GEA expands semi-hermetic product portfolio

DUESSELDORF, Germany, 17 May 2022: GEA Heating & Refrigeration Technologies said it is expanding its semi-hermetic product portfolio, with two new screw compressor models – the GEA CompaX 350 and 400 – set to be launched in the second quarter of 2022. Making the announcement through a Press release, GEA said it is also launching the GEA Grasso X semi-hermetic screw compressor packages. For the BluX chiller, there will be major technical enhancements and adaptations for optimal implementation to the compressors, it said.

The two models, 350 and 400, with a flow volume of 321 and 372 m³/h (at 2,940 rpm), extend the semi-hermetic screw compressor series from larger to medium and also smaller capacity requirements, the company said.

They combine best efficiencies by using the natural refrigerant, ammonia, a wide, stepless adjustable, variable internal volume ratio and a wide speed range as well as highest safety and reliability through decades of experience in developing screw compressors, the company claimed.

The compact design and the simultaneously high degree of integration also make the CompaX a cost-efficient and space-saving product, the company further claimed.

In the introductory phase, the 350 and 400 models are available as both packages and chillers, the company said. The new Grasso X semi-hermetic screw compressor packages offer maximum flexibility and efficiency with a minimum footprint and overall cost, the company said. Customers can choose between a single version and a multipackage. The multipackage can optionally be configured by the customer with two, three or four identical CompaX 350 or 400 units in parallel arrangement, the company added.

Combined with the wide speed range of each screw compressor, the Grasso X setup provides availability, redundancy and efficiencies at the highest level over nearly the entire full and part load range, the company claimed. Refrigeration capacities range from approximately 200 to 1,900 kW (NH₃, -10/+35 °C), it added.

The existing BluX semi-hermetic chiller series is also extended by the new compressors, the company said. The BluX includes all the features and benefits of the unit. The proven, state-of-the-art heat exchanger set completes the product to a compact, highly efficient and safe plug-and-play solution, the company claimed. With refrigerant inlet and outlet temperatures of +12/+6 °C and condensing at ambient temperatures (+35 °C), the BluX capacity range extends from approximately 350 kW cooling capacity with 1x CompaX 350 at 3,000 rpm to circa 1,530 kW with 2x CompaX 400 at 6,000 rpm, the company said. Larger capacities are covered by the GEA BluX with the existing large CompaX 700 and 900 types, it added.

“The compact, safe and reliable products, in combination with their high efficiency, lead to reduced total costs and a most sustainable solution,” said Ron Hoffmann, Product Manager for screw compressors, GEA. In addition, GEA systems require a minimum of maintenance. “We like to convince our customers with the performance and efficiency figures of our machines, Hoffmann said. “We are happy to bring over 50 years of expertise in the development and production of screw compressors to the market with our proven and new products.”

Frascold, Solid Energy in district energy initiative

MILAN, Italy, 19 April 2022: District heating systems could be a key technology in achieving the international climate mitigation goals, both those laid out in the Paris Agreement and the more stringent ones set by the European Green Deal. Saying so, Frascold, which manufactures semi-hermetic compressors for the industrial refrigeration and air conditioning sectors, said it has combined with Solid Energy, which specialises in heat pumps powered by renewable energy sources, to contribute to the diffusion of district heating and pave the way to an ecological transition by signing up to numerous projects in Denmark. 

Amongst the most recent partnerships, upgrading the Galten plant in the Scandinavian country stands out, Frascold said. The plant has been in operation since 1964 and is capable of powering approximately 2,130 homes, Frascold highlighted.

The collaboration between Frascold and Solid Energy for the Galten facility began in 2019 with the creation of a system able to produce 45,000 MWh per year, obtained from 6 Frascold CXH screw compressors, suitable for use with HC, for 3.5 MW of overall power. The subsequent expansion, in 2021, saw the addition of 12 CXH compressors for an increase in power of 7 MW, Frascold said.

The installed air-water heat pumps absorb heat from the outside air with 34 air coolers for a total of 3,215,000 m3/h and cover 98% of the district heating system’s power consumption – that is, 44.343 MWh – with a SCOP (Seasonal Coefficient of Performance) of 3.11, Frascold said. The plant provides a discharge temperature of 70 degrees C with a return of 38 degrees C, thus achieving a COP of 3.4 calculated by considering an outside air temperature of 8 degrees C, which is the annual average in Denmark, Frascold said. 

