The International Copper Association Premieres MicroGroove Exhibit at AHR Expo 2011

Las Vegas NV (January 31, 2011) —  The International Copper Association (ICA) today announced the premiere showing of the MicroGroove™ Technology exhibit January 31 through February 2 at the 2011 AHR Expo in Las Vegas.

MicroGroove technology describes the use of smaller-diameter copper tubes with inner grooves in the design and manufacture of high-efficiency condenser and evaporator coils for air conditioning and refrigeration applications. Smaller, lighter coils made with MicroGroove tubes use less tube material, fin material and refrigerant and still yield equivalent or better cooling capacity compared to coils made with conventional tubes.

OEMs striving for higher energy efficiency and increased performance must either increase the coil size or reduce the tube size. Smaller tubes increase the heat transferred per unit weight of tube. It has dawned on OEM product design engineers that it is more economical and eco-friendly to reduce tube size rather than increase coil size. 

“Copper is a durable and corrosion resistant material,” says Nigel Cotton, OEM Team Leader for the ICA. “MicroGroove allows OEMs to increase performance without increasing weight.” According to Cotton, the overall system weight is reduced substantially because the amounts of fin, tube and refrigerant in the coils are all reduced. More and more ACR products are being manufactured with small copper tubes with various types of inner grooves to further enhance heat transfer inside the tubes. The manufacturing methods for the new coils are effectively the same as before. 

Coils from a range of manufacturers will be on display at the MicroGroove Booth N3469. Coils on display include a large condenser coil and several evaporator coils, which were extracted from OEM products currently marketed in North America, Europe and Asia. 

“The ICA and its members are committed to aiding OEMs in the shift from larger diameter copper tubes to smaller diameter copper tubes wherever it makes sense economically and environmentally,” says Cotton.

For more information about heat exchanger coils made with small tube copper, visit www.microgroove.net.

About ICA

The International Copper Association, Ltd. (ICA) is the leading organization for promoting the use of copper worldwide. ICA’s mission is to promote the use of copper by communicating the unique attributes that make this sustainable element an essential contributor to the formation of life, to advances in science and technology, and to a higher standard of living worldwide. Visit www.copperinfo.com for more information about ICA