Spanish OEM AREA Cooling Solutions has joined some of the HVAC&R industry’s leading CO2 (R744) manufacturers as a silver partner on R744.com.
With headquarters located near Barcelona and a design center in Wrocław, Poland, AREA Cooling Solutions manufactures and distributes refrigeration and air-conditioning components and systems like CO2 refrigeration and condensing units.
One of AREA’s popular natural refrigerant units is the iCool Max CO2 refrigeration unit, an indoor unit for urban stores. It was the first high-pressure, air-ducted unit working with CO2 refrigerant in the market, according to AREA.
The system is designed for retail outlets such as supermarkets, grocery stores, markets, gas stations and convenience stores up to 200m2 (2,153ft2). It is suitable for cooling cabinets with or without doors from 11 to 18 linear meters (36 to 59 linear ft). AREA has described it as “energy efficient, easy to install and simple to maintain,” as well as having “incredibly silent operation.”
The compact unit – 750mm (2.5ft) wide, 1,700mm (5.6ft) high and 1,700mm (5.6ft) long – is designed to work inside a store’s technical room, avoiding the need for outdoor units. The unit is narrow enough to enter a technical room through standard doors and lifts.
A high-pressure EC fan with directional fan orientation provides for up to 120Pa air pressure for ducted exhaust. With its compact design and proximity to the cooling cabinets, the system allows for shorter piping connections, resulting in less CO2 charge and reducing discharge risks when in stand-by mode. Its built-in gas cooler provides for easier and faster installation.
Remote control and monitoring via Modbus TCP, as well as preventive maintenance and diagnostics, may be done remotely using a phone or tablet. Alarms are sent via SMS or email. Other features include a two-stage, hermetic rotary BLDC inverter-driven compressor and capacities of 15kW (4.3TR) at an evaporation temperature of -10ºC (14ºF) and 8.7kW (2.5TR) at -30ºC (-22ºF).
The units are available for low- or medium-temperature applications. With the iCool Max CO2, “we are able to use CO2 technology in any climate anywhere in the world as we avoid direct sun exposure to the unit,” AREA said.
The iCool Max CO2 was nominated for Innovation of the Year award at the 2019 ATMO Europe, held in Warsaw, Poland.
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