iSpeed Drives Match System Output To Demand
Parker Hannifin has launched a range of intelligent variable speed drives that it says will deliver energy savings for users of commercial and industrial refrigeration and air-conditioning systems. The company said the drives can cut up to 40 per cent of the energy used by refrigeration systems with single compressor units and up to 25 per cent from the energy consumed by conventional multi-stage compressor racks.
The drives, designated iSpeed, are designed to control the operating speeds of compressors, fans and pumps, matching system output precisely to variations in demand, giving optimum energy efficiency with low maintenance and long-term reliability. In addition, the ability to ensure accurate control of refrigeration systems, with precise and smooth adjustments in compressor speed to match operating load demands, helps to minimise the problems caused by fluctuations in pressure and temperature.
In the example of food refrigeration, this preserves product integrity and improves shelf life by reducing dehydration and shrinkage. Similarly, by controlling the cycle rates of compressors, with a smooth increase and decrease in compressor speed, the iSpeed drives reduce wear and stresses on moving parts. The same technology also enables fewer compressors to be used in many applications, with one variable speed controlled compressor being temporarily run at higher capacity, rather than starting several fixed speed compressors to meet short-term increases in load demand.
In a typical installation, a single iSpeed drive can control one variable speed compressor and up to eight fixed speed compressor units. The drives can be retrofitted by end users to existing refrigeration or air-conditioning systems, or used by OEMs in new builds. In each case, iSpeed drives are easy to install, configure and operate, featuring pre-programmed modular control algorithms and interfaces to a range of standard third-party controllers. The iSpeed family of intelligent variable speed drives has been developed through a partnership between Parker Hannifin's Sporlan Valve Division and KIMO RHVAC.
Parker Hannifin has launched a range of intelligent variable speed drives that it says will deliver energy savings for users of commercial and industrial refrigeration and air-conditioning systems. The company said the drives can cut up to 40 per cent of the energy used by refrigeration systems with single compressor units and up to 25 per cent from the energy consumed by conventional multi-stage compressor racks.
The drives, designated iSpeed, are designed to control the operating speeds of compressors, fans and pumps, matching system output precisely to variations in demand, giving optimum energy efficiency with low maintenance and long-term reliability. In addition, the ability to ensure accurate control of refrigeration systems, with precise and smooth adjustments in compressor speed to match operating load demands, helps to minimise the problems caused by fluctuations in pressure and temperature.
In the example of food refrigeration, this preserves product integrity and improves shelf life by reducing dehydration and shrinkage. Similarly, by controlling the cycle rates of compressors, with a smooth increase and decrease in compressor speed, the iSpeed drives reduce wear and stresses on moving parts. The same technology also enables fewer compressors to be used in many applications, with one variable speed controlled compressor being temporarily run at higher capacity, rather than starting several fixed speed compressors to meet short-term increases in load demand.
In a typical installation, a single iSpeed drive can control one variable speed compressor and up to eight fixed speed compressor units. The drives can be retrofitted by end users to existing refrigeration or air-conditioning systems, or used by OEMs in new builds. In each case, iSpeed drives are easy to install, configure and operate, featuring pre-programmed modular control algorithms and interfaces to a range of standard third-party controllers. The iSpeed family of intelligent variable speed drives has been developed through a partnership between Parker Hannifin's Sporlan Valve Division and KIMO RHVAC.
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