COMMERCIAL REFRIGERATION AT HIGH PERFORMANCE ENERGY

APRIL 2016

Presentation ContentsALDI Australia 1. Current Refrigeration – CO2/R134a system performance/analysis2. Chest Freezer Performance/Analysis3. ALDI Refrigeration Future – CO2 Transcritical Systems

Other Supermarkets around Australia:4. Woolworths 5. Coles Australia6. Coles Coburg 7. Coles Coburg - Liquorland

New developments across Asia PacificPossible barriers to CO2 transcritical in Australia Possible commercial applications for natural refrigerants in Australia

Refrigeration Systems Found in a typical ALDI store

▸ Currently utilise CO2 Cacade/R134a systems.

▸ Used For Chiller, Freezer Rooms and Multideck Cases

▸ Typically 5 kWr on low Temp and 89 kWr on Med Temp

▸ 145 + stores installed since 2014

Performance & Results

▸ Small efficency improvement

▸ Good refrigeration performance

▸ Elimniated all R404a leaks/emmisions

Issues and Learning

▸ Initial cost premium (now eliminated)

▸ Some upskilling of installers required (becoming industry standard) .

ALDI CO2 Cacade/R134a systems

▸ Needs high side plant operating – may have relief valve discharge (not a major problem).

▸ R290 utilised on both Chest and Top Freezer units

▸ Each has < 150g of Hydrocarbon charge

▸ Each unit has VSD compressor and EC fans on condenser/sub cooler.

ALDI Chest Freezers

Performance & Results

▸ Very reliable

▸ 6.7 kWhrs/24 hrs for 670L net volume

▸ Can have

significantly less central plant as low temp load is removed from the central racks

Issues and Learning

▸ 6.7 kWhrs/24 hrs for 670L net volume

▸ Need department of mines rego if used in QLD

▸ Service mechanics need extra training

ALDI Chest Freezers

▸ Use policy of no major cut ins/major service in store.

CO2 TRANSCRITICAL

Performance & Results

▸ Utilises one low temp booster compressor and 3 medium temp compressors

▸ Single Gas Cooler with adiabatic water sprays and small water chiller running on R290 and high pressure sub cooler

▸ Site has no synthetic refrigerant , so overall TEWI is reduced for the systems life

CO2 TRANSCRITICALIssues and

Learning

▸ Cost premium for initial installations.

▸ Tests run in February 2016 showed the system would overload if ran without water sprays, resulting in some CO2 release from the LT receiver.

Performance and Results

▸ Very good multideck performance

▸ Ran 1 year without any major fault

▸ Reduced energy usage f0r majority of operating conditions below 30 degC

▸ For December, overall the same as similar stores, better for colder months

Future

▸ Improve reliability of subcooler

▸ Source OEM units on natural refrigerants

▸ Reduce size of booster

▸ CO2 integral units on water loop

▸ Only enable water sprays at peak ambient

▸ Consider parrallel compression and ejectors for next generation

Woolworths Australia

▸ Many CO2/R134a installations in the past few years (industry standard).

▸ Two CO2 transcritical plants in New Zealand underway.

Coles Coburg North Store – System Description

▸ Also serving store airconditioing via chilled water from 3 parallel compression compressors and chilled water heat exchange

▸ Alfa Laval gas cooler with adiabatic water sprays.

▸ High pressure sub cooling via plate heat exchangers to the parallel compresion suction.

▸ System has heat reclaim on discharge.

▸ Has emergency compressor/condenser to maintain pressure in case of fault.

▸ 1 store CO2 transcritical using two large bitzer compressor racks

▸ Serving 6 freezer case stubs and 14 medium temp stubs per rack including BOH freezer and chiller rooms

Coles Coburg North Store

Performance and Results

▸ General concensus is happy with results

▸ Significant energy savings reported (>15%) since commissioning in June.

▸ This store success will be a catalyst for future installations.

Issues and Learning

▸ Trial of Hot gas defrost has been reverted back to electric – no significant energy difference reported.

▸ Some oil foaming issues (currently being worked through)

▸ Failure of oil separator (due to internal implosion).

▸ Some learning due to separation of commissioning responsibility from initial installation crew.

▸ Condensing via waterloop to dry cooler with adiabatic sprays

▸ Hydrocrabon charges of 650-850g per case (greater than 150g limit) – requires cases to be built in as part of risk/compliance review.

▸ Using OEM (Carter UK) equipment.

Coles Coburg Liquor Land – Hydrocarbon R1270

System description

▸ 2 X 3.75m & 1x2.5m Multideck liquor display cases, pre packaged with 2 hermetic compressors on each case.

Other Installations – New Zealand

System Features

▸ CO2 transcritical with air cooled gas coolers

▸ Low Temp and Med Temp And Hot water Reclaim

▸ High standing pressure avoids need for standby power 120 bar high side 60 bar low side

▸ Have multiple stores in Place

Issues and Learning

▸ Need to consider implications of specialist controls systems which need overseas assistane for modifications etc.

▸ New Zealand has a form of carbon levy on high GWP refrigerants – this helps make the case for CO2 Transcritical

Barriers in Australia to Adoption of CO2 Transcritical and natural Refrigeration

Cost Premium

▸ Higher initial Cost - offset by lower lifecycle cost

▸ HFOs not considered as long term solution and are expensive

▸ Transcritical costs will be reduced as volume of installations increase

Expertise

▸ Lack of skills and knowledge arround transcritical and natural refrigerants

▸ This is a ‘chicken and egg’ scenario – as demand increases, switched on companies and mechanics will upskill to meet demand.

Barriers in Australia to Adoption of CO2 Transcritical and natural Refrigeration

Regulatory Barriers

▸ Inconsistent and uninformed OH&S regulators – Better licensing programs are required

▸ Standards (such as AS1677) need replacing (ISO 5149 to be released late 2016?).

▸ Concern on who carries the risk for new applications utilising this technology – What is the definition of a competent person?

▸ Where are our industry bodies? – seem to be taking a passive approach, Missed opportunites.

Training Faculties and Courses

▸ Australian TAFE systems facing many hurdles – Demand is needed to pull incentives for course

development – A Better licensing system that rewards technicians who has

upskilled

Barriers in Australia to Adoption of CO2 Transcritical and natural Refrigeration

▸ Chilled water from parallel compression supermarket refrigeration (e.g. Coles Coburg North)

▸ Direct Expansion CO2 in multisystem applications (e.g. Equizine in Thornbury)

▸ Chilled water forom high temp stage of ammonia refrigeration system (e.g. Aldi)

▸ Future applications of Air cooled Hydrocarbo water chillers

▸ Small charge Hydrocarbon split systems

Natural Refrigerants & HVAC systems in commercial applications