According to Ron Conry, who invented the technology 15 years ago, it’s truly transformational because it features magnetic bearings, which use 99.5 percent less energy compared to conventional bearings. The magnetic bearings are key to the compressor’s oil-free design, he added.
Conry noted that the technology is already being used in some federal buildings and U.S. naval stations, including the San Diego facility. The Navy’s Technology Validation Program recently yielded nearly 10,000 tons of Danfoss Turbocor compressors.
“We’re just scratching the surface when it comes to adopting this technology in the U.S.,” Conry said. “More and more facility owners and managers are beginning to recognize its benefits. As governments around the world promote energy and environmental concerns, building owners are coming to realize that efficiency and life cycle costs are what the future is about, and although first cost is an important consideration, it does not reflect the real cost of ownership. Fortunately for us, we happen to have the right technology at the right time.”
On the commercial side, NFL Films in Mount Laurel, NJ, uses the technology in Smardt chillers to cool its 200,000 square-foot studio complex, which houses the world’s largest sports film library. The technology has enabled NFL Films to reduce its electricity consumption by 10-12 percent – from 11 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year to under 10 million kWh.
A History Worth Noting
In 1994, Conry invented a compressor that would meet the industry’s needs for the future, based on his own extensive experience in the field of chiller and compressor rebuilding and maintenance. He assembled a world-class international team of experts with a mission to develop a centrifugal compressor that would operate at high variable speeds, be extremely efficient, oil free, lightweight, quiet and cost competitive. In order to commercialize the compressor, in 2004 Turbocor entered into a joint venture with Danfoss and formed Danfoss Turbocor Compressors Inc.