Universal control system for refrigeration compressors of all brands

Universal control system
for refrigeration compressors of all brands

The refrigeration and compressor plants in many industries may find themselves facing difficulties now or in the near future. This applies to facilities that previously installed compressor units from manufacturers such as GEA (Grasso), Mayekawa (Mycom), Sabroe (York, Johnson Controls), Howden, and others.

What should industrial specialists do if a compressor unit control system has failed?

what if the required model is no longer in production or unavailable for supply?
what if it can be supplied, but the prices are exorbitant?

How should one proceed in a situation where

if it’s necessary to integrate the compressor unit into the high-level control system of the refrigeration plant or the facility;
but the capabilities of the existing compressor control system are limited?

What actions should be taken if

the operating staff is dissatisfied with the current functionality of the control system (e.g., if the compressor unit needs to operate with a variable frequency drive or if extended access to settings is required)?

How should specialists proceed if

company management requires preserving the operational lifespan of the compressor unit, operating it at optimal efficiency, or reducing electricity costs for cooling production?

These questions arise from companies across many industries that use artificial refrigeration.

The team at LLC "Cascade-Automation" has decided to form a working group to develop a universal control system that meets all modern requirements for industrial screw, piston-type, and centrifugal refrigeration package.

I would like to remind you that the company has extensive experience in developing adaptive energy-saving systems for industrial refrigeration systems (Patent No. 2773622 dated June 6, 2022, for the FHP Optima adaptive control system). This control system has been successfully implemented in dozens of enterprises, demonstrating objectively measured savings.

The development of a universal control system for refrigeration units involved addressing a series of complex tasks

some functional blocks were built using the Big Data principles and continuous machine learning, particularly concerning the operation of the secondary compression ratio control valve (Vi) and its interaction with the economizer.

Particular attention was given to technological protections (TP) and interlocks (TI) necessary for the safe operation of compressor units.

While maintaining all existing protections from previous controllers, a preventive measures option was added. If any monitored parameter exceeds the optimal range, or if any parameter approaches a critical value, the compressor unit undergoes a complete or partial unloading, accompanied by an alert to operating personnel regarding a potential emergency.

The developed software package provides control for compressor units of any type. It also supports optional connections to additional equipment that is part of the chiller or refrigeration system (such as condensers, pumps, etc.).

Currently, the universal control system is being effectively implemented and is operating reliably across many compressor units.

All models of industrial compressor units available on the world market have received a reliable control system that is independent of the companies that have exited the market.