Lithuanian HVAC&R manufacturer Refra has launched a new container suitable for housing CO2 (R744) refrigeration systems, according to a post on the company’s LinkedIn page.
The AR container is designed for commercial applications, but it is also a versatile unit that can be adapted to other uses, according to Ilona Pavšukova, Marketing Manager at Refra. “We can integrate various solutions inside this container: from a small rack for convenience stores to a large machine for industrial applications,” she explained.
The CO2 refrigeration container from Refra has a modular design and is suitable for a wide range of racks from 50 to 600kW (14.2 to 170.6TR) capacity ranges. It’s available in sizes from 2.4 to 13m long(7.8 to 42.7ft), and can be insulated with polyurethane foam or 50mm (1.97in) rock wool material for very quiet operation, said Refra.
The cooling capacity can be split between medium temperature and low temperature down to -50°C (-58°F) evaporating temperature. The AR container is suitable for ambient temperatures up to 40°C (104°F) and can accommodate both scroll and reciprocating compressor racks.
The AR containers can have ventilation, lighting and cooling installed depending on the customer’s needs. The units can also be equipped with supplementary hydraulic modules, additional water storage tanks, heat recovery options inside the container and a gas cooler on top of it.
The CO2 refrigeration container can be installed next to a building or on the roof, a choice that will “not only reduce installation costs, but will also allow easy unit maintenance as well as eliminate the need for special space inside their buildings,” Pavšukova noted. “The customer will not need a dedicated compressor room inside the building so that space could be used more efficiently.”
The new AR containers are an evolution of a design launched by Refra a few years ago and improved since. Customers are typically supermarket chains, and “the sales of these units are increasing steadily as more and more partners start to value the comfort and benefits of this solution,” Pavšukova said.
“We believe such clients choose this solution because it saves them area and installation costs,” she concluded.
The natural refrigerant business is generally going very well for Refra. After a slump in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, orders started flowing in again in 2021, with the company more than doubling its turnover from the year before.
