(19/02/11)
The British
companies behind the development of the first chillers to run
on the new "fourth generation" HFO refrigerants are
forging ahead with their plans despite claims from Danfoss
Turbocor that its compressor has not been validated to use
with these new gases.
Our story on this ground-breaking development was the talk of
this week's ASHRAE conference and AHR show in Las Vegas, with
some people there questioning the truth and accuracy of our
information.
Doug Bishop, vice-president of sales at Danfoss Turbocor,
manufacturers of the oil-less compressor used in the new
Turbomiser chiller, told ACR News that his company did not
offer an HFO1234ze or 1234yf compressor. But, today,
Klima-Therm and Cool-Therm, the British companies who
developed the chiller in association with Italian manufacturer
Geoclima, stood by the story.
A company statement said: "We understand that Danfoss
Turbocor has not yet given an official green light for use of
HFOs with Turbocor. However, this is a rapidly developing
area, and there is sometimes a lag between those pioneering
the application of new technology and those carrying out
detailed validation. We believe this will follow in the normal
course of events, and that HFOs will become established as a
long term viable option for the future."
However, a spokesman for the companies did add that is now
thought that HFO1234yf may not be suitable for use with the
current generation of Turbomiser machines, due to the
particular properties of the refrigerant. He would not be
drawn on what these were but said that development work in
this area continues.
