R-22

Panasonic Corporation has developed VIXELL, a vacuum-insulated box that can store items in -70ºC environment for up to 18 days, using refrigerants such as dry ice. The transport of vaccines and other medical supplies requires strict temperature control. Up until now, conventional insulated boxes have been manufactured by joining vacuum-insulated panels (VIPs) together, but a drawback of this structure has been that cool air leaks through the gaps where the panels join. Panasonic has long been engaged in the research and development of VIPs, and has used them to reduce energy usage in refrigerators and other products. Utilizing its accumulated technologies and expertise, the company has eliminated this leakage, an inevitable issue when using VIPs, through the development of VIXELL. VIXELL boxes VIXELL boxes are created using a proprietary cast-molding method that completely prevents cool air from escaping through gaps seen in conventional boxes. The 57-liter type boxes use urethane foam and glass wool as an insulating material, and compared to previous Panasonic prototypes, improves coolness retention performance by around 30%. Inside VIXELL boxes are thermal storage units, and the temperature is maintained by filling the inside and outside of these units with refrigerant. By switching the types of these units and refrigerants, VIXELL can accommodate a diverse range of temperature zones, including the dry ice temperature zone (below -70ºC), the below -20ºC zone, and the 2ºC-8ºC zone. Shock-absorbing structure The shock-absorbing structure of VIXELL reduces the risk of damage to the plastic sheet Until now, the insulating material used in these cooling boxes has been covered in a plastic sheet. When using dry ice as a refrigerant, however, the temperature of this plastic drops below the ‘brittle temperature’, meaning it is more prone to damage when subjected to drops or vibrations during transport. The shock-absorbing structure of VIXELL reduces the risk of damage to this plastic sheet. This has enabled reliable, stable transportation even in the dry ice temperature zone. Panasonic will begin offering samples of VIXELL to pharmaceutical and logistics companies at the end of FY2021, ending in March 2021, with the aim for commercialization as soon as possible. Features Cast molded for outstanding thermal insulation The cast-molded box structure ensures cool air doesn't escape through gaps in VIPs. The 57-liter type uses both urethane foam and glass wool as an insulating material, and compared to previous Panasonic prototypes, improves coolness retention performance by around 30%. Coolness retention performance that caters to frozen transport below -70ºC The vacuum-insulated box contains a dry ice temperature zone thermal storage unit and can maintain a -70ºC environment for up to 18 days when filled with dry ice. Shock-absorbing structure When a vacuum-insulated box, which has been cooled to dry-ice temperature, is dropped or accidentally subjected to any other shock, the brittle plastic sheet covering the box is easily damaged. VIXELL's new shock-absorbing structure mitigates shock and reduces the risk of damage when the box is dropped.

