EUROPE TURNS UP THE HEAT ON HEAT PUMPS

Product innovation unlike anything this century was on display at Interclima in Paris and Chillventa in Nuremberg. Heat pump technologies were "electrifying" at both expositions, pointing to rapid electrification of the European Union.

(3) What could best be described as a heat pump renaissance was plainly evident. Europeans are no strangers to heat pumps, also known as les pompes à chaleur in France and Warmepompens in Germany. See the article “Heat Pumps ‎Deliver High Efficiency Heating: Five Trends in Heat Pump Design for Residential Heating” in Appliance and HVAC Report [1].

(4) All eyes are on Europe as it copes with the soaring costs of fossil fuels. The war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russian oil and gas motivated European leaders to hasten the adoption of heat pumps for residential and commercial heating. The REPowerEU plan was announced by the European Union on 18 May 2022 [2]. It is a major policy announcement on par with the Inflation Reduction Act in the USA.

(5) There are also commitments to drastically reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in accordance with the Paris Climate Accord (COP21, 2015) and subsequent Conferences of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) including COP26 in Glasgow, December 2021 and COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, November 2022. See “Climate Action Driven by Ambition” by Nicole Witoslawski, Director of Global Public Affairs for the Copper Alliance [3].



The IEA released its flagship World Energy Outlook (WEO-2022), which is available for no charge; as well as the WEO-2022 Free Dataset, which includes global data for all three modelled scenarios and selected data for key regions and countries [4].

Additionally, the IEA released its Energy Efficiency Market Report in December 2022 [5]. Coauthors Nicholas Howarth and Emma Mooney presented an overview of the report in a webinar sponsored by Leonardo Energy [6].

Technologies to reduce GHG emissions are available. Only political resolve is needed. Ironically, the first major war in Europe since 1945 has strengthened the resolve rather than weakened it.

Boundless European Innovation

European summers historically have not been extremely hot. Europeans ‎typically have not depended on air conditioning for home comfort. In ‎comparison, the demographics of the USA have changed greatly as a result of ‎AC, and the quality of life in many subtropical and tropical regions of the world ‎has improved as well. That all changed as record high temperatures were ‎recorded in many European countries in the summer of 2022. These ‎temperatures made residential AC a necessity rather than an indulgence for ‎many Europeans.‎

More importantly, many European countries are embracing electrification and ‎decarbonization. Europe has set an example for the world through its pursuit of ‎alternative energies, including the rapid deployment of wind energy and solar ‎energy as reflected in the data released by the International Energy Agency ‎‎(IEA).

The capacity for the generation of electricity by wind power and photovoltaic solar is driving the transition to electric powered heat pumps in Europe. Source: IEA Renewables Information 2022. https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-product/renewables-information

The remaining pieces of the puzzle for reducing GHGs are heating and ‎transportation. Great strides in support of the electrification and decarbonization ‎of heating is evidenced by these technologies on display at Interclima and ‎Chillventa.‎‎

1. Integrated space heating, space cooling and hot water. ‎
2. ‎Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems
3. Monobloc heat pumps with R290 refrigerant for residential and light ‎commercial
4. Reversible heat pumps offering both heating and cooling.‎
5. Widespread adoption of 5 mm MicroGroove tubes technology among coil ‎makers
6. Numerous R744 applications for refrigeration and hot water.‎
7. Broad deployment of R32 refrigerant in heat pumps and AC systems
8. Use of 5 mm and 7 mm copper tubes in midsize condensing units for ‎chillers
9. Display by LU-VE of a “Minichannel” heat exchanger with 4 mm diameter copper tubes.‎

These advances are not so evident in the USA marketplace, although that is ‎changing under the ‎Inflation Reduction Act. The European market is ready ‎now to adopt new technologies. It is operating on its own timeline with respect ‎to ‎HFC phaseout and electrification of heating. In many ways European ‎technology parallels Chinese technology as ‎covered in the article “Heat Pumps ‎Gain Popularity in China,” ‎MicroGroove Update, Volume 12, Issue 1 [7].

