Carbon dioxide (CO2) has nowadays become the standard refrigerant choice for many applications, often granting better COP levels than the previously adopted HFC technology, progressively leading to both a lower usage of high GWP refrigerants and a sensible Energy cost reduction for several industrial sectors.
However, specific components and appropriate system design are mandatory when approaching CO2 technology, this due to the unique thermodynamic characteristics of this refrigerant.
In particular, the compressor has been subject to a deep engineering investigation, which ended up in the introduction of many technical solutions arising from the automotive sector which is by far more advanced than the actual state-of-the-art compression technology.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) for refrigerating circuit represents one of the long term solutions for HVAC&R system. having zero environmental impact (GWP=1, ODP=0) and in several applications allowing considerable energy savings.
Nevertheless, considering its thermal and fluid dynamic properties, it is clear that it is necessary to introduce dedicated components in the circuit, compared to a standard HFC's system. Specifically the compressor, the most stressed element of the system, was undergoing a crucial re-design applying advanced technical solutions, most of them coming from other highly technological industrial sectors, such as automotive.
The challenges that DORIN, as compressor manufacturer, had to face are resumed in the following list:
- High thermal stresses (discharge temperature up to 200°C);
- High pressure fields (up to 8x higher vs. to HFC application);
- Short stroke, causing extremely high load on the rod small end;
- High miscibility with lubricants, imposing advanced tribology solutions;
Despite all these challenges, DORIN has always believed in CO2. First CO2 compressor was designed in 1996 and nowadays the company can count on thousands of running compressors, reaching more than 100 million operating hours and working in several kinds of refrigeration circuit. This huge number of installed compressors makes DORIN the market leader for CO2.
Yet, it was a tough challenge, which required and still requires major technological steps forward and conspicuous investments in research and development (R&D).
Instead of adapting the HFC compressor for carbon dioxide application, as many competitors have done, DORIN has decided to invest conspicuous resources to start from the very beginning and design a totally new product specifically for CO2, facing all the mentioned technical challenges and releasing to the market the best product available in terms of reliability and efficiency.
However, specific components and appropriate system design are mandatory when approaching CO2 technology, this due to the unique thermodynamic characteristics of this refrigerant.
In particular, the compressor has been subject to a deep engineering investigation, which ended up in the introduction of many technical solutions arising from the automotive sector which is by far more advanced than the actual state-of-the-art compression technology.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) for refrigerating circuit represents one of the long term solutions for HVAC&R system. having zero environmental impact (GWP=1, ODP=0) and in several applications allowing considerable energy savings.
Nevertheless, considering its thermal and fluid dynamic properties, it is clear that it is necessary to introduce dedicated components in the circuit, compared to a standard HFC's system. Specifically the compressor, the most stressed element of the system, was undergoing a crucial re-design applying advanced technical solutions, most of them coming from other highly technological industrial sectors, such as automotive.
The challenges that DORIN, as compressor manufacturer, had to face are resumed in the following list:
- High thermal stresses (discharge temperature up to 200°C);
- High pressure fields (up to 8x higher vs. to HFC application);
- Short stroke, causing extremely high load on the rod small end;
- High miscibility with lubricants, imposing advanced tribology solutions;
Despite all these challenges, DORIN has always believed in CO2. First CO2 compressor was designed in 1996 and nowadays the company can count on thousands of running compressors, reaching more than 100 million operating hours and working in several kinds of refrigeration circuit. This huge number of installed compressors makes DORIN the market leader for CO2.
Yet, it was a tough challenge, which required and still requires major technological steps forward and conspicuous investments in research and development (R&D).
Instead of adapting the HFC compressor for carbon dioxide application, as many competitors have done, DORIN has decided to invest conspicuous resources to start from the very beginning and design a totally new product specifically for CO2, facing all the mentioned technical challenges and releasing to the market the best product available in terms of reliability and efficiency.
