Penguins in Mexico enjoy their new home thanks to Danfoss cooling

Thursday, 10 December 2015

Danfoss Cooling has supported 12 Adélie Penguins with a new gelid home in "Antarctica: the Kingdom of Penguins" at the Zoo in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. To permanently host a group of 12 Adélie Penguins (six males and six females of reproductive age), from a zoo in Japan is quite a project. Read what it takes to create a pleasant home for the flightless birds used to living in much colder areas of the world.
In April, the Zoo began the search for a provider that could adequately match the required areas for the penguins: a quarantine zone, the area of the public, the habitat of the penguins, a space to serve as a bedroom during the night and an ice machine.

According to Eduardo Luna, Sales Manager, Danfoss Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Distribution, "the Zoo opted for Danfoss solutions, due to several factors; one of them is the immediate availability of the equipment, allowing the twelve penguins were in observation during a period of quarantine, to rule out problems of health or adaptation before being displayed."

The quarantine area had a volume of approximately 80 m3 and should be stored at a temperature of zero degrees centigrade. This climate is maintained thanks to a sealed unit with a micro channel 5 HP and two evaporators. In that same area stood a 10.5 m3 swimming pool, which was kept refrigerated with another similar unit.

The Zoo built a space of 672 m3 that has been refrigerated at zero degrees Celsius. It was decided to initially install two condensing units with scroll compressor and micro channel, 7 HP, as well as four evaporators and ice melting settled every four hours, with the alternate use of the evaporators to avoid an increase in temperature. Additionally, they added one of the same series, but 5 HP, due to a major installation of lamps than planned initially, which increase the heat load. This space also boasts a pool of 154 m3 brine at 20-30 parts per million that must be kept at a temperature of 5 degrees Celsius, which settled two chillers with two semi-hermetic units of 20 HP, one of which serves as a backup in case of an emergency (since a variation in conditions of temperature in that area would cause serious problems to the penguins). Line components were added and electronic controllers EKC 302D (4) and 202 c (2).

Although the visiting area does not need to be refrigerated, it is important to also be maintained at a suitable temperature, given that a marked difference in temperature would lead to condensation and, therefore, fogging of glasses. Therefore, to maintain the temperature of 15 degrees Celsius in an area of almost 570 m3 settled two hermetic condensing units with micro channel of 10 HP and two handling air, as well as two electronic controllers EKC 202 C.

Also a machine was installed outside the habitat to provide ice which should cover the plastic mesh placed on the floor to dampen steps and jumps from birds and to keep its feet in good condition. A semi-hermetic condensing unit with 5HP micro channels allows this machine to produce 1.5 tons of ice in scale every day.

Also premiered was an area for the night guard of the penguins with dimensions similar to the area of quarantine that was dismantled (a space of approximately 50 m3) and a pool of 18 m3 which is being cooled with the equipment removed from the quarantine area.

According to Eduardo Luna, officials explain that installed solutions results have been excellent, in addition to not having any problem with the equipment. The noise generated is much less than what they had expected.

They are very satisfied with the advice and the service required, because it provides enough energy to achieve and maintain the required temperatures, but without being very largely in its capacity, which ultimately will reflect fair energy expenditure.

Eduardo Luna explains that the refrigerant used in all units is R404-A, and that the use will be optimized by the integration of capacitors with microchannel plate, which used up to 30% less. Additionally, condensing units, which offer higher cooling performance, with the passage of time will prove to have been the best choice when the client can see 12% of energy savings.

"With good initial results, we are proud to be one of the companies where our products have collaborated so that the Guadalajara Zoo expands its attractions positioning them as the only institution in the country that offers the possibility to admire the behavior of a small community of Adélie penguins," Eduardo Luna concludes.