“We think HC heat pumps are ideal for helping reduce the comfort sector’s environmental impact,” said Karsten Pedersen, Technical Director, Solid Energy. “Cascade systems with R290 and R600a guarantee the best balance of lowering direct and indirect consumption, flexibility of use and costs.

So, for this project, we relied, once more, on Frascold, which has supported us throughout each phase, and thanks to the constant dialogue with the Competence Center team, we have designed the ideal system to respond to the three challenges: Sustainability, performance and efficiency.

The partnership with Frascold is also based on the certified reliability of its wide range of hydrocarbon solutions: It is, in fact, the only manufacturer on the market with compressor sizes around 1,000 m3/h, which are perfect for our project and comply with ATEX directives for use in zone 2.” 

Fabrizio Diotallevi, Frascold Sales Area Manager, North Europe, said: “Denmark is one of the most advanced countries in terms of district heating, and approximately 1.7 million homes, or 64% of the total, are powered by these systems, of which 61% already use energy from renewable sources.

A continuous improvement process is in line with the objective to completely eliminate fossil fuels in the segment by 2030. With the numerous plants brought online with Solid Energy, we are proud to contribute to this ambitious project, which we hope will be replicated in other countries.

This new success story with Solid Energy is another example of our expertise in building heat pump compressors, which we have gained through years of international partnerships using this technology that, in the near future, will be the basis for virtuous heating and zero environmental impact.”  

Frascold SpA – www.frascold.it/en 

Frascold is a leading player in the development, production and marketing of semi-hermetic, piston and screw compressors, at the service of the refrigeration and air conditioning industry. A company in continuous evolution, with its gaze always directed toward the future, which has built, over time, its competitive positioning on the value of the dynamic efficiency paradigm in which the company becomes the very engine of change, playing a propositional and proactive role towards the demand.

With headquarters in the province of Milan, in a facility occupying 53,000 m2 in total. Frascold Spa closed 2020 with a consolidated turnover of 55 million Euro. The Company boasts a well-balanced competitive position, thanks to the complete control of the value chain and a careful internationalisation strategy, which is expressed in significant investments in direct bases in China, India and the USA and agreements with Distributors in 86 countries. 

Solid Energy A/S https://www.solid-group.dk/en  

Solid Energy A/S is a cleantech company founded in 2015 in Denmark. It specialises in designing and installing heat pumps for district heating power stations and for large plants in, for example, the industrial sector. Solid Group has 35 employees and implemented 13 turnkey projects, for an overall total power of 40 MW. 

Frascold, Solid Energy in district energy initiative

MILAN, Italy, 19 April 2022: District heating systems could be a key technology in achieving the
international climate mitigation goals, both those laid out in the Paris Agreement and the more
stringent ones set by the European Green Deal. Saying so, Frascold, which manufactures semi-
hermetic compressors for the industrial refrigeration and air conditioning sectors, said it has
combined with Solid Energy, which specialises in heat pumps powered by renewable energy
sources, to contribute to the diffusion of district heating and pave the way to an ecological
transition by signing up to numerous projects in Denmark.

Amongst the most recent partnerships, upgrading the Galten plant in the Scandinavian country
stands out, Frascold said. The plant has been in operation since 1964 and is capable of
powering approximately 2,130 homes, Frascold highlighted. The collaboration between
Frascold and Solid Energy for the Galten facility began in 2019 with the creation of a system
able to produce 45,000 MWh per year, obtained from 6 Frascold CXH screw compressors,
suitable for use with HC, for 3.5 MW of overall power. The subsequent expansion, in 2021, saw
the addition of 12 CXH compressors for an increase in power of 7 MW, Frascold said. The
installed air-water heat pumps absorb heat from the outside air with 34 air coolers for a total of
3,215,000 m 3 /h and cover 98% of the district heating system’s power consumption – that is,
44.343 MWh – with a SCOP (Seasonal Coefficient of Performance) of 3.11, Frascold said. The
plant provides a discharge temperature of 70 degrees C with a return of 38 degrees C, thus
achieving a COP of 3.4 calculated by considering an outside air temperature of 8 degrees C,
which is the annual average in Denmark, Frascold said.

