Every cooling project needs to go through 4 processes in the heating and cooling cycle:
On the other hand, every cooling system has 4 basic pieces of equipment which are in charge of the never-ending loop:
All cooling projects, ranging from an AC to an avocado packing facility, need all 4 systems to carry out their functions. However, their dimensions, tech specs, and assembly must be outlined by a dedicated engineer.
A fundamental component towards achieving the cooling cycle is the coolant. This is a chemical component whose properties allow for heat absorption from one body to another, thus lowering a body's temperature.
Each cooling equipment plays with the coolant, turning it from a liquid state to a gas one, which results in heat absorption of food, chemical substances, etc., during this chemical process, releasing it.
Let's remember that, as part of the cooling cycle, the Compressor is responsible for the cooling agent flow throughout the system, which raises the evaporation pressure to the point of condensation pressure.
Compression > Condensation > Expansion > Evaporation
Next, you can find the types of technology available in the market for compressors, all of which can fit into standard cooling agents.
◆ Reciprocal or Piston Compressor
The most commonly used ones in the market. Their main feature is a spark plug system operating compression pistons, the likes of which resemble an internal combustion engine.
The cooling agent compression is performed by two screw-shaped pointless rotors which fit one another perfectly. The cooling agent is then driven by threads along the axis, building up pressure and exhausting it when reaching both rotors' ends.
It compresses the cooling fluid by means of spiral rotors. One of the spirals is fixed, whereas the other one is mobile. As they rotate, the fluid is compressed towards the spirals' core, where it is progressively exhausted.
Compressor Racks are automated cooling systems made up of multiple compressors installed simultaneously.
These are pieces of equipment mainly used for food preservation purposes, whether meat, fish, fruits, beverages, dairy products, etc.
Their upsides are:
Ever since the 19th century, Gea has been constantly developing a wide array of Compressors for industrial cooling purposes. It remains as a leading brand in compressor technology development for both industrial and commercial uses due to its particular focus on preventive-and-corrective-servicing equipment.
Now, we find ourselves at a crucial stage of the cooling cycle, one where the cooling agent is going back to the liquid state, getting rid of the heat absorbed by the evaporator.
During this stage, the cooling fluid loses heat resulting from the thermal exchange with another fluid, inducing condensation.
As the cooling agent returns to its liquid state, it is then pushed by the expansion system, closing the loop and starting over.
The size of a cooling system will determine the capacity and features driving the choice for the most suitable Condensation Unit.
The baseline Condensers of a cooling systems can be water, air, or evaporation-based.
Krack has enjoyed a history of development, manufacturing, servicing, and selling of heat exchange equipment. Today, it is ranked as one of the top leading companies in the industry.
The Krack Condensing Unit line has a number of strategic advantages. These are one of the most resorted-to models, and their main features:
The Krack H Series Condensing Units are ideal for both outer and inner use, as it is fit for outdoor use.
In the event it is used within cooling chambers at, say, supermarkets, this series also has a high-resistance option.
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More about the Krack- HI/HO Condensing Units
One of the most important features of a KOZ Unit is a Copeland Scroll Compressor which helps lower the potential malfunction caused by pipeline weariness. This configuration is suggested for cooling chambers operating at -23.3 degrees Celsius (10 Degrees Fahrenheit)
More about Krack-Koz Condensing Units
In the spirit of more eco-friendly cooling solutions, Krack underscores its air-cooling Microchannel Condenser.
This unit reduces in up to 75% the cooling agent load, and so it is environmentally friendly.
Its weight can reach up to 40% less than that of conventional condensers, and so it is easy to install, and cost-reducing when building it due to its small size.
More about the Microchannel Condenser
If you want to know more about the units, and the most suitable type for your needs, click on the following link.
To choose the right Condensing Unit, you must consider the cooling, expansion, and compression power of other systems. Likewise, environmental, geographical, and use factors are also borne in mind.
Just like any other type of cooling system, it's up to an expert to make sure the condensation equipment is compatible with the remaining project components.
We have mentioned that the expansion system is responsible for pushing the cooling agent into the evaporator. To this end, pressure is applied so that the cooling agent could be turned into small droplets and thus facilitate the evaporation. This is a process similar to what happens with sprayers.
