Air-Cooled Reciprocating Refrigeration Compressor Unit

This air-cooled reciprocating refrigeration compressor unit, proven in decades of commercial and industrial refrigeration applications, provides a reliable, easy-to-maintain, and cost-effective refrigeration solution for cold storage, display case networks, blast freezers, and process cooling applications. The air-cooled condenser, mounted on the unit's base, eliminates the need for cooling water, cooling towers, or water treatment systems, simplifying installation and minimizing on-site infrastructure requirements.

Each refrigeration compressor unit undergoes assembly, leak testing, and operational testing at our factory in China before shipment. The refrigerant circuit is pre-charged and operated at rated conditions before leaving the factory. The control system is pre-programmed with application-specific operating setpoints and safety limits. Each unit comes with a complete factory test report. Standard refrigerants: R404A, R507A, R448A, R449A, R134a, and R22. Our single-compressor units range from 5 kW to 40 kW, and our dual-compressor tandem units range from 15 kW to 120 kW.

Key Features

Plug and Play: Factory-charged and tested with refrigerant; only power and evaporator piping connection are required on-site.

Water-Free Design: Eliminates the need for cooling towers and water treatment systems, reducing infrastructure costs.

Made in China: High cost-performance based on Chinese manufacturing facilities, while complying with international standards such as CE and ISO 9001.

Wide Applicability: Covers a cooling capacity range from 5kW to 120kW, suitable for small to medium-sized cooling needs.

Technical Parameters

Application Scenarios

Small to Medium-Sized Cold Storage: Meat shops, hotels, restaurant cold storage, and pharmaceutical refrigeration (-5°C to -25°C).

Supermarket Cold Chain: Connecting to display case networks; dual-unit parallel configurations can adapt to variable load requirements.

Quick Freezing and Processing: Quick-freezing/pre-cooling systems for commercial kitchens (-10°C to -30°C).

Process Cooling: Laser cooling, injection molding machines, and commercial precision air conditioning (using R134a).

Mobile Refrigeration: Cold chain transport vehicles and trailers (compact design).

Key Technical Features

Branded Compressor: Standard configuration includes internationally renowned brands such as Bitzer, Copeland, Carlyle, or Maneurop, with a global service network.

Capacity Control: Achieves a wide range of capacity adjustment from 25% to 100% through start-stop, cylinder unloading, and dual-unit rotation, stabilizing storage temperature.

EC Fan Technology: The Air-Cooled Reciprocating Refrigeration Compressor Unit automatically adjusts fan speed based on condensing pressure, achieving energy savings of 15-25% at low ambient temperatures.

Crankcase Heater: Standard configuration prevents liquid slugging damage caused by refrigerant migration during shutdown.

Electronic Expansion Valve (EEV): Compared to the thermostatic expansion valve (TXV), provides more precise superheat control (5±8°C), especially performing better under low loads.

Quality Assurance and Service

Factory Testing: Each unit undergoes airtightness and full-load operation testing, and test reports are provided.

Certification Standards: Complies with PED 2014/68/EU, EN 378, F-Gas regulations, etc.

Warranty Policy: 18 months after commissioning or 24 months after shipment, provided by the compressor manufacturer.

Market Footprint: Over 15,000 units installed in 45+ countries worldwide.

FAQ

Q: What is the difference between a single-compressor unit and a tandem dual-compressor unit?

A: A single-compressor unit uses one semi-hermetic reciprocating compressor operating on on/off control. It runs at full capacity when needed and stops when demand drops, making it suitable for small cold rooms with stable loads.

A tandem dual-compressor unit includes two compressors on one skid. One operates at low load, while both run at high load. With cylinder unloaders, it offers 25–100% capacity steps. This allows better load matching, reduces temperature fluctuations, and minimizes compressor cycling—ideal for commercial cold stores with variable loads.

Q: What is the purpose of the crankcase heater, and what happens if it fails?

A: The crankcase heater prevents refrigerant from mixing with compressor oil during shutdown. Without it, refrigerant can dissolve in the oil and cause violent flashing at startup, leading to valve damage, mechanical failure, or lubrication loss.

If the heater fails, do not start the compressor. Replace it and allow at least 4 hours of heating before restart. Most PLC systems will trigger a heater fault alarm.

Q: How many compressor starts per hour is acceptable?

A: Semi-hermetic compressors should typically not exceed 6–10 starts per hour. Excessive cycling causes motor overheating and mechanical wear.

If cycling is too frequent, it usually means the system load is below minimum capacity. Solutions include:

● Adding a second (tandem) compressor

● Increasing thermal storage (e.g., water or product load)

● Using a hot gas bypass valve.

Q: Can one Air-Cooled Reciprocating Refrigeration Compressor Unit serve multiple cold storage units at different temperatures?

A: One unit can serve multiple evaporators at the same temperature.

For cold storage units at different temperatures, this is not recommended because the system will operate at the lowest suction pressure, reducing efficiency and increasing the risk of overcooling.

Standard solutions include:

Independent condensing units

Multi-zone systems with suction control.