Trane Beefs Up Portfolio of Products for Large Buildings
REFRIGERANT TRANSITION: The RTHD model chiller, one of Trane's Series R helical rotary screw chillers, now uses the refrigerant R-513A and is available in capacities ranging from 175 to 400 tons. (Courtesy of Trane Technologies)
DAVIDSON, N.C. — Trane has introduced its Hydronic Branch Conductor, which helps buildings achieve higher energy efficiency and zone comfort from electrified heating and cooling without major structural disruptions.
The Hydronic Branch Conductor, for which a patent is pending, supports simultaneous heating and cooling capabilities, and in certain applications can improve heating efficiency by more than 35%, a press release from Trane said.
“To advance the decarbonization of buildings, we need innovations that simplify the retrofitting process to more efficient heat pump systems,” said Oakley Roberts, vice president of product management, Commercial HVAC Americas, at Trane Technologies. “The Hydronic Branch Conductor from Trane is an excellent example of such an innovation, effectively addressing this challenge in hydronic-based thermal systems.”
The company is also expanding its portfolio of chillers, adding efficient, sustainable process chillers, the press release said. “The recent acquisition of Italian-based manufacturer MTA has strengthened our sustainable HVAC offerings," Roberts said. The company announced Trane’s first series of process chillers built specifically to meet the cooling needs of manufacturers, including pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and automotive manufacturers.
Trane also has transitioned the Series R™ RTWD and RTHD models and the Axiom water-source heat pumps portfolio to low-GWP refrigerants.
The Trane Hydronic Branch Conductor is a system component that enables the repurposing of existing water piping for both heating and cooling distribution, even in buildings with existing two-pipe branch systems, to help achieve sustainable comfort with minimal structural changes and installation costs, the press release said.
When the Hydronic Branch Conductor is paired with hydronic heat pump systems, the press release said, building owners and managers can:
- Change heating and cooling loads, zone by zone, multiple times a day without the need to switch from hot to cold water seasonally for the entire building.
- Replace six-way valves at each terminal unit on a branch with a single conductor.
- Convert existing buildings with hot water of between 140°F and 180°F to a more energy-efficient 105°F hot water heating supply.
The Hydronic Branch Conductor is ideal for education and government buildings, offices, hotels, medical offices, and high-rise residential buildings with multiple thermal zones, Trane’s press release said.
Trane now offers chillers that are purpose-built for industrial process cooling, with different capacities that meet the specialized needs of pharmaceutical, food and beverage, automotive and general manufacturers, and more, the press release said.
Fully packaged and with compact designs, the TAEevo Tech and TAEevo Tech Mini are suited for indoor and outdoor applications that have space constraints, the press release said. The TAEevo Tech has a nominal cooling capacity of 2 to 53 tons and the TAEevo Tech Mini has a 1-ton capacity. The chillers also have
- A finned-tube evaporators to provide lower pressure drop and reduced fouling.
- Cleanable, removable aluminum condenser air filters and hail guards for added condenser protection and ease of maintenance on units of 3 tons and under.
- Pre-packaged onboarding pump(s), coolant buffer tanks, and controls for plug-and-play installation.
- An insulated, pressure-rated tank for a steady supply of cold process fluid that operates as an open or closed loop.
The Trane Series R helical rotary screw chillers RTWD and RTHD have transitioned to the low-GWP refrigerants R-513A and R-515B. The RTWD, with a capacity range of 80 to 250 tons, utilizes R-513A for comfort cooling and low-temperature needs, and R-515B for heating, achieving temperatures of up to 165°F. The RTHD model, with a capacity range of 175 to 400 tons, uses R-513A for all requirements.
Both chillers are available with Trane’s Symbio 800 equipment controller, which integrates with building automation systems (BAS), providing improved energy management and operational insights, the press release said.
Trane has also completed the redesign of the Axiom rooftop water-source heat pump portfolio, adding 3- to 10-ton and 17.5-ton rooftop units designed to improve energy efficiency and help reach decarbonization goals, the press release said. All Axiom units have transitioned to low-GWP R-454B refrigerant and include factory-installed leak detection when required.
Ideal for education, warehouses, government buildings, hotels, apartments, and condominiums, the 3- to 25-ton Axiom rooftop water-source heat pumps include standard Symbio 700 controls to help improve system performance and serviceability and support BAS integration, the press release said.
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