RACA Journal July 2023 | Page 31

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Feature

TOOLS AND TOOLING

CONVERGE WITH MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

By Eamonn Ryan
Over the last 10-15 years , electronics have played a large and growing role in the R & D of the tooling industry , aimed at driving efficiency improvements .

HVAC and refrigeration systems consume a significant amount of energy . As a result , there is a growing need for tools and tooling that can improve the energy efficiency of these systems . Some examples include variable frequency drives , smart controls , and high-efficiency compressors .

Many of the refrigerants used are harmful to the environment , emphasising the need for tools and tooling that can safely recover and recycle these refrigerants . Some examples include refrigerant recovery machines , refrigerant leak detectors and refrigerant analysers .
Systems also require regular maintenance and repairs to operate effectively . Fortunately , R & D is producing a wealth of devices that can diagnose problems quickly and accurately , as well as tools that can make repairs more efficient . To get the best out of such systems requires training , without which systems can also pose health and safety risks to workers and building occupants .
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There have been considerable improvements in simple hand tools commonly used when working on a plant .
TOOLING TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES Over the last 10-15 years , electronics have played a large and growing role in the R & D of the tooling industry , aimed at driving efficiency improvements . Much of it revolves around the evolution of electronics in the control systems of plant , says Eurocool managing director Rodney Taylor .
“ A key driver of efficiency is the development and evolution of variable speed motor technology and DC-type induction motors , which were unheard of 15 years ago ,” he adds . “ There has been a momentous step forward in the technology of the electronic expansion valve and the driver , compared to the old standard thermostatic expansion valve . That ' s the device that controls the flow of refrigerant through the circuit . The old thermostatic valve relied on sensing the temperature of the gases coming out of an evaporator and it would use the changing of the temperature to regulate the opening of an orifice on the inlet side of the evaporator to regulate the flow . Electronic expansion valves sense both the pressure and the temperature on the discharge sight and use the pressure temperature relationship of the refrigerant to modulate the valve opening and closing so it can track a given superheat far more accurately .
Taylor explains that built into that is a growing amount of predictive AI , which is the next logical step in this technological evolution . “ The newer , more sophisticated electronic controllers connect and reside in the refrigeration cabinets in supermarkets , or on the rack of a plant room , connected to a single management system . This functions by the management system over time getting to know the idiosyncrasies of a particular plant to the point where it can predict and eventually anticipate whether something will go wrong . We ’ re seeing this across most of the electronic controls that producers are offering these days .”
He lists the advantages of technology from a service and diagnostic point of view : “ The bulk of these devices record the ongoing performance of the plant . If there ’ s a failure , there ’ s a record of what led to it . You can then diagnose and prevent it from happening again . From a contractor point of view , by interrogating the information remotely they can interpret what ' s wrong and where , before sending a technician to site . This saves considerable time and effort , as the technician can arrive with the correct tools and spares , and knows exactly where to go .”

www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za RACA Journal I July 2023 29