EcoClimate Services

Compressor Capacity Control is key to Energy Savings

2010-02-28T06:43:00.000-05:00

Have you ever wondered why the lights dim when your refrigerator turns on? The answer is actually a local "brown-out" happening in your own house. An induction motor is at the center of the refrigeration compressor and it was completely still the moment before the control system told the compressor to turn on. The first movement from stopped to running consumes a massive amount of electricity albeit for a mere fraction of a second. The lights dim for as a result of "electricity starvation" for this brief amount of time. This is the basic kitchen replication of a brown-out.

Lights dimming is merely one example of the effects of this localized brown-out condition. Other appliances, televisions, computer equipment, etc. also experience this brown-out. Unlike incandescent lighting, these other appliances have electronic circuitry that protects its own components from this electrical anomaly. Probably why you bought that UPS for your computer!

The refrigerator compressor knows only two things. How to operate when on and how to do nothing. These two states are typically controlled by an electro-mechanical device known as a thermostat. As the word suggests this is a static temperature point at which the compressor state changes from off to on and of course the reverse to go from off to on.

What if the compressor could stay on nearly all of the time and have the ability to match its electrical input to the required cooling for the refrigerator cabinet? This is the concept of capacity control.

Capacity control of compressors has long been at the center of conversation in the refrigeration and air conditioning world. Many methods for capacity control have been suggested, tested and either scrapped or adopted by a small few dollar buyers.

EcoClimate Services is educated in the various methods of compressor capacity control and routinely integrates these technologies to meet the specific requirements of its clients. ECS is a supplier of controlled environment equipment with a focus on energy intelligence.

Refrigerant Mass Flow Control is basis for transcritical CO2 cycle, now available for conventional refrigerants

2010-02-21T12:08:00.000-05:00

Mass flow is a necessity for the transcritical refrigeration cycle using carbon dioxide. Until now, mass flow control has been sparsely used in the walk-in room industry. Instead we have adopted a dependency on chemical companies in the forms of Freon, R-12, R-22, R-404a, R-134a, etc. While some of these have been shown to be ozone depleting, others remain that are still synthetic and released into our atmosphere. New ones will be created tomorrow.

Back in the 1800's CO2 was first discovered and used as a fluid with capacity for producing a refrigeration effect. Used increasingly through the early 1900's CO2 was a natural fluid right along side the currently used ammonia systems. CO2 was actually preferred over NH3 largely due to its non-toxic, and heavier than air, properties. The downside to CO2 was its high operating pressure requiring very strong piping systems and tight material tolerances. Due to the complexity of the design and limited availability of materials, CO2 systems were used primarily in the large industrial sector.

Enter the 60's. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) were introduced as the wonder fluid(s) available to produce a refrigeration effect without the need for expensive, high-pressure rated materials. Since then, CO2 has remained a working fluid only in academic settings. Ammonia systems (even though highly toxic) are still used today largely in the ice cream industry.

The Montreal Protocol of 1987 provided the framework for the reduction and ultimate removal of CFC products from the marketplace. Similarly, Hydro-chlorofluorocarbons (HCFC's) products have also been checked off on the list of things we shouldn't use anymore. Officially that date was January 1, 2010.
Now we are on to even more synthetic materials to to replace the environmentally unfriendly ozone depleting substances.

Refrigerant Mass Flow Control is an applicable technology for both conventional HFC (hydro-fluorocarbons, note the deletion of the chlorine atom) and transcritical CO2 refrigeration.

EcoClimate Services has a solution to meet the need for reduced energy consumption through its own EcoStep Refrigeration Controller. Since it is mass flow based, the EcoStep can be used with either conventional or transcritical refrigeration operations.

AHRI 1250 Testing Unit

2010-02-21T08:02:00.000-05:00

We want to announce an initial conceptual design for an AHRI 1250 Testing Unit utilizing the "calibrated box method" prescribed in the American Heating and Refrigeration Institute's Standard 1250. Standard 1250 describes testing procedures to determine walk-in cooler and freezer energy efficiency ratings. EcoClimate Services intends to construct a prototype unit and offer 3rd party testing services to manufacturers of refrigeration equipment. ECS is also available to assist manufacturers in the construction of their own testing unit.

Meeting with US Congressman John Sarbanes

2010-02-21T07:48:00.000-05:00

The Inaugural Edition of our newsletter, The EcoClimate News, has prompted a meeting with our district representative scheduled for Friday, February 26th.

The major topic of conversation will be the recent release for construction documents for the FDA CBER facility located in White Oak, MD. The specifications for the controlled environment rooms in this project are a typical file-room copy provided by the architect/engineering firm. Refrigeration system technology is changing, and file-room copies should no longer be used in this rapidly changing sector.

Conventional Controlled Environment Room design is not consistent with energy-saving design considerations. Promotion of a particular specification with an architect/engineer is how the Controlled Environment Room companies have survived up until now. Technologies are currently available to reduce the energy consumption, carbon footprint, and provide advanced moisture control for mold prevention in coolers.

Once upon a time, these special construction rooms were built by a handful of companies across the nation. These rooms cost a small fortune and then up to 50% of the installation cost every year in electricity! With a lifespan of 20 years, a controlled environment rooms total cost of ownership will be very large indeed. Control of electricity cost is not an option available to you, but the amount of energy it consumes can be regulated to meet the immediate demands of your refrigeration equipment. Conventional wisdom would install a grossly over-sized condensing unit just in case that 100 year high temperature record gets broken. Conventional wisdom would provide fault tolerance by providing a second grossly over-sized unit. What does all of this mean? Refrigeration equipment is not efficient and it represents a massive slice of the energy consumption pie chart.

So, Congressman Sarbanes,
"Why does the design of this federal building ignore current technologies?"
"Why does the design ignore the requirements of US HR6 section 312?"
"How is our small business supposed to compete when the acceptable manufacturer's list is closed to all but six companies in the nation?"
"Why is the EPA's SNAP program being ignored with regard to the use of natural refrigerant CO2 in lieu of synthetic refrigerants that have significant environmental impact?"
And finally, "Can the Maryland 3rd District sponsor our trip to the 9th IIR Gustav Lorentzen Conference?"

ECS Makes Entrance into the Blogging World

2010-02-21T06:31:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the official blog for EcoClimate Services, LLC. Based in Howard County, MD, ECS is a controlled environment design and manufacturing company. If you find something on here interesting please consider sending us your comments for inclusion in the blog post.