Let’s look at "who is doing what" based on a cursory review of the products that were on ‎display at Interclima and Chillventa, beginning with the components inside the ‎products.

There was plenty of interest in smaller diameter copper tubes at the Wieland booth at Chillventa.

Begin with Copper Tubes

Copper tube fabricators occupy a unique position in the supply chain of the ‎ACHR industry. Interestingly, tube design has huge effect on the ‎performance of heat exchangers; in turn, the performance of the heat ‎exchanger has a huge effect on the performance of ACHR products. ‎

This interrelationship begins with the tube manufacturers. Europe is fortunate ‎to have several major ACHR tube fabricators headquartered within its borders. ‎These companies have considerable expertise and experience in technologies ‎related to the manufacture and testing ACHR tubes, including precision tubes ‎with small diameters and proprietary inner grooves or microfins.‎

The geometry of the internal surface enhancements (along with the operating ‎conditions) dictates the inside-the-tube heat transfer coefficient. This coefficient is ‎usually not expressed as a single number but rather as a correlation. The ‎correlations are generally shared with heat transfer engineers and developers of ‎heat exchanger simulation software. See the article “Simulations: CoilDesigner, ‎HPDM & HXSim,” MicroGroove Update, Volume 11, Issue 2 [8].‎

In Europe, Unilab ‎‎(Padova, Italy) has developed a powerful suite of heat transfer software for ‎simulating the performance of heat exchangers. A catalog of its software ‎modules is available at www.unilab.eu. ‎

In many cases, proprietary technology is used to enhance inner ‎surfaces and increase heat transfer coefficients. Also, tube fabricators have ‎developed various high-strength copper alloys suitable for use with R744 ‎refrigerant. ‎

Two companies that are key to Europe’s success in the development of high ‎performance ACR tubes are Wieland (Ulm, Germany) and Halcor (Inofyta ‎Viotia, Greece). Both had a major presence at Chillventa ‎with many staff on hand in Hall 5 to guide prospective users in the selection and ‎ordering of ACR tubes. Extensive catalogs are available online for ACR copper ‎tubes from both Wieland and Halcor.‎

For further reading, a wide selection of brochures on various topics is available ‎online from Wieland, including a brochure specifically on smaller diameter ‎copper tubes [9-12].‎

Likewise, a corporate video from Halcor gives a vivid impression of its ‎manufacturing and technical capabilities [13]. Information on smaller diameter inner-‎grooved copper tubes from Halcor is available too [14].‎

Lazarus Industriförvaltning AB (Stockholm, Sweden) acquired Cupori Oy in ‎‎2022. Cupori is located in the city of Pori on the west coast of Finland. The ‎company has a rich history in copper tube fabrication. Cupori currently offers ‎inner-grooved copper tubes with diameters as small as 7 mm outer diameter [15].

Other noteworthy suppliers of technologically advanced ACR copper tubes ‎exhibited at Chillventa, including Golden Dragon Precise Copper Tube Group ‎and Ruby Copper (Hanoi, Vietnam). Founded in 2008, Ruby Copper is a leading fabricator of copper tubes, including smaller diameter inner-‎grooved tubes for ACR applications [16]. More about Ruby can be found online ‎along with a detailed catalog of tube sizes and types [17].‎

Copper tube fabrication represents the lowest tier in the supply chain for ‎designers of heat exchangers and ACR products. Much product innovation is ‎defined by the availability of MicroGroove smaller diameter copper tubes. ‎Copper tube fabrication is essential to the global supply chain for ACR equipment and appliances.

The next step up in the heat pump supply chain after tubes is the manufacture of coils.