Typically, the system revolves around an Expansion Valve, which is highly accurate and sophistically designed with respect to its pressure mechanism.
Such expansion system controls the liquid cooling agent intake, and holds sustained overheating upon its exhaustion.
It is responsible for cooling fluid intake control into the direct expansion evaporator, holding up vapor reheating at the outlet.
In a similar fashion, the TSV controls reheating, i.e. the difference between the actual cooling agent temperature and the saturation temperature which corresponds to the suction pressure at the sensor light bulb. When reheating is handled, the valve leaves operating room along most of the Evaporator's surface, and, at the same time, it prevents the cooling fluid from reentering the Compressor.
Consiste en una Válvula de Expansión Termostática estándar con un elemento Level Master. La combinación da origen a un control de nivel de líquido muy efectivo con un dispositivo de expansión estándar.
In order to quote and define the type of Expansion Valve your project needs, we must take into consideration 3 fundamental components:
In order to pick the most suitable evaporation equipment for your project, a number of factors must be considered:
The cooling agent is paramount for the choice of system equipment. For instance, the evaporators for fluorinated or CO2-based cooling agents can be installed with copper pipelines and aluminum sides. On the other hand, the evaporators which used ammonia as cooling agent must be made up of stainless steel.
The evaporator needed for the cooling chamber must bear the necessary power and reach to make up for the product as a whole. The reach features, or arrow, are detailed in each evaporation equipment catalogue.
Evaporators can be placed in a number of fashions, whether aligned, collated, or sided. The evaporator configuration must be done so that all areas are covered. Important: They are never placed one across the next.
The cooling power needed for the equipment is given by the product's thermal load, i.e. the amount of heat to be released from the cooling chamber.
In order to know this, the cooling expert must run some calculations using dedicated software.
Among the analyzed items are outdoor, indoor, building and product conditions.
Coil separation will help level the temperature wanted for product preservation. The fewer the coil-per-inch ratio, the lower the temperature.
After the cooling needs have been established, the type of Condenser, as well as the number of fans needed and their dimensions, could be chosen.
We need to consider the fact that fans with smaller diameters have less power, and so more fans will be needed to reach the cooling power desired.
This is a comprehensive cooling device with various applications, the most common of which is AC, but which is also applied to industrial cooling projects.
It can also work as a heater when in heat-pump mode.
The water-cooling Chiller has a higher cooling power. It is used for larger-scale applications, like in buildings or within some industries. Because this piece of equipment leaves a smaller environmental footprint, it has a more widespread use.
More about water-cooling chillers
On the other hand, the air-cooling chiller has a lower cooling capacity, but it is also low maintenance because it is not affected by water adhesion. It is mainly used for smaller-scale applications.
More about the air-cooling Chiller
Drake Refrigeration, Inc. is a leading brand when it comes to Chillers and water-and-air-cooling systems since 1972. It features comprehensive lines ranging from 1/4 to 200 hp, and from 1/4 to 60 tons, depending on each system's needs.
A chiller cost mainly depends on 2 factors:
These amounts will help the cooling engineer to run some calculations and benchmark the equipment's implementation or application:
When referring to a Plate Heat Exhanger, we speak about a piece of technology which performs heat exchange or transference between two fluids within a cooling system. This is done by means of aligned metal plates.
Compression > Condensation > Expansion > Evaporation
The plate-based heat exchange technology performs the following:
At the beginning of the noughties, Alfa Laval developed and released a 100% stainless-steel heat exchanger called AlfaNova. This Heat Exchanger is a first of its kind as the corrugated plates merge with the help of a groundbreaking technology patented by Alfa Laval: Alfa Fusion.
The resulting plates have an even microstructure present in all heat exchangers which provides toughness, cleanliness, and high resistance to corrosion.
To quote a design for a Heat exchanger, a number of factors need to be considered:
To quote a Plate Heat Exchanger, you need to have the actual details, to be further looked into by a cooling expert, so that advice could be given on the type of design and materials.
Thermal Insulating Panels are important components when it comes to product preservations in cooling chambers (a.k.a fridge chambers).
To design them, we need to take into account the relative humidity, and the thermal load inside a cooling chamber. In this way, the material and panels can be determined so that optimal temperature at our cooling facility can be attained.
Isocindu is the result of the merge between ISOPAN, a specialized thermal solution company, and CINDU, an organization devoted to thermal insulating material design and marketing.
There are two products which stand out from their panel line:
A sandwich-type coating panel used for industrial and commercial building walls. It features the following:
More about the Isoparate Box Isolating Panel
Double-coated metal panel with stiff PUR foam isolation for covers or roofs. Less than 7% slope. Ideal for industrial, commercial and agro-zootechnical facilities.
A chamber's dimensions are paramount to determine the number of panels and their tailormade construction.
PUR is a material which has been proven to be highly efficient when it comes to cooling projects.
But, how is an Insulating Panel thickness determined? It all boils down to the cooling needs, the environmental temperature at the facility, and the heat allowed into the place where the cooling chamber is.
Taking all the project's cooling features into account, the thermal needs to preserve the panels inside the cooling chamber are determined.
It's important to consider that there will always be thermal loses inside the chambers as there will always be products being moved in and out by the staff, whose body heat also plays a role.
If you have any questions about how to quote the most suitable insulation panel for your cooling project, please check it out with our dedicated engineers.
As part of the 4 main pieces of equipment playing a role in the cooling cycle, there is additional equipment which helps reinforce or protect its operation.
These are one of the main accessories, which may vary depending on a particular system model, shape and capacity. Let's get to know them.
We need to consider the potential installation mistakes that can take place in an industrial or a commercial cooling system. We insist that the project have the most dedicated assistance.
Among the items considered when designing a cooling system are:
Froztec engineers installing an industrial cooling system.
The devil is in the details when installing cooling equipment:
Unfortunately, operational mistakes are the most common ones, and they are the result of the lack of appropriate training regarding cooling equipment operation.
Neglecting indicators and the lack of budget approval for preventive maintenances are at the root of most operational issues.
Whoever oversees budget approval for system supervision and management must bear in mind the key indicators for investment decision making.
An important challenge for a contractor consists of raising awareness in the end user about the importance of surveillance, equipment maintenance, and appropriate components, even if it calls for additional investment.
Maintenance plays a role in the production process, both quality, management, and finance-wise. This is due to the need to stop the cooling cycle in order for equipment to be serviced.
A maintenance plan must be though around optimization goals, more capacity, and fewer equipment breakdowns.
There are different ways to understand maintenance. We will walk you through the most important ones according to the top-consulted engineering manuals:
As the name suggests, it is a type of maintenance performed after a malfunction arises. The steps to be taken must be carried out by a professional so the equipment can fully recover. To reduce the number of malfunctions, a predictive plan could be created.
A predictive maintenance plan helps us to detect any future malfunctions likely to result in time and financial loses.
A comprehensive concept which outlines a process philosophy as applied to an industry so that the main malfunctions likely to result in loses and optimal equipment function are addressed.
Although every industry is different, the TPM as applied in a cooling system addresses such malfunctions by implementing processes, training sessions, staff participation at the industrial or commercial cooling facility.
At the beginning of this walk through the industrial and commercial cooling world, we spoke about the 4 fundamental processes which make up the cooling cycle.
Compression > Condensation > Expansion > Evaporation
In order for our goals to be accomplished by the cycle, we need to resort to diverse equipment with features, choosing the most suitable ones based on dedicated engineering and analysis.
Going back to the equipment, we have:
Tech experts can help you make up your mind about the most suitable equipment according to each project's purpose and budget.
There's no such thing as a difficult or impossible project. At Froztec, we have implemented cooling systems for all kinds of industries, from crafted beer to a chicken-processing facility.
We encourage you to have a look at the projects we have worked in
Complexity is figured out by experience, analysis and know-how about the technology we use for the purpose we need it for.
We suggest you request dedicated advice for your cooling project regardless of your location, as we have experts all over Latin America.
Get to know more about our history. Subscribe to our blog "Think cold", where we address a number of bullet points more in depth so that you gain a greater understanding of our main equipment and processes as regards the current situation of the cooling industry.
You can also reach us for tailored advice if you so prefer. We hope to be helpful in getting what you need for your cooling project.