Sustainability can also be convenient
TKMicro – The Microchannel solution projected by ThermoKey, compared to the traditional Tube and Fin technology, allows to save up ¾ of the refrigerant charge, reducing both global warming potential and cost of charge.
The impact of air conditioning on global climate change
As Bill Gates wrote in his personal blog GatesNotes, buildings account for 6% of greenhouse gas emission and their heating and cooling systems strongly contribute to climate change. It is esteemed that currently there are 1.6 billions of A/C units in use worldwide and this number will only increase, as the world population grows and temperatures go up.
Air conditioners are the biggest consumers of electricity in households, and the F-gases contained in them, used as refrigerants, cause much more global warming than carbon dioxide.
(Data retrieved from “Climate change and the 75% problem” and “Buildings are bad for the climate” by Bill Gates).
ThermoKey’s approach
From a strategical point of view, it is then clear that today’s real challenge is how to increasingly allow heat recovery on an urban scale.
Here in ThermoKey we produce units for the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning market, and we manufacture heat exchangers where different refrigerants condensate and evaporate. We can indeed have a role in preventing climate change.
ThermoKey is committed to develop heat exchange solutions that are lighter more compact offering a high level of efficiency and guaranteeing a more efficient use of natural refrigerants.
The following table shows the comparison between a typical V Shape Chiller Module with Round Tube technology and the ThermoKey Microchannel Technology with R410A.
Round Tube
Microchannel
Delta
| Power per module |
| Coils weight |
| Refrigerant Charge |
| Air Side pressure drop |
| 160 kW |
| 139 kg |
| 38,8 liters |
| 61 Pa |
| 161 kW |
| 67 kg |
| 10 liters |
| 53,6 Pa |
| / |
| -52% |
| -74% |
| -12% |
In terms of CO2 emissions, the 28,8 litres of R410A refrigerant which would be saved by using a single Microchannel remote condenser instead of a traditional Round tube would correspond to planting 60 beech trees. It is then clear how this technology has a positive effect on the environment, reducing emissions and boosting sustainability.
Here in ThermoKey we work tirelessly to design and implement solutions that are always more and more energy-efficient.
Year after year our customers, chiller manufacturers, are shifting from the traditional tube&fin coil towards the microchannel one. This confirms a general trend towards greater environmental awareness and we are committed to do our part in contributing to increase virtuous standards in our market.