The development has been partially funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology under the Advanced Technology Program.

The CCAR low-temperature refrigeration system employs the reverse Brayton cycle, a process of compression and expansion of high-pressure air to achieve extremely low temperatures. Similar technology is employed in over 400 of Air Products’ air separation plants around the world.

These plants have onstream rates in excess of 99%. From a refrigeration perspective, the CCAR system works similarly to a conventional mechanical system, except that it uses high-pressure air (80 bar) as the working fluid. In addition, the system uses proprietary compressor/expander technology to achieve an efficient operation.

The first CCAR unit is in operation producing 50 tons (175 kW) of refrigeration at -100°F (-73°C). The entire system is skid-mounted with a footprint of 12 by 35 ft. Standard units up to 200 tons (700 kW) are planned for the near future.

Units can also be specially engineered to fit any application or customer need. They can be installed inside or outside of the customer’s facility, depending on the space requirements.

For more information, contact Toromont Process Systems at 395 West 1100 N., North Salt Lake City, Utah 84054; 801-292-0493; or 801-292-9908 (fax).