp condensing units using CO2 refrigerant in April 2017, and 20-hp condensing units will be released in May 2018. Its applications are expected to further expand.
Larger Capacities
In general, rotary, scroll, and screw compressors each have their own capacity range, but each type has also been expanding the upper limit of its capacity range in recent years. Rotary compressors have posed a challenge at higher capacities, but the development of two-piston types have led to rotary compressors with larger capacities that offer high efficiency with low vibration and leakage. Large rotary compressors are now available up to 20 hp. These larger capacity rotary compressors are often used in variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems, modular chillers, and commercial heat pump water heaters.
Low-load Operation
In the case of packaged air conditioners (PACs) and VRF systems for shops and office buildings sold in Japan, the revised Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) in 2015 adopted a new calculation method for the Annual Performance Factor (APF) to include the lowest capacity in order to appreciate the system’s efficiency under more practical operating conditions. In this context in Japan, two -piston type rotary compressors are increasingly used because they can operate more efficiently at low load than scroll compressors. It is forecast that in the future, China and Europe will adopt the new APF calculation method for PACs that is used for the revised APF in Japan. In the field of relatively low-capacity PACs, the use of two-piston type rotary compressors is expected to expand further.
Moreover, in the context of increasing numbers of highly airtight and highly heat insulated residences, the improvement of operating efficiency during low load is becoming a major issue, due to the higher frequency of load occurring between the medium-to-small capacity that is smaller than the rated capacity. In order to address this issue, the above-mentioned variable cylindrical rotary compressors are being adopted, in addition to a reduction in the minimum number of revolutions of compressors, the adoption of optimum cylinder volume, and the improvement of mechanical efficiency in the small-to-medium capacity ranges, and improved mo-tor efficiency. Motors have become more efficient and lighter by shifting from ferrite magnet to a rare earth magnet, and from distributed to concentrated winding.
Meanwhile, scroll compressors generally tend to become less efficient due to over-compression during low-load operation compared with rotary compressors. In recent years, countermeasures have been adopted to improve efficiency at the low-load operation, including a relief mechanism that is triggered when over-compression occurs.
New Refrigerants
Over the last few years, there have been moves to adopt low-GWP refrigerants as a way to fight global warming. Rotary compressors also need to adapt to these refrigerants, and compressor reliability is improving, partly owing to better parts durability and the development of lubricating oils for new refrigerants.
Future Developments
The number of papers and patents on rotary compressors has fallen sharply compared with the peak of activity, and there has been scant release of new technologies. However, companies are still thought to be working behind the scenes to improve compressor performance, to enhance manufacturing efficiency and processing precision, and to reduce costs.
As with other compressor types, rotary compressor technology development would be welcomed in the coming years. In particular, the development of rotary compressors that demonstrate higher performance in regions with extremely cold and hot climates would be a major breakthrough. With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) adopted in many sectors, it is expected that technology adapted to these trends will emerge in the near future and will improve reliability and APF, as well as lengthening the lifespan of rotary compressors.
Air conditioners can roughly be divided into two types: those offering comfort air conditioning for people, and those offering process air conditioning for industrial processes and objects besides people.
Process air conditioning is required at a wide range of temperature and humidity conditions for objects that require cooling, heating, humidifying, and dehumidifying. For example, to both maintain freshness and the work environment at food processing plants, medium-temperature air conditioning in the range of 10–25ºC, somewhat below the general air conditioning range, is used. Refrigeration and freezing units and specially designed refrigeration systems are also used in places where temperature control is required, such as places where food is temporarily stored.
There are many refrigeration and freezing control methods to control temperature, humidity, and other factors in the environment depending on the food item being stored.
Table 1 shows the typical temperature and humidity conditions for food storage.
This article provides an overview and describes important information about medium-temperature air conditioning for process cooling, using the example of brown rice.
Table 2 shows various medium-temperature air conditioning applications.
Rice Storage
The key point to pay attention to in rice storage is preventing mold from growing. Maintaining a ware-house storage temperature of 15°C or below is essential.
Temperature
The reasons for storing rice at 15ºC or below are to:
[1] Reduce the risk of mold, bacteria, and pests proliferating
[2] Avoid depletion of the nutrient reserves in rice through active respiration, causing the rice quality to change, and
[3] Prevent fat oxidation and carbohydrate breakdown.
Many types of mold grow and proliferate in the temperature range of 20–30ºC, but some types of mold can grow in the low-temperature range of 0–10ºC and at high temperatures of more than 60ºC.
For example, a type of mold that is a relative of aspergillus, which creates aflatoxins, can grow in the temperature range of 6–45ºC (optimum temperature of 32–33ºC) and create aflatoxins in the range of 12–40ºC (optimum temperature of 25–30ºC).
Relative Humidity
Mold growth is inhibited under dry conditions of low humidity. If the surrounding environment has relative humidity of 70% or less, many molds will have difficulty growing.
In general, when relative humidity reaches 70% or higher, condensation forms easily and mold and mites have an easier time proliferating.
Rice Moisture Content
Rice moisture can be managed during storage by controlling the rice warehouse temperature and relative humidity.
When brown rice is stored at 15ºC and the relative humidity of the storage facility is kept to 65%, rice moisture of about 15% can be maintained.
Storage Warehouses
Rice should be stored about 50–70 cm away from the walls of the warehouse, as this will help preserve its quality and facilitate inspections. Warehouses typically maintain a constant temperature using a low-or medium -temperature air conditioning system. When rice is stored in a low-temperature warehouse where the temperature is 15ºC or lower, it not only prevents rice’s freshness from deteriorating, but also inhibits the proliferation of mold and pests. These warehouses, however, must still take into account the following points.
