Refrigeration Equipment Selection Guide
Equipment selection sets your plant's capex, energy consumption and reliability for 15–20 years. This guide covers the key trade-offs for compressors, condensers, evaporators, controls and MHE.
Match compressor technology to load profile and refrigerant, size condensers for peak ambient, choose evaporators for pull-down and defrost cycle, and use open-protocol controls to keep future options open.
Compressors
Screw for 100 kW+ and variable load, reciprocating for 20–200 kW stable load, scroll for <30 kW light commercial. Prefer VFD-driven for part-load efficiency.
Condensers
Air-cooled for water-scarce sites, evaporative for hot/humid climates (best COP), adiabatic for a compromise. Size for the design summer wet-bulb, not the average.
Evaporators
Match ΔT to product sensitivity: 5–7 K for produce, 8–10 K for frozen. Choose defrost type (hot-gas, electric, water) for downtime tolerance.
Refrigerant & valves
Ammonia for large plants, CO₂ transcritical or cascade for supermarket & cold-storage duty, HFO/R-449A for smaller loads. Use electronic expansion valves for stable superheat control.
Controls & monitoring
PLC/SCADA with open protocols (Modbus TCP, BACnet, OPC-UA), IoT sensors, remote diagnostics, energy sub-metering.
Frequently asked questions
Screw or reciprocating?
Screw above ~100 kW cooling, especially with variable load. Reciprocating for smaller stable loads — cheaper and easier to service.
Ammonia or CO₂?
Ammonia is the efficiency king for >300 kW plants. CO₂ transcritical wins in cooler ambient (<30 °C) and where NH₃ safety class is prohibitive.