“We think HC heat pumps are ideal for helping reduce the comfort sector’s environmental
impact,” said Karsten Pedersen, Technical Director, Solid Energy. “Cascade systems with R290
and R600a guarantee the best balance of lowering direct and indirect consumption, flexibility of
use and costs. So, for this project, we relied, once more, on Frascold, which has supported us

throughout each phase, and thanks to the constant dialogue with the Competence Center
team, we have designed the ideal system to respond to the three challenges: Sustainability,
performance and efficiency. The partnership with Frascold is also based on the certified
reliability of its wide range of hydrocarbon solutions: It is, in fact, the only manufacturer on the
market with compressor sizes around 1,000 m 3 /h, which are perfect for our project and comply
with ATEX directives for use in zone 2.”

Fabrizio Diotallevi, Frascold Sales Area Manager, North Europe, said: “Denmark is one of the
most advanced countries in terms of district heating, and approximately 1.7 million homes, or
64% of the total, are powered by these systems, of which 61% already use energy from
renewable sources. A continuous improvement process is in line with the objective to
completely eliminate fossil fuels in the segment by 2030. With the numerous plants brought
online with Solid Energy, we are proud to contribute to this ambitious project, which we hope
will be replicated in other countries. This new success story with Solid Energy is another
example of our expertise in building heat pump compressors, which we have gained through
years of international partnerships using this technology that, in the near future, will be the
basis for virtuous heating and zero environmental impact.”

GEA introduces BOCK HGX24 CO2 T

DUESSELDORF, Germany, 08 February 2021: With the new HGX24 CO₂ T range, GEA BOCK is expanding its semi-hermetic CO₂ compressor range with a specialised focus on transcritical applications in the lower capacity range, the company said through a Press release.

Cooling capacities from 5 to 26 kW and heating capacities from 10 to 48 kW offer flexible stationary and mobile use in applications for supermarkets, commercial and small industrial refrigeration systems as well as for air conditioning and heat pumps in buses and trains, the company said. With their CO₂-specific pressure design of up to 150 bar (HP) and 100 bar (LP) and a frequency range of up to 70 Hz, the gas-cooled compressors achieve the highest EER/COP values within their application spectrum – with up to five per cent higher efficiency in standard medium cooling compared to commercially available compressors in this segment. “The new transcritical compressors have proven themselves in extensive internal testing and in numerous field tests with our customers and will be available from February 2021 – equipped as standard with all the necessary features for use with the natural refrigerant R744,” said Manuel Fröschle, Product Manager Natural Refrigerants, GEA BOCK.

According to GEA, the advantages of the new range for planners, investors and operators include significantly reduced energy and operating costs combined with a long service lifetime with low maintenance requirements, a wide range of applications – from medium- and  low-temperature applications to high-temperature heat pumps – with reliable and flexible part load, as well as excellent low-noise and low-vibration running comfort with a minimal oil  carry over rate. The basis for this, GEA claimed, is a CO₂-optimised driving gear design combined with BOCK compressor technology. This includes, for example, the oil pump for a reliable lubrication system even under demanding conditions, including large permissible inclination angles of the compressors.

“Together with the compact dimensions, the low weight of only 116 kg, maximum, as well as standard market connection dimensions, the HGX24 CO₂ T set new standards for transcritical economic solutions for smaller performance requirements in stationary and mobile applications,” Fröschle said. “In this regard, they support the fulfillment of important energy and environmental protection requirements, such as the European F-Gas Regulation or the global Kigali Agreement, and meet strict requirements of European standards and ASERCOM guidelines.”

According to GEA, the new range is now also integrated as an additional module in the free online planning and design software BOCK VAP (compressor selection program) and BOCK CO₂ Tool (system and compressor selection program).

For special subcritical requirements in low-temperature applications with high operating and standstill pressures, GEA said, the semi-hermetic BOCK CO₂ compressor program will offer the specifically designed low temperature cooling variant HGX24 CO₂ LT (Low Temperature) with two motor versions from June 2021.