Chinese manufacturer unveils CO₂ AC system for trains

Chinese manufacturer Guangzhou Dinghan Railway Transportation Equipment Co. (Guangzhou Dinghan) on 9 December introduced its new CO₂ air conditioning system for trains.

The system "represents the technical prospects for green, energy-efficient and intelligent development of rail transit air conditioning systems," the company stated on its website.

In addition to the CO₂ air conditioning system, the company released two additional new products – a DC1500V direct power supply system and an intelligent control system.

Senior executives from Guangzhou Dinghan and its subsidiaries along with several industry experts attended an event introducing the products at the company's factory in Guangzhou.

The company's chief engineers presented technical details on the CO₂ air conditioning system as well as its potential in the market and competitive advantages.

"The volumetric flow rate of the CO₂ refrigerant is small," the company stated on its website. In addition, "the performance of CO₂ refrigerant in low temperature environments is excellent."

Guangzhou Dinghan worked closely with Shanghai Jiaotong University to develop the system.

Professor Chen Jiangping from the university together with his team attended the event and gave a presentation on the “Research Progress of CO₂ Vehicle Air Conditioning Systems” during the event.

Details on when the new products would be available were not provided.

CO₂-based air conditioning systems for trains are quickly gaining favor due to their potential for reducing energy use, especially in Europe where the systems have already been deployed.

Europe’s largest railway operator, Deutsche Bahn, has set a goal of using natural refrigerants for air conditioning in all its new trains by 2020.