During the project, the consortium focused on the engineering the turbocharger, defining the features of the first installation, starting the R&D activities related to the introduction of the turbocharger inside the main compressor and on the manufacturing of the turbocharger prototypes, solving stability problems occurred, engineering the turbochargers for high temperature applications, defining the features of the first kit installations, developing the R&D activities related to the introduction of the turbocharger inside the main compressor, deepening the characterization of the refrigeration market, defining the business and commercialization plan and disseminating at different level the results of the project achieved.
The technical objectives of the project reached were:
- Optimization, re-engineering manufacturing and testing of the current prototype for low temperature-100 kW power plant application (LT3);
- To complete the design, manufacture and test of at least 2 prototypes for each defined operating power range for Low and Medium temperature as well as design the prototypes for High temperature operation.
- The complete the Construction of the first Cold Energy kit for a low temperature-100 kW application and field demonstrate the performances, in order to achieve up to 23% of energy savings for cold systems;
- To complete the construction (at Spanish partner Grupo Tres Mares facilities) of the 100 kW refrigerant plant in which the first kit will be installed for the field demonstration of the energy saving device;
- To identify possible alternative installation of the kit in order to verify on site the performances of the turbocharges;
- To develop the collaboration with Italian partner Officine Mario Dorìn for the definition of the alternative compressor in which studying the integration of the turbocharger directly inside the main compressor.
- To close the definition of the characteristics of the turbocharger container in order to create a product that is in line with international directives (PED, etc.);
- To define the manufacturing process and design the industrial production and assembling process
The commercial objectives of the project reached were:
- To implement measures to protect the intellectual property rights of the Cold Energy product;
- To deepen the characterization of the refrigeration market, in order to be able to define the exploitation strategy more effectively and consistently;
- To refine COLD ENERGY’s international commercialization plan, including the final costs and market prices of the turbomachine that allows to achieve a penetration share between 15-25% of European available market in the five years after first commercialization.
- To identify possible installers for Cold Energy kits;
- To provide TRES MARES with a tool able to reduce their energy consumption up to 23%, increasing their margin of benefits;
- To define a new business line for AVL and for ENEL;
- To expand ENEL.SI portfolio adding an innovative solution for companies in the cold-chain, taking advantage of their brand and channels to launch and commercialize the new product.
- To disseminate the project results to institutional and non-institutional stakeholders (industry, scientific groups, research) in order to raise awareness of the product;
- to start defining, thanks to Enel's contribution, the procedures for obtaining energy efficiency certificates for the product in Italy and to investigate about energy efficiency incentives in Spain.
