PROJECT
Daikin supplied four EWAD-TZ chillers with a total cooling capacity of 1.205 kW to meet the Short Track World Championships 2024 ice skating cooling needs in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The chillers were sold to Pon Energy Rental who took care of the execution on the venue. The customer's main purpose was to build the most sustainable temporary ice rink ever.
PRODUCTS
4 x EWAD-TZ with heat recovery option
Total Cooling capacity: 1.205 kW
CHALLENGE & SOLUTIONS
As stated, the customer wanted the temporary ice rink to be the most sustainable one, thereby efficient and minimizing energy consumption.
Daikin was able to satisfy customer’s requirements thanks to the high levels of energy efficiency of its technologies. Daikin is at the forefront of innovation and sustainability and provides units featuring innovative technologies, which help chillers use up to 20% less energy than standard chillers by automatically adjusting their operation, ramping up or down as the desired temperature is reached and ensuring energy efficiency.
Daikin also provided the customer with expertise to meet the project objectives. Thanks to the equipment’s Heat Recovery technology, it was possible to heat 30,000 litres of buffer up to 50 ⁰C, without using oil boilers for this purpose. This water was used for the resurfacing machine, which scrapes off a thin layer of ice from the top layer and mop it with warm water. The resulting ice is melted in a collection container and is reused for the mop water, saving up to 50% of water.
Inverter screw compressor for optimal part load performance
Even if in an ice rink application, the cooling load required is pretty much constant, this is not the same for ambient temperatures where the chillers are installed. Temperature varies during the day and the seasons, of course. This leads chillers to work in operating conditions different from full load, i.e. part load conditions. Part-load efficiency refers to the ability of a system to handle energy use at part load so the chiller can deliver the exact load requirement with the minimum power input, to always ensure guarantee the best performance even when the ambient temperature and (eventually) cooling load conditions change.
The chillers supplied were equipped with Daikin design inverter-driven single screw compressors, including Variable Volume Ratio (VVR) for optimized unit performances at any load and operating condition. Inverter technology is the right choice when reducing energy consumption at part loads is needed. Therefore, thanks to chillers’ innovative technologies, energy consumption was reduced by 80% making the most sustainable temporary ice rink. On top of that, the Daikin inverter differentiates itself from others by being refrigerant-cooled, hence not affected by environmental conditions such as ambient temperature, altitude, or air quality. This is very relevant to ensure the chiller’s reliability, and therefore key to keeping the conditions of the ice rink.
Heat recovery to sustain environmental targets
Another key feature of the chiller solutions offered by Daikin is heat recovery. Heat recovery is an option that allows chillers to recover heat and capture energy that otherwise would be wasted in the atmosphere. This is done by employing a plate-to-plate heat exchanger in series to the condensing section of the chiller. Hence, while the unit is providing chilled water to the ice rink, the compressor discharged refrigerant flows through the heat recovery exchanger and warm water production is made available.
In this Ice Rink installation, that heat was used to defrost the skating surface instead of using boilers, saving them on energy and CO2 emissions.
Remote monitoring service to keep units’ reliability: Daikin on Site
An ice rink requires certain temperature conditions to be kept in its optimal status. Hence, Daikin on Site service was essential to ensure the correct operation of the chiller and, therefore the success of the whole event.
Daikin on Site (DoS) is a cloud-based remote monitoring and control system that provides 24/7 real-time data, monitoring the operations of cooling and heating plants and their proper functionality. It is an innovative tool for HVAC plants providing not only remote monitoring but also periodic reports for in-depth plant analysis, energy analysis, and intelligent maintenance. The information provided by this solution offers a unique level of detail by offering a continuously evolving service, enabling plant owners to take preventive measures and avoid the additional costs associated with breakdowns and downtime.
Facility managers can easily recognize the problem and find the right solution whenever an alarm occurs. Thanks to the fact that this platform allows parameters to be evaluated in real-time if an adjustment of settings is needed, it is possible to intervene remotely. All this makes it possible to improve the performance and management of the units, planning preventive maintenance and increasing the reliability of the systems.
Use of reclaimed refrigerant for environmental sustainability
According to a study from Tokyo University, reclaimed R-134a has a 90% lower environmental impact than virgin R-134a. This is because refrigerant reclamation does not require end-of-life destruction, and reprocessing requires less energy than the production of virgin refrigerant.
The units supplied for this project were part of the L∞P by Daikin programme, which means that the chillers are covered within certified reclaimed R-134a refrigerant allocation. The L∞P by Daikin programme aims at creating a circular economy of refrigerants, supporting Daikin Industries' environmental policy for 2050, and avoiding, every year, production of virgin refrigerants including both R-134a R-410A and R-32 for more than 400,000 kg per year. Under the reclamation process, refrigerant is recovered and reprocessed to match the performance and quality of the virgin substance. Our reclaimed R-134a meets AHRI700 standard (purity>99.5%), so it can be recovered and reclaimed with no limits.
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