Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Corporation (MHI-AC&R), a group company of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), has developed a large-capacity brine refrigeration system using nitrogen (N2) as the refrigerant.
The new system can accommodate even cryotemperature needs.
A new unit has just been delivered to the Honjo Chemical Corporation (Neyagawa, Osaka), a manufacturer of organic chemicals and other products.
The new system can refrigerate at ultra-low and cryo-temperatures (brine temperature: -45℃ to -100℃) through application of MHI-AC&R’s proprietary (patented) air refrigeration cycle technology.
It also features one of the industry’s most compact sizes, enabling easy handling and transport.
Its compression expansion machine incorporates MHI Group’s accumulated high technologies in gas turbines.
In addition to capturing the energy generated during air expansion cooling and using it as drive power, stable operation is achieved through the integration of high technologies such as energy-saving inverter control.
The new refrigeration system contributes significantly to curbing global warming through the adoption of N2, a natural refrigerant having zero environmental impact.
Today, because there are few refrigerant options in the ultra-low-temperature refrigeration field, many refrigeration systems continue to use CFC refrigerants.
The refrigerant used in MHI-AC&R’s new refrigeration system uses nitrogen, which accounts for approximately 78 per cent of air content, so it is safe both to the environment and to humans.
Another benefit is the adoption of magnetic bearings in the system’s compression expansion machine, which eliminates the need for lubricating oil and enables a virtually unlimited service life, thereby helping to ease the user’s maintenance and operating burdens.