We provided solutions focus on 4 aspects: variable speed control, flammable refrigerant application, user comfort level, and heat reclaim.
1) Variable speed control: When designing air conditioning systems, we always consider the maximum load. However, we have found that most of the time, the air conditioning system operates at part load conditions. Therefore, we need to adjust the compressor's speed to match the actual demand and achieve energy savings. We produce variable frequency drives that are used to adjust the compressor's speed, resulting in energy savings more than 30%. After implementing variable frequency control, the expansion valve, one of the 4 major components of the refrigeration system, must be an electronic expansion valve to maximize the energy-saving effect. Sanhua is the world's largest manufacturer of electronic expansion valves. Additionally, we optimize also other components related for variable frequency systems.
2) Flammable refrigerant application: Currently, many refrigerants have greenhouse effects. According to the Kigali Amendment, countries are phasing out some old and high GWP(global warming potential) refrigerants. For example, most residential air conditioners have switched to R32 refrigerant, which has less than half of the GWP of the previous refrigerants once leaked. However, this refrigerant is mid-flammable. The risk is low for residential air conditioners due to the small refrigerant charge amount, but we must be more cautious in commercial applications. For this reason, we provide a whole set of solutions: the refrigerant concentration in the air is sensed by the refrigerant leakage sensor(A2L sensor), and once the limit value is exceeded, the alarm will be generated through the "Mitgation board" from Sanhua and the air conditioning system will be shut down. Japan has legislated that from 2025, commercial VRF air conditioner can use R32 refrigerant, but must with safety shut-off valves. The safety shut-off valves can isolate the indoor and outdoor parts of the A/C system once a refrigerant leak is detected, preventing flammable refrigerant from continuously entering the indoor area. Sanhua's EBV electric ball valve stands out among many industry solutions and is currently the most widely adopted shut-off valve solution.
3) User comfort level: This aspect mainly considers the noise and vibration of indoor units. In multi-split A/C like VRF, each indoor unit is equipped with an electronic expansion valve(EEV). Improper design or mismatched EEV can cause whistling noise, affecting the user experience. Sanhua's "Silent Electronic Expansion Valve" can control the noise level of the to a very low level. Many indoor units also have condensate water lifting pumps (also known as "drain pumps"), which have stringent requirements for noise and vibration. We can control the noise level below 30 decibels (the standard for a quiet room). We are one of the few companies worldwide that have mastered the know-how in this area.
4) Heat reclaim: In general multi-split A/C systems, different rooms can either be cooled or heated at the same time, but cooling and heating at the same time is impossible to achieve. However, there is a high demand for such scenarios, such as in hospitals where patient rooms need heating in the winter, but medical reagents require cooling. With a more complex system design called heat reclaim, this can be achieved with the cooperation of Sanhua's valves, which need to be made simple and reliable.
Zhejiang Sanhua Commercial Refrigeration Co., Ltd.
TEL：0575-86231281
