German OEM ebm-papst has unveiled its first compressor, CompaNamic, an oil-free, compact turbo compressor compatible with propane (R290).
According to the company, the turbo compressor is “ideal” for heat pumps and refrigeration systems in larger buildings and industrial applications. The lineup’s motor power range is between 1kWe (kilowatts-electric) and 55kWe, with ebm-papst noting that the 3kWe and 10kWe models “are particularly suitable” for R290.
Ahmet Çokşen, Group Leader Aerodynamics & Product Management, told NaturalRefrigerants.com that the compressor is still undergoing development, with serial production planned for 2028.
“The 10kWe one will be the first one getting into the market,” he said.
No oil and less refrigerant: Instead of using oil to lubricate the drive rotor, the rotor “glides” on a thin layer of compressed gas, said Philipp Handschuh, Director of the HighSpeed Department.
- Handschuh added that the oil-free design enables the use of non-contact bearings that allow higher speeds to be achieved during operation. According to the company, the CompaNamic produces 3kWe at approximately 240,000rpm and 55kWe at approximately 60,000rpm.
- Those higher speeds enable a more compact design, with ebm-papst stating that the internal volume of the compressor was reduced by 90%. The turbo compressor uses “significantly less refrigerant” as a result and has a mass flow rate of 35 grams/second.
Next steps: Çokşen said a 3kWe version of the compressor is currently undergoing testing in an oil-free ground-source heat pump with a heating capacity of between 15–17kW (4.3TR to 4.8TR). The heat pump was developed in partnership with the German research institute Fraunhofer ISE.
- “We are currently doing another optimization loop on the compressor and will test next month,” said Çokşen. “This will be the second optimization loop – and third hardware sample – in 18 months of development. With that we will finish the technology demonstration and concentrate on the P3 [model] with 10kWe power.”
Development history: Ebm-papst first shared news of the CompaNamic, then a prototype, back in early 2023.
- The company said prototypes were already in use in customer applications but that series production was not expected to begin until 2026. Ebm-papst said its goal was to produce 100,000 units per year.
Additional refrigerants: In addition to propane, the CompaNamic oil-free turbo compressor can also use R1234ze(E), a PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) that is also known as HFO-1234ze, ebm-papst said.
- While R12434ze(E) has a 100-year GWP of less than 1, a 2021 Australian study found that the HFO degraded into R23 in the atmosphere, which has a 100-year GWP of 14,600 (IPCC, AR6).
- The study suggested that elevated levels of R23 in the atmosphere could be explained by the elevated use of the R1234ze(E).
- Çokşen said that, with the exception of the 1kWe model, all CompaNamic compressors will be compatible with propane.
Party for two: Czech OEM Mirai Intex announced it had developed a propane, oil-free turbo compressor earlier this year. The compressor made its public debut at Chillventa 2024, held in Nuremberg, Germany, from October 8–10.
- Mirai Intex’s turbo compressor comes in two models: the MT230, with a cooling capacity of 230kW (65TR), and the MT350, with a cooling capacity of 350kW (100TR). The company said the compressor is designed for industrial air- and water-cooled chillers
- Vladyslav Tsyplakov, Development Director at Mirai Intex, told NaturalRefrigerants.com during an interview at Chillventa that German hydrocarbon chiller manufacturer Secon, a close partner of the company, would be the first to tests the compressor and that they could begin offering it in their products starting in 2025.
Quotable: “The compressors are designed for a service life of approximately 150,000 hours and more than a million start-stop cycles,” said ebm-papst.
This article has been updated with new information from ebm-papst.
