A radiology group practice in Bad Reichenhall features the first magnetic resonance tomograph to be chilled with the natural refrigerant blend R723, combining 60% of ammonia with 40% of dimethyl ether.
Magnetic resonance tomographs have a very high energy consumption caused by the constant operation of the device and the necessary cooling of the magnet. So far, only chemical refrigerants such as R404a have been used in this application but the installation of a R723 based system in the radiology group practice in Bad Reichenhall (Germany) demonstrates that the use of natural refrigerants offers ecological as well as economic benefits.
“Unfortunately, there is not yet a breakthrough in converting to natural solutions. A lot of small operators of specialised installations do not realise that a conversion to natural refrigerants brings also economic advantages”, says Rudolf Einöder, CEO of the Einöder GmbH who has installed the system in Bad Reichenhall.
Natural refrigerants - ecological AND economic
The upfront cost for the group practice's cooling system was with 200,000€ a third more expensive than comparable installations on the basis of chemical refrigerants. The advanced cooling system does not only cool the magnet of the MRT but also delivers air-conditioning and, by heat recovery, assures 75% of the building's heat demand. Thanks to 50% less energy consumption and easier maintenance, the additional costs are expected to amortise within 5 years only.
Additionally, it has to be considered that due to the f-gas regulation established in 2006, the installation and maintenance of systems based on chemical refrigerants becomes increasingly difficult. Chemical refrigerants are being banned one by one due to their negative influence on the environment. R723 on the other hand fits perfectly in the project specification of a sustainable solution that would not require revamping in the foreseeable future.
Furthermore, the German “impulse programme for climate protection” furthers energy efficient commercial cooling systems based on natural refrigerants with covering up to 35% of the installation costs or a maximum of 200,000€. The integration of the heat recovery feature allowed the group practice to apply for the full refund. This brought down the installation costs to those of a system based on chemical refrigerants, without taking into account the financial benefit from energy savings.
Funding applications for this German scheme have to be based on the calculated energy consumption of compared refrigerants and their total equivalent warming impact (TEWI). It describes the sum of the direct (chemical emissions) and indirect (energy use) emissions of greenhouse gases caused by the cooling system.
The cooling system provider Frigoteam has carried out a TEWI calculation for the clinic, comparing the natural refrigerant R723 with the chemical refrigerant R404a. The results show that over a period of 15 years, the use of the natural refrigerant allow emissions reductions of estimated 1,134 tons of CO2.
The natural refrigerant R723
R723 is a natural refrigerant blend combining 60% of ammonia and its energy advantages with 40% of dimethyl ether and its oil miscibility. The substance is not only environmentally friendly and energy-efficient, but also available in high quantities. Through reduced pressure-gas temperatures, R723 opens up additional fields of application for natural refrigerants, such as in plants with refrigeration outputs below 100 kilowatts or for portable refrigeration units.
With a large volumetric refrigeration output, R723 results in correspondingly high Coefficient of Performance (COP) values. Thanks to the low compressor discharge temperature, systems can frequently do without cylinder cooling, which allows for the use of air-cooled condensers instead of water-cooled units. Besides medical device applications, the blend promises high potential in flooded plants for the food industry and high temperature heat pumps.
“Unfortunately, there is not yet a breakthrough in converting to natural solutions. A lot of small operators of specialised installations do not realise that a conversion to natural refrigerants brings also economic advantages”, says Rudolf Einöder, CEO of the Einöder GmbH who has installed the system in Bad Reichenhall.
Natural refrigerants - ecological AND economic
The upfront cost for the group practice's cooling system was with 200,000€ a third more expensive than comparable installations on the basis of chemical refrigerants. The advanced cooling system does not only cool the magnet of the MRT but also delivers air-conditioning and, by heat recovery, assures 75% of the building's heat demand. Thanks to 50% less energy consumption and easier maintenance, the additional costs are expected to amortise within 5 years only.
Additionally, it has to be considered that due to the f-gas regulation established in 2006, the installation and maintenance of systems based on chemical refrigerants becomes increasingly difficult. Chemical refrigerants are being banned one by one due to their negative influence on the environment. R723 on the other hand fits perfectly in the project specification of a sustainable solution that would not require revamping in the foreseeable future.
Furthermore, the German “impulse programme for climate protection” furthers energy efficient commercial cooling systems based on natural refrigerants with covering up to 35% of the installation costs or a maximum of 200,000€. The integration of the heat recovery feature allowed the group practice to apply for the full refund. This brought down the installation costs to those of a system based on chemical refrigerants, without taking into account the financial benefit from energy savings.
Funding applications for this German scheme have to be based on the calculated energy consumption of compared refrigerants and their total equivalent warming impact (TEWI). It describes the sum of the direct (chemical emissions) and indirect (energy use) emissions of greenhouse gases caused by the cooling system.
The cooling system provider Frigoteam has carried out a TEWI calculation for the clinic, comparing the natural refrigerant R723 with the chemical refrigerant R404a. The results show that over a period of 15 years, the use of the natural refrigerant allow emissions reductions of estimated 1,134 tons of CO2.
The natural refrigerant R723
R723 is a natural refrigerant blend combining 60% of ammonia and its energy advantages with 40% of dimethyl ether and its oil miscibility. The substance is not only environmentally friendly and energy-efficient, but also available in high quantities. Through reduced pressure-gas temperatures, R723 opens up additional fields of application for natural refrigerants, such as in plants with refrigeration outputs below 100 kilowatts or for portable refrigeration units.
With a large volumetric refrigeration output, R723 results in correspondingly high Coefficient of Performance (COP) values. Thanks to the low compressor discharge temperature, systems can frequently do without cylinder cooling, which allows for the use of air-cooled condensers instead of water-cooled units. Besides medical device applications, the blend promises high potential in flooded plants for the food industry and high temperature heat pumps.
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Jul 28, 2010, 12:57
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