Coil Makers Step Up

The next tier in the supply chain is represented by coil makers. Larger OEMs ‎often have their own captive coil-making capacity, especially if they are ‎high volume manufacturers of products for residential markets.‎

A rich ecosystem of coil makers is nonetheless thriving in Europe. Most use ‎smaller-diameter copper tubes. Typically a coil is made from round copper tubes ‎with aluminum fins. These heat exchangers are variously known as “round tube, ‎plate fin” (RTPF) coils or more simply as “tube-fin” (TF) coils.‎

Heat exchanger coils from the LU-VE Group, Modine (Eco), Profroid (a division ‎of Carrier Commercial Refrigeration), Kelvion (formerly the heat exchanger ‎division of GEA), Güntner and other European companies were recounted in ‎early 2020 in the article “MicroGroove Coils Span the Globe: Europe is Eco-‎Friendly,” MicroGroove Update, Volume 10, Issue 1.‎

Many European coil makers have mastered the manufacture of heat ‎exchangers using 5 mm diameter tubes. These coils are in high demand by ‎OEMs. They were widely deployed in the climate control and refrigeration ‎systems on display by OEM customers at Interclima and Chillventa, where a ‎wave of new products made from smaller diameter copper tubes, especially 5 ‎mm inner-grooved MicroGroove copper tubes, was on display.‎

The LU-VE Group developed a heat exchanger coil made with 4 mm diameter copper tubes. Visitors to Chillventa were treated to a sneak preview of the Minichannel 4. The product will be officially launched in 2023..

As an example, the LU-VE Group especially stood out at Chillventa. Its heat ‎exchangers were visible in a wide variety of innovative products on display, ‎including systems based on R744 and R290, mostly using 5 mm RTPF coils. ‎

Additionally, the LU-VE Group tantalized visitors with a sneak preview of a heat ‎exchanger made from 4 mm copper tubes. This proof-of-concept of advanced ‎technology was enclosed in a Plexiglass® display case as though it were a ‎museum piece. According to Livio Perrotta, Marketing Manager, the 4 mm ‎RTPF heat exchanger will be formally launched as a new product in 2023.‎

The LU-VE Group includes several divisions. LU-VE Spirotech (Bhiwadi, ‎Rajasthan, India) was already a renowned supplier of smaller diameter copper ‎tube RTPF coils before it joined the LU-VE Group in 2016. More ‎recently, Zyklus Heat Transfer, Inc. (Jacksonville, Texas) joined the group in ‎‎2018. Sales Manager Clint Wade from LU-VE Zyklus attended Chillventa and ‎was at the LU-VE Group exhibit learning about the complete range of ‎condensers and evaporators from the LU-VE Group.‎

Many other coil makers exhibited at Chillventa. A search on the Chillventa “find ‎exhibitors” webpage turns up twenty or more different coil makers from at least ten different countries. Typically these companies shared glossy brochures and ‎detailed catalogs at their booths.

Table 1. Chillventa exhibitors involved in the manufacture of coils.

The companies listed in Table 1 make RTPF heat exchangers, in many ‎cases using copper tubes with diameters as small as 5 mm. The coil makers in ‎Table 1 represent small, midsize and large companies producing a wide range of ‎custom coils for OEM customers.

Typically, plate fins are made from aluminum but not always. For example, Amber Enterprises India Ltd. (Gurugram, Haryana, India) displayed an all copper heat exchanger made by Sidwal (Faridabad, Haryana, India). The humid ‎climate in India is not friendly to aluminum. This application was for ‎the AC evaporator units for Indian Railways passenger railroad cars. Two large ‎evaporator units are required for each railroad car, which translates into ‎considerable demand for this product in a country so committed to passenger railroad ‎transportation.‎ Read about Indian Railways on the Sidwal website: www.sidwal.com/services/indian-railways/.

Amber showcased many types of heat exchangers, including this all copper RTPF evaporator coil made with copper fins and copper tubes.

Not every heat exchanger and not every coil maker uses 5 mm diameter tubes ‎but many stepped up and added that capability in recent years, especially in ‎Europe. The manufacture of coils with smaller diameter copper tubes requires ‎new fin dies, tube handling equipment and tube expansion equipment.‎

Burr OAK Tool Inc. (Sturgis, Michigan, USA) exhibited at Chillventa, and its ‎president Brian McConnell was available to discuss production solutions for ‎heat exchanger manufacturing and tube processing industries, including its ‎Phoenix line of pressure expanders and the Phoenix Horizontal Pressure ‎Expander. https://www.burroak.com/‎

An upcoming “In the Spotlight” column is dedicated to the Karyer Group (Istanbul, Türkiye), a company that transitioned to 5 mm copper tube and is well positioned to supply ‎OEMs globally with efficient heat exchangers for a new generation of heat pumps.‎ We look ahead to seeing the Karyer Group at the ISH Expo in Frankfurt in March 2023 as Türkiye recovers from the devastating February 6 earthquake.

