The new Daikin VRV-Q system represents an innovative and highly cost effective upgrade for VRV systems still operating on shortly to be banned R-22 refrigerant.
The new Daikin VRV-Q system represents an innovative and highly cost effective upgrade for VRV systems still operating on shortly to be banned R-22 refrigerant.
Scheduled for introduction to the market from February 2010, the Daikin replacement VRV-Q comes in 9 heat pump and heat recovery models with capacities between 5 and 30HP and offers drastically increased efficiencies and hence, reduced energy consumption compared to existing installed equipment.
Ban on R-22 refrigerant
Under EU legislation, a total ban on the use of R-22 will come into force in 2015 but prior to that, the use of virgin R-22 is also banned from January 2010. Clearly, from then on, supplies of R-22 will become increasingly scarce and consequently more expensive and the growing lack in its availability will restrict certain maintenance operation such as compressor replacement with the attendant risk of longer down times.
Current users of R-22 VRV systems are therefore, faced with the dilemma of doing nothing (!) or installing complete new systems in place of their still operational equipment with their associated full installation costs. The advent of Daikin’s new VRV-Q however, using zero ozone depleting and reduced CO2 emission R-410A, now offers these users a technically secure and cost effective option to upgrade.
The Daikin solution
Daikin’s innovative solution allows all existing VRV R-22 piping as well as the possibility of indoor units installed since 1996 and controllers to be retained – only the outdoor units and heat recovery BS branch selector boxes need to be replaced. A phased replacement programme with costs spread over a period of time and minimal business disruption is therefore possible.
The upgrade is achievable because VRV-Q is designed to operate at the lower pressures required by existing R-22 piping without compromising high efficiency levels. With a COP of 3.98 and an EER of 4.00, the higher efficiency of an R-410A, 10HP system for example, is in fact, around 50% higher than its R-22 equivalent.
In the past, oil and contaminants in existing piping could cause equipment malfunction, requiring the copper piping to be replaced whenever a system with a different refrigerant was installed. VRV-Q however, incorporates new Daikin technology whereby the contamination in the R-22 piping is captured and retained. During subsequent recharging of the system, new R-410A refrigerant circulates through the copper piping and collects any residual contamination. The refrigerant, including the remaining oil from the R-22 system is filtered in the outdoor unit in which the contamination is also then deposited. This process needs to be carried only once and generally takes about one hour. Daikin is the first manufacturer to date, to offer this automatic refrigerant charging and piping cleaning function.
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