The intelligent extension for refrigeration plants
Automated detection and control of ice formation
Electricity consumption in the cold room is reduced by up to 20%
Icing-related plant downtime is safely avoided
Our system solution reduces maintenance and saves electricity
This is made possible by continuous monitoring of the systems with new types of ice sensors, which for the first time allow direct measurement of ice formation at the evaporator. In addition, door and environmental sensors are used. Artificial intelligence (AI) is used to evaluate the data and control defrosting.
This method eliminates the need for pre-programmed defrosting of refrigeration systems at fixed intervals. The energy savings achieved in this way average around 20%.
How Coldsense works
Our system solution of hardware and software is designed for existing refrigeration plant control systems. It is compatible with any industrial refrigeration system – for both new builds and refurbishments.
We inform the plant when to defrost and for how long. The specific control of the compressors and expansion valves is still taken over by the refrigeration plant according to your planning. The integration of our hardware and software is of course done in detailed coordination with you as the expert.
Simplified maintenance
Fewer malfunctions
Due to reliable icing protection of all components
Predictive Maintenance
Detect anomalies with AI before they occur
Less material damage
Ice-related material fatigue on the evaporator is significantly reduced
Energy benefits
Fewer electricity costs
by up to 20%
Eligible solution
within the framework of your national roadmaps for green economy
Climate-friendly
due to a better CO2 footprint
Planning refrigeration systems for the future
If the evaporator of a refrigeration system keeps icing up, you need to check whether the defrosting is taking place accordingly. You can do this, for example, by initiating defrosting by hand and monitoring it in detail – a complex process with many variables. Is the evaporator actually defrosting completely, or is defrosting stopping too soon? Are heating elements or expansion valves functioning as desired? Where should the defrost sensor ideally be located to really ensure that the ice disappears completely?
Complex troubleshooting is avoided when you integrate Coldsense technology into the refrigeration system. Our ice sensors, environmental sensors and door sensors continuously monitor the cold room to ensure that it is always defrosted in time before the evaporator ices up too much. In addition, defrosting is stopped with pinpoint accuracy – precisely when the last ice on the evaporator has disappeared. This happens automatically on the basis of sensor data evaluated by software.
You receive a request for comprehensive modernization of an outdated refrigeration system. The reasons for this can be manifold: the old plant may no longer comply with the latest legislation (environmental compatibility refrigerant). Or the customer wants to adapt the cooling capacity to an increased demand for storage capacity or to convert the space from NK to TK. Often, modernization also pursues the goal of significantly reducing the energy and CO2 consumption of the system through technical optimization.
As part of the modernization, you not only replace the evaporator and/or the refrigeration unit, but also recommend that your customer revise the measurement, control and regulation technology to make the system more sustainable and energy efficient. For example, the old control system is replaced with a PLC.
To further optimize the energy consumption of the plant, you can also include the Coldsense extension, which is compatible with any control system. By integrating our ice, environmental and door sensors in combination with intelligent data evaluation, the energy consumption required for defrosting can be reduced by 50-70% on average. As a result, you can achieve a reduction of up to 20% in the total electricity consumption of the cold room.
Your customer demands an energy-efficient design of the refrigeration system. The system should only cool as much as absolutely necessary. However, it must be ensured that the temperatures never exceed the maximum value, otherwise financial damage will occur with quickly perishable goods.
To save electricity, optimize the cooling capacity during project planning, taking into account a wide range of parameters, such as the physical properties of the building and temperature and humidity loads.
When Coldsense technology is integrated, you can now additionally optimize the power-intensive defrosting process in terms of energy, thus reducing power consumption for the cold room by up to 20%. Our system completely eliminates the need for defrosting at fixed time intervals or demand defrosting with temperature sensors. Instead, the cold room is defrosted on the basis of real-time data and adjusted to the actual operating state.
References
The Coldsense intelligent defrost system works very well. In particular, the reading of the data, intervention and overriding of the Danfoss ADAP-KOOL open control make. We are freed from the problem of ice formation on the heat exchangers and no longer have to worry about defrosting.
There is no more ice formation on the panels of a freezer.
Michael Fänger
Cold storage and icing have occupied the refrigeration industry for many decades. The technology and the people at Coldsense have excited me from the beginning. The innovations created here will sustainably improve the operation of cold stores
Daniel Hattenbach
Frequently asked questions by designers of refrigeration systems
General questions
Hidden Item
What is predictive maintenance?
