WIKA

Refrigeration technology

Smart sensors for commercial and industrial refrigeration applications

Large-scale refrigeration is essential for so many applications today, such as keeping perishables at a safe temperature and cooling the facilities that massive data servers occupy. Thermometers, pressure sensors, flow switches, and other devices monitor and control complex refrigeration units. And since equipment like chillers, freezers, and industrial heat pumps work nonstop and sometimes in challenging outdoor conditions, measuring instruments must be able to perform reliably and accurately under heavy vibration, extreme ambient temperatures, and precipitation. WIKA offers a wide portfolio of high-quality sensing solutions for today’s industrial refrigeration systems.

Energy efficiency in commercial and industrial refrigeration systems

Industrial refrigeration, chilling, and air conditioning units require significant amounts of electricity to remove heat using a refrigerant, then transfer that heat away from the process. Thus, energy efficiency is a top priority for such systems, for both cost-savings and environmental reasons.

As pressure, temperature, and flow are variables that affect efficiency, it is important to install sensors at critical points for continuous conditions monitoring. For example, a pressure transmitter like the R-1, mounted between a high- or low-pressure line and the compressor, condenser, or evaporator, lets operators or controllers see that refrigerant is flowing where and how it should. Sensor like the TF44 resistance thermometer straps onto pipes to monitor the temperature of refrigerants, chilled water, and other fluids as they flow throughout the refrigeration system.

Industrial and commercial refrigeration applications

Applications for refrigeration technology are wide-reaching:

  • Keeping refrigerated and frozen products within proper temperature ranges in supermarkets and other retail sites.
  • Mobile refrigeration, such as for cooling the air inside commercial buses, passenger trains, and refrigerated trucks.
  • Chillers to remove heat from heat-producing equipment commonly found in semiconductor production, data centers, and machine building applications.
  • Industrial heat pumps, rooftop units, and other HVAC systems to cool shopping malls, sport arenas, school buildings, and other large-scale facilities to a safe and comfortable temperature.
  • Cold rooms to suppress microbial growth in food & beverages facilities.
  • Extremely cold storage to prevent fragile vaccines and other pharmaceuticals from spoiling.

WIKA, smart sensors for commercial and industrial refrigeration

Discover WIKA USA‘s wide range of high-quality gauges, sensors, transmitters, and switches for all your industrial refrigeration units. And as your facility adopts Industry 4.0 practices, our smart sensing solutions offers powerful connectivity, such as IO-Link and other wireless sensing technologies, for remote equipment monitoring and control. Contact our industrial refrigeration specialists for more information.