sp.ICE Thermal Energy Storage - Flexible Cold from the Container

Highly efficient and cost saving cooling for buildings and industrial processes - flexible installation and integration options in existing air conditioning technology

The sp.ICE thermal energy storage, jointly developed by BEKA and GEFGA Energiesysteme, can significantly reduce the energy costs for building air conditioning and industrial processes as a supplementary component for existing cooling technology. Other areas of application are cold networks, emergency cooling systems and thermal energy storage for renewable energy power plants. At the heart of the ice energy storage system are capillary tube mats, which enable a particularly high degree of efficiency and fast reaction behaviour due to the dense arrangement and the large heat transfer surface of the capillary tubes. The installation can be made transportable as a container or underground as a basin below the surface.

Charging time of only 6 hours thanks to the heat exchanger with capillary tube technology

The reason for the sp.ICE's responsiveness is the heat exchanger with capillary tubes. These are arranged very close to each other and thus enable an extremely short charging time of only 6 hours until complete ice formation - and that already at a charging temperature of -4°C.

The heat transfer surface of the sp.ICE energy storage is many times larger than that of conventional ice storage tanks. In addition, the thermal resistance is extremely low. The small pipe diameter enables a high degree of ice filling. The entire storage space around the heat exchanger is uniformly frozen in a short time.

Strengths of the sp.ICE energy storage

  • Reduction of electrical operating costs
  • Reduction of electrical load peaks
  • Shifting cold production to times when tariffs are favourable (night time)
  • Shifting cold production to times of day with low outdoor temperatures
  • Secure cooling supply (emergency cooling) in case of power failure
  • Favourable low load behaviour
Spacing of the capillary tubes in the ice storage
Pipe spacing of a conventional ice storage tank compared to the transfer area of the sp.ICE capillary tube system
Chart - sp.ice energy storage charging cycle
Diagram sp.ICE charging cycle

1sp.ICE energy storage in building air conditioning

Ice thermal storage system in HVAC

The sp.ICE thermal energy storage system is charged with night-time electricity and provides air conditioning for buildings during the day. This leads to considerable savings in HVAC technology and energy requirements by reducing peak cooling demand. The sp.ICE can be integrated into the existing air conditioning technology, so that no major investment in new systems is necessary even if the demand for cooling increases.

The sp.ICE storage can be used for cooling:

  • Administration buildings
  • Hotels
  • Hospitals
  • Cinemas
  • Theatres and concert halls
  • Museums
  • Congress centres
  • Supermarkets, shopping centres, galleries
  • Exhibition and multipurpose halls

sp.ICE energy storage container for Merck in Weiterstadt

The GA-tec Gebäude- und Anlagentechnik GmbH from Heidelberg operates two sp.ICE ice storage systems with a combined storage capacity of 4,200 kWh for Merck KGaA to cool the offices of around 1,000 employees.

We will be happy to provide further references on request.

2Thermal ice storage for the generation of industrial process cooling

Industrial processes, e.g. in breweries, in milk processing or in the chemical industry, often have a cooling demand that fluctuates depending on the process. The use of the fast-reacting sp.ICE storage can help reduce electrical operating costs and avoid peak loads in the power supply.

 

Cooling of industrial processes

3Storage for renewable energy, use in cooling networks

Renewable energy sources such as sun, water and wind are often subject to considerable fluctuations. The peaks in energy supply do not coincide with the loads in electricity demand. Energy storage systems are required in order to use excess electricity economically. 

Due to its short charging times, the sp.ICE energy storage system is excellently suited for storing excess electricity and can feed the generated cold into cooling processes, district and local cooling grids as needed. This reduces the use of energy-intensive compressors for cooling, cuts peaks in cooling demand and ensures that the cooling technology is dimensioned appropriately. In addition, the power grids are relieved by the reduction of fluctuations.

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4Cold storage for emergency cooling systems

Emergency server room cooling

Due to the short discharging times of the sp.ICE, the ice energy storage is ideal for emergency cooling systems that have to react particularly quickly. The sp.ICE in the 10ft container version can supply a server room with a cooling requirement of 25kW with cooling power for over 40 hours.

Emergency cooling systems are used in:

  • Server rooms
  • Operating theatres
  • Process engineering

sp.ICE - thermal energy storage for peak cooling demand in modular design

The heat exchanger in capillary tube design enables an extremely high specific power density and a compact design of the storage tank. In addition to the design in stationary tanks, the compactness also allows the use in transportable containers. The container design is available in standard dimensions of 10ft, 20ft and 40ft with capacities ranging from 1280kW to 4900kW. Depending on the project-specific requirements, special sizes and other capacities can also be manufactured.

Installation heat exchanger unit

Ice thermal storage - block of capillary tube mats
Capillary tube mats - heart of sp.ICE
Ice energy storage with capillary tube mats as heat exchangers
Precise loading of the container
View into a BEKA ice storage container with capillary tube mats
View into the ice storage container
Ice thermal storage for thermal conditioning of buildings
Ice energy storage container for flexible outdoor installation

Dynamic thermal ice storage for efficient cold production

Product brochure

sp.ICE - thermal energy storage with capillary tube mats [3 MB]

How much cooling capacity does your project require?

Are you planning to modernise your building air conditioning or cooling systems? Our engineers provide support in integrating thermal ice storage systems into the existing HVAC technology and in calculating the required cooling capacity.

By the way: The transfer of the cooling capacity to the room climate is particularly efficient in combination with a BEKA cooling ceiling. Our ceiling cooling systems with integrated capillary tube mats have similar energy advantages as the thermal ice storage: high efficiency, fast reaction behavior and even cold and heat distribution thanks to large heat exchange surfaces.

Ceiling heating and ceiling cooling - one system, two functions