Registration is now open for the 2021 ASHRAE Virtual Winter Conference, slated to take place from February 9th to February 11th, 2021. The convenient online format of the conference will allow for global participation with a group of the world’s renowned presenters delivering timely and useful industry content. 2021 ASHRAE Virtual Conference “ASHRAE’s Virtual Winter Conference will include three-days packed with learning and live discussions from top experts,” said 2020-21 ASHRAE President Charles E. Gulledge III, P.E. He adds, “This is the perfect platform and opportunity for built environment professionals to take advantage of the Society’s strong technical content. The conference will provide us the opportunity to amplify ASHRAE’s important research and resources to address the challenges of the times we’re living in.” COVID-19, energy conservation, refrigerants & HVAC standards The conference will feature nearly 98 live and on-demand sessions with updates from industry experts The conference will feature nearly 98 live and on-demand sessions with updates from industry experts and virtual networking events. Technical sessions will address building performance, COVID-19, energy conservation, refrigerants, ethics, equipment and standards. Conference registration is now open on the official virtual event page. During the weeks leading up to the conference, ASHRAE will also conduct virtual business, committee and technical meetings that are typically held during onsite at the Winter Conference. The cost to attend the virtual conference is US$ 249 for ASHRAE members (US$ 479 for non-members, which includes an ASHRAE membership for one year). Registration includes: Tuesday, February 9th - Thursday, February 11th - Live Event More than 35 technical sessions presented live, including sessions scheduled for live participation from attendees in different time zones across the globe. Leadership moments providing updates from society leaders. Keynote presentation hosted by women in ASHRAE. Live 30-minute forum sessions for interactive participation. Opportunities to interact with fellow attendees in 30-minute round table discussions and meet-ups. Recognition of more than 150 award recipients of ASHRAE’s most prestigious society awards. Conference proceedings. Interested individuals can download the technical papers, conference papers and extended abstracts. Post-Conference 26 live Q&A chat sessions for on-demand paper session for the opportunity to chat with speakers scheduled on Friday, February 12. All sessions presented live will be recorded and available on-demand until August 11, 2022. Over 80 additional on-demand sessions accessible on personal terms for 18 months. Examining how to improve global HVAC efficiency The technical program is comprised of eight tracks, exploring occupant comfort and energy systems use The technical program is comprised of eight tracks, exploring occupant comfort, energy systems use and examining how to improve HVAC efficiency on a global scale. “Engineers and designers are being tasked to take closer looks at buildings and their systems to provide comfort to the occupants while also finding ways to reduce the impact on the environment and energy use,” said Maggie Moninski, Chair of the 2021 ASHRAE Virtual Winter Conference. International Design and the Future of HVAC Work Maggie adds, “The 2021 Winter Conference attendees will be given a great opportunity to learn from some of the leaders of the industry with a focus on the foundations of the HVAC&R industry along with specialty topics like International Design and the Future of HVAC Work.” ASHRAE President, Charles E. Gulledge III, P.E. will provide an update on the 2020-21 Society theme, The ASHRAE Digital Lighthouse and Industry 4.0 members will be recognized for the industry and Society accomplishments. Major contributors to ASHRAE’s Building campaign, RP campaign and scholarship donors will also be recognized. Professional development hours can be earned for all on-demand sessions and more than 35 live sessions upon successfully completing a short quiz. Registration includes access to all the technical content on-demand for 18 months. Company packages are also available.

Dairies, slaughterhouses, deep freeze warehouses are among the many large production and work areas that need to be kept at a constant low temperature. The latest addition to the Kelvion customized air cooler family does precisely that. CDK/CDL, the new dual discharge cooler range, with optimized fan speed, is the perfect solution for providing reliable climate control for instance in food preparation areas. Stainless steel tubes The CDK/CDL discharges air on both sides of the unit, which is designed to fit flush to the ceiling The CDK/CDL discharges air on both sides of the unit, which is designed to fit flush to the ceiling. This ensures a maximum amount of space available for keeping products cool. Both versions can be used for temperatures ranging from -40⁰C to +40⁰C and are suitable for synthetic and natural refrigerants. The CDK model has a capacity range from 7.33kW up to 145.3kW (for SC2), while the CDL version, with stainless steel tubes, offers a range from 8.9kW to 154kW. Stringent hygiene requirements A comprehensive range of variants and accessories allow for a high level of customization - Bespoke design features included in the list of options are UV-C lights to reduce airborne particles such as viruses, bacteria and germs. Thanks to standard hinged side covers and optionally hinged drip trays and fans the air cooler is quick and easy to clean, conforming to the latest stringent hygiene requirements. Both series are now also available in the new Kelvion Select RT product selection software.

