CO2: A SUSTAINABLE TREND
The use of CO2 in refrigeration is a growing trend and Frascold is passionate about developing the best solutions and creating innovative new products, software and services every day.
In 2018, CO2 was the fastest growing option for refrigerant in the commercial refrigeration market. CO2 has several advantages over other natural refrigerants such as a very low GWP', non-flammable, chemically stable at low concentration, it is also heavier than air and therefore stratifies on the ground. The cost of CO2 refrigerant is very low and is widely available on the market as a by-product of industry.
Livio Calabrese, Frascold's Director of Sales and Marketing "Sustainability and energy savings are driving large masrka consumers increasingly to opt for transcritical CO2 systems. The use of low-emission refrigerants is important both in Europe and worldwide, thanks to the F-Gas regulation and the Kigali Agreement. “Moreover, several studies show how energy consumption associated with refrigeration and air-conditioning systems has a strong impact on operating costs.”
Among the solutions offered for CO2 applications in the Frascold product range are semi-hermetic reciprocating compressors that can be used in both critical and transcritical conditions, suitable for cascade and booster systems.
“For over 80 years, Frascold has contributed to the success of its Customers with a complete range of screw and reciprocating semi-hermetic compressors that stand out for quality, efficiency and advanced technology,” said Livio Calabrese, adding: “The R&D center functions as the heart of Frascold. and fulfills the main task of producing added value. Continuous investments allow control over every phase of our designs, from prototypes to product development and product evaluation. ”
Frascold is committed to developing improved and innovative solutions for CO2, such as reducing oil transport and increasing specific capacity. Thanks to the perfect balancing of the compressor, it can reduce noise.
The new ZTK series is a concrete expression of this. ZTK is a 6-cylinder semi-hermetic compressor designed for CO2 transcritical applications.
With a resistance of up to 100 bar, the family consists of three models: Z40-31TK(31m^ 3 /h) and Z50-38TK for booster applications, Z50-31 with volume (38 m 3 /h) and also for heat pump applications TK (31m^ 3 /h). ZTK series; thanks to the special Frascold piston design that guarantees maximum reliability and efficiency; three piston rings and a fourth oil scraper; It provides the minimum oil transport feature.
Other advantages of ZTK are high cooling capacity; It is possible to operate in the frequency range of 30 to 70 Hz and is superior energy efficiency. Finally, these compressors operate quietly, thanks to their low vibration. This feature provides a wide range of operating advantages for industrial and commercial applications, also in large structures such as supermarkets, shopping malls and distribution or storage centers.
Beyond compressor manufacturing, Frascold provides wide operating limits, excellent performances, high safety and dedicated service. In 2019, the company introduced "Seasonal Calculation", a special program for the customer's business. This new program allows to calculate the annual efficiency of the CO2 transcritical system. It is possible to choose between different system transcritical CO2 configurations, define load profiles and select the temperature of many cities around the world.
The SK3 series compressor range for subcritical CO2 applications has been designed with the latest developments in refrigeration technology for industrial and supermarket applications in mind. SK3 models are ideal for use in booster systems and cascade systems where LT compressors are required. The SK3 models can operate in a wide range of condensing and evaporating temperatures. High withstand pressure (PSS) enables it to withstand higher ambient temperatures when the system is at rest or down for maintenance.
Livio Calabrese, Frascold's Director of Sales and Marketing, said: Frascold has always been committed to actively listening to its Customers. Messages from the market are necessary in order to be more innovative, flexible and fast”.