Carbon dioxide chiller provides ample cold for dairy and replaces propane heat for hot water
In this case the old axiom, killing two birds with one stone applies: a win-win for the environment and lower long-term operating costs
With the approaching HFC phasedown, the demand for environmentally friendly cooling systems is driving chiller manufacturers to innovate. Washington-based Pro-Refrigeration, Inc., a manufacturer and supplier of chillers for the industrial and beverage processing market, developed the idea of a CO2 chiller that brought big dividends to a California dairy farm and ultimately, to the environment.
Since CO2 is a natural refrigerant with a global warming potential (GWP) rating of 1, not only does it have zero impact on global warming, it also allows refrigeration systems to recover 100%—three times that of chillers using synthetic refrigerants—of the heat rejected from their systems, generating hot water at up to 200°F. For Pro-Refrigeration, heat recovery capability is an essential product feature, as beverage plants, dairy farms in particular, use a high amount of natural gas or propane to heat water for sanitizing and wash-down. Heat recovery technology lowers both their costs and climate impact.