Here, in alphabetical order by manufacturer names, are some of the latest developments.

An Assortment

Multisplit heat pumps from Aermec of Italy (www.aermec.com) came with six different power condenser units running on R-410A. According to the company, systems with refrigeration connections are operated so as to allow a single pair of tubes leading from the outdoor unit to the distributor, from which single pairs of refrigerant lines branch off toward indoor units.

Products with such names as Robinair, Amprobe, and Promax were shown at a booth by Amprobe Europe (www.amprobe.co.uk), including the Provaxâ„¢-E, which combines a Promax recovery unit with a Robinair vacuum pump.

The emphasis on energy efficiency in Europe caused Armacell (www.armacell.com) to stress the importance of pipe insulation and pre-insulated pipe systems. At IKK, the company showed a range of pre-insulated copper pipes.

An infrared leak detector, said to work with CO2 refrigerant equipment, was shown by Bacharach (www.bacharach-europe.com). It uses infrared absorption technology to detect leaks, said the company.

New from Brökelmann Aluminum (www.broekelmann.com) was a technology called Tornado-Flow tubing. According to the manufacturer, there is no solid core but a free central flow channel. Longitudinal fins that almost reach the tube axis are twisted and axially formed into different pitches, it said.

New Innovations

ClimaCheck of Sweden (www.climacheck.com) showed an analyzer that can, according to the company, measure COP cooling and heating, capacity cooling and heating, and compressor efficiency to detect wear, superheat, subcooling, heat transfer, and temperature difference.

Canadian-based Cliplight (www.cliplight.com) announced two new products at IKK. It displayed its All-In-One leak detection kit, which comes in eight pieces and utilizes dye and light methodology. Meanwhile, its Spark-Keyâ„¢ is a torch igniter for all flammable gases.

CO2 equipment was shown by Erba Kalte (www.erba-kaelte.de).

Eurammon (www.eurammon.com) and the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (www.iiar.org) provided updated information about ammonia, especially in light of issues in Europe concerning HFC refrigerants.

A system for the cleaning of oils in refrigeration units was shown by Fri3Oil Systems (www.fri3oilsystem.com). The equipment can be used in the cleaning of acids from a compressor burnout and in the replacement of oils, said the company. It further claimed that the equipment allows for the "avoidance of refrigerant disposal/destruction."

Humidity measurement technology from Galltec (www.galltec.de) included a modular sensor with a compact transmitter and integrated processor designed to calculate respective readings internally and emit them with an analog signal, said the company.

O2-Refresh was featured at the Haier (www.haier.com) booth. This circulation system adjusts the incoming air with the indoor air using an energy-recovery exchanger, said the manufacturer.

Latest Technology

The latest technology from Heatcraft Outokumpu (www.heatcraft.com) focused on what it called "engineered solutions," using computer software to provide product performance models.

The French company Jules Richard Instruments (www.julesrichard.com) showed how radio frequency could be used for measuring and recording such aspects as temperature and pressure in a refrigeration system. The company said the technology, when installed properly, would work without interference from other radio frequency waves.

The Oxycom air conditioning system from Kampmann (www.kampmann.de) has the supply side cooled by an indirect adiabatic evaporation system based on water (dew point) cooling. There is also a cross-flow heat exchanger, it said.

The Korean manufacturer LG (www.lge.de) debuted its Multi V Space unit that will reach the European market in March. The compact outdoor unit is designed to blend into a façade. Inverter technology is used for energy efficiency, it noted.

MasterCool (www.mastercool.com) featured a pocketsize digital pressure/temperature instrument, designed to measure a wide range of refrigerants.

MDV air conditioning systems from Mideaair (www.mideaair.com) featured grilles on the inlet and outlet, designed to allow

airflow direction adjustments; a turbofan, designed to allow larger airflow volume with lower noise; and a three-row, inner-screw copper heat exchanger, designed to create high-efficiency heat transfer, said the manufacturer.

Drawing considerable attention at the booth of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Europe Ltd. (www.mitsubishi-heavy.de) was a gas heat pump. The floor model was 20 hp. The company said a high COP was attained thanks to a newly developed fan, a four-sided heat exchanger, and scroll compressors with belt drives.

Mitsui (www.mitsuiairconditioner.com) showed Italian-made equipment running on R-410A with the slogan, "The future is without outdoor units." Typically mounted under or above a window, there are two holes bored through the wall to connect the unit with the outside for airflow.

Multichannel AB (www.multichannel.nu) showed its EC Series vacuum-brazed plate heat ex-changer system for water/brine heat pumps, as well as water-cooled chillers. A special superheating section was designed to stabilize expansion valve control, said the company. An after-cooler section is said to negate the need for a receiver.

High velocity and ventilation fans were among the items displayed by Patterson (www.pattersonfan.com). It said its fogging stroller drops ambient temperature in the fan's airstream by adding a fine fog of micron droplets. It said its portable evaporative cooler can provide temperature drops up to 20 degrees F.

Recent new products from Ritchie (www.yellowjacket.com) include a couple of test and charging manifolds. The company said its Titanâ„¢ is the first forged aluminum manifold in the industry. Special aluminum alloy construction of the manifold body was designed to make it lightweight. Meanwhile, its Brute IIâ„¢ was said to be the first large bore forged aluminum manifold, but streamlined to provide a flow that is faster than any conventional manifold, it said.

And Still More

Stulz (www.stulz.de) noted it has such partners as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Haier, and Stulz. Among its major announcements was the KXS outdoor unit from Mitsubishi, said to "bring together more cooling capacity than ever on a footprint of less than one square metre." The company said the unit has "fully inverted technology where both compressors are infinitely output-controlled to permit extremely precise sliding output adjustments."

A temperature humidity alarm with logging capability was featured at the Sealed Unit Parts Co. Inc. (www.supco.com) booth.

Temprite (www.temprite.com) featured a line of oil separators that it said would work with higher-pressure refrigerant CO2.

Uniqema (www.uniqema.com) drew attention to the fact that it had just produced 500 million compressors using its Emkarateâ„¢ lubricant in systems with HFC refrigerants.

V-Tech (www.vtechonline.com) featured live demonstrations of refrigerant-charging machines and leak detection systems. Its Vrec is designed to deliver refrigerant from a system to a centralized recovery machine with up to four remote recovery stations. Meanwhile it said its V-Tech 200 HC is a refrigerant-charging system for hydrocarbons.

Walter Surface Technologies (www.walter.com) showed its Bio-Circle parts-cleaning system that uses cleaning agents, heat, and a brush "to break the bond between the part and oil/grease," it said. Once the oil/grease is effectively separated, it is then encapsulated ensuring no reattachment to the part," said the manufacturer.

Wigam SpA (www.wigam.com) showed a new flushing fluid, which it said is compatible with metals usually used in refrigeration systems and most plastic materials. It can be used with pressure systems and pump flushing systems.

Wika (www.wika.de) showed a stainless steel expansion thermometer for industrial applications. It can be used in refrigeration and mechanical engineering applications for general temperature monitoring, said the company.

Publication date: 12/19/2005