Reducing energy costs for boat owners and the size of generator needed on-board, Dometic Marine introduces the award-winning Dometic VARC48 at this year’s Seawork International.
The Dometic VARC48 offers innovative chiller efficiency as the first chiller of its kind to adjust capacity output based on the current load demand.
Ideal for workboats and other commercial vessels, the variable capacity chiller provides just the right amount of necessary cooling or heating, reducing energy consumption and harsh in-rush currents to the boat’s generator.
It operates smoothly, steadily and quietly, at a variable output from 12,000 to 48,000 BTUs, providing the right amount of cooling needed for the actual load. Instead of turning on or off, the new Dometic VARC48 modulates its speed to meet thermal load demand. By precisely balancing output to load, the swing (hysteresis) in loop water temperature is minimised. The PLC (Power Logic Control) has a unique algorithm that modulates speed with thermal load.
Julien Lefeuvre, Head of Marine OEM – EMEA, Dometic, said: “The advanced design and engineering of the VARC48 will offer our customers significant benefits in terms of efficiency and cost savings compared to other chillers. The VARC48 is smoother, quieter and more efficient, modulating its speed to meet thermal load demand and reducing electrical load fluctuations.
“While a boat may need a 4-ton chiller to handle extreme conditions and get things comfortable on-board at start-up, it seldom needs all that power thereafter. Yet each time a temperature adjustment is needed from an ordinary marine chiller, the entire 4-ton system comes on and runs for a period, then turns off. This causes large power swings on the generator. Boat owners will find that with the VARC48, they use less power, require a smaller generator and have reduced maintenance on their electrical systems due to fewer starts and stops.”
Offering three operating modes of Econo, Standard, and Boost, the chiller allows boat owners to limit the maximum allowable amperage to one of three adjustable amp limits. Econo mode maximises efficiency and minimises power requirements. Standard mode offers a normal balance of capacity and efficiency. Boost can be used at start-up or in extreme conditions, allowing the chiller to run at a higher capacity to make the boat hot or cold on demand.
The VARC48 has a compact footprint and features an innovative plumbing design to improve ease and flexibility of installation and maintenance. An optional high-resolution colour touchscreen provides users with a dynamic interface, system metrics and control.
The Dometic VARC48 uses an Electronic Expansion Valve (EEV) for precise control of superheat and also supports Dometic’s optional Smart Touch Integrated Intelligence Control (STIIC) software which allows boat owners to monitor and troubleshoot their Dometic equipment on-board from anywhere in the world.
Entered into this year’s Spirit of Innovation Showcase at Seawork, the Dometic VARC48 won an IBEX Innovation Award in the Mechanical Systems category at this year’s International Boatbuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX).
Dometic VARC48 will be on display on the Dometic Marine stand A19 at this year’s Seawork International. To view a YouTube video on the VARC48 variable capacity marine chiller, visit http://youtu.be/XtOs_6BVzRU.
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