What is Maxwell™
Maxwell™ is an engineered suspension of sub-micron aluminum oxide particles in a base fluid of water or water/glycol (“nanofluid”). Maxwell™ is a drop-in additive for cooling and heating systems, that works by enhancing heat transfer and thereby significantly reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. Maxwell™ is named after James Clerk Maxwell the pioneering Scottish scientist who in the late 19th Century discovered that adding metallic particles to water improved thermal energy transfer, thus creating the world’s first heat transfer fluid. Over a century later, Maxwell™ is our patented implementation of this discovery, allowing systems using closed hydronic loops to benefit from the thermal properties of stable suspensions of metallic nanoparticles.
How Maxwell™ Works in a Chilled Water System
Water (or a water/glycol mix) is circulated from the chiller in a closed evaporator loop to Air Handling Units (‘AHU’). Maxwell™ increases the transfer of heat in the chiller evaporation cycle, reducing compressor “lift” or work and thus, the consumption of electrical energy. Maxwell™ also increases thermal energy transfer in the AHU coils, which allows for higher chilled water set points, and lower fluid and air flow rates through pumps and fans, reducing their electrical power consumption. Maxwell™ can also be used in a closed condenser circuit but not with an open cooling tower.
Typical Payback Periods
Because of Maxwell’s efficiency, the cost of a typical installation is generally paid back within 1 to 3 years, depending on the utilization rate of HVAC equipment and the local costs of electricity/natural gas.
Benefits of Maxwell™
Significant heat transfer improvement in cooling and heating systems which results in:
• Substantial energy savings.
• Carbon emissions reduced proportionally to reductions in energy consumption.
• Improved equipment performance, reducing maintenance requirements.
• Expanded capacity of existing equipment that can increase performance and output.
• The ability to user smaller, less costly and more efficient equipment in the design process of an HVAC system.
• Long useful life (10+ years), after which Maxwell™ can be recovered from the System and is fully recyclable.
• Wide operating temperature range.
• Maxwell™ is non-corrosive and non-toxic.
Sustainability Impact of Using Maxwell™
With companies trying to meet stringent sustainability targets, Maxwell™ is a simple, low-cost method for delivering a meaningful impact across a wide range of applications and industries.