Manufacturers brandish new CO2 components at San Diego FMI Conference

A number of component suppliers showcased their newest CO₂ compatible products at the 2015 FMI Energy and Store Development Conference in San Diego.

The Sporlan Division of Parker Hannifin showcased its new range of Parker Sporlan valves and controllers rated 140 bar for transcritical CO₂ high-pressure systems.

The line features five gas cooler valves (GC-10, -20, -30, -40, and -50) for system capacities from 7 to 200 ton (25 to 700 kW). These valves offer the flexibility to be applied in flash gas bypass applications as well.

The gas cooler/flash gas bypass valves allow for fine pressure tuning in transcritical operation. The gas cooler/flash gas bypass valves can also be applied in heat reclaim applications to modulate the flow to subsequent reclaim coils.

Danfoss has a new control valve for transcritical CO₂ systems that can be used as a high-pressure or gas bypass valve. The valve, which comes equipped with a pressure transmitter, is designed specifically for commercial transcritical applications in food retail, said Hans Matthiesen, Danfoss’s global segment director – food retail. Previous valves were suited for both industrial and commercial systems.

The new valve has connections for Wieland’s K65 high-pressure copper/iron tubing as well as stainless steel tubing. “Many are switching to the K65,” said Matthiesen. The valve also has an integrated filter that permits easy servicing. In addition, the “moving parts” of the valve can be removed and replaced within 30 seconds, he said.

The new Danfoss valve will be UL-approved and installed in field trials in the U.S. and Europe.

By the 2016 AHR Expo in January, Mueller Industries expects to have UL approval for its Streamline XHP copper-iron alloy tubes and fittings designed for CO₂ transcritical systems, said Christopher Mueller, vice president and general manager – joining systems, Mueller Streamline Co., a division of Mueller Industries. The XHP products are rated to 120 BAR/1,740 PSI. “It will be easier for contractors if the products are UL-approved.”

Carel spoke about its Heos waterloop system, which removes condensing heat from plug-in units in self-contained refrigeration systems, including those that use CO₂. These self-contained systems can be easily moved around the store and are very leak-tight, noted Mike Tokarsky, Carel USA’s Midwest regional sales manager.

CO₂ versions of Howe Corp.’s icemaker machine, which produces ice flakes in supermarkets, are installed at a Boston Roche Bros. store and a Brooklyn, N.Y., Whole Foods outlet. The latter is linked to a transcritical system while the former is driven by a secondary liquid-overfeed refrigeration system, noted Andrew Ortman, vice president, sales & marketing, for Howe.

Howe’s machines, which produce between one thousand and four thousand pounds of ice per 24 hours, employs subcooling to maintain temperatures at 22°F (-6°C), enabling the ice to last longer, said Ortman.