There was a lot of activity at the exhibit for the Karyer Group at Chillventa. Karyer has mastered the efficient fabrication of RTPF coils, including 5 mm copper tube technology. The Karyer Group will be featured in an upcoming "In the Spotlight" column. Stay tuned!

OEMs on the Move

Heat exchanger coils by themselves are not very useful until they are designed ‎into products for heating, cooling and refrigeration.‎

Here is where both Interclima and Chillventa shine. The exhibit halls were full of ‎new products from global giants such as Carrier, Daikin, Fujitsu, Gree, Haier, Hisense, ‎Midea, Panasonic, Toshiba and others. Across the brands, the big OEMs ‎introduced a new generation of products. Most spectacular was the use of low ‎GWP refrigerants.‎

Many global OEMs that are currently using R32 also teased out residential systems using ‎R290 and R744. R32 has a GWP of 771, which is considerably lower than ‎R410A’s GWP of 2256. While that 70 percent reduction is impressive, R32 is ‎unlikely to be the last word for AC and refrigeration systems or heat pumps!

New products at both Chillventa and Interclima quite commonly used smaller ‎diameter copper tubes in combination with R290 and R32 refrigerants. Small ‎diameter copper tubes and aluminum fins were the rule for nearly all of the heat ‎exchangers used for residential air conditioning units.‎

Global OEMs also exhibited various designs of air-to-water heat pumps using ‎R32, R290 and R744 refrigerants. For this product category, there was ‎competition from regional OEMs with innovative products. In these systems, ‎the outdoor evaporator extracts heat from the ambient air and then transfers this heat to a nearby water tank. In this manner, heat pumps are ‎poised to replace boilers. The hot water produced by the outdoor heat pumps ‎can be circulated indoors. The hot water could even be passed through old-‎fashioned water radiators that are common in old buildings throughout Europe.

The new monobloc heat pumps in Europe are similar to the products gaining ‎popularity in China as described in MicroGroove Update Volume 12, Issue 1 [7]. Two types of dual-supply heat pump systems are common, ‎namely the ‎split type and the integral type. The split type is composed of an outdoor main ‎unit, one or more indoor ‎units, and a water module, while the integral type is composed of ‎an outdoor main unit with a built-in water ‎module as well as an indoor unit.‎ ‎Considering the variations possible, it is not surprising that there are so many ‎companies competing in the marketplace.‎

The mood is that the R290 charge limit will soon be increased to 500 g, allowing ‎for more design options for propane. GD Midea (Foshan, Guangdong, China) ‎received the Blue Angel Eco-Label from the German Environment Agency in ‎‎2018 for its split-type R290 room air conditioner (12,000 Btu/h). Midea’s “Blue ‎Angel model” was on display at Chillventa. Detailed technical specifications and ‎market analysis are available on the Blue Angel website [18]. ‎

According to Haier Europe Managing Director Bob Cowlard,‎ “There is no escaping from the fact that in terms of performance R290 is in every ‎way as good as R32” [19]. He further explains that Haier developed a wall-‎mounted R290 system that will be available to customers in 2023. “The industry has a lot to learn about R290 but with the right support we ‎believe that our customers will soon recognize the value of its use,” he ‎concludes. This strategy was more or less echoed by all of the big global OEMs ‎at Chillventa and Interclima.

This R290 split unit from Haier on display at Chillventa is slated for introduction in 2023.

Meanwhile, Carrier Commercial Refrigeration (Rueil-Malmaison, France) reports ‎that it has surpassed 20,000 R744 refrigeration systems in Europe. Carrier ‎exhibited a variety of R744 and R290 systems at Interclima and also was highly ‎visible at Chillventa ‎[20].

Founded in 1982, TEKO Kältetechnik (Altenstadt, Germany) has ‎worked intensively with the natural refrigerant CO₂ since 2004. TEKO hosted a ‎special seminar organized by the ATMOsphere Network at Chillventa. The ‎slideshows covered a number of topics relating to the adoption of natural ‎refrigerants [21].

According to the refrigeration experts at TEKO Kältetechnik, the individual components of ‎a CO₂ refrigeration unit (including the compressor, pipe diameters, and heat exchangers) can be made ‎much smaller, offering more space-savings, because of the very high volumetric refrigeration ‎capacity and heat transfer coefficient of CO₂. The company name is derived from the ‎German TEchnischen KOmponenten: hence “TEKO.” Managing Director ‎Edgar Holzhäuser says “Now when I walk through our production facility, I see ‎‎80 percent of the systems with natural refrigerants, integrated control and ‎mounted control cabinet.”‎ [22].

Innovation at Interclima

The real stars of both expos were the monobloc heat pumps using R290 or ‎R744. There were plenty of companies displaying this technology at Interclima ‎as well as Chillventa. ‎

Many OEMs exhibited their share of innovations at Interclima. For example, the ‎Vaillant Group (Remscheid, Germany) introduced heat pumps from its Vaillant ‎and Saunier Duval divisions. Vaillant was founded in 1884 and its “‎hare escaping out of an Easter egg” logo dates back to 1899 [23]. As a division of Vaillant, Saunier ‎Duval de Nantes promotes its line des pompes à chaleur, which are "Fabrique ‎en France" and sold all over Europe. Heat pumps from Saunier Duval include ‎GeniaAir Max R290 Monobloc as well as the GeniaAir R410a Monobloc [24]. Both ‎divisions of the Vaillant Group had a major presence at Interclima. ‎

Saunier Duval (a division of Vaillant) was outside promoting les pompes à chaleur at Interclima, claiming its products are perfect for renovations using existing radiators.

Aermec (Bevilacqua, Verona, Italy) has an extensive catalog of air conditioners, ‎heat pumps and chillers. Many of the Aermec products on display at Interclima ‎made extensive use of RTPF coils with 5 mm diameter inner-grooved copper ‎tubes [25]. These coils are provided by Sierra (Isola della Scala, Verona, Italy) [26].‎

It was hard to miss “Yack” at Interclima. As a new exhibitor at ‎Interclima, Yack SAS (Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, ‎France, yack.fr) epitomizes the global partnerships in France. Yack specializes in ‎HVAC and domestic hot water equipment for sales in France. It is an importer ‎of products from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Marunouchi, Chūō, Tokyo, ‎Japan) and York brands from York International (York, Pennsylvania). Yack is ‎a manufacturer of air-to-water heat pumps and thermodynamic tanks. Yack ‎exhibited an R744 heat pump water heater at Interclima. Its broad product ‎range provides solutions for all projects both in renovation and new ‎construction.‎

Yack is an importer of products from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and York into France. The name of the company derives from the white yak, which is essential to survival in the harsh climates of Tibet. (www.yack.fr).

Ingenuity and Invention Continues

Many, many OEMs from all across Europe were promoting their particular system designs, especially for larger systems. These companies work closely with end-users, coil makers and tube fabricators to create a new generation of energy-efficient heating and cooling system using low-GWP refrigerants. Supply chains to procure the necessary components to manufacture these products and distribution channels to install these systems throughout Europe are well developed. 

In 2023, heat exchanger engineers will meet at international conferences such as the triennial IEA Heat Pump Conference in Chicago in May 2023, and the quadrennial IIR International Congress of Refrigeration in August. There will also be exhibitors at ISH Frankfurt in March 2023; and the European Heat Pump Summit in Nuremberg in October 2023.

Innovation is happening at an accelerated pace, production is ramping up, and market expansion will only increase in the coming years. And the best designs will win over the market!

It is still too early to pick the winning technologies and companies as the ACR industry braces for a period of rapid transition, comparable to the transition to propane in the refrigeration industry and the perfection of R744 for supermarket refrigeration systems.

Much of this change will be driven by the existence of a robust supply chain, which can meet the demand for smaller diameter copper tubes as well as the heat exchangers made from these tubes.

1. “Heat Pumps ‎Deliver High Efficiency Heating: Five Trends inhttps://microgroove.net/microgroove-update-newsletter Heat Pump Design for Residential Heating” in Appliance and HVAC Report https://microgroove.net/white-papers
2. REPowerEU plan https://commission.europa.eu/publications/key-documents-repowereu_en
3. Nicole Witoslawski, “Climate Action Driven by Ambition, The Copper Alliance, https://copperalliance.org/resource/climate-action-driven-by-ambition/
4. IEA WEO Data Sets https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-sets
5. IEA Market report https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-efficiency-2022
6. IEA Analysis from the Energy Efficiency Market Report Webinar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvs6PVU67DU
7. “Heat Pumps ‎Gain Popularity in China,” ‎MicroGroove Update, Volume 12, Issue I, https://microgroove.net/microgroove-update-newsletter.
8. “Simulations: CoilDesigner, ‎HPDM & HXSim,” MicroGroove Update Volume 11, Issue 2, https://microgroove.net/microgroove-update-newsletter
9. Wieland Literature Download Webpage https://www.wieland.com/en/resources/downloads
10. Overview of Wieland https://www.wieland.com/en/about/the-company/wieland-in-brief
11. Overview of Inner-Grooved Tubes with Contact information.‎ https://www.wieland.com/en/products/smooth-and-innergrooved-tubes
12. The following Wieland brochure is dedicated to smaller diameter copper tubes https://www.wieland.com/en/content/download/12991/file/Microgroove-‎Industrial-Tubes.pdf
13. Halcor Corporate Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCLStZQHiaI
14. Halcor ACR Tubes: https://halcor.com/applications/hvac-r/talos-acr-inner-grooved/
15. Cupori Products: https://www.cupori.com/en/products/
16. https://www.rubycopper.vn/‎
17. https://www.rubycopper.vn/uploads/1/0/3/6/103617890/ruby_copper_product_catalog.pdf
18. Midea’s “Blue ‎Angel model on the Angel website. ‎https://www.blauer-engel.de/en/products/midea-split-type-room-air-conditioner-all-easy-series-msaebu-12hrfn7-qrd6gw
19. Bob Cowlard, “Time to Act on R290?” in Chillventa ‎Connecting Experts: Haier, 2022, page 3.
20. ‎https://www.carrier.com/commercial-refrigeration/en/eu/contact-us/‎
21. ATMOsphere Network Chillventa 2022 Presentations: https://atmo.org/announcement/atmosphere-network-chillventa-2022-presentations/
22. TEKO at Chillventa: https://teko-gmbh.com/en/contractor/co2/‎
23. Heat Pumps from Vaillant: https://www.vaillant.com/home/products/technology/heat-pumps
24. Heat Pumps from Saunier Duval: https://www.saunierduval.fr/particulier/
25. ISH 2023, https://ish.messefrankfurt.com
26. European Heat Pump Summit: https://www.hp-summit.de/en

MicroGrooveTech YouTube channel

See archive of past webinars.

White Papers Recently Published in Appliance & HVAC Report

www.appliancehvacreport.com

Frank Gao, Kerry Song, Yoram Shabtay, and Harry Schmitz, Appliance & HVAC Report, “Heat Pumps ‎Deliver High Efficiency Heating: Five Trends in Heat Pump Design for Residential Heating,” October ‎‎2022, Page 10.‎

Download Now

2022 ATMOsphere America Conference (slideshow):

A Cold Climate R290 Heat Pump Water Heater Case Study, Yoram Shabtay, Heat Transfer Technologies and Peter Mostovoy, Lordan Coils

Heat Pump Session, 7 June 2022

Upcoming Events

ISH 2023, Frankfurt, Germany, 13-17 March 2023.

14th IEA Heat Pump Conference, Chicago, 14-18 May 2023

ATMOsphere America Summit, Washington D.C., 12-13 June 2023

26th IIR International Congress of Refrigeration, Paris, France, 21-25 August 2023

European Heat Pump Summit, Nuremberg, Germany, 24-25 October 2023