Daikin has announced the launch of new expansion valve kits and control box, for easy connection of Daikin DX (Direct eXpansion) outdoor units with Air Handling Units. The new kits also operate with the lower GWP refrigerant R-32, providing a low carbon solution for heating, cooling and fresh air that creates an optimal comfort for commercial spaces.
Making the decarbonisation of buildings easier while increasing comfort
Connecting Air Handling Units (AHU’s) to DX outdoor units offers significant benefits for commercial spaces, optimising indoor comfort while delivering high energy efficiencies. DX systems respond immediately to changing loads in the fresh air temperature, resulting in a steady and comfortable indoor temperature, without energy loss.
Furthermore, the latest VRV 5 inverter units are using the lower GWP refrigerant R-32. Therefore they can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of buildings, helping businesses to achieve their green objectives, while ensuring the solution is future-proof.
Convenience and choice
The latest EKEA expansion kit has been enhanced significantly, offering the simplicity and costeffectiveness of a packaged solution with increased flexibility and configuration options to enable effective customisation to suit individual needs.
The addition of three new capacities (300, 350 and 400) provides a complete range of expansion valve kits from 5 to 69.3 kW to match any building requirement. With five control modes available, designers can choose the most suitable solution, balancing ease of integration and response times. Kits can be used in extreme weather conditions down to minus 20˚C.
One-stop offer
Daikin’s AHU kits can be used with any R-32 (or R-410A) DX coil Air Handling Unit, however to simplify supply, Daikin offers a packaged solution. This contains a Daikin DX outdoor unit and Daikin AHU with the expansion valve kit and control box factory fitted, offering off-the-shelf compatibility, with a single point of contact. Selection of one of the AHU solutions reaching air flows up to 140,000 m³/h is easy thanks to Daikin’s dedicated software.
System components
To integrate AHU’s with a DX system 5 key elements are needed. Below a short overview of the components and their function.
- A DX outdoor unit (example: VRV 5 outdoor unit), offers a fast response to changing load demands and low running costs
- A Daikin (or third party) AHU with DX (Direct eXpansion) heat exchanger. The DX heat exchanger replaces the water-based heat exchanger. All the other elements of the AHU remain the same
- The expansion valve kit that regulates the refrigerant flow (and as such the delivered capacity) to the AHU
- The control box that regulates the expansion valve kit and outdoor unit capacity based on the input of the controller and sensors/thermistors. Depending on the type of control and thermistor placement the regulation can be done on the supply or return air temperature or via the evaporating/condensing temperature
- A Daikin or DDC controller which, depending on the controller, will offer a balance between ease of integration and response time to changing loads
Full integration with automated IAQ management
The Daikin IEQ Sensor can now be fully integrated into the Daikin AHU Modular T de-centralized ventilation solution. The integration of the sensor into the operating AHU Modular T system, results in remarkably easy indoor air quality management: the sensor actively uses the data gathered from indoor spaces to adjust the AHU’s settings, so that this AHU goes on to improve the indoor air quality, automatically reducing concentrations of pollutants and small particles such as VOC, PM 10 and PM 2.5, as well as optimising oxygen, humidity and temperature levels.
This kind of environmental sensor integration is unlike any other on the market today. Available as of now for communications with the Daikin AHU Modular T series, the IEQ Sensor’s capacity to communicate will be extended to all Daikin AHU series in 2024.
