The Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc. Nagahama Plant (located in Mitsuya-cho, Nagahama-city; plant manager: Sadao Kobayashi) has introduced a pilot HVAC system using AQSOA™ in its plant administrative offices (Main Building 2). AQSOA™ is a zeolite-based desiccant that is able to utilize solar water heaters. The plant's goals in introducing this system include conserving energy, reducing carbon emissions, and promoting the development of AQSOA™.

AQSOA™ is a zeolite-based desiccant produced and sold by MPI. Its unique features include the ability to release moisture efficiently (for reuse of the desiccant material) at the relatively low temperature range of 60oC to 80oC.

MPI leverages these features to produce and market AQSOA™ based parts and materials for adsorption chillers. An adsorption chiller is an industrial machine that utilizes evaporation heat with water as the refrigerant, and uses no CFCs. Water is forcibly vaporized in a vacuum, then adsorbed into a special adsorbent material coated on the heat exchanger. This makes it possible to continuously generate cooling (chilled water) at 7oC to 25oC, using hardly any power.

The plant has introduced a pilot HVAC system using solar-heated water at Main Building 2. The system combines an adsorption chiller equipped with AQSOA™, and solar water-heating panels. It uses solar-heated water (about 65oC), which conventionally could not be utilized effectively by adsorption chillers, to restore the adsorbent material. The cooling capacity of the adsorption chillers is 175 kW, making it the first system using solar-heated water to be put to industrial use.

The system has about 1/3 lower CO2 emissions than an ordinary cooling system using CFC gas, and the solar-heated water can also be used as a heat source in winter. The plant thus expects to be able to reduce the CO2 emissions of Main Building 2 from A/C by about 40% per year.

The plant is committed to earning the trust of society. It will contribute to the local community through such efforts as reducing its CO2 emissions through energy conservation, doing business with consideration for the environment and local residents, and communicating actively with the community. It will also contribute to the growth of MPI Plastics' business, as one of its core plants.

 

Adsorption chiller equipped with AQSOA™ and solar water-heating panels

 

  

■Inquires regarding this material should be directed to the
	Public Relations Section, General Administration Dept., Mitsubishi Plastics Inc. TEL: +81-3-3279-3800