Innovative water-to-water heat pumps increase flexibility and efficiency

The EW*T-Q-X-A1 heat pumps provide broad application adaptability, offering heating or cooling at a variety of temperatures, including hot water up to +60°C and chilled water at -15°C or +30°C.

Daikin has introduced the EW*T-Q-X-A1 line of water-to-water heat pumps, featuring Daikin-designed scroll compressors. The modular system architecture, available in April 2024, offers greater configuration flexibility by merging smaller components into a single unit. This approach simplifies siting and installation, making units easier to carry, handle, and place. The Daikin Manifold Kit and Pump module also provides a plug-and-play solution.

The innovative water-sourced EW*T-Q-X-A1 heat pumps offer extensive application flexibility and can provide heating or cooling under a wide range of situations. Hot water can be produced up to +60°C, while chilled water is delivered between -15°C (water-glycol mixture) and +30°C (evaporator leaving water temperature). The applications covered are diverse, including comfort heating, space and process cooling, and heat recovery.

The range is made up of three base modules with capacities of 100, 125, and 160kW. It has Daikin scroll compressors and comes in two sound versions, including a reduced sound variant that is suitable for outdoor installation and noise-sensitive applications such as condominiums, hotels, and hospitals.

Unit options by type include water-to-water heat pumps with inversion on the water side, water-to-water heat pumps with inversion on the refrigerant side (100 kW only), and condenser-less units.

The new EW*T-Q-X-A1 provides the capability for scalability, which reduces initial investment costs while allowing for future growth with additional modules placed as building occupancy increases. The implementation of a uniform scroll layout improves compatibility, promoting system longevity and making future system changes easier. The modules can be combined into a side-by-side array or stacked to save space, which is very advantageous for retrofit applications.

Each module is quite tiny, making it easy to carry and put in the installation location. Because it is a single module 120 centimetres wide, 130 centimetres deep, and 100 centimetres tall, it can be moved with a forklift rather than a full package chiller requiring a crane.

The Daikin Manifold Kit, designed to connect modules on the water side, makes plug and installation more easier because it contains the piping between the units. Additionally, each manifold comes supplied with manual isolation valves for all connections. This enables for the exclusion of individual modules from the circuit in the event of maintenance without having to stop the entire system.

A dedicated Pump Module can be easily added to the array of modules. It is equipped with inverter pumps for full flexibility, and includes an expansion tank of 18 litres volume.

Lower operational costs. The new EW*T-Q-X-A1 can closely monitor the building’s cooling and heating load profiles. This is especially important since it guarantees that the HVAC plant operates at a low cost during part load situations, which account for the majority of working time. Traditional package chillers, on the other hand, cannot produce the requisite load under part load conditions, according to EN14825. This means that the chiller would have to conduct a series of on-off cycles, resulting in inefficiency in the operation.

Daikin BLUEVOLUTION chillers employ R-32 refrigerant, which has a GWP of 675, one-third that of R-410A, to provide great energy performance while minimizing environmental effect. This lowers a building’s carbon footprint and boosts efficiency by lowering the required refrigerant charge, resulting in lower installation and service costs. Daikin’s commitment to design innovation is demonstrated by their revolutionary cooling, heating, and refrigeration solutions.