Danfoss is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its popular TU stainless steel thermostatic expansion valve, trusted for the most demanding refrigeration applications by OEMs and installers worldwide. TU thermostatic expansion valve With more than 15 million valves sold since its launch in 1995, TU's combination of high precision and unique stainless-steel construction has made it a staple of cold-chain systems in particular. Equipment manufacturers have come to value the TU's robustness, reliability and consistent performance in challenging environments, using it everywhere from refrigerated shipping containers and trucks/trailers to ice makers and ice cream machines. Heat resistant and flexible design The valve's flexible design allows customization for a wide variety of applications Moreover, the valve's flexible design allows customization for a wide variety of applications, sizes, refrigerants and connections. A more recent innovation enables each valve to be OEM/custom laser-engraved with its exact configuration, ensuring the correct version is always used. A newly developed low-GWP bulb charge also helps significantly reduce CO2 emissions. The TU stainless steel thermostatic expansion valve is no less popular with installers. Its heat-resistant stainless-steel casing and bi-metal connections makes it easy to braze, with no need for time-consuming wet wrapping. At the forefront of a sustainable cooling industry While the valve was first designed in response to the original Montreal protocol agreement, the resulting hermetically sealed construction also make it ideal for current refrigerant transition challenges, like handling A2L refrigerants without leakage. The TU remains a key part of Danfoss's work to qualify the widest possible portfolio of components for all viable low-GWP alternatives. The TU valve anniversary celebration embodies Danfoss's passion and unique expertise in designing top-end expansion devices, including other iconic valves like the T2 and ETS Colibri, which meet the most stringent application and regulatory requirements. Thermostatic expansion range valves "The TU is one of the crown jewels of our thermostatic expansion range," said Arpit Sharma, Danfoss Global Product Portfolio Manager for Expansion Valves, adding "Manufacturers love it because of its high degree of quality and reliability exhibited in the field. And like all Danfoss expansion valves, it’s accurate to a very narrow set point, which means even systems in challenging environments can be energy efficient too." He further said, "It's fitting that a valve Danfoss developed to protect the environment is still at the forefront of reducing direct and indirect impact from the refrigeration industry, now and into the future."

Armstrong Fluid Technology has announced a series of six new webinars for the month of April designed to help building managers, engineers and maintenance professionals navigate energy savings during a changing environment. ‘Smart HVAC Systems’ webinars Focusing on a variety of critical topics from ‘Remote Connectivity’ to ‘Indoor Air Quality’ and ‘Smart HVAC Systems for a New World’, the insightful sessions address all aspects of building performance. The individual webinars and a link to free registration are listed below: Benefits of Remote Connectivity to Intelligent HVAC Systems, Equipment April 3rd at 1 PM EST Viewers will discover how this advanced capability will make a difference to all installations With the advent of built-in intelligence and edge computing, remote connectivity to intelligent equipment adds value such as virtual asset management, objective data measurement for improved understanding, improved on site safety and improved long-term occupant comfort. Viewers will discover how this advanced capability will make a difference to all installations. Booster Pump Maintenance Basics - Water pressure in high-rise residential buildings April 7th at 11 AM EST Whether preference lies in condition based maintenance or predictive maintenance as an asset management approach, the basic requirements for maintaining a pressure booster system are important components in an operations plan. This webinar will review the steps facility managers and operators should take on a regular basis to guarantee water supply for building occupants, as well as how to review booster system settings and performance data to identify potential issues. Indoor Air Quality steps are more important than ever. How can you improve IAQ? April 8th at 11 AM EST While indoor air quality (IAQ) has long been a topic of discussion and concern, the quality of air in indoor spaces has taken on even greater importance in recent weeks. Topics covered will include pollutants and sources, case histories, short-term and long-term effects of poor IAQ, and why building and facility managers should put increased focused on IAQ. Smart HVAC Systems for a New World April 14th at 11 AM EST New emerging HVAC technologies are extending the capabilities of equipment operation, remote connectivity, asset management with ground-breaking maintenance and service tools. This session will cover some of these new technologies and show how you can capitalize on the benefits while mitigating risk, with added focus on how these capabilities have even more value during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Building Air Quality and HVAC Controls April 21st at 11 AM EST Management, control and automation of HVAC systems play a key role in the air quality that circulates in buildings With increased interest in occupant health and safety, indoor air quality is a key topic of discussion. Management, control, maintenance and automation of HVAC systems play a key role in the air quality that circulates in buildings. This webinar focuses on options for control and automation in HVAC systems and how they can be used to the greatest effect for balancing indoor air quality, tenant comfort and efficiency. Save Time and Money with Repairable Circulators April 24th at 11 AM EST Many circulator designs support easy repair or replacement of wear parts. For many users, this is the lowest cost approach over the long-term. But what are the differentiating factors between a throwaway design and a repairable design. And what kinds of repairs are possible? This webinar answers all these questions and reviews the basics of circulator repair, with a view to informing customers' future purchase decisions. Each of these insightful webinars is less than 60 minutes in length and includes a question and answer session at the conclusion. A library of previous Armstrong webinars covering a variety of informative topics can be accessed on the company’s website.

