Torad to reveal compressor efficiency breakthrough
Torad Engineering announced today that its sixth generation spool compressor prototype has achieved market level energy efficiency. The latest spool compressor mechanism has achieved 80% overall isentropic efficiency which equates to an estimated EER of 22.7 at the SEER B point. Full details of the compressors breakthrough performance will be presented at the 2014 International Compressor Engineering Conference at Purdue University, July 14–17, on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN.
"I have been working in the compressor industry for almost 30 years. I have been involved in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of reciprocating, single screw, twin screw, scroll, and turbo compressors with industry leading companies. To make this much progress, as fast as we have, is unimaginable,” said Joe Orosz, Torad’s chief operating officer. “It will be interesting to see how far this technology can go. We are still very early in the development cycle and already see outstanding operating characteristics and scaling potential.”
Company officials said the spool compressor technology features a simple rotary design with four main components: rotor, main housing, vane, and bearing housing. Unlike complex scroll and screw compressors, the components can be manufactured using lower cost capital equipment and easily scaled for larger sizes. The design is uniquely durable with significant advantages in capacity density, according to the manufacturer.
Greg Kemp, Torad’s founder and inventor of the spool machine added, “It has been widely accepted that in production, the spool compressor will have a very competitive price structure. Now that Torad has reached this efficiency milestone, system builders and compressor OEMs are showing great interest in the spool compressor as an alternative to legacy compressors, such as the scroll and screw. Torad’s greatest challenge now is identifying companies that have the resources and courage to innovate in a mature market.”
Details of the new prototype’s performance will be available on Torad’s website after it has been presented at the 2014 International Compressor Engineering Conference.
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
