Contact Us
Site Map
 |
 |
3 July, 2012
World-first for WR Refrigeration as new HFO/HC/CO2 refrigeration training facility comes onstream
WR Refrigeration has established what is believed to be world’s first HFO/HC/CO2refrigeration training facility.
Our European Refrigeration Training Academy, based near Birmingham, has now been equipped with a state-of-the-art working HFO water chiller linked to an integral HC refrigerated cabinet alongside its existing CO2systems, enabling engineers to be trained in the new generation of low global warming refrigerants and hydrocarbons.
World’s first HFO/HC/CO2 refrigeration training facility (pictured above)
The 64kW Hidros chiller, operating on HFO R1234ze, is installed alongside an integral refrigerated display cabinet running on hydrocarbon refrigerant R1270, and the centre’s existing carbon dioxide plant.
Mike Nicholas, WR Refrigeration’s managing director,said: “The pioneering development is in line with our strategy of taking a leadership role in relation to alternative refrigeration technology.
“End users are looking for safe, efficient, practical solutions in order to future-proof their businesses against possible legislative changes and the rising cost of energy. Our expanded training academy enables them to see and evaluate the main candidate technologies in action, and train engineers to handle the new fluids.”
He added: “The initiative also supports our apprenticeship scheme, enabling our young engineers to get hands-on experience of all the main alternative systems – putting them and the company ahead of the competition.”
The CO2and HC systems are linked in a cascade arrangement with the HFO chiller, which provides chilled water as a condensing medium for the transcritical carbon dioxide plant and hydrocarbon integral display cabinet.
From left to right: Adam Woodward, Carley Gorman, David Padgett, Anthony Spooner, James McGrath, and Barry Anstey
The HFO chiller incorporates a free cooling option, delivering additional energy savings when ambient conditions allow. It is also equipped with centrifugal fans to demonstrate how rejected heat can be ducted away, permitting internal location of the chiller as well as utilisation of waste heat.
WR Refrigerationwill offer the City & Guilds hydrocarbon refrigeration qualification and is developing a new training course for chilled water cooling with HFOs. It will include commissioning, service and maintenance, and chiller controls.
Designed to meet specific customer requirements, it will follow a similar approach to the recently agreed short course on CO2refrigeration, produced under the auspices of the British Refrigeration Association, which WR Refrigeration also offers.
Patrick Mullins, WR Refrigeration’s business development and marketing director, said: “We believe the creation of a combined HFO, HC and CO2training academy is unique and represents a genuine first. The bringing together of several alternative technologies is important because many end users are not looking at single refrigerant solutions but opting for a mix of technologies.
“The facility enables end users and engineers to get first hand, practical experience of how the different systems work together and interact.
He added: “In the future, technicians will have to be competent in a number of disciplines, as end users embrace store-wide energy solutions covering refrigeration and building services. It provides an invaluable proving ground and educational resource for our own staff, customers and the wider industry.”
