Flagship Food Hall HT/LT Refrigeration Systems

When one of the UK’s leading retailers wanted to create ‘one of their big five’ food halls at a large out of town shopping centre in Essex, Space Engineering Services were engaged to supply and install the refrigeration systems.

Based on a consultant detailed design and client led specification – keeping to high standards, Space installed and commissioned two direct expansion R744 (CO₂) dual temperature transcritical ‘Booster’ systems.  These were to serve and satisfy the remote sales floor display cases, chill room, and cold room requirements.

The 2no dual temperature space packs were manufactured by our Pack Build facility and supplied in dual walk-in housing.  Positioned with anti-vibration mountings, the pack frames accommodated compressors, pressure vessels, filters, oil management system, pipe work, valves and control panels.  The housing was also fitted with access doors, ventilation grilles and louvers, lighting, emergency lighting, and power socket outlets.

Bitzer compressors were selected and featured critical factors such as energy efficient design, noise and vibration, space and accessibility, heat dissipation and weigh.  They were also equipped with the following:

• Suction, discharge and oil shut off valves so that each compressor can be safely removed from the pack without effecting the operation of the remaining compressors
• Crankcase Heater
• A suitable oil management system
• Pressure relief device
• Factory pre-set Safety Protection Switches – HP per compressor and a common LP
• Electrical winding temperature monitoring protection

The Kelvion gas coolers were located on the roof of the building, in close proximity to the packs.  These were designed to an outside ambient of +35°C  with a consideration for when the air-on temperature may exceed the ambient temperature.  When selecting the gas coolers, the lowest refrigerant operating charge was considered.

Each refrigeration packaged plant was connected to a common TCP IP based communications network, centrally connected to the clients business critical network.  Both Primary and Back up plant control utilises a “superpack” RDM pack controller.  Primary control and backup control are both be capable of providing full plant operation without dependency on the other.  The RDM Monitors suction and discharge temperatures,  refrigerant leak detection, and output from manufacturers leak detection / ventilation system.  The RDM pack controller is configured to fuzzy logic for controlling the compressor staging and variable speed output.

Our customer was featured on an ITV X series, with this high profile store being the focus of the second episode, just before Christmas, so there was no room for error during the programme of works.  Space successfully commissioned and handed over to the client, allowing a happy end to the ITV program!