Predictive maintenance is a concept where potential faults/defects are eliminated before they can lead to malfunctions or the failure of the plant. The basis for this is empirical values and real-time data on the condition of the refrigeration system, which is continuously collected by sensors and evaluated in software. Using intelligent mathematics via machine learning the software calculates the probability of an approaching failure. This approach reduces breakdown-related emergency calls by service technicians.
How does Coldsense technology benefit the plant operator?
The Coldsense add-on improves the company’s carbon footprint and thus makes an important contribution to achieving the company’s own climate targets. The innovative technology enables a significant reduction in electricity consumption for the cold room of up to 20%. If the energy flows required for defrosting are also optimized, the savings potential is around 30%.
At the same time, the plant operator’s refrigeration engineers benefit from detailed live monitoring of the refrigeration plant and can reliably prevent icing-related material damage to the refrigeration plant and ensure that the cold chain is maintained.
What does the Coldsense system expansion cost?
Since we plan each installation individually, we cannot give a blanket statement regarding costs. As a guideline, projects pay for themselves after 24 months. We calculate the payback period in detail for each project during the quotation phase.
Is the system builder liable for malfunctions of the Coldsense extension?
No! In case of malfunction, the Coldsense extension has implemented several interception stages that protect the refrigeration system. It is very important for us to work with you as the refrigeration contractor to define how to proceed in case of malfunctions. An integral part of our service package is prompt communication with you in the event of difficulties in refrigeration system operation.
Is there a risk that the add-on will cause the temperature to rise more than desired and thus damage the stored goods?
No! Our system has multiple safety levels that limit both the defrost length and the simultaneous defrosting of multiple evaporators based on room temperature.
Is there a risk that the add-on will cause the temperature to rise more than desired and thus damage the stored goods?
No! Our system has multiple safety levels that limit both the defrost length and the simultaneous defrosting of multiple evaporators based on room temperature.
The last safety level has been programmed by us in such a way that in case of an emergency, our system automatically shuts down and reverts to the old defrosting method with fixed defrosting times. In this case, our team immediately receives a warning message and takes care of clarifying the cause and troubleshooting. This ensures that the temperature in the cold room is always within the target range.
Can I visit one of your reference projects with my customer?
With pleasure! Please contact us.
Questions about the technology
Hidden Item
With which control systems is the technology compatible?
The Coldsense system is compatible with all known control systems, e.g. Siemens, Danfoss or Wurm. Our system communicates with the existing control system via TCP/IP, Modbus, etc. and tells each evaporator when to defrost and for how long.
What defrosting processes is the Coldsense system extension suitable for?
Our solution is suitable for any defrosting method, e.g. hot gas, brine or electric defrosting.
What are the components that make up the Coldsense refrigeration system add-on?
Our system solution includes a technology and service package. Detailed information can be found here.
Questions about the installation
Hidden Item
How is the Coldsense technology integrated into the system?
We supply all the necessary components for intelligent defrosting, prepare an installation sketch/cable spider and coordinate the installation with your specialist personnel. The cable routing and installation of the components are usually carried out by the refrigeration system builder. We take care of the commissioning and the first inspection. There may be costs for programming or adjusting the refrigeration system control. These costs are borne by the refrigeration system builder or charged to the system operator.
How does the planning process work?
After a detailed exchange with your refrigeration engineers, an on-site meeting is held at your customer’s premises – together with you, if you wish – to inspect the premises and analyze the individual requirements. Subsequently, we prepare a consumption analysis, including a business analysis (payback period) and a custom-made offer. We closely coordinate the technical package and the planning of the installation with your technicians. After installation, our data engineering team analyzes the data collected by sensors and supervises the teaching of AI intelligence. After about three months, the learning phase is complete and the controller is activated.
Who takes care of the installation?
To ensure that the installation goes smoothly, we accompany your service technicians even before the installation through targeted meetings and provide extensive documentation material. For questions during the installation, our trained service personnel are available by phone.
About Us
Coldsense Technologies was founded in 2019 by three scientists – Stephan Bansmer, David Burzynski and Juan Velandia – who have built it on their many years of icing research at the TU Braunschweig. We are a young company, but we have experienced employees on board who will find the best solution for you with a lot of dedication and commitment.
How can we support you?
Contact us now for a free initial consultation – we look forward to a personal exchange with you! We would be happy to answer all your questions about AI-controlled defrosting of cold rooms and show how your company can benefit from Coldsense technology.