Supermarket Refrigeration
1. Supermarket systems for heating, cooling, and air conditioning function most effectively when integrated. This integration is significant for several reasons.
Supermarkets typically incur costs for heating their facilities while simultaneously relying on cooling systems to eliminate heat. This may appear contradictory at first glance.
Historically, the use of separate systems allowed for greater control, as a malfunction in one system would not disrupt the entire operation.
Older cooling systems required additional components for heating, resulting in complexity and delayed returns on investment.
However, the landscape has shifted; energy prices have risen, and profit margins have decreased. Retailers are now focused on reducing carbon emissions and conserving energy.
The adoption of CO2 as a refrigerant has become increasingly prevalent. The integration of cooling, heating, and air conditioning is now a necessary consideration for retailers.
Incorporating heating and air conditioning into a CO2 cooling system is both straightforward and cost-effective. For instance, a supermarket in the UK achieved significant energy savings through this approach.
Utilizing a single system for cooling, freezing, air conditioning, hot water, and heating not only reduces expenses but also benefits the environment and can lower installation costs.
Heat exchangers leverage CO2’s high thermal properties to provide warmth for spaces and water. Air conditioning can be seamlessly integrated into the system at the separator, making it nearly cost-free.
This integration leads to reduced operational costs and lower carbon emissions compared to maintaining separate systems. In some cases, a boiler or furnace may not even be necessary.
Certain supermarkets have even begun selling surplus heat to adjacent buildings, such as gyms or shopping malls. For example, a supermarket in Denmark supplies heat to its local community.
Despite the advantages of heat recovery, challenges have arisen. Custom-built systems have limited service options, and fluctuations in heat can lead to CO2 leaks, resulting in corrosive acid that damages water pipes.
Danfoss aimed to address these challenges and simplify heat recovery processes.
By merging expertise in heating and cooling, they developed a Heat Recovery Unit (HRU) specifically for supermarkets. This unit has proven effective in Northern Europe, where CO2 is widely used, and there are aspirations for its global implementation.
The HRU resolves previous issues associated with heat recovery by providing engineers with a straightforward design and standardized components. It includes an additional heat exchanger to prevent leaks and tanks designed to accommodate peak demand.
Ultimately, this innovation offers supermarkets a streamlined method for utilizing heat generated from CO2 cooling systems. The optimal performance of supermarket systems for cooling, heating, and air conditioning is achieved through their integration. This