Bluezero® – the technology forwater as a refrigerant
Bluezero® – Water as a refrigerant
The right choice of refrigerants is an ongoing issue in the industry, especially after the European F-Gas Regulation took effect on 1 January 2015, further restricting the use of HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons). The next steps pretend further reductions of the quota.
The legal restrictions for the use of F-Gases continue to put pressure on companies in need of cooling and refrigeration for their production processes. Thus, natural refrigerants are becoming more and more popular and its application is being funded in most European Countries.
The eChiller series by Efficient Energy uses Bluezero® – a technology that enables water as a refrigerant for a wide range of industrial applications. Bluezero®, the official registered trademark offers outstanding results in performance and efficiency for application temperatures from 10 °C upwards.
Moreover, none of the environmental and safety regulations relating to the current and future operation and maintenance of refrigeration units apply to water (R718). That lowers the equipment, operating and maintenance costs and secures your investment.
Due to zero direct CO2 emissions over the whole lifecycle, it has a positive impact on the future of our global climate.
After a lifetime of use in the eChiller, the water contained in its closed-loop system can be released back into the environment.
Looking at this temperature spectrum, there is simply no better solution to your cooling applications than Bluezero®.
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Water as a refrigerant – past and present
Since the end of the 17th century, water has been used industrially on a significant scale as a refrigerant in absorption systems, initially together with sulphuric acid and later with lithium bromide. Water is also frequently used in adsorption processes, especially because of its outstanding evaporation enthalpy and environmental friendliness.
The use of water for stream blasting refrigeration, by contrast, is a niche application. Until now, water as a refrigerant in compression chillers has not been economically viable. Despite numerous attempts, series production readiness remained beyond reach.
But Efficient Energy achieved this quantum leap. Thanks to a revolutionary approach and many years’ development work, the eChiller series is available in various cooling capacities and a wide raneg of applications.
F gas regulation? Keep cool with water.
Water - clean, secure and saving
In addition to these properties, water is also a very stable molecule with neither greenhouse nor ozone-depletion potential. When water is used as a refrigerant, there is another important property that makes its unrestricted use possible: water is non-flammable. When used in a refrigeration system, water occurs in liquid and gaseous form. The thermodynamic cycle takes place in vacuum.
The figure on the right-hand side shows the vapour pressure curve of water compared to a selection of customary refrigerants. While CO2 (R744) has the highest vapour pressure of all refrigerants, in conventional cooling applications above 0° C the vapour pressure of water lies between 10 and 140 mbar. Water at temperatures below 0° C is not generally used in compression refrigeration systems.
Further outstanding properties of R718
The density of liquid water in vacuum is 1,000 kg/m3. This compares with a density of approx. 20 g/m3 in gaseous state. Due to this enormous density ratio and, consequently, the low volumetric cooling capacity, compressors with high refrigerant mass flows are needed (turbo compressors). Apart from that, water as a refrigerant has excellent material and thermodynamic properties. In the environment, water for refrigeration technology is readily available in adequate quantities.
Physical advantages
- Low pressure level
- High evaporation enthalpy
Economic advantages
- Highly efficient
- Available at "no cost"
- Not legally regulated
- Amply available in nature
Physiological advantages
- Non toxic
- Odourless
Environmental advantages
- Environmentally friendly
- Sustainable
- ODP = 0, GWP = 0
Chemical advantages
- Chemically stable
- Non flammable
- Natural
- Colourless
Discover clean cooling at its best - our eChiller series
How can you benefit from the advantages of Bluezero® in your company? Learn more about the eChiller from Efficient Energy.
Efficient Energy GmbH helps you master the challenges of refrigeration technology. With our eChiller model series, companies benefit in the long term and sustainably from an environmentally friendly solution, which impresses with its high cost efficiency.