Thermal Energy Storage (TES)

With a typical ice making efficiency of 0.9 KW/Ton

The Process:
Inside the VIM freