Development and sales of circulated heating heat pump "Q-ton Circulation" -Adoption of low GWP refrigerant (R454C) which largely contributes to suppressing global warming, for the first time in Japan-

We hereby announce that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems, Ltd. (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Kaoru Kusumoto) and Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. (Head office: Higashi-ku, Nagoya; President & Director: Satoru Katsuno) have jointly developed "Q-ton Circulation" (Note 1). This is industrial-use air heat source circulated heating heat pump (Note 2) that drastically reduces environmental load by adopting refrigerant R454C whose global warming potential (GWP) (Note 3) is approximately 1/10 of conventional refrigerants, for the first time in Japan, and can supply warm water of 75°C with outside temperature at -20°C. Q-ton Circulation will be released from August this year by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems.

Steam boiler which uses fossil fuel is widely used in order to create warm water to be used for removal of grease and cleaning of components at factories, but recently, heat pump which saves energy due to excellent efficiency is being used. However, as conventional heat pumps use refrigerants with GWP approximately 1,430 times to 2,090 CO2, low GWP of refrigerant was called for due to enforcement of the Act on Rational Use and Proper Management of Fluorocarbons (Note 4).

The developed "Q-ton Circulation" reduces environmental load by adopting R454C with low GWP and has optimum design of freezing cycle such as optimization of pipe diameter and adoption of two-stage compression refrigeration cycle in order to realize high energy efficiency, thereby realizing highly efficient operation of COP3.3 (Note 5) and supplying of hot water of 75° with outside temperature at -20°C. Furthermore, in order to provide prompt after-sales service, status of equipment can now be remotely monitored by utilizing IoT technology.

[Features]

1 Drastic reduction of environmental load due to adoption of low GWP refrigerant for the first time in Japan

Environmental load was drastically reduced by adopting R454C (GWP146) which clears regulation value 150 of GWP adopted in Europe, for the first time in Japan.

2 Industry's first supplying of hot water of 75°C with outside temperature at -20°C

Drop in temperature of supplied water is prevented when outside temperature is low by adopting two-stage compression refrigeration cycle and it is made possible to supply warm water of 75°C with outdoor temperature ranging from -20°C to 43°C. It can be used for year-round heating desired at factories.

3 Drastic saving of energy

Due to optimum design of the freezing cycle, high energy efficiency (COP3.3) was achieved as circulated heating heat pump. For example, when upgrading from factory-use boiler, annual running cost can be reduced by approximately 67% (Note 6). (see attachment)

4 Provision of prompt service utilizing IoT technology

"M-ACCESS (Mitsubishi-internet-Access)", service of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems that remotely monitors equipment status via the Internet, is planned to be used. Service will be promptly provided when equipment failure occurs, due to 24-hour monitoring.

( Note 1) "Q-ton Circulation" is the product name of the circulated heating heat pump sold by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems.

(Note 2) Air heat source heat pump creates hot water by pumping up heat from the air which becomes the heat source. On the other hand, water heat source heat pump pumps up heat using water as the heat source.

(Note 3) Global Warming Potential is a figure that indicates capacity to cause global warming of other types of greenhouse gas, in comparison to carbon dioxide.

(Note 4) Due to revision of the Act on Securing, etc. the Recovery and Destruction of Fluorocarbons Contained in Specified Products, the Act on Rational Use and Proper Management of Fluorocarbons was enforced on April 01, 2015. It makes it compulsory to take appropriate actions so that fluorocarbons do not leak throughout the entire process and demands conversion to alternative fluorocarbons with low GWP.

(Note 5) COP (Coefficient Of Performance) is coefficient of performance that indicates energy efficiency of heat source machines. The greater the value, the higher energy-saving performance. COP = heating capacity (kW) ÷ electric power consumption (kW) with electric power consumption being power consumption of the entire heat source machine. It does not include electric power consumption of externally installed circulating pumps. COP3.3 of Q-ton Circulation is the value with outside temperature at 25°C (relative humidity 70%), warm water inlet temperature at 60°C and outlet temperature at 65°C.

(Note 6) It is reduction effect when Q-ton Circulation installed outdoors is used in the process that uses gas boiler system with combined efficiency of 50% as the heat source. Effect will change depending on actual operation status.