GEA cracks “Kuwait Chiller Challenge”

Company claims its ATEX compressors helped successful project completion

GEA Bock has announced overcoming what it terms “the Kuwait Chiller Challenge”. The company’s ATEX compressors were used to master the challenge, the announcement added.

The announcement gave the details: In 2011, GEA Refrigeration Technologies was asked to collaborate with HVAC & Refrigeration Engineering (HVACR) Ltd to execute, what could be called a demanding contract in Kuwait. HVACR, based in Aberdeen, Great Britain, a solution provider for clients in the oil and gas, marine and petrochemical industries, was contracted to develop and manufacture 27 chiller units for the client in Kuwait. HVACR Ltd reportedly placed its trust in GEA Bock ATEX compressors for the challenging project. The chillers were required for use in a major petrochemical plant for climate control in container-type control centres that coordinate measurements in oil and gas fields in Kuwait, which, therefore, posed an explosion-risk area. Added to this was Kuwait’s high temperatures.

Keeping these in mind, the specific challenge was to design chillers capable of maintaining constant water temperatures in the range between 25°C and 30°C. An additional specification was to employ only equipment certified by ATEX for use.

The test chamber used simulated temperatures between – 40°C and +60°C to verify the durability of the HVAC systems under extreme climatic conditions.

The GEA Bock ATEX-compliant compressors passed the tests without difficulty and were successful in achieving full ATEX compliance for all the chiller units, GEA claimed.