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| - Adoption of R454C low-GWP refrigerant, a first in Japan, contributes significantly to curbing global warming - |
TOKYO, Feb 28, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems, Ltd. and Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. have jointly developed the "Q-ton Circulation," an air-source circulation heat pump(1) engineered for use in factories. The Q-ton Circulation reduces environmental impact significantly through adoption, for the first time in Japan, of the R454C, a refrigerant that features a global warming potential (GWP)(2) approximately one-tenth previously available refrigerants. It is also the industry's first heat pump of its type capable of heating water to 75degC (167degF) amid an outside temperature as low as -20degC (-4degF). The Q-ton Circulation will be marketed by MHI Thermal Systems commencing in August.
Today, steam boilers fired by fossil fuels are widely used to create the hot water required in factories for removal of greases, cleaning of parts, etc. Recently, heat pumps have become increasingly prevalent owing to their contribution to energy saving enabled by their outstanding efficiency. The heat pumps available to date, however, use refrigerants with GWP values in a range of 1,430 to 2,090 times higher than carbon dioxide (CO2), and along with enforcement of the newly enacted Law Concerning the Discharge and Control of Fluorocarbons(3), calls had been raised for the development of refrigerants with lower GWP values.
In the newly developed Q-ton Circulation, lower environmental impact was targeted through adoption of the low-GWP R454C. Simultaneously, in pursuit of high energy efficiency a two-stage compression refrigeration cycle was adopted and optimal engineering of the refrigeration cycle was carried out through optimization of pipe diameters, etc. The cumulative result is outstandingly efficient operation-a COP(4) of 3.3-and the capacity to produce hot water up to 75degC amid an outside temperature as low as -20degC. Also, to provide swift after-sale service, remote monitoring of the Q-ton Circulation's operating status is possible through use of IoT technology.
(1) Air-source circulation heat pump: a heat pump that produces hot water by absorbing heat from the atmosphere.
(2) Global warming potential (GWP): a measurement of global warming impact from greenhouse gases, as compared with impact from carbon dioxide.
(3) The Law Concerning the Discharge and Control of Fluorocarbons took effect on April 1, 2015 as a revision of the earlier Law Concerning the Recovery and Destruction of Fluorocarbons. The new legislation mandates proper action to ensure against fluorocarbon leakage throughout all processes, and also calls for conversion to substitute fluorocarbons having a low GWP.
(4) Coefficient of performance (COP): an index indicating the energy consumption efficiency of a heat source system. The higher the COP reading, the higher is the level of energy-saving performance. COP is calculated as heating capacity (kW) + power consumption (kW), where power consumption refers to the power consumed by the heat source unit. COP readings do not include power consumed by externally installed circulation pumps. The Q-ton Circulation's COP of 3.3 is the value under the following conditions: external temperature 25degC (77degF) (relative humidity: 70%), water inlet temperature 60degC (140degF), and outlet temperature 65degC (149degF).
Contact:
Joseph Hood, PR Manager
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Email: mhi-pr@mhi.co.jp
Tel: +81-(0)3-6716-2168
Fax: +81-(0)3-6716-5860
Topic: Press release summary
Source: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Sectors: Energy, Alternatives, Alternative Energy
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