Embraco, a global provider of refrigeration technology and a portfolio brand of Nidec Global Appliance, and Daikin, manufacturer of air-conditioning, heating, ventilation and refrigeration systems, presented at the latest AtmoEurope, a case study with a monoblock for walk-in cold rooms in which it reached 13.6% of energy savings using variable speed technology and R290 natural refrigerant, in comparison with a fixed speed similar solution also running on R290, in medium temperature conditions (EN17432). This energy saving also represents a similar percentage reduction in the total equivalent warming impact (TEWI) and 13% reduction in the cost of ownership.
The study was made with Daikin’s new LMSEY series, a soon to be launched lineup of wall-mounting R290 monoblocks for walk-in cold-rooms equipped with Embraco FMFT variable speed compressors. The new Daikin solution works in a variety of applications, including cold rooms in supermarkets, food storage, pharmaceuticals, mortuary, restaurants, bars, hotels, and grocery stores.
“This study allowed us to conclude that inverter compressor technology guarantees a remarkable improvement of efficiency if compared with on-off appliances”, says Marino Bassi, Key Account Senior Advisor for Nidec Global Appliance (where he is dedicated to the Embraco portfolio), and Erik Venturi, Section Manager NPD Commercial Refrigeration for Daikin. Both presented the case study at the ATMOsphere Europe Summit 2022, event held on November 15-16 in Brussels, Belgium, covering all matters related to natural refrigerants, such as policy developments (REACH Regulation and EU F-gas Regulation), market updates, case studies, end users’ experiences and impact of refrigerants.
Cost-efficiency package: reducing environmental impact, energy bills and product loss
Variable speed technology allows the compressor to adjust its running speed to the demands of the refrigeration system, thus saving energy when compared to the traditional fixed speed compressors. In the case of Embraco FMFT it is also dual voltage (110/220V), which means it is very versatile for use in any region of the world. And comes with Embraco’s Smart Drop In control logic software already embedded, which simplifies the setting of parameters and the matching of the compressor with the system, easing the adoption of variable speed technology. The advantage of the natural refrigerant R290 (propane) is that it is unharmful to the ozone layer, energy efficient, and has a GWP (global warming potential) close to 0.
“An additional benefit of variable speed technology is keeping food fresh for longer by maintaining better temperature stability inside the cold rooms” adds Bassi. He explains that “this technology overcomes temperature variations caused by door-openings much faster than the standard on-off compressor models, thus improving food preservation and potentially avoiding product loss". The technology also presents lower noise and vibration.
“Our case study also shows that the new solution allows a quick and low effort refurbishment of existing cold rooms to reduce cost and environmental impact”, say Bassi and Venturi. That is because monoblocks are compact refrigeration units in which the condenser and the evaporator are placed in a single tower that fits through a wall or ceiling within the cold room. The LMSEY series monoblocks are plug and play, self-contained, sealed systems with R290 refrigerant charge below 150 g, that are fast to install and don’t depend on extensive external fittings.
