Category Archives: Tour

2020 February Chapter Meeting – Refrigeration, RP, and MP Night

When

Tuesday February 18, 2020
• 4:30 – 6:00 Check-in, brewery tour, and social hour
• 6:00 – 7:00 Dinner
• 6:15 – 7:15 Technical Presentation

Location

Exile Brewery
1514 Walnut St
Des Moines, IA 50309

Tour

Every tour attendee must pre-register.


Presentation:

The Future of Refrigerants
Safe non-flammable low toxicity F-gases allowed for an exponential increase in the standard of living of society through increased food productivity, reduction in heat related deaths, increased worker productivity and migration of people to cities and to hotter climates.  Refrigerant safety was successfully maintained during the chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerant transition starting the 1990’s to lower ozone depleting refrigerants with the development hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC’s) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFC’s) chemistries.  The orderly transition from CFCs to HCFCs and HFCs achieved a balance between the societal environmental demands for reduced ozone depletion while continuing to improve the standard of living in developing countries and minimize the societal safety impacts for everyone.

New societal environmental demands to control climate change are driving the development of new regulatory policies to restrict and lower the direct GWP (global warming potential) impact of F-gases.  These regulatory activities have driven significant refrigerant technology development activities globally as a result of climate change concerns.  Today designers are being asked to consider new lower direct GWP unsaturated hydrofluorocarbons (HFOs) refrigerants, some of which are slightly flammable under certain conditions, as well as revisiting the application of natural refrigerants, like carbon dioxide, ammonia, hydrocarbons and water.  This presentation will cover a brief history of refrigerants, how much refrigerants contribute to global warming, update the current regulatory situation, how to name and explain the new ASHARE 2L flammable classification and discuss the future challenges with the new refrigerants.  Insights will be shared into the impact on safety and other design considerations with the various refrigerants being proposed by application.

Presenter Biography:
Stephen “Steve” Kujak
Director – Next Generation Refrigerant Research – Ingersoll Rand
La Crosse, WI

From refrigerants to air conditioning and refrigeration product development, Steve Kujak has spent over 27 years being involved in numerous technology and product development projects involving development of new refrigerants, lubricants, compatibility of system materials and environmental sustainability initiatives. Steve holds bachelor of science in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and a master’s degree in analytical chemistry from the University of North Dakota. Steve has been an author or co-author on greater than 40 publications related to refrigerants and has 14 patents related to HVAC products, including a number refrigerant composition patents related to R410A alternatives.

Steve has been member of ASHRAE since 2006 and is a distinguish service member of ASHRAE. His ASHRAE and industry activities include contributing to refrigerant safety and use standards.  He the vice chair of ASHRAE Standard 34 “Designation & Safety Classification of Refrigerants”, which includes also serving as the toxicity subcommittee chair for the last 10 years.” He is a member of Research Administration Committee (RAC) and a past chair for T.C 3.1 “Refrigerants and Secondary Coolants. Outside of ASHRAE.

He was awarded the ASHRAE Crosby Field award for highest rated presentation of a technical paper in 2016 and was also awarded the George Briley Refrigeration Committee award for best ASHRAE journal article on refrigeration in 2017 and 2018.

He is involved with AHRI and is participating in the Alternate Refrigerant Evaluation Program (AREP) and the ARTI Flammability Research Subcommittee.

As director of next generation refrigerant research at Ingersoll Rand, he leads a cross function team of technologists working on low global warming refrigerant technologies that delivers refrigerant technology innovations for Trane and Thermo King. His hobbies include outdoors activities, like gardening, fishing, hunting and camping with his family and is involved in local organizations working on environmental conservation minded projects.

There will be 1 PDH available for presentation.  No certificates will be given, the sign in sheets will serve as proof of attendance.

Cost

Free for ASHRAE Iowa members
$20 for non-members
Always free for students

Social Sponsor

DPT

Registration

Registration is open now – it will close end of the day February 14th so we can get food counts turned in.

Please register online if you are attending.

Links for related information (when available):

February IowaStalks Newsletter – pdf html

Sign-In Sheets – Tour – Meeting

2019 February Chapter Meeting – Refrigeration Tour

When

Tuesday February 12, 2019
• 5:30 – Hy-Vee Commissary Facility Tour
• 6:30 – ASHRAE Dinner & Chapter Meeting at Jethro’s Lake House

Location

Hy-Vee Commissary Facility
4500 SE Delaware
Ankeny, IA 50021
MAP

See link Map for entrance & parking.   Enter at the NE corner straight across from Mills Fleet Farm. Turn west at the fleet farm stop light.

Jethro’s Lake House
1425 SW Vintage Parkway
Ankeny, IA 50023
MAP

Tour

Every tour attendee must pre-register.  Facility security needs everyone’s name, in order to go on the tour.  If anyone attends that has not pre-registered, they will need a photo ID and will have to check in at the guard shack.

Description:

Tour is of Hy-Vee’s ready to eat food production facility used to support their retail operation.

Refrigeration System:

The ammonia system is a central single stage system.  There currently is one suction pressure with provisions in place for the future addition of a second lower suction pressure.  There are (3) ammonia screw compressors with each having a capacity of 430TR at design conditions.  There are (2) evaporative condensers with each having a capacity of 8,931,000 BTUH of heat rejection.  The ammonia is pumped to the equipment in the facility by ammonia pumps connected to the HT Recirculator Vessel.  All the ceiling hung evaporators in the refrigerated space utilize recirculated liquid ammonia and hot gas defrost with the exception of the +55F Rooms which utilize direct expansion and air defrost.  There are (5) Critical Process Make-up Air Units located on the roof that serve the production areas.  The unit serving the HMR Production Room has a dessicant section designed to aid in the dehumidification of the room.  The -10F Freezers are served by R448a split systems due to there currently not being enough load to justify the installation of a low pressure ammonia system to service this area.  There is a central computerized control system that provides control and monitoring of all the refrigeration equipment.

Steam – (2) 40 HP horizontal firetube steam boilers. The boilers have an operating pressure of 120 psig. The boilers have (1) blowdown separator and (1) chemical feed system. The boilers serve kitchen equipment (including Wok, Brat Pan, Kettle, Flame Grill, etc.)

Hot Water – (2) 200 GPM gas fired water heaters with a 3,000 gallon hot water storage tank. The water heaters serve approximately (50) hose stations for sanitization and other hot water needs throughout the facility (sinks, restrooms, breakrooms, etc.).

Compressed Air – (2) 292 SCFM Oil Free air compressors. The air compressors have an operating pressure of 125 psig. There are (2) desiccant air dryers and (2) 1550 gallon air receiver tanks. The air compressors serve approximately (50) hose stations for sanitization and other process equipment.

Misc HVAC – Other than the refrigeration, the rest of the facility is served by roof top units, make-up air units, split systems and gas-fired unit heaters. The facility has (5) kitchen hoods in the HMR & R&D Kitchens.

Cost

Free for ASHRAE Iowa members
$20 for non-members
Always free for students

Social Sponsor

Hart Hammer

Registration

Registration is open now – it will close end of the day February 6th so we can get food counts turned in.

Please register online if you are attending.

Links for related information (when available):

February IowaStalks Newsletter – pdf html

Sign-In Sheets – TourMeeting