Frigesco to apply flash defrost to heat pumps

UK: Frigesco is to use its recently acquired government funding to test its flash defrost technology on heat pumps.

Frigesco has revealed that the grant, an increase on the £93,000 DECC funding first revealed on the Cooling Post last week, will be used to fund joint research by Frigesco and heat pump specialist Glen Dimplex, to develop the flash defrost technology for application in air source heat pumps (ASHPs).

The flash defrost, which is said to reduce supermarket cooling energy costs by up to 20%, is currently undergoing field trials in working supermarkets with results expected shortly.

Commenting on this latest funding, David Walter, managing director of Frigesco, said: ”Coils on ASHPs operating in cool conditions (below 7ºC) in humid climates quickly ice up, and need to be regularly defrosted to maintain performance and reduce energy use. Existing approaches consume extra power, which can account for a significant component total energy use, reducing their efficiency.

“Frigesco’s system saves all the electrical power normally used for defrost, so applying it to ASHPs should deliver a significant increase in energy efficiency and an associated reduction in grid carbon dioxide emissions. It is a very exciting further application for flash defrost, and we believe it has great potential.”

The project involves designing and building a flash defrost system which can be built into new ASHP units. It will be trialled with a production version of a Glen Dimplex A16M ASHP, whose performance and energy characteristics have been documented across a wide range of climates.

The tests will be repeated and recorded after the unit has been fitted with the Frigesco defrost system, and the effect on annual energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions established to EN14511:2013 standards.

Frigesco received DECC funding of £145,000 in 2012/13 to support its development of a flash defrost for use in refrigerated display cabinets. Field trials have been taking place in supermarkets in the UK, mainland Europe, the US and South Africa, with results expected to be complete by the end of the first quarter of 2015.

Its latest project on ASHPs will begin in the New Year, and last for 12 months.

Related news:

Frigesco receives £93,000 funding – November 28, 2014
UK: The energy-saving flash defrost for refrigeration systems being developed by Frigesco is to receive a further £93,000 of government funding. Read more…

Low energy fridge defrost brings rewards – June 30, 2014
A new flash defrost technology, which promises to dramatically reduce the running costs of retail refrigeration equipment, is currently being trialled in stores across the UK by several leading supermarket chains. Read more…