• The temperature, humidity, and other warehouse conditions must be frequently checked, without relying only on automated management of the air conditioning system and other facilities.
• When storing rice at room temperature, the warehouse must still be inspected and cleaned at regular intervals.
Medium-temperature Air Conditioners
Medium-temperature air conditioners provide cooling in the range of 10–25ºC, which is lower than typical air conditioners designed for human comfort cooling. Medium-temperature air conditioners are used in various applications, including food processing, where product freshness must be preserved in a properly managed environment; server rooms, which require year-round cooling; precision equipment rooms and laboratories, which require a constant temperature to be maintained; and greenhouse cooling.
Major air conditioner manufacturers offer low-and medium-temperature packaged air conditioners (PACs). Air conditioners designed for human comfort cooling are relatively easy to purchase and install, while air conditioning and refrigeration systems for storage management of goods, particularly foodstuffs, are not necessarily simple. Manufacturers therefore offer packaged systems, which help simplify many of the challenges of air conditioning for storage management.
Up to the 1990s, low-and medium-temperature air conditioners offering cooling in the range of 15– 27ºC came in split types and modified packaged monobloc models. In 1997, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) developed six cooling-only, ceiling-suspended low-and medium-temperature air conditioner models offering cooling in the range of 10– 25ºC. Ceiling- suspended PACs designed for food processing plants and food storage warehouses that handle fresh food at an indoor temperature of 10–25ºC were a groundbreaking product in Japan. MHI launched these six models together with three floor-standing cooling-only models providing indoor cooling in the range of 0–21ºC for a total of nine models. All of the models were air-cooled. With this product launch, MHI offered a complete lineup of air-cooled low-and medium-temperature PACs in ceiling-suspended, ceiling-embedded, ceiling-ducted, and floor-standing types, as well as water-cooled floor-standing models.
In the past, low-and medium-temperature air conditioners were intended for both humans and goods, so almost all of the air conditioners provided cooling in the range of 15–27ºC. These new air conditioners covered a wider temperature range of 0–27ºC and were able to meet needs for food storage and various food processing jobs. Subsequently, other leading manufacturers also created lineups of low- and medium-temperature PACs.
Low-temperature Rice Storage Warehouses
Daikin’s low-temperature brown rice storage warehouse series was popular with farmers. In June 2003, Daikin redesigned the models and increased the model variations to 10 types.
Low-temperature storage ware-houses for rice help prevent rice quality from deteriorating as well as damage from bugs, mice, and other pests. The low-temperature ware-houses are also versatile and can be used for storing other agricultural products besides rice. Daikin’s re-designed models offered a wider temperature control range as well as quieter operation. The new models also eliminated the need for drain-age pipe installation, which the former models required.
Daikin offers multipurpose and specialty brown rice models. The multipurpose models cover a wider temperature control range of 2–15ºC and have the following features.
For brown rice and other agricultural products: [1] warehouse temperature control range of 2–15ºC suitable for brown rice, fruits and vegetables, and other foodstuffs, [2] wide ambient temperature range of 0–43ºC, allowing installation in various locations without affecting the indoor temperature, and [3] drain-less operation not requiring drainage pipe installation.
According to Daikin, even at 2ºC operation, the condensate dis-charged from the unit is evaporated inside the unit, thus eliminating the need for drainage pipe installation.
An evaporation pan is placed in the unit, and the compressor discharge pipe is placed under the pan. High-temperature heat from the discharge pipe and warm airflow from the condenser evaporate the condensing water, eliminating the need for drainage pipe installation.
The specialty brown rice model stores brown rice at a temperature of 13ºC. It offers [1] temperature and humidity control specifically for brown rice storage (13ºC fixed temperature, relative humidity of around 70%), [2] standard types with basic features that forgo unnecessary functions, and [3] plug- and-play capability, with settings optimized for brown rice storage automatically set when the unit is plugged in.
Other air conditioner manufacturers including Mitsubishi Electric, Hitachi Appliances, and Toshiba Carrier offer low- and medium-temperature PACs. The operating temperature ranges vary slightly between manufacturers, with some models offering a minimum indoor air intake temperature of 10ºC.
Low air temperature discharge from the indoor unit is required to maintain a low storage room air temperature. To do this, the refrigerant evaporating temperature must be low. Various devices to modulate pressure and temperature are combined in the air conditioners for this reason, which increases product cost. But the higher price also offers packaged products the advantages of accuracy, safety, and durability over systems that are assembled on site, which can result in cost savings when all factors are considered.
The 14th edition of the international specialized exhibition Climate World 2018 took place from February 27 to March 2, 2018 at the CEC Expocentre in Moscow, and was organized by Euroexpo jointly with APIC, the Russian Association of Climate Industry Professionals, under the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation.
G.I. Holding— entered into a basic agreement concerning a comprehensive tie- up with Fujitsu General in November 2017. It displayed a DX AHU and a commercial ATW heat pump that were developed with Fujitsu General. Fujitsu General President Etsuro Saito visited the booth and met with Paolo Baldissin, managing director of G.I. Holding.
Mostra Convegno Expocomfort (MCE) was held from March 13 to 16, 2018 in Milan, Italy. Together with the first edition of Biomass Innovation Expo (BIE), MCE attracted more than 2,400 exhibitors and 162,000 trade visitors who made their way to the show from all over the world. There have been increases in the numbers of overseas trade visitors coming from 140 countries such as India, Country Guest of the 41st edition of MCE, Asia on the rise with high levels of attendance from the Far East including China, Japan, and Vietnam, and the Middle East including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Palestine. In addition, the Americas registered major in-creases in figures. As always, the European presence was also significant, with many visitors from Ukraine, Romania, and Croatia in particular.