Creativity pioneering the future of HVACR technology

2022 Innovation Awards for products, systems and technologies announced in ten categories.

The AHR Expo Innovation Awards is an annual competition honouring the most inventive and original products, systems and technologies showcased at each year’s AHR Expo. The Innovation Awards program serves as a metric to see the year-to-year growth in the industry. While the Awards officially recognise only a select few, the Show floor is a robust example of how manufacturers are growing the industry in exciting ways with their products pioneering the future of HVACR technology. Products go head-to-head in the following categories: building automation; cooling; heating; indoor air quality; plumbing; refrigeration; software; sustainable solutions (formerly Green Building); tools & instruments; and ventilation. Winners are selected by a panel of third-party ASHRAE member judges who evaluate all award entries based on innovative design, creativity, application, value and market impact. 

The 2022 Innovation Award Winner for Product of the Year was awarded to Danfoss Turbocor VTCA400 Compressor in the cooling category. 

The new VTCA400 from Danfoss offers improvements on traditional centrifugal compressor designs that are large in physical size and footprint, which ultimately lead to higher cost and space constraints for the end user. The VTCA400 solves this problem by using a patent-pending hybrid compression design that uses a combination of mixed flow and radial impellers enabling both high-performance and a compact footprint. In this design, the first stage impeller uses a mixed flow impeller with both axial and radial components while the second stage impeller uses a radial design. The hybrid compression design allows for a compressor footprint that is half the physical size and weight of a conventional radial-only design. It also maintains high efficiency levels —a 10 Percent improvement in full load efficiency and 30 Percent improvement in IPLV above ASHRAE 90.1-2019 minimums when considering a three (3) compressor, 1200-Ton system. 

Following are the other winners in various categories. 

Heating: Carrier 

The Infinity® 24 Heat Pump with Greenspeed Intelligence is Carrier’s highest-efficiency and most advanced heat pump with up to 24 SEER and 13 HSPF for premium energy savings, extremely quiet performance and premium comfort features. The unique, variable speed compressor of this unit allows it to adapt its output to the needs of the home with infinite adjustments between 25 – 100 Percent capacity. The heat pump offers excellent humidity control and is capable of removing up to 400 Percent more moisture than standard systems. Based on Carrier testing, all data was run with the systems cycling once they met the assumed home loan. The assumed load at AHAM conditions (80/70, 80) is the capacity of the variable-speed running continuously in dehumidification mode. The difficult conditions load was determined by a Wrightsoft® load calculation for a home in Florida at 69 OD 72/63 ID. This condition was provided by a customer in Florida as “worst case.” 

The iSMA-B-MAC36NL master application controller family provides an all-in-one solution for mini-BMS. Created visualisation can be displayed and controlled via HDMI output and 2 USB ports that enable connection of a mouse/keyboard or dedicated touch for the HMI panel. No PC, additional licences, or additional costs are required. As MAC controllers are based on the Niagara Framework, it enables the integration of almost any existing protocol on the building network. The onboard M-Bus port, 2 ethernet ports, and the RS485 port can be integrated with just one device. Finally, the controller has an onboard dip and rotary switches that can be used as a part of the application. All of the features of the controller are managed by dedicated modules in Niagara Framework to accelerate the installation process and thus reduce labour costs. 

Indoor Air Quality: Antrum 

AntrumX is a patented centralised sensing technology. AntrumX monitors IAQ for 32 spaces from a single location, using one sensor for every 16 rooms. Consolidating one centralised sensor for multiple spaces increases sensor accessibility while ensuring better overall control. Centralised sensing ensures better overall control because the data from 16 spaces comes from a single source, allowing building managers to optimise their ventilation strategy, and save energy without sacrificing IAQ. Additionally, the AntrumX has the ability to transport air without moving parts. Leveraging the building’s pressure differential between supply and exhaust, AntrumX is able to move air samples from each space to the Sensor Pack without adding energy to the system. 

The Sensor Pack also monitors multiple data points across multiple rooms. Using over-the-air software updates and a state-of-the art hardware design, the Sensor Pack can be customised to sense what’s required today and be easily exchanged or updated as requirements change over the life of the building. Plumbing: Franklin Electric With only 14.5 inches deep, its unique smaller footprint makes the Franklin Electric Inline 1100 SpecPAK Pressure Boosting System small enough to be hung in a small utility closet or wall hung to preserve critical floor space. The system’s Inline 1100 constant pressure pumps are quiet, compact, self-contained, and versatile. Powered by water-cooled motors, it delivers quieter operation versus traditional air-cooled motors. 

The self-contained design delivers a “plug and play” solution that is part of a complete package centred around easy installation, operation, and durability. The ability to expand is a foundational and distinctive benefit. Both the suction and discharge headers are sized to accommodate the flow rate from the maximum speed of four pumps. Quick and easy disconnects to the main panel allow customers to disconnect each pump individually with minimal system disruption. 

Refrigeration: ebm-papst Inc. 

The AxiEco 630-910 incorporates new impeller geometry with a rotating diffuser and optimised blade design in order to reach a low noise level and high-efficiency. The steep air performance curve provides a pressure increase of more than 700 Pa, which is extraordinary for axial fans. With a maximum air flow of up to 30,000 m³/h the AxiEco 630-910 covers a wide range of different applications, especially those where high-efficiency and high back pressure are key. The integrated commutation electronics with an active PFC (power factor correction) as an option enables the fan to be used in applications with low harmonics requirements, without any external filtering measures.