Turbocor's TT300 compressor.

Those were the words representatives of Turbocor used at a press briefing here during the AHR Expo to introduce the Canadian company’s TT300 compressor. Representatives said the centrifugal compressor’s technology was designed “to achieve the highest compression efficiencies for middle-range chillers and rooftop HVAC applications.”

The unit uses magnetic bearings to bypass the need for oil. In its initial offering, the product is in the 60- to 90-ton range and weighs 265 lbs., said to be about 1/5 the weight of conventional compressors.

The new unit operates at less than 70 dBa, according to the company, “so quiet that given typical equipment background noise, one literally cannot hear it run.” The compressor is said to draw 2 amps on startup, compared, the company stated, to the 500 to 600 amps required by conventional compressors. Refrigerant is R-134a.