Page 14 - Climate Control News July 2019

In Focus
Greater focus on safety and design to limit risk
IN THIS SPECIAL REPORT, CCN PROVIDES A ROUNDUP OF ALL THE NEWS FROM THE FUTURE:AIR EDUCATIONAL ROADSHOW WHICH WAS ORGANISED TO HELP BUSINESSES THAT OWN, MANAGE OR REPAIR CHILLERS AND LARGE AIR CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT FOR THE ARRIVAL OF NEW SYSTEMS, EQUIPMENT, TECHNOLOGY AND REGULATIONS.
variable volume ratio technology, and high effi- ciency condenser fans.
“We are seeing more solar-powered commer- cial AC units using mirrored lenses as well as ice powered commercial AC units using ther- mal storage technology,” he said.
“This is in addition to desiccant-enhanced evaporative AC units combining evaporation with dehumidifying liquified desiccants.”
Yurek said hydrogen-enriched natural gas, heat pump boiler systems and geothermal heat pumps are at the forefront of heating trends.
He talked about rapid cooling technologies which reduce or eliminate bacteria growth en- hancing food safety and app-based monitoring to rapidly identify refrigerant leaks.
“Increased climate events has led to a greater
“AHRI HAS UNDERTAKEN TESTING AND RESEARCH TO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF IGNITION RISKS.”
– AHRI CEO, STEPHEN YUREK.
focus on infrastructure and resiliency by strengthening building codes,” Yurek said.
“Mechanical systems need to be protected from chemical/bio/radiological harzards.
“There is also a shift away from the mechani- cal to IT including control panels, big data and analytics.
“There will be over 20 billion interconnected devices by 2020. To accommodate this skills in the field are changing.”
AIR-CONDITIONING, HEATING & Refrig- eration Institute (AHRI) CEO, Stephen Yurek, said the only constant for the HVACR industry right now is change.
This includes a global push for energy effi- ciency and a refrigerant transition.
He said consumer preferences are driving inno- vation and industry consolidation is accelerating. “Economic growth promotes plenty of mergers
and acquisitions and the latest round of activity is shifting the technology balance from west to east; this is because the majority of companies seeking to merge are from Asia,” Yurek said.
He listed a number of examples including Daikin's acquisition of Goodman (residential) and McQuay (commercial), Mitsubishi's Clima- veneta buy and Tica's purchase of Smardt.
At the same time, Yurek said refrigeration has come full circle.
“The industry began with hydrocarbons and ammonia and those refrigerants are returning. But, we need to transition safely,” he said.
“This transition is different to any we have done in the past because we are dealing with A2L and A3 refrigerants.
“We need to ensure equipment is safe and in- crease the training and expertise of technicians. This means greater safety during installation, use, maintenance and the decommissioning of equipment.
“We also need to design equipment to limit risk.”
Yurek said AHRI has undertaken testing and research to gain a better understanding of igni- tion risks.
In a reach-in cooler test using 200g of R290, Yurek showed a high speed flame extending 3.5 metres from the cooler in 27 milliseconds.
“The research has assisted in the develop- ment of training materials and guidelines,” he said.
On the subject of cooling trends, Yurek said chiller technologies are increasingly utilizing variable frequency drives, oil-free compressors,
CLIMATECONTROLNEWS.COM.AU
Economic growth has led to an increase in mergers and acquisitions.
14