The efficiency and functionality of centrifugal chillers has improved, and they have reached
maturity as commercial products. Therefore it is necessary to employ new technologies and
develop new products even more superior to existing ones. So far Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
(MHI) has worked on the enhancement of the rated performance and year-round efficiency by
integrating an inverter as standard equipment, as well as the improvement of functionality with
technologies for determining operational conditions and the support of highly-efficient operation.
This paper describes the application technology of magnetic bearings to centrifugal chillers
targeting a reduction of maintenance burden by customers. MHI has attained the further
improvement of efficiency and maintainability in comparison to that of existing machines as a
result of the proper handling of problems through the application of magnetic bearings to
centrifugal chillers, commercializing a centrifugal chiller with magnetic bearings for the first time
in Japan.