In response to a global shift away from R410A and R22, Danfoss has added a complete portfolio of components to help OEMs develop air conditioning systems with R32. With its relatively low global warming potential (GWP) at GWP-675, high volumetric capacity and efficiency, lower purchase price and system charge, R32 has become one of the most popular alternatives—along with R452B and R454B—to R410A for commercial air conditioning systems and heat pumps. In response to high demand—and following the release of the multi-refrigerant portfolio for R410A/R452B/R454B earlier this year—Danfoss has announced a full range of components that enable OEMs to design R32 systems up to 700kW/260TR. The portfolio includes: DSF fixed-speed scroll compressors with IDVs, optimized for R32 – full range available by the end of 2020 Micro plate heat exchangers (MPHE-Z design), optimized for R32 – full range available by the end of 2020 Micro channel heat exchangers (MCHE) adapted for R32 The Colibri Electronic expansion valve (ETS C), TGE and TR6 expansion valves for the US residential units System protectors and line components such as NRV check valves, GBC ball valves, STF 4 way valves, EVR v2 solenoid valves, ACB switches and DST P110 sensors, DML and DCL for residential and DCRE filter driers for larger air conditioning units, SG sight glasses, all qualified for R32. Compatibility has been checked with every raw material and connections over 25mm are all validated according to PED category II except for the EVR v2 and with US approval. seasonal efficiency requirements Importantly, Danfoss’s scroll design enables OEMs to take full advantage of R32’s thermodynamic properties, with +10% volumetric capacity for a same compressor size. This optimized design improves the $/TR-€/kW ratio. It also mitigates the impact of high discharge gas temperature, without the need for costly liquid or vapor injection—a significant applied cost benefit – and enables a wide operating map, suitable for use in reversible systems. And like Danfoss’s DSH multi-refrigerant range, the DSF range is equipped with intermediate discharge valve (IDV) technology to meet the latest seasonal efficiency requirements. Matthieu Stoll, Danfoss Cooling, AC Segment Marketing Director said: "Around the world, air conditioning OEMs are switching away from R410A. By adding a new R32 range of products on top of our existing multi-refrigerant R410A/R452B/R454B portfolio, we’re committed to providing the broadest range of options to our customers.”

A key deadline for phasing out hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) from residential air conditioning systems is less than a year away. Jan. 1, 2020, is the deadline after which there will be no U.S. production or import of HCFC-142b and HCFC-22 (also called R-22). The deadline is part of an incremental phazeout of HCFC consumption and production based on the U.S. commitment in the 1997 Montreal Protocol aimed at protecting stratospheric ozone. Section 605 of the Clean Air Act establishes phazeout targets for the chemicals. The phazeout will be complete in 2030, after which time there will be no production or import of any HCFCs. HCFC-142b retrofit refrigerant HCFC-142b is used in small quantities in refrigerant blends and as a retrofit refrigerant in motor vehicle ACs HCFC-142b is used in small quantities in refrigerant blends and as a retrofit refrigerant in motor vehicle air conditioners that previously used chloroflurococarbons (CFCs), which were eliminated in the mid-1990s for their potential to deplete the ozone layer. HCFC-22 is the most commonly used refrigerant in applications such as unitary air conditioners, cold storage, retail food refrigeration equipment, chillers and industrial process refrigeration. Any air conditioner or heat pump manufactured before 2010 likely uses HCFC-22 refrigerant. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons in air conditioning systems On Jan. 1, 2020, U.S. production or import of HCFC-22 and HCFC-142b will not be permitted in the United States. After this happens, only recycled/reclaimed or stockpiled quantities of HCFC-22 and HCFC-142b will be available for servicing existing equipment, and they will likely be more expensive. These substances have been in the process of being phazed out since 2015, when supplies were reduced by 90 percent. Since 2010, HCFC-22 and HCFC-142b have been available exclusively for use to service existing equipment.   There are several non-ozone-depleting alternatives to HCFC-22. They include R-134a and R-410A, which can be used in a new installation; and R-407C and R-407A, which can be used in a new or a retrofit installation. The most common alternative is R-410A, which is manufactured and sold under various trade names such as GENTRON AZ-20, SUVA 410A, and PURON. Significant New Alternatives Policy SNAP (Significant New Alternatives Policy) was established by the U.S. Clean Air Act to identify and evaluate substitutes for ozone-depleting substances. The program looks at overall risks to human health and the environment of existing and new substitutes, publishes lists and promotes the use of acceptable substances, and provides the public with information. EPA reviews alternative refrigerants and maintains a list of acceptable substitutes for household and light commercial air conditioning. For the last 25 years, the air conditioning and refrigeration industry has been working to reduce its use of CFC refrigerants, which are no longer available on new equipment. The industry has used alternative refrigerants and achieved higher efficiency ratings to achieve the goals. CFC refrigerants Long life of AC equipment has extended the continuing use of CFC refrigerants by existing equipment However, the long useful life of air conditioning equipment has extended the continuing use of CFC refrigerants by existing equipment. Green building groups have supported legislative action to reduce federal depreciation schedules for this equipment, which would accelerate the replacement of older equipment and hasten the total elimination of CFC refrigerant use. The HEAT Act, which Congress passed in 2017 as part of the landmark Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, reduced commercial HVAC expensing from 39 years to immediate (zero years). Phazing out ozone-depleting refrigerants The European Union is also committed to protecting the ozone layer and has some of the strictest regulations in the world. Since 2010, there has been a ban on the use of “virgin” HCFCs to service and maintain refrigeration and air conditioning equipment; use of reclaimed or recycled HCFCs for service or maintenance has been banned since 2015.

