The Benefits of Vapor Injection Technology in Compressors

Vapor injection is a method to increase refrigeration capacity and system efficiency in a wide range of applications. The basic working principle requires an injection-capable compressor, a heat exchanger, expansion device, solenoid or check valve, connecting tubing and controller.  From the thermodynamic perspective, refrigerant leaves the condenser as a subcooled liquid and passes through an

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Turbocor Compressor Performance Validates Oil-Free Advantages

In 2003, Universal Plastic Mold (UPM) needed to replace their aging reciprocating chillers with more reliable and efficient chillers. The company, which manufactures plastic products for use in a variety of products in supermarkets and automotive applications, found that their existing reciprocating chillers required a lot of maintenance, which resulted in expensive downtime. In addition,

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ESG Roadmap will Guide Danfoss Through 2030

In April 2022, Danfoss announced its ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) goals that will guide the company through 2030. The largest sustainability project in company history began with an assessment and examination of company goals and priorities, resulting in a roadmap and official launch. Recognizing industry and societal trends toward sustainability, Danfoss seeks to build on

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Heat Pumps and Heat Recovery: A Comprehensive Approach to Decarbonization and Electrification

The recent report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has increased the urgency on decarbonization. With many state and local governments setting limits on fossil fuels and carbon emissions for commercial buildings, the adoption of cleaner energy sources in the coming years will be necessary. Heat pumps, which provide an electric source of

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The Impact of ESG Reporting on Efficient Industrial Operations | EnVisioneering Exchange podcast ep. 27

Host John Sheff is joined by guests Ted Wilke and Andrew Williams, of SPOC Automation and SPOC Grid Inverter Technologies, respectively, to discuss the impact of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) reporting on efficient industrial operations. The conversation covers the push toward energy efficiency in the oil and gas industry and the technologies that can help companies achieve their ESG objectives.

Exploring how the push for decarbonization and electrification can create opportunities for building design transformation

The recently released report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) made it clear that unless we achieve net-zero carbon emissions and reduce additional greenhouse gases over the next decade, we may be facing pronounced environmental changes, including weather extremes and severe weather events. Conversations at both the state and federal level are

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Energy storage landscape in North America| EnVisioneering Exchange podcast ep. 21

Guest Bio Marc Chupka, Vice President of Research and Programs at US Energy Storage Association (ESA), has over 30 years of experience analyzing and advising on the market impacts of both domestic and international energy and environmental policy, including serving as the acting Assistant Secretary of Energy for Policy and International Affairs for the US

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Hydrogen energy in Europe | EnVisioneering Exchange podcast ep. 19

Host John Sheff is joined by Markus Lempp, Danfoss Director of Public and Industry Affairs of Central Europe, for a conversation on hydrogen power. Since hydrogen is much more established in Europe than it is in the US, Lempp is able to provide real-world examples of how hydrogen is already being used. Lempp also describes hydrogen fuel cells and what some of the different hydrogen colors mean.

Sustainability goals: commitment vs. action | EnVisioneering Exchange podcast ep. 18

Jake Elder and John Sheff discuss sustainability, the kinds of goals cities should make, the challenges in implementing those changes, and provides real-world examples of cities that have had success. Jake also makes suggestions on easy and cost-effective ways cities can improve sustainability. The COVID-19 pandemic has added the motivation to make changes to improve health safety, many of which will also improve sustainability.

Game changers: Accelerating the climate response through electrification technologies (Part 2)

Electrification is a trend transforming every significant corner of the industrial economy in the U.S. From power generation and transport to infrastructure and buildings, industry and businesses are seeking to become more efficient and resilient while producing fewer emissions. Policies and regulations driving this transformation are emerging at the state, local, and utility levels as

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Game changers: Accelerating the climate response through electrification technologies (Part 1)

Electrification is a trend transforming every significant corner of the industrial economy in the U.S. From power generation and transport to infrastructure and buildings, industry and businesses are seeking to become more efficient and resilient while producing fewer emissions. Policies and regulations driving this transformation are emerging at the state, local, and utility levels as

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Meeting sustainable development goals in a post-pandemic world | EnVisioneering Exchange podcast ep. 17

Scott Foster, Director of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s (UNECE) Sustainable Energy Division, joins host John Sheff to discuss the future of sustainability. Some of the topics they cover include reducing the environmental footprint of existing systems, investing in sustainable resource management, and reforming current energy systems for future needs.

Starting with Efficiency

Growing technology enhancements are providing new opportunities for power conversion and variable speed motor control. With improving efficiencies across system architecture, technology is helping to economically move industries forward into an energy transformation. By using less energy to perform work throughout product lifecycles, new opportunities with strong returns on investment arise — and serve as

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Electric vehicles | EnVisioneering Exchange podcast ep. 11

Guest bio Ian Stonington, Marketing Manager for Danfoss Editron, has been in the electric vehicle industry since 2012. Much of that time has been with UQM Technologies, which was acquired by Danfoss Editron in mid-2019. Stonington’s previous positions include Account Manager and Global Sales Account Manager. Stonington is passionate about electrification and what the future

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Decarbonization Goals and the Potential of Oil-free Technology

Many organizations today are working to identify ways to meet decarbonization goals, reducing their dependence on carbon-rich fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, oil, and propane. Their goal: to dramatically reduce their emissions of the greenhouse gases implicated in climate change, while, hopefully, also decreasing their energy costs and bolstering organizational reputation at the same time.   For

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The Path to a Safe Refrigerant Transition: It’s Coming Whether We’re Ready or Not

A safe transition to low-GWP refrigerants in the US is made more complex by the Montreal Protocol, the original international treaty finalized in 1987 to phase down Ozone Depleting Substances, or ODS, which included HFC predecessors CFCs and HCFCs. The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol amended the international treaty in 2016 to reduce greenhouse

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Preparing for 2020 Marine Emission Standards: The Value of Hybrid/Electric Alternatives

For vessel owners interested in reducing fossil fuel consumption to meet IMO 2020 international marine emission standards, hybridization and electrification technologies complement or offer an effective alternative with many benefits. A basic definition of hybridization is any system with two or more sources of energy acting together to accomplish a task. In the automotive world,

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Energy Benchmarking and Transparency Policies Are Driving Efficiency in Urban Buildings

Currently, 282 cities have signed on to the ‘We Are Still In’ Group, and in support, the C40 Cities initiative (now actually 94 cities around the globe) and American Cities Climate Challenge are just two of the organizations that provide for cities to share best practices. Among those best practices are energy benchmarking and disclosure

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Are we Getting Closer to Allowing the Use of Flammable Refrigerants?

One of the barriers to the new refrigerants is the recognition of flammable refrigerants in building codes. Codes dictate so much about building construction and what mechanical equipment can be used. There are codes for fire protection, building construction, mechanical systems, and other aspects of buildings; all affect the HVACR system. A good article on

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The Role of Design in Innovation and Sustainability

Henry Ford once said, “You can have any color you want as long as it’s black”—a slogan that launched the early industrial model. And still today industry relies on economies of scale—and scaling means as little product differentiation as possible within a product line. Industrial efficiency thrives on product commoditization, but in a competitive global

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