• The bearing problems experienced due to oil carryover in the original compressor were eliminated.
• The Copeland™ scroll compressor demonstrated a significant increase in capacity compared to the original, while power consumption was only slightly higher. Based on the report data, the Copeland scroll compressor showed that the increase was sufficient enough that the secondary compressor now would be only rarely needed.
The end user was extremely satisfied with the operation of the Copeland scroll K5 refrigeration compressor and expects a lengthy, trouble-free lifetime for the product.
Application
Refrigeration system at a meat processing plant
Customer
Oxford Energy Solutions (OES), a leading commercial, industrial and agricultural HVACR service company located in Ontario, Canada. The end user is a mid-sized meat processor, also located in Ontario, handling 60 to 85 cattle a day.
Challenge
Successfully processing a large number of beef cattle on a daily basis demands a reliable and efficient refrigeration system. The meat processor had been using another brand of scroll compressor in its primary meat chiller to quickly bring down the temperature of the processed beef to safe storage levels. After an untimely failure of the primary compressor threatened to shut down the operation, a contractor determined the cause of the failure to be excessive oil carryover during pump down. The original compressor had experienced accelerated bearing wear as a direct result of the large volume of oil being repeatedly carried out of the sump. The premature bearing wear eventually led to the failure of the compressor, requiring its replacement.
As development of the new Copeland scroll K5 Refrigeration compressor progressed, Emerson began to seek out candidate locations for field trials. When OES brought the meat processor’s problem to Emerson’s attention, a field trial with the new compressor was recommended. Emerson’s engineers knew the Copeland scroll would be a perfect candidate because of its raised suction inlet. With a higher suction port, the flow of refrigerant entering the compressor is diverted away from the oil sump and motor, resulting in very little oil pickup from the sump while keeping the motor cooler than in previous scroll compressor designs. When asked to take part in a field test of the new Copeland scroll compressor, the end user was excited to participate. Energy usage, run time, and other data for both the Copeland scroll and the secondary compressor were recorded during the one-year trial period.
Operating Hours: 8AM-5PM EST, Monday - Friday
