Beijer Ref to launch propane heat pump

CHILLVENTA 2016 PREVIEW: Refrigeration wholesaler Beijer Ref is to use next week’s Chillventa show to officially launch a propane heat pump boasting COPs as high as 10.
Beijer Ref became involved in the development of the new propane-based technology through its Dutch subsidiaries Coolmark and Uniechemie last year.  It is said to be capable of achieving savings of up to 50% on commercial building heating and cooling costs.
TripleAqua is described as being ideal for countries with a moderate climate, because it can cool and heat at the same time. Rooms on the sunny side or housing equipment often need to be cooled, while other parts of the building need heat instead. Also, air conditioning is normally on during the day, with heating being required at night.

As a result, the developers say the system can be up to twice as economical as traditional heating and cooling systems, because it also buffers the surplus warm or cold energy for reuse later.
Using just three water pipes, installation costs are reduced and temperatures are also very favourable for a heat pump: warm (28-36˚C), cold (12-18˚C) and a common return pipe at ambient temperature.
Doing away with the traditional 4-way valve, the TripleAqua operates efficiently in the optimised efficient counter-flow modes, both in cooling as well as in heating mode.
The system is said to use only a few kg of propane in the high-efficiency heat pump installed outside the building. Only water flows through the pipelines inside the building.