The collaboration between Liebherr and Embraco has given birth to the range of BluPerformance refrigerators, which can boast an innovative compact refrigeration system positioned in the bottom part of the refrigerator.
The design of the new generations of refrigerators focused on three main issues: the research to reduce consumptions as far as possible, the development of a customized conservation capacity and the attainment of a higher and higher available interior volume, even keeping the standard overall dimensions unchanged.
Nowadays the target is clear, developing increasingly performing machines that can mix these aspects, user-friendly appliances that can satisfy each user’s diversified needs.
In addition to maxi capacities, the energy efficiency and the performances granted by these household appliances, manufacturers are developing dedicated solutions to optimize the management of the storing space according to the food characteristics, the frequency with which we provision the refrigerator and the longer conservation duration in time.
The German company Liebherr has precisely pursued these goals, as told us Davide Berselli, Managing Director of BSD Spa (exclusive importer in Italy for Liebherr and Asko household appliances), developing the range of BluPerformance refrigerators and freezers, which can boast an innovative compact refrigeration system positioned in the bottom part of the refrigerator.
A solution that has allowed significantly widening the inner volume, with an additional 20% approximately, improving also the energy efficiency and notably decreasing noise.
Silence is precisely one of the most important highlights of all the appliances of the range. The installation of compressors and the integration of the new refrigeration technology into the base, in fact, share in making the machine very silent (37 or 38 dB).
In addition to all that, the use of excellent materials and a perfect machining into the slightest details, as well as practicality and precision of the ElectronicTouch regulation system. Without forgetting the perfect synthesis between aesthetics and functions expressed at best by some significant details, like the door, where is integrated a touch 7-inch high resolution display that allows choosing in a wide range of predefined programmes as well as entering comfortably information and suggestions for the energy saving and advices about the food conservation.
The true innovation introduced by BluPerformance consists however in having simultaneously improved four fundamental aspects of the refrigeration: capacity, power containment, noise and energy efficiency. All that while maintaining very high conservation performances.
Maxi- capacity target
Berselli explains us better the technology that has allowed a notable rise of the available space, meanwhile improving the refrigerator efficiency. “The condenser, generally positioned behind appliances, has been compacted and installed in the appliance bottom. This has allowed exploiting better the space in depth, thus making the appliance interior much more capacious. The condenser is cooled by a dedicated fan mounted on the rubber supports that neatly reduce vibrations and then the noise of the entire system.
The VCC compressor remains in the back but the tank for the collection of the defrosting water has been removed. Instead of it, the entire plate of the appliance bottom is used, being able to collect more water and to distribute it on a larger surface. It derives that evaporation is quicker. The heat generated by the condenser and the turbulence created by the condenser cooling fan contribute in it, too. The combination of all these elements allows improving the heat exchange and therefore making the appliance more efficient”.
The technological core
The compressor used for the line of BluPerformance refrigerators is the Fullmotion produced by Embraco. Anita Costamagna, Europe Marketing Manager of Embraco, world reference company in the production of sealed compressors for refrigeration, describes their characteristics as follows.
“It is a variable-speed compressor, regulated by inverter able to reduce the energy consumption of refrigerators and freezers by over 25% in comparison with the conventional on-off technology, bringing the 40% energy saving and allowing end users to reduce the consumptions in the bill. This is possible since this new technology allows the compressor to recognize the refrigerating system demand automatically, running according to consumers’ needs. Besides, with Embraco Fullmotion it is possible to decrease the noise level deriving from the refrigerator by over 2 decibels, consequently determining a better acoustic comfort. Some models, like for instance the low-speed VESF are more silent, even up to 4dB(A) in comparison with VESD versions, with a surprisingly higher gain compared to the on-off technology”.
Another advantage of this technology concerns the faster refrigeration speed and the improved temperature stability inside the refrigerator that grants a better food conservation, as demonstrated by the studies carried out with Beijing University and the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Brazil.
The small sizes and the technical characteristics of the VESF compressor have allowed minimizing the overall dimensions of the refrigerating system, widening the space in its interior. “We were the first manufacturer that released this compressor and we have been producing this technology for 20 years. We hugely invest in research, we currently hold a total of 1,277 patents coming from worldwide and witnessing the international acknowledgement of our Research & Development Centre. We have established technical collaboration agreements with renowned laboratories of universities and research centres that form a global network aimed at constantly innovating and improving our products”.
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Excellent performances
The innovative generation of BioFresh BluPerformance appliances is equipped with much bigger BioFresh compartments that, thanks to the inner temperature slightly exceeding 0 °C and to the possibility of regulating the level of internal humidity, allow conserving fresh foods for a three-time longer period. The compartment temperature is kept constant with precision, thanks to a dedicated probe that autonomously adjusts the system.
In BioFresh Premium appliances, the wetness control panel allows a flexible use of drawers in HydroSafe (high wetness) or DrySafe (low wetness) modality.
“In particular, the cursor with which you adjust the humidity level – underlines Berselli – allows varying the width of the openings positioned above the drawer. That, together with the efficient drawer ventilation, permits to decide the quantity of humidity inside the drawers: wide-open openings make the climate in the drawer dryer and then ideal for meats, cold cuts, cheeses and fish; almost closed openings maintain the wetness inside the drawer that then becomes ideal to conserve fruits and vegetables”.
BioCool is the perfect integration for the appliances not equipped with BioFresh technology. Thanks to the possibility of regulating the humidity, foods are kept fresh much longer than in conventional drawers for fruits and vegetables.
Drawers can be freely set for the food conservation in wet or dry environment. For a better practicality and an optimal vision of the content in refrigerators, BioCool-Box are mounted on telescopic guides with partial extraction while in combi models they slide on roller guides.
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Utmost sustainability levels
Liebherr has always taken the greatest care of the sustainability issue. All BluPerformance appliances are included in the energy class A+++ or A+++/-20%. The entire refrigerating system has been positioned in the appliance base and a ventilation system that refrigerates the condenser has been used. This helps in making the thermal exchange more effective. This is coupled with the use of VCC (variable capacity compressors) that operate at a lower and more constant rate.
Moreover, to maximise the system, they have then used a stepper valve that allows keeping the gas under pressure also on those occasions in which the compressor stops: in this way, minor energy is necessary to restore the pressure in the circuit. Besides, they have improved the insulation through the use of vacuum panels that have allowed reducing the thickness of the walls to give bigger internal volume. Finally, they have optimized the profiles on which the seal closes, in order to improve the thermal tightness of all appliances.