Houston Methodist Hospital, a world-class hospital, and medical research institution require a constant, reliable, and affordable energy supply to meet its critical needs. That became even more obvious to administrators at Houston Methodist Hospital after Hurricane Katrina and other major storms from the following years. The hospital required the ability to create its own energy to maintain operations during the blackouts that can occur with major storms that regularly slam into the Texas gulf coast. Challenges The major expansion at the institution of a 1.1 million-square-foot (100,000 square meters), world-class research institute building spurred the hospital to upgrade its central utility plant (CUP). The successful, year-long CUP upgrade project reduced overall energy usage, costs, and greenhouse gas emissions while providing the hospital with the necessary resiliency. Houston Methodist Hospital, the flagship of the Houston Methodist healthcare system, is a 1,000-bed facility that attends to nearly 40,000 inpatients and more than 300,000 outpatients each year. The private, non-profit hospital is consistently listed among U.S. News & World Report’s best hospitals in the country and most recently as the no. 1 hospital in the state of Texas. In addition to being a teaching hospital, Houston Methodist healthcare also operates a major medical research institute. YORK® chillers CUP’s seven existing YORK® steam-driven and electric chillers had sufficient chilling capacity for the building expansion For two decades, Johnson Controls and its YORK® brand chillers have played a major role in helping the hospital meet its very specific cooling needs by offering flexible and efficient solutions.Bruce Flaniken, manager of FMS engineering services, facilities design & construction/network hospital construction departments, explained that the unnerving hurricane experiences and building expansion plans resulted in hospital administrators taking a hard look at the central plant. The CUP’s seven existing YORK® steam-driven and electric chillers had sufficient chilling capacity for the building expansion, but the cooling towers could not support the operation of all chillers simultaneously. The facility was also not able to provide all required standby power during an emergency, to achieve added resiliency. Upgrades enable CUP to continue operations  “We still had the memory of Katrina and another storm the following year on our minds,” Flaniken said. “During Katrina, we lost water pressure and almost had to shut down. The city had to hook up a fire truck to our CUP to pump water into it."“We looked at the numbers and realized we could put the money into the central plant and not only handle the energy needed for the expansion, but also have the emergency power to continue to operate if the grid goes down.”The CUP upgrade addressed present chilled water concerns by adding seven new cells to increase the cooling tower requirements. Houston Methodist Hospital replaced a 2,000-ton (7,000 kW) existing R-22 electric chiller with a high-efficiency YORK® YST model 2,800-ton (9,800 kW) R-134a steam-driven chiller. The new chiller reduced electrical demand by 1,600 kW. Combined heat and power (CHP) unit The CHP generator also meets the hospital’s steam demand for heating, sterilizing, and hot water Next up was a high-pressure natural gas turbine generator combined heat and power (CHP) unit