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EBM-Papst is developing a system that uses operating data from electronically commutated (EC) fans to estimate evaporator icing and call for defrost only when needed. In a reported deep-freeze study at -18°C, weekly energy use fell from 7.8 kWh to 3.4 kWh compared with timer-based defrosting, but further pilot projects are planned to test performance in other conditions.
EBM-Papst is developing a refrigeration system that uses operating data from EC fans to estimate ice build-up on an evaporator and trigger defrosting when needed, rather than at fixed time intervals. The company says a deep-freeze study at -18°C reduced weekly energy consumption from 7.8 kWh to 3.4 kWh, while further pilots are needed to assess the approach under different operating conditions.
The reported system analyses operating data from the evaporator’s EC fan as an indicator of icing. With conventional time-controlled defrosting, cycles run on a preset schedule even if the evaporator does not need defrosting at that moment. EBM-Papst says its approach is intended to initiate a cycle only when the assessed icing condition calls for one.
In a deep-freeze application held at -18°C, the company reports that weekly energy use for defrosting fell from 7.8 kWh to 3.4 kWh compared with time-controlled operation. The test used three to six defrost cycles per week, depending on icing, rather than a fixed cycle every seven hours. EBM-Papst describes the result as a potential saving of more than 49%; this is a result from the reported application, not a confirmed outcome across refrigeration systems.
The company says laboratory results and initial field tests support the technology’s potential. It is examining more than one way to integrate the functions: an EVCO cooling-unit controller that manages the refrigeration cycle, and its NEXAIRA Gateway, which could assess operating data and provide monitoring and analysis. Both integration approaches are still under development and are being validated through pilot projects.
Potential to Reduce Unneeded Defrosting
Defrost cycles consume energy, and running them on a fixed schedule can mean that a system defrosts when ice build-up does not yet require it. If the reported results hold in broader testing, using fan operating data to adjust defrost timing could reduce energy used for defrosting while maintaining the evaporator’s operation.
The reported comparison is promising but narrow: it concerns a deep-freeze application at -18°C and a specific test setup. Performance may vary with system design, operating conditions and icing patterns. For refrigeration operators, the practical question is whether the method can deliver reliable defrost control across different sites without compromising cooling performance. The planned pilots are intended to provide further evidence.
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From Fixed Schedules to Fan Data
In time-controlled systems, defrost cycles are scheduled at set intervals. The source report describes the problem addressed by EBM-Papst as unnecessary cycles that can occur when a timer triggers defrosting regardless of the evaporator’s actual icing condition. The proposed method instead uses EC fan operating data to assess that condition and inform when a cycle should start.
The technology is not presented as a finished, broadly validated product. EBM-Papst is still investigating how to incorporate its functions into refrigeration controls. One option uses an EVCO controller; another would use the company’s NEXAIRA Gateway as a digital platform for data evaluation and monitoring. The company says these approaches remain in development and are being tested through pilot work.
“Weekly energy consumption was reduced from 7.8 kWh to 3.4 kWh.”
— EBM-Papst, as reported by Cooling Post
Results Await Broader Field Testing
The available report does not provide the study’s duration, sample size, detailed test protocol or a breakdown of energy use beyond the stated weekly figures. It also does not specify how the fan-data assessment distinguishes icing from other operating changes, or whether the reported energy total covers only defrosting or a wider system boundary.
The source describes the results as evidence of potential and says further pilots are planned. It does not establish that the more-than-49% potential saving will apply in other temperatures, refrigeration designs or day-to-day operating conditions. The final integration method, product availability and any commercial rollout timeline are also not specified.
Pilot Tests Will Check Performance
EBM-Papst says it plans additional pilot projects to test the technology under different operating conditions. The company is also continuing development and validation of the EVCO-controller and NEXAIRA Gateway integration approaches.
Those pilots should help show whether fan-data-based defrost control can reproduce the reported energy reduction outside the initial deep-freeze application, and which control arrangement is suitable for deployment. The source report gives no schedule for the pilots or for a commercial launch.
Key Questions
How does the system decide when to defrost?
It uses operating data from an EC fan to assess evaporator icing and trigger defrost when the system determines it is needed. The source does not describe the assessment method in technical detail.
What energy reduction did EBM-Papst report?
For a deep-freeze application at -18°C, weekly energy consumption fell from 7.8 kWh to 3.4 kWh compared with time-controlled defrosting. EBM-Papst described this as a potential saving of more than 49% in that application.
How many defrost cycles did the test use?
The reported system needed three to six cycles per week, depending on icing. The comparison schedule ran a cycle every seven hours.
Is the system ready for widespread use?
The source describes the technology and its integration approaches as still under development. Further pilot projects are planned, and no commercial launch date is given.
What are the proposed integration options?
EBM-Papst is examining an EVCO cooling-unit controller and its NEXAIRA Gateway as possible ways to handle data evaluation, control and monitoring. Both approaches are undergoing further development and pilot validation.
Source: coolingpost.com
