GENERATION II/III

Ningbo Hcool Fittings Co., Ltd.

Cold Solutions

Generation II/III

Companion valves yesterday and today

Companion valves, better known as quick couplings or also quick connect couplers, were rarely used by the refrigeration industry until the turn of the century. This was mainly due to relatively high leakage rates and low reliability as well as cost intensity. Today, inexpensive companion valves for refrigerator appliances have reliable and durable leakage rates that are better than, for example, those of artificial cardiac pacemaker. At the same time, the differences in pressure between the ope- rating and test conditions in refrigeration technology are much higher than in the pacemaker technology. Self-closing companion valves make a significant contribution to preventing the unintentional release of fluorinated greenhouse gases, as required by Regulation (EU) No. 517/2014, Article 3. This does not only apply to the operation of equipment. Components and tubing equipped with stop valves (two matching stop valves form a companion valve) can be prepared, evacuated, and, if necessary, filled with refrigerants under optimal conditions in industrial or commercial environments prior to being installed. In addition to reducing environ- mental pollution, this also makes assembly, maintenan- ce and relocation more efficient.

Even systems with hydrocarbons (e.g. R290 - Propane) as refrigerants can be implemented as Plug-n-Cool solutions using our companion valves (Generation III, larger nominal diameters on request). Our goal is to continuously adapt the companion valves to the market requirements as well as to continuously improve the reliability, ease of assembly and tightness. For instance, it is now possible to screw the matching stop valves of all our generations together by hand, without the use of torque tools that would otherwise be necessary, thus creating a permanent and reliable connection between components and tubes. When used on hermetically sealed systems, locks can be used to secure the connection. Just as important is ensuring minimal leakage from the stop valves. Consequently, this guarantees long-term storage of components and tubes that have been eva- cuated or prefilled with refrigerants and allows a rapid response to assembly or repair work.