to produce 4.5 MW of power and thermal recovery via a combination heat recovery steam generator. The turbine generator (CHP) creates the steam required to run the YORK® YST chillers. The CHP generator also meets the hospital’s steam demand for heating, sterilizing, and hot water. It additionally helped shift the facility’s demand from the existing utility power grid to natural gas, resulting in major savings. For only the cost of running the condenser-chilled water pumps and cooling tower fans, the CUP can now produce up to 2,800 tons (9,800 kW) of chilled water from free steam and another 2,000 tons (7,000 kW) of chilled water from lower-cost steam. Reducing dependency The CUP can also produce up to 8,800 tons (31,000 kW) of emergency cooling with the electric and steam-turbine YORK® chillers even if all power is lost due to rolling brownouts or storm-caused blackouts. The hospital can maintain the operation of a major portion of the medical campus, including patient care and research demands while still reducing dependency on the local power grid.“We are now the only hospital in the Texas Gulf Coast area that can operate during hurricane-type power grid outages,” Flaniken said. Outcomes Project payback twice as fast as expected Metasys offers optimization of all chillers, pumps, cooling towers, CHP electrical general, and energy recovery In just the first year, Houston Methodist Hospital experienced over $1.8 million in energy costs, and savings continue each year. The project achieved payback almost twice as fast as expected, from four years to a little over two years. Another added benefit from the entire CUP revamp is a significant reduction in the greenhouse gases nitric oxide (NOX), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carbon dioxide (CO2). Contributing to the savings is the Metasys® building automation system from Johnson Controls. The BAS helped improve reliability, record keeping, and maintenance of the CUP. In addition, Metasys offers optimization of all chillers, pumps, cooling towers, CHP electrical general and thermal energy recovery, and high-pressure steam boilers integration. “Integrating the Metasys and CHP system controls, installing the YORK® chiller, cooling tower, and piping cross-connections without shutting down the existing CUP utilities had to be carefully planned and migrated,” Flaniken said. Building upon best practices Flaniken said Johnson Controls and YORK® have long been important contributors to the success of the Houston Methodist Hospital. In 2004, the installation of a 2,000-ton (7,000 kW) YORK® steam turbine chiller was undertaken as part of an energy rebate from a local utility company, therefore paying for a portion of the unit. “We had an old chiller that was giving us problems, so we opted to take the rebate and get a more technologically advanced efficient chiller to replace the old technology at the same time,” he said. In 2013, Johnson Controls replaced the oldest 2,000-ton (7,000 kW) YORK® model Titan OM chiller with a 2,000-ton (7,000 kW) YORK® model YK chiller with a medium voltage variable speed drive to further improve efficiency to up to 30 percent, increase equipment longevity and reduce noise levels. “We’re proud of what our team – and that includes Johnson Controls – has done to create a model central utility plant capable of meeting the needs of a modern, growing big-city hospital,” Flaniken said.

Adcock was contracted by Munro Building Services (South) Limited to upgrade the air conditioning systems in Richmond Theatre’s offices as some of equipment was running on R22 refrigerant. The company removed all existing, outdated systems, and replaced them with a unique combination of energy efficient solutions offered by Daikin VRV heat recovery equipment. As a D1+ Premium Partner, Adcock offers an extended 7-year warranty as a standard. D1+ Premium Partners are selected by Daikin UK for their high standards of installation and expertise. Just one of the things that sets Adcock apart from the crowd.

Upon failure of Warners old air conditioning equipment at Bourne in Lincolnshire, Adcock recommended replacement of the entire system. This project involved removal of the old R22 refrigerant from the site, which, from 1st January 2015 became illegal to charge virgin into any refrigeration or air conditioning system. Air conditioning equipment Along with the benefit of new air conditioning equipment, substantial energy savings are being realized by Warners due to the modern inverter controlled equipment which offers greater efficiencies. The customer also benefits from extended warranties for all installed plant. Warners have been a customer of Adcock since 1997 and the original R22 installation was carried out by the engineers over 20 years ago. Mark Durno, Warners Facility Manager commented: "A very good installation again from your chaps.” They value their long standing relationship with the customer and look forward to delivering solutions to them for the next 20 years.

Adcock recently won the contract to replace refrigeration equipment in the campus supermarket coldrooms. The existing condensing units were originally designed to operate on refrigerant gas R22 and were situated in a poorly vented plant room which created an issue at the height of summer. Planned preventative maintenance Adcock upgraded the system to a modern, efficient solution. The works had to be scheduled and completed during term shut down, to ensure there was no impact on the day to day business at the supermarket. As they have been working with the University for over 15 years, they fully understand how important it is to schedule the planned preventative maintenance and replacing technology works around term shut downs to keep disruptions to minimum.

Adcock gets a maintenance contract from Anglian Water. Adcock recently won a tender for a maintenance contract with Anglian Water. Adcock was the previous holder of the contract and have now secured the agreement for an additional four years.

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, global provider of transportation and logistical solutions, is expanding its fleet with a record-setting order of 5,000 refrigerated containers equipped with Carrier Transicold’s XtendFRESH atmosphere control technology, as part of a larger order. This innovative system manages oxygen and carbon dioxide levels within refrigerated containers and removes ethylene, thus slowing the ripening of produce and helping to preserve its quality beyond what can be achieved by refrigeration alone. XtendFRESH-equipped containers The XtendFRESH-equipped containers are being leased through SeaCube Containers LLC The XtendFRESH-equipped containers are being leased through SeaCube Containers LLC. Carrier Transicold is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. “By adding atmosphere control for selected perishable cargoes, we are enhancing the care we provide for the valuable commodities we ship for our customers,” said Giuseppe Prudente, chief logistics officer, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company. “XtendFRESH technology enables MSC to transport fruit and other refrigerated cargo over longer distances, creating tremendous new opportunities for exporters and importers.” Controlled-atmosphere equipment MSC’s order is the largest for the XtendFRESH option since the system was introduced in 2013, and it represents a significant step in the growing trend among shipping lines to provide controlled-atmosphere technology for the benefit of their customers, according to Willy Yeo, Director of Marketing, Global Container Refrigeration, Carrier Transicold. SeaCube CEO Robert Sappio agrees that factors such as slow steaming and new trade routes, resulting from shipping line alliances and consolidations, are creating opportunities for XtendFRESH technology. “MSC is just one example of the very strong demand we’ve seen for controlled-atmosphere equipment. As shipping lines fine-tune their operations and optimize their networks, controlled atmosphere is a way for them to assure their customers that they are carrying their products more safely.” Fresh-air ventilation In use, the XtendFRESH system’s patented, self-regenerating activated-carbon scrubber assembly captures carbon dioxide and ethylene, a hormone given off by ripening produce that can accelerate ripening if left unchecked. As perishable cargo consumes oxygen, on-demand fresh-air ventilation automatically maintains the optimum level inside the container. “The innovative XtendFRESH system allows shipping lines to optimize conditions for specific commodities,” Carrier Transicold’s Yeo said. “It is the only atmosphere control solution with an integrated ethylene removal capability.” PrimeLINE refrigeration units PrimeLINE units use digital scroll compressors to deliver greater cooling capacity using less energy The XtendFRESH system was selected by MSC as an option for Carrier Transicold PrimeLINE refrigeration units being installed on new 40-foot high-cube containers. In support of its environmental initiatives, MSC specified PrimeLINE units with a new provision that enables conversion from R-134a to R-513A, a refrigerant with a significantly lower global warming potential. PrimeLINE units use digital scroll compressors to deliver greater cooling capacity using less energy than prior models from Carrier Transicold. The PrimeLINE unit’s value proposition also includes rapid pull-down, tight temperature control, high air-flow performance and excellent cost of ownership. Global shipping company With global headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. is a privately owned global shipping company with vessels that sail on more than 200 trade routes, calling at over 500 ports, with access to an integrated network of road, rail and sea transport resources that stretches across the globe.