Highlights
from “Case
Study of an ATP-Funded Project: Close Cycle Air Refrigeration
(CCAR):
Cross Cutting Applications in Food Processing, Volatile
Organic Compound Recovery, and Liquefied Natural Gas
Industries” by Pelsoci
- New
closed-cycle air refrigeration (CCAR) technology is a higher
performing, more cost effective industrial refrigeration
technology for the ultra cold (–70° F to –150° F)
range.
- Replaces
applications where ammonia based mechanical refrigeration
has been the dominant industrial technology but with a temperature
limitation of above –70° F, and some applications that
previously depended on cryogenic cooling to achieve temperatures
approaching –150° F.
- New
CCAR technology promises improved food safety and quality,
with reduced costs for cooling and less reliance on highly
emissive diesel-powered transportation.
- The target
and primary market for CCAR is currently expected
to be the $131 billion “further-processed” and “ready-to-eat” segment
of the U.S. food industry.
-
In this rapidly
growing market segment, CCAR is poised to become an enabling
technology for:
- Improved
food safety from rapid freezing of precooked processed foods;
- Increased
food quality and food processing yields; and
- Reduced
environmental emissions from diesel powered road transportation
of liquid nitrogen and other cryogens.
- Estimated
economic benefits over the 2002 to 2016 time period from
use of CCAR in food processing are high.
- Benefit to
Cost Ratio estimated between 220:1 and 280:1 (from improved
food quality and yield).
- Net Present
Value of ATP’s investment ($2.1M) estimated
between $459M and $585M.
- Additional
annual exports estimated between $5M and $6M.
- Diesel
emissions estimated to be lower as 12,000 to 14,000 truck
shipments of cryogens are avoided each year.
- Additional
environmental and energy benefits are promised in secondary
applications, beyond food processing, including volatile
organic compound recovery systems and liquid natural gas
distribution.
- Significant
potential for use in the U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG),
volatile organic compound (VOC) recovery, pharmaceutical
and petrochemical industries.
- Use
of CCAR as refrigeration for LNG terminals would enable the
shift from diesel fuel to natural gas for ocean going vessels,
with up to 98 percent reduction in carbon monoxide, 55 percent
reduction in nitrogen oxide, and 95 percent reduction in particulate
emissions.
Description of Study
This study examines the national economic benefit of an ATP joint
venture project, involving Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.,
and Toromont Process Systems, Inc., that received funding
in 1995 to design, fabricate and pilot test closed-cycle
air refrigeration (CCAR). CCAR is a new form of industrial
refrigeration that uses environmentally benign dry air as
the working fluid. With ATP’s $2.1 million investment,
matched by $2.2 million corporate investment, this joint
venture developed CCAR as a cost effective industrial refrigeration
technology for the ultra cold (–70° F to –150° F)
range. Technology development and successful pilot testing
were completed in 1999. Business development and marketing
are underway. The non-proprietary
abstract of the project
can be found on ATP’s web site.
Factsheet 1.B5 (September 2001)
|
