Transcritical CO2 solution — Emerson
The Vilter subcritical CO2 compressor.
Image courtesy of Emerson
Emerson announced an expansion of its CO2 compression portfolio with the development of the company’s first transcritical CO2 screw compressor purpose-built for the rigors of high-pressure industrial CO2 refrigeration. The Vilter transcritical CO2 compressor — developed in response to increasing industry demand for sustainable, safe, and reliable CO2 refrigeration technologies — will complement the Vilter subcritical CO2 compressor to comprise a full transcritical CO2 compression solution.
The new portfolio is designed to answer the industry’s call for industrial-grade CO2 refrigeration solutions. Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants continue to be phased down by global regulatory efforts, while increasing occupational safety requirements are impeding the use of ammonia. As a result, industrial operators are exploring eco-friendly alternatives to legacy HFCs and seeking safer ammonia replacements. Although CO2 offers an ideal combination of sustainability, high-performance, and safety, the industrial refrigeration market has lacked a suitable CO2 compression solution. To date, CO2 refrigeration technologies have been based on commercial-grade, multi-compressor strategies, which have been proven overly complex and less reliable under harsh industrial conditions.
“Building on our legacy of innovation, we have engineered the industry’s first transcritical CO2 screw compressor — built for heavy-duty industrial requirements and rated for CO2 transcritical pressures,” said Gary Chafee, business development manager of industrial CO2 solutions, for Emerson’s Climate Technologies business. “The new Vilter Transcritical CO2 compressor is based on proven single-screw compression technology and features a complete packaged solution, including on-board controller, suction valve/strainer, inverter duty motor and an oil management system. In addition, the transcritical CO2 compressors are built for maximum flexibility, capable of scaling from single-, dual- and tri-compressor configurations per capacity requirements, all while utilizing the same oil management system and controller.”
The new transcritical CO2 compressor is designed for the high stage of a CO2 transcritical system and is engineered and rated to withstand CO2’s high pressures in transcritical mode. It will be available in seven displacements with a power range from 100 to 800 horsepower per compressor, up to 1600 HP in dual configuration and 2400 in tri-configuration. The subcritical CO2 compressor is designed for the low side of CO2 transcritical or cascade systems and is available in 11 displacements with a power range from 100 to 800 horsepower per compressor
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