Carrier’s new line of Aquasnap air-cooled chillers use Puron refrigerant for the U.S. market.
LAS VEGAS - Here is a quick synopsis of the products Carrier introduced at its recent commercial convention:

  • Aquasnapâ„¢ air-cooled chillers using Puron® refrigerant (R-410A) - These chillers are "an innovative product unique in their modularity and capability for adapting to any need and application," said the manufacturer. The line features a compact, all-in-one design available with or without an integrated pumping package.

    "The built-in hydronic package option is truly what sets Aquasnap chillers apart," said Dave Smith, Carrier's product manager for air-cooled chillers. "Included in the hydronic package is the pump, triple-duty-valve, flow switch, strainer, pressure/temperature taps, and required piping. Factory designed, tested, and installed, the prepackaged system costs less and installs more quickly and easily than buying and installing the components individually."

    With 22 models ranging from 60 to 390 tons, the new chiller combines "easy system design and installation with efficient operation saving owners, consulting engineers, and contractors time and expense," it said.

  • Liquiflo-II unit-mounted, variable-frequency drive - This new line of refrigerant-cooled drives is for its line of Evergreenâ„¢ centrifugal chillers. According to the manufacturer, the drives meet IEEE-519 harmonic requirements without an external filter for those applications where harmonics are a concern.

    "Today's owners demand high efficiency from their chilled-water plants," said Bruce Burdon, director of product management and marketing for Carrier's North America Commercial Division.

    "Per ARI 550/590-98, chillers operate at design conditions less than 1 percent of the time. As a result, superior part-load efficiency is the most important attribute to lowering equipment operating cost."

    Carrier's Evergreen centrifugal chillers equipped with the new Liquiflo-II "enables chiller plants to achieve industry-leading part-load efficiencies, significantly reducing operating cost without compromising the environment," said Burdon.

    With efficiency ratings up to 14.3 SEER and EER ratings up to 12.7, Carrier said its new line of Centurion rooftop air conditioning units exceed Energy Star and ASHRAE 90.1 standards.
  • The 3Vâ„¢ Packaged Control System - For the record, Carrier created and trademarked the first Variable Volume/Variable Temperature (VVTâ„¢) System nearly two decades ago. It said it has "raised the bar" with the new 3V system, which was introduced at the recent convention.

    "As the industry's premier zoning system, Carrier's 3V control system integrates advanced state-of–the-art control components that deliver unparalleled comfort and unmatched energy efficiency for constant- volume, VVT, or packaged variable air volume systems," said Burdon.

    "This new system intelligently interprets building conditions and optimizes equipment operation."

    The System Pilot is the main component of the 3V control system and serves as the user-interface and navigation tool for each system. Supported by an easy-to-read, 8-line LCD display, the System Pilot is designed to provide quick and easy system commissioning and unit diagnostics.

    "In fact, when combined with Carrier's ComfortLinkâ„¢ rooftop controller, refrigerant circuit pressures can be monitored at the system pilot from inside the building, all but eliminating the need for pressure gauges and multiple trips to the roof," said Debra Drapas, product manager for packaged controls. "Another main component of the 3V system is the Universal Controller. With eight inputs and outputs and 29 pre-programmed algorithms, control of auxiliary components - such as lighting, fans, boilers, and other HVAC equipment - has never been simpler."

    Carrier said its 3V system is "the only zoning system that satisfies ventilation requirements on a zone level and does so based on actual building occupancy." This demand control ventilation algorithm results in significant savings in energy costs, it added.

  • Centurionâ„¢ rooftop air conditioning units using Puron® - With efficiency ratings up to 14.3 SEER and EER ratings up to 12.7, the manufacturer said its Centurion units exceed Energy Star® and ASHRAE 90.1 standards, "providing the lowest operating costs of any rooftop unit in the industry using Puron refrigerant," said Burdon. "By providing such standard features as hinged panels, single slab coils, slide out blowers, heat section, and condensate pans, we've also set a new bar in lowering the cost of maintenance."

    Centurion rooftops also offer ComfortLinkâ„¢ controls, designed to monitor and adjust unit operation. They are available in 14 sizes, ranging from 2 to 25 tons in both gas and electric heating.

    Publication date: 11/08/2004