Ice Banks
The Omega Ice Bank system is a technology based on storing cooling capacity at night and using it the following day to cool. At night when electricity is generated at a lower cost, chillers cool fluid and store it normally as chilled water or ice. During the daytime when electricity is more expensive the chiller is turned off and the stored capacity is used to meet the cooling load requirements. Lower temperatures at night allow refrigeration equipment to operate more efficiently than during the day, reducing energy consumption. Less chiller capacity is required, which means lower initial capital equipment cost. Using off-peak electricity to store cooling energy reduces peak daytime power consumption, forestalling the need for additional expensive power plants.
How does an Ice Bank work?
An ice bank is a package of Pillow Plates that is hung in a container with water. At night when the energy is low priced, the plates freeze the water in the tank. During the day when the power is more expensive, the cooler is turned off. The ice will melt into ice water. This ice water can be used to indirectly cool your products.
Advantages
- Excellent solution for thermal energy storage
- Reduces peak daytime power consumption
- Improved control characteristics due to low refrigerant volume
- Compact design that can be used for various applications
- Lower initial capital equipment cost because less chiller capacity is required
- Available capacity is constant compared to tubular systems where capacity is decreasing in time
- Large heat transfer area compared to the footprint required
If you want to know more about the design, request additional information.
