YORK YVAM Air-Cooled Magnetic-Bearing Centrifugal Chiller
Air-cooled magnetic-bearing centrifugal chiller using R-1234ze and achieving up to 49% better NPLV than conventional air-cooled screw chillers, without water consumption.
The YORK YVAM is an air-cooled centrifugal chiller that combines magnetic-bearing compressor technology with R-1234ze refrigerant (GWP <1) in a package that requires no cooling tower and no water supply. Designed initially for hyperscale and co-location data centres, its operating envelope and reliability characteristics make it equally relevant to GCC airport facilities where potable-water scarcity, legionella liability, or planning restrictions on evaporative cooling towers are factors.
The magnetic-bearing compressor eliminates oil lubrication, removing a traditional maintenance and reliability pain point in air-cooled screw machines. Capacity control modulates down to 15% of full load. Johnson Controls publishes a 49% NPLV efficiency improvement versus conventional air-cooled screw chillers in representative data-centre loading profiles — an advantage maintained without requiring free-cooling coils, which compete for footprint and add hydraulic complexity.
The ambient operating window runs from -20°F to 125°F (-28.8°C to 51.6°C), covering the full GCC summer range (Abu Dhabi ambient design temperatures reach approximately 115°F / 46°C in peak summer conditions). Full-load sound pressure level is 65 dBA at 10 metres — notably quieter than most air-cooled screw alternatives, which matters for terminal-adjacent plant rooms with noise restrictions. A Quick Start system with integral UPS allows return to full load within three minutes after a power interruption — critical for facilities with tight cooling resumption SLAs.
Technical specifications.
| Minimum Turndown | 15% |
| NPLV Efficiency Improvement vs Air-Cooled Screw | Up to 49% |
| Ambient Operating Range | -20°F to 125°F (-28.8°C to 51.6°C) |
| Full-Load Sound Pressure | 65 dBA at 10 m |
| Power Restoration Time to Full Load | < 3 minutes |
| Refrigerant | R-1234ze |
| Refrigerant GWP | < 1 |
| Compressor Type | Single-stage magnetic-bearing centrifugal |
| Cooling Medium | Air-cooled (zero water consumption) |
Use cases.
- ›Airport terminal buildings where cooling-tower water-use permits are restricted or costly
- ›Data centres and server rooms within airport campus infrastructure
- ›Facilities with legionella-risk management obligations removing evaporative cooling
- ›Noise-sensitive terminal-adjacent plant rooms requiring low-sound air-cooled plant
- ›GCC sites requiring reliable full-ambient operation up to ~51°C without efficiency cliff
- ›Critical-load facilities needing sub-3-minute post-outage cooling restart