Johnson Controls unveils industrial heat pump with 122 C output

S-based industrial conglomerate Johnson Controls has launched an industrial heat pump capable of supplying hot water at temperatures of up to 122 C.

The company said its new Sabroe HitemHP system is intended to replace fossil-fuel and electric boilers in applications such as food and beverage processing, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, chemicals and advanced manufacturing. It can also support pasteurization, sterilization and indirect steam production.

The heat pump is available in 10 configurations with nominal heating capacities ranging from approximately 100 kW to 1 MW. It uses a single-stage Sabroe SMC reciprocating compressor and a direct-expansion evaporator.

The system operates with natural hydrocarbon refrigerants R600, or n-butane, and R600a, or isobutane. Johnson Controls said the refrigerant circuit operates at pressures below 28 barg.

At a reference condition comprising a 50 C to 45 C evaporator-water circuit and a 100 C to 120 C condenser-water circuit, the manufacturer’s technical data show heating capacities of 125 kW to 511 kW. Shaft power consumption ranges from 45 kW to 173 kW, resulting in heating coefficients of performance (COP) of 2.8 to 3.0.

At a lower-temperature, with condenser water heated from 65 C to 103 C and the same evaporator conditions, the range delivers 240 kW to 964 kW. The corresponding heating COP is between 4.1 and 4.4.

Johnson Controls said the heat pump can reduce its output to 18% of rated capacity. It claims that part-load operation can raise COP by as much as 20% compared with full-load performance.

“Until now, electrifying high-temperature heat has been one of the hardest problems to solve,” said Steve Bell, vice president and general manager for industrial refrigeration at Johnson Controls.

The company said that, in one customer application combining the heat pump with waste heat from a refrigeration plant, the system achieved up to three times the energy efficiency of an electric boiler. It also estimated reductions of more than 91% in energy costs and up to 82% in on-site carbon dioxide emissions. The results were based on site-specific energy prices, water volumes and water-quality assumptions, according to the manufacturer.

The packaged units measure approximately 5.75 meters to 6.5 meters long, 1.25 meters wide and 2.25 meters high. Depending on the configuration, dry weight ranges from about 5.36 tonnes to 6.7 tonnes, while refrigerant charges range from 10 kg to 80 kg. Reported sound-pressure levels are between 85.1 dB(A) and 90.2 dB(A), measured at a distance of 1 meter.

The heat pumps are factory assembled and performance tested. Available options include variable-speed drives, separately mounted control panels and customer-witnessed factory acceptance testing.

Johnson Controls manufactures the HitemHP range at its facility in Holme, Denmark.