EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
Louw Coetzee explaining more about the methodology on how the calorimeter works.
systems make commuting, travelling and
transporting safe, green and enjoyable.”
There are 10 people working in the
R&D centre, including the site manager,
a test engineer, a technical writer, an
R&D engineer for mechanical, HVAC&R
and software, one for electronic, two for
electrical and three mechanical R&D
engineers. Wells introduced the team
during the event.
TEST CALORIMETER
This new R&D centre boasts a test
calorimeter to simulate any size of
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refrigerated body that can be found in
industry. This will be used to optimise, test
and validate equipment designs. Wells
explained the basics of the set-up before
handing over to Louw Coetzee, test
engineer, who expanded on the testing
methodology and design features.
A calorimeter is a measurement
platform that quantifies the refrigeration
capacity or heating capacity of a
device through indirect measurement
of the heat transfer rate. In the case
of refrigeration, the heat added to the
calorimeter is measured electrically
The calorimeter up close.
in order to quantify the refrigeration
capacity.
A calorimeter can be used to achieve
many purposes. These include verifying
and formalising a design specification,
troubleshooting a design, verifying
compressor calorimeter data, and
quantifying insulation properties of an
insulated body.
At Valeo Transfrig, they will mainly
be using a calorimeter to quantify their
existing product range: the MT-, Koolvan-,
Kooltube-, Cryofridge-, and R-series
refrigeration machines. One of the first
www.coldlinkafrica.co.za
measurement tasks would also involve
quantifying the refrigeration capacity of
their newly designed Trailer unit, the VT180.
The refrigeration capacity of a
machine can be measured by simply
measuring evaporator air inlet and
outlet temperatures as well as the
air mass flow rate. Alternatively, the
refrigerant-side condenser heat duty
together with the compressor power
can render the same result.
A calorimeter like the one at Transfrig/
Valeo does not follow these approaches.
Here the evaporator is placed in an
COLD LINK AFRICA • June 2019