Frick Industrial Refrigeration, a division of U.S.-based Johnson Controls, has released a new packaged heat pump, SmartPAC, that piggybacks on an ammonia (R717) refrigeration system to provide up to 190°F (87.8°C) hot water for industrial processing.
The new unit replaces boilers ‒ typically used for heating water for industrial sanitary cleaning processes ‒ by using the saturated ammonia leaving the refrigeration system’s condensers as a heat source, Nevin Forry, Senior Product Manager at Frick, told NaturalRefrigerants.com in an interview at the Refrigerating Engineers and Technicians Association (RETA) 2024 Conference. The event was held October 21‒24 in Grapevine, Texas. compact air cooled refrigerant condenser
“An ammonia refrigeration system normally consists of a traditional compression stage followed by a booster high-stage,” Forry explained. “The SmartPAC adds a third stage of compression, with the ammonia in the refrigeration system going through the heat pump to produce hot water.”
SmartPAC specifications: On a single base, the SmartPAC contains a rotary screw compressor, heat exchanger, pressure vessel and a unit controller.
Market prospects: Forry indicated that he floated the concept of a third-stage compressor for ammonia systems using waste heat in 2009. However, he said, it took social and regulatory pressure to make it a reality.
Other industrial heat pumps: Several European manufacturers are in various stages of bringing large-scale natural refrigerant heat pumps to the North American region.
Quotable: “Companies with mandates to get rid of boilers are interested in this technology,” Forry said. “Instead of throwing away the refrigeration heat, they want to reapply it to save energy and carbon emissions.”
“Instead of throwing away the refrigeration heat, [we] reapply it to save energy and carbon emissions.”
chiller shell and tube evaporator Nevin Forry, Senior Product Manager at Frick