Our strategy has been to employ gases that are found in the natural ecological cycle. The main activity at the moment is the development of efficient and environmentally safe technology for refrigeration, heat pumps and air-conditioning systems that use carbon dioxide (CO₂) as a working fluid. Up to now, the CO₂ development work has concentrated on air-conditioning systems for cars, heat-pump water heaters and refrigeration units for shops.

The Refrigeration Engineering group uses some of the world’s largest laboratories in its field. This enables the division to combine basic theory, modelling/simulation and experimental work. The result is that everything is at hand for the development of new technologies and know-how concerning refrigeration units, heat pumps, air-conditioning systems and insulation systems. This work is at system level, component level (heat exchangers and compressors) and detail level (local heat transfer, pressure loss). Experimental studies are central and we use a number of test units for various applications. There is increasing activity in the combination of theory, modelling, and experimental work in the work we are doing with compact heat exchangers.

Other important tasks worth mentioning are the development of systems using natural and environmentally safe working fluids (ammonia, water, etc.). We are also engaged in numerous projects in the testing and development of insulation systems where measurements of thermal conductivity and thermal capacity are central.

Plant design and the operation of refrigeration units and heat pumps will dominate our R&D in the years to come and will ensure that the use of the correct product quality will be a matter of greater importance. This applies both to the food sector and the use of refrigeration and heat pumps for cooling and heating.