POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – Oct. 12, 2009 – Dometic Marine is introducing a new line of all-green split-system air conditioning units at the International Boatbuilders Exhibition (IBEX) this week in Miami Beach, Fla.
Dometic’s Emerald Series is the first marine air conditioning system designed specifically to run on environmentally friendly R410A refrigerant, which meets EPA and international requirements for ozone-depleting substances under the Montreal Protocol.
“All system components, including the evaporator and condensing units, have been completely reengineered to optimize the green-gas benefits of R410A while producing optimal performance in terms of unit form factor, capacity, reliability, performance and user benefits,” said Frank Marciano, president of Dometic Marine. “The result is a lineup of all-green products that comply with international clean-air standards, and at the same time are smaller, lighter, quieter, more efficient, less power hungry, more reliable and easier to install and service.”
Similar to the engineering effort behind Dometic’s award-winning Turbo Series of self-contained air conditioners, Dometic’s engineers utilized Design for Six Sigma analysis tools to identify, prioritize and analyze specific design goals. Through a comprehensive reiterative test process, the evaporator and condensing units were evaluated and fine-tuned using Dometic’s automated parametric test lab facilities.
The Emerald Series represents a breakthrough result in an “optimized marine design”, in terms of size, weight, capacity, power requirements, ease of installation and other important metrics. The height of the evaporator units has been reduced by up to 17 percent and the weight by up to 15 percent. The condensing units are up to 18 percent smaller and 15 percent lighter. BTU capacity has been boosted by up to 14 percent, and amperage has been slashed by as much as 28 percent. Standing water in the rust-free condensate pan has been reduced by up to 85 percent. Installation time has been decreased by up to 15 minutes per system, an important consideration for boatbuilders installing the system as OEM equipment.
The mounting system has been designed with multiple levels of vibration mitigation, including cushioned vibration mounts inserted into the bottom of the molded condensate drain pan, mounting clips with built-in isolators and additional isolation mounts for the compressor. Vibration from the unit is virtually eliminated and operating noise is reduced to a minimum.
Emerald split systems provide more options for combining multiple condensers and evaporators in a staged multi-zone system for any given boat. They provide both heating and cooling. Each condensing unit has its own control that manages the temperature of the area independent of other units. It is also possible to run multiple evaporators off a single condenser with separate temperature controls due to Dometic’s modulating technology.
“We designed the Emerald technology with OEMs, dealers and end-users in mind,” added Marciano. “OEMs benefit from an easier product to install. Dealers have a split system that does not rely on dwindling supplies of R22 and is easier to service. End users have a greener, quieter, more efficient air conditioning system on their boats.”
The Emerald Series products are offered under the Cruisair and Marine Air brand names and are available in a wide range of sizes and capacities to best fit the heating and cooling needs of a variety of boats.