BELGIUM: Testing of an optimized CO2 version of Daikin’s Conveni-Pack refrigeration system has reportedly shown a 21% reduction in life-cycle emissions compared to traditional R410A.
The tests were carried out as part of the €5 million HVACR 4 LIFE research project, which lasted from 2019 to 2023. It was led by a team of research engineers from Daikin Europe and examined the use of CO2 as a refrigerant in integrated cooling systems, comfort cooling and thermal storage heating solutions.
It was argued that the GWP of CO2 is the main difference between it and the R410A plant. While CO2 emissions associated with materials used in the plants were higher for the CO2 plant (since the plant is twice the size of an R410A plant) and the CO2 plant consumed more energy, the CO2 plant showed 21% lower life cycle emissions according to compared to a 10-year life cycle.
Daikin says the R410A unit performs noticeably better and is 13% more energy efficient.
Combination
Daikin’s Conveni-Pack system, available in Japan since early 2000 and introduced in Europe in 2006, combines refrigeration, refrigeration and energy-efficient heat pump air conditioning technology for gas stations and convenience stores.
It recovers heat from refrigerated display cases and reuses this heat to heat rooms. In this way, it is possible to cover about 38% of the annual heating needs of a typical supermarket.
Optimized
The research project developed an optimized indoor air distribution cassette for a CO2 refrigerant system and tested the performance of the thermal storage system under different climate conditions. The systems were installed and monitored in selected supermarkets in Germany, France, Spain, the Czech Republic and Belgium.
The new unit featured a new Daikin rotary compressor specifically designed for CO2 refrigerant, as well as BLDC inverter motors and two-stage compression.
The team also adapted the CO2 Conveni-pack to connect to the thermal energy storage module. A cost-effective cassette indoor unit for the system has also been developed.
Based on the results of the study, Daikin insists that the choice of system type depends on the needs of each application. Due to differences in performance across various aspects, Daikin says it is commercializing both R410A and CO2 systems.
“We are grateful to be part of this EU Life project. This clearly demonstrated the benefits of CO2 as a natural refrigerant in integrated HVAC systems,” said Junji Umamoto, vice president of cold chain at Daikin Europe.