Engineers at the University of Washington in Seattle and Kettering University in Flint, Mich., are working to cut the amount of energy used by refrigerated display cases. Results published in the journal Applied Thermal Engineering show that tweaking the physics can reduce the energy used for refrigeration by as much as 15 percent.

In recent months, Tecumseh Products Co. has made a number of announcements related to a line of refrigeration compressors that are optimized for HC refrigerants, an expansion of its line of large frame rotary compressors, and the introduction of direct current (dc) compressors.

Featuring a space-saving design, the Serenity Series Cubelet Ice Machine, FS-1500MLH-C, produces up to 830 pounds of chewable cubelet ice per 24 hours. The shallow depth provides easy access to the dispenser bin.

‘Tis the season more people pay attention to refrigeration — the natural kind.

A study from Carel has tried to get a precise handle on supermarket refrigeration energy savings at various levels of upgrades and at the same time has assigned some new terminology to the steps — ‘traditional,’ ‘evolved,’ and ‘excellent.’

Every time I walk through a supermarket I take a look at the refrigeration and freezer cases. I want to see how well they are holding the temperature they should be holding. But from time to time, I realize that aspect of refrigeration is but a small part of how important it is to keep cold things cold.

Whether or not HCs become major refrigerant players in the U.S. depends on who you talk to. Advocates point to extremely lower global warming potential, low cost, and a proven track record in Europe and Asia. Others see the flammability issue, A3 safety rating, and current building and fire codes limiting use to smaller applications.

In the category of “as California goes, so goes the rest of the nation,” the HVACR industry has been closely watching the impact of what is being called “the nation’s first comprehensive regulation to reduce potent greenhouse gases from commercial and industrial refrigeration.”

Efforts to make CO2 work in transcritical applications got a boost with the announcement the CSC, The Canadian manufacturer of refrigeration systems, will be making a major push in that regard.

Thermodynamics, as with most concepts in science and physics, is most accurately described using mathematical equations. This article is an attempt to simplify these concepts.