No bigger than
a drink can:
the world's smallest
compressor.
The challenge// „We are sorry, but we cannot deliver the required cooling capacity due to space constraints.“ Manufacturers of medical devices and analytics equipment have heard similar statements over and over. The problem: Medical and laboratory equipment often includes lasers which can become very hot during operation. In these cases, an efficient cooling solution, which can be integrated directly into the equipment, is a must. However, the compact housing of such devices often do not offer sufficient space. So far, the only solution has been to either reduce the cooling output or to use larger housings.
![[Translate to Englisch:] technotrans Mini-Kompressoren](/fileadmin/_processed_/1/2/csm_technotrans-kleinster-kompressor-portraet_80b5e9a5f9.jpg "[Translate to Englisch:] technotrans Kühlsysteme")
Challenge Alternative to Peltier principle
Compact active cooling system required.
The widespread Peltier technology is relatively compact, but it has high power consumption. In addition, it only has a limited cooling effect which is dependent on the ambient temperature to make matters even more complicated. Therefore, the market needed an alternative rather sooner than later. „The performance restrictions have always been a problem for medical equipment providers“,says Peter Hirsch, member of the Board of Management of technotrans. „Then, we discovered this unbelievably small compressor which barely had the size of a 0.33 l drink can. We recognised the enormous potential of this technology at a very early stage when no one was really interested in it. We used the compressor in several development projects with the aim to design a powerful active cooling system with a significantly smaller footprint and a higher level of compactness than traditional solutions.“
The inventive spirit of technotrans// Quite a challenge for the technotrans product development team: After all, the future cooling system had to be not only particularly small but it also had to be exceptionally powerful, with a low noise level and a low level of vibrations. In addition, it also had to be extremely lightweight.
Then, when the curtain was lifted after the completion of the development phase, it was there: an unbelievably small compressor cooling system that was going to be named miko. In the meantime, technotrans has been able to further minimise the compressor which now has the same size as a 0.25 l drink can. Compared to conventional solutions, the entire cooling system takes up only a quarter of the installation space. Moreover, its weight is 30 % lower than that of traditional solutions. This makes it highly attractive for mobile applications.
![[Translate to Englisch:] Mitarbeiter die durch Fertigungshalle gehen](/fileadmin/_processed_/6/7/csm_technotrans-kleinster-kompressor-halle_f6f3804e14.jpg "[Translate to Englisch:] technotrans Kompressorkühlsysteme")
»Excellent performance and
a small footprint. Great!«
Potencial
New opportunity for the medical equipment sector.
However, the technotrans mini cooling system offers the greatest and most important potential for laser cooling in medical equipment. Laser surgery is far more precise and gentler than surgical interventions with a scalpel, especially when it comes to the eyes, nose, skin and blood vessels. Another exciting area of application for the thermal management solution is the direct cooling of parts of the body or bodily functions. The power density of the technotrans cooling system, its high temperature stability and the extremely good power dynamics open up new treatment options for the medical engineering segment. Thanks to their lightweight and compact design, the handling of the devices becomes much easier and less strenuous.
Laboratory equipment also benefits from the highly compact cooling system: The technotrans system is used for precise and reliable temperature control in various analytics applications. It can be used, for example, to cool the radiation source of spectroscopes or to maintain the correct temperature of analytical chambers.
Due to its numerous advantages, the mini-compressor will become an alternative to traditional Peltier cooling systems as the cooling performance of the latter is limited at high ambient temperatures. „The increased power density and low noise emissions are compelling advantages for all types of industries," says Jan Kröger, managing director of the Baden-Baden site. „Our innovative product has an outstanding cost saving potential, in particular for sophisticated applications“.
![[Translate to Englisch:] Mitarbeiter der Mini-Kompressor begutachtet](/fileadmin/user_upload/Stories/Story_06_Kleinster_Kompressor/technotrans-kleinster-kompressor-detail.jpg "[Translate to Englisch:] technotrans Mini-Kompressor")
Outlook
Increasing demand expected.
This is not the first coup that technotrans was able to pull off thanks to its compact cooling systems. „There is an increasing demand for small cooling solutions on the global market“, says Jan Kröger. „This is also how the promising cooperation with a renowned American health care company came about“. As their system supplier, technotrans had successfully established a cooling and temperature control system based on the 24 V mini-compressor on the market. This mini-compressor is as powerful as any commercially available piston compressor while also offering a considerably higher level of compactness, low weight and quietness. Thanks to its low-voltage technology, the necessary safety approvals for medical equipment applications can be obtained much more easily. Therefore, it is very popular in the laser, medical equipment and laboratory sectors as well as in numerous customer-specific applications. technotrans now cooperates with several leading equipment manufacturers and offers an extensive portfolio of compact cooling systems. The company delivers approximately 10,000 systems per year to customers worldwide. The 300 watts devices are clearly a top seller, but devices with 500 watts or more are also available.
technotrans has long since established itself on the market as an innovator and specialist for active and passive liquid cooling systems with a small footprint. The company has developed numerous pioneering technologies: With a temperature stability of +/- 0.1 K and better, our cooling systems are setting new standards. In the 24 V compact cooling system segment, technotrans is one of the leading suppliers. In 2018, the company started using a natural, nearly carbon-neutral refrigerant in their products because the sustainable value creation is a top priority for the factory in Baden-Baden.
»I would never have thought
that such a thing was possible.
I am curious to see what comes next.«
Need
help?
Jan Kröger
Managing Director technotrans systems