A frictionless centrifugal compressor chiller has been developed by McQuay International. Utilizing oil-free magnetic bearing technology, the frictionless centrifugal compressor chiller (FCCC) offers tremendous savings in energy and maintenance costs, as well as significant noise reduction over standard screw compressors. The initial investment represents a 10 to 20 percent price premium, a cost which is quickly recovered in operational savings.

A frictionless centrifugal compressor chiller provides superior energy efficiency by eliminating the high friction losses of conventional centrifugal compressors. The McQuay FCCC operates as low as 0.375 kW/ton IPLV and features full load performance as low as 0.62 kW/ton; an efficiency improvement of 32 percent over conventional screw compressors. Variable frequency drives unload chiller to 10 percent of full load. The McQuay FCCC is reported to require less than five amps at startup, as compared to the 500 to 1,000 amps often required by standard units. Other FCCCs are reported to use between seven and ten amps at startup. FCCCs also provide energy savings by ramping up more slowly, avoiding costly surges.

The McQuay FCCC uses HFC-134a refrigerant, a product that has no ozone depletion potential and is rated A1 (best) under ASHRAE Standard 34 for lower toxicity and lack of flame propagation. Additionally, HFC-134a has no phase-out date at present, which eliminates the cost of replacing the refrigerant type in the near future.

Maintenance costs for the FCCC units are significantly reduced. Because magnetic bearings require no lubrication, the oil handling equipment (heaters, coolers, pumps, and pipes) is eliminated. The cost of maintaining this equipment is eliminated as well. Maintenance for the frictionless centrifugal compressor chiller includes only cleaning the pipes with a rotary brush and blowing out dust from the control board.

A major benefit of the FCCC is the reduction of environmental noise and vibration. Frictionless magnetic bearing compressor design eliminates the metal-to-metal contact noise. The McQuay FCCC features sound levels as low as 77 dBA per ASHRAE Standard 575.

For facility interoperability, the McQuay FCCC utilizes MicroTech II™ controls with the Protocol Selectability™ feature for easy integration with building automation systems using BACnet®, LONWORKS®, or Modbus® communications.

The McQuay frictionless centrifugal compressor chiller has been available since January of 2004. California State University Stockton-Stanislaus has installed a McQuay FCCC in the remodeled Acacia Court Building in Stockton, Calif. Additionally, McQuay chillers have been installed at the Calgary Saddledome and the Harbor Point tower in Chicago. McQuay FCCCs will also be installed in the Olympic Village of the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar.

Another manufacturer of frictionless centrifugal compressor chillers is Danfoss Turbocor .