Modular Air Cooled Chiller 35-2240 kW | EVI Heat Pump -20°C COP 3.27
Build the Plant You Need Today, Add Exactly What You Need Tomorrow
Commercial buildings often grow in unexpected ways. Whether it's a hospital adding a new wing, a hotel converting adjacent floors to guest rooms, or a factory extending its production line, each expansion creates cooling demands that original chillers weren't sized to meet. The Midea Air Cooled Modular Chiller family was engineered specifically for this reality—a platform where capacity is never fixed but always adaptable.
Three sub-series—Aqua Thermal on R32, King and King Plus on R410A—share a common architecture of self-contained modules rated between 35 kW and 180 kW each. Up to 256 modules communicate through a single Modbus network, forming a cascaded plant of up to 2,240 kW under one master controller. Each module operates as a fully independent refrigerant circuit with its own scroll compressor, heat exchangers, and expansion device, ensuring that the failure of any single unit has negligible impact on total plant output.
The Enhanced Vapour Injection (EVI) compressor technology enables rated heating output at ambient temperatures as low as -20°C, making this platform a genuine year-round climate solution across temperate, cold, and even sub-zero climate zones—without supplementary electric resistance heaters. Combined with A++ energy classification and COP 3.27, the modular chiller delivers comfort reliability and operating economy that fixed-capacity monolithic chillers simply cannot match in buildings where change is the only constant.
Key Features Deep Dive
Block-by-Block Capacity Scaling
The modular philosophy eliminates the traditional chiller sizing dilemma. Install too large and the system wastes energy at part load; install too small and occupants suffer during peak demand. Each module connects as an autonomous building block, allowing projects to grow from 160 kW to 2,240 kW through staged additions without decommissioning earlier units.
- Single module capacity spans 35 kW to 180 kW across three sub-series
- Maximum cascade of 256 modules delivers 2,240 kW from one platform
- Each module operates as an independent refrigerant circuit
- Expansion requires no decommissioning of previously installed equipment
- Standardized hydraulic header connections ensure mechanical compatibility
- Master controller automatically recognizes and integrates new modules
EVI Enhanced Vapour Injection for Cold-Climate Heating
Standard air-source heat pumps lose capacity and efficiency as outdoor temperatures drop below freezing. The EVI compressor solves this by injecting intermediate-pressure refrigerant vapour directly into the compression chamber, maintaining mass flow and discharge temperature even in extreme cold conditions.
- Rated heating output maintained at -20°C ambient without electric backup
- EVI injection preserves compressor mass flow and discharge temperature
- Eliminates capital cost and maintenance burden of supplementary heaters
- Operating envelope extends from -20°C heating to 48°C cooling
- COP remains stable across the cold-climate envelope
- Validated in installations across Northern China, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe
Three Sub-Series for Three Refrigerant Strategies
The Aqua Thermal, King, and King Plus families allow project specifiers to select the refrigerant that best aligns with regulatory environment, sustainability targets, and service infrastructure—all within the same modular form factor.
- Aqua Thermal series operates on R32 (GWP 675) for F-Gas compliance
- King series on R410A covers 35-130 kW per module
- King Plus series on R410A extends to 180 kW per module
- All sub-series share identical hydraulic and control interfaces
- Refrigerant selection is project-level for uniform maintenance
- R32 option supports LEED and BREEAM low-GWP credit requirements
A++ Energy Classification with COP 3.27
Energy cost is the dominant expense in any cooling system's lifecycle. The modular chiller's A++ rating and COP of 3.27 mean exceptional efficiency through advanced technologies.
- COP 3.27 in both cooling and heating modes under rated conditions
- A++ energy classification meets highest European efficiency tier
- Plate heat exchanger subcooling recovers 10% additional capacity
- DC fan motors with vector control reduce fan electrical consumption by 30%
- 500-step electronic expansion valve maintains optimal superheat
- Four-stage oil management achieves 99% oil separation efficiency
N+1 Inherent Reliability Architecture
Traditional chiller plants require expensive standby units for redundancy. The modular chiller's architecture makes standby redundancy unnecessary through distributed fault tolerance.
- Loss of any single module leaves over 99% of total capacity available
- No dedicated standby chiller required—inherent N+1 redundancy standard
- Independent refrigerant circuits prevent fault propagation
- Automatic cascade re-sequencing redistributes load within seconds
- Maintenance on individual modules without plant shutdown
- Proven in hospital, hotel, and data-hosting installations
Single-Virtual-Plant BMS Integration
Despite comprising potentially hundreds of physical modules, the cascaded plant presents a single logical entity to the building management system for simplified monitoring and control.
- Master controller presents entire cascade as one virtual chiller to BMS
- Modbus RTU communication coordinates up to 256 modules
- BACnet gateway enables direct integration with mainstream BMS platforms
- Real-time capacity aggregation shows total plant output
- Individual module status and fault codes accessible through master controller
- Remote monitoring via Midea Smart Cloud platform available
Technical Specifications
| Parameter |
Aqua Thermal (R32) |
King (R410A) |
King Plus (R410A) |
| Cooling Capacity per Module |
75-180 kW |
35-130 kW |
35-180 kW |
| Heating Capacity per Module |
75-180 kW |
35-130 kW |
35-180 kW |
| Maximum Cascaded Capacity |
2,240 kW |
2,240 kW |
2,240 kW |
| Maximum Module Count |
256 units |
256 units |
256 units |
| Refrigerant |
R32 |
R410A |
R410A |
| Compressor Type |
Scroll, EVI |
Scroll, EVI |
Scroll, EVI |
| Energy Class |
A++ |
A++ |
A++ |
| COP (Cooling) |
3.27 |
3.27 |
3.27 |
| Cooling Operating Range |
-10°C to 48°C |
-10°C to 48°C |
-10°C to 48°C |
| Heating Operating Range |
-20°C to 43°C |
-20°C to 43°C |
-20°C to 43°C |
| BMS Protocols |
Modbus RTU, BACnet (optional) |
Modbus RTU, BACnet (optional) |
Modbus RTU, BACnet (optional) |
| Warranty |
5 years |
5 years |
5 years |
| Origin |
China |
China |
China |
Applications
Mid-rise office complexes with phased tenant occupancy
Hospitals and healthcare facilities needing inherent redundancy
Hotels and resorts with seasonal occupancy fluctuations
Educational campuses with growing enrolment demands
Light manufacturing and cold-chain warehousing
Residential heat pump installations in cold climates
Certifications & Standards
EN 14511 – Performance rating under European standard conditions for chillers and heat pumps
EN 14825 – Seasonal efficiency verification and ErP Lot 21 compliance
ErP Directive – Energy-related Products directive compliance for EU market access
CE Marking – Full conformity for European Economic Area installation
Eurovent – Independent third-party performance certification
Product Images
