Johnson Controls Launches New Magnetic Bearing Chiller
Johnson Controls has launched YORK YVAM air-cooled magnetic bearing centrifugal chiller operating with the ultra-low global warming potential refrigerant, R-1234ze, for hyperscale and colocation data center cooling.
The chiller is an efficient option for data center applications, because its magnetic-bearing technology allows the system to operate very efficiently at low lift conditions. This means the chiller doesn’t need free cooling coils to deliver performance comparable to air-cooled chillers with integral water-side economizers. Compared to traditional air-cooled screw chillers, the YVAM can improve efficiency by 49% in non-standard part load value in typical data center conditions.
The chiller uses a variable-speed drive with active front-end to lower energy consumption and total harmonic distortion. This means the magnetic driveline is significantly quieter than traditional air-cooled chiller drivelines that use screw compressors. Full-load sound is only 65 dBA at a distance of 10 meters. The machine’s lubrication-free design also eliminates the complexity of subsystems and reduces the costs of routine maintenance and system checks.
Data centers and other mission critical facilities require non-stop cooling. A power failure could jeopardize operations and lead to costly downtime and performance penalties. To maximize uptime, the YORK YVAM features quick start technology with integral uninterruptible power supply backup, allowing the chiller to return to full load in as little as three minutes after power is restored.
