CO2 refrigeration systems (R744): Climate-neutral cold & heat from one system
Carbon dioxide (R744) has revolutionized refrigeration technology. What was once considered an exotic high-pressure application is now the state of the art for future-proof supermarkets, logistics centers and industrial applications. At cold.world ENGINEERING, we plan state-of-the-art CO2 compound systems that intelligently combine refrigeration and heating – for maximum efficiency and minimum emissions.
R744: The natural refrigerant for high demands
CO2 is non-flammable, non-toxic and chemically inactive. This makes it the ideal alternative to synthetic refrigerants, which are affected by F-gas bans, and offers solutions where ammonia cannot be used for safety reasons.
- The “heat champion”: No other refrigeration technology is as suitable for heat recovery as CO2. Due to the high temperature level on the high-pressure side, process water or heat can often be generated “for free” as a by-product of cooling.
- Safety class A1: As CO2 is neither toxic nor flammable, the legal requirements for the installation site are often less stringent than for flammable refrigerants.
- Compact design: Due to the high volumetric cooling capacity and the high working pressures, piping and compressors can be very compactly dimensioned.
- Environmentally neutral: With a GWP (Global Warming Potential) of 1, R744 is the benchmark for climate friendliness.
Our expertise in CO2 technology
The planning of CO2 systems requires a deep understanding of thermodynamics, as these systems often operate in the “transcritical” range. We master the technology in detail:
1. transcritical booster systems
We design systems that efficiently operate normal cooling (NK) and deep-freezing (TK) in a single cycle. Ideal for food logistics and online retail.
2. increased efficiency through ejectors & parallel compression
We use modern technologies such as ejectors (multi-ejector technology) and parallel compressors to operate CO2 systems highly efficiently even at high outside temperatures. This massively reduces power consumption, even at the height of summer.
3. integrated heating and cooling concepts
We do not view your refrigeration system in isolation. We integrate the CO2 system into your building technology so that the waste heat from cooling is used for heating, hot water or process heat. This often makes the gas boiler superfluous.
Typical areas of application for our R744 solutions
- Food retail & supermarkets: The classic for CO2.
- Logistics centers (online retail): Large refrigerated distribution centers.
- Industrial process cooling: Wherever safety is the top priority.
- Air conditioning: use of CO2 chillers.
- Heat pumps: optimal for large temperature spreads
Frequently asked questions about CO2 systems
Is the high pressure of CO2 dangerous? R744 systems work with pressures of up to 120 bar (on the high-pressure side). That sounds a lot, but technically it is absolutely manageable and safe thanks to modern steel piping and certified components (K65 pipes, high-pressure valves). Our planning guarantees maximum operational safety.
Does CO2 also work efficiently in summer? CO2 used to be considered inefficient at high outside temperatures (“transcritical operation”). Today, modern control technology and ejectors have eliminated this disadvantage. Modern CO2 systems operate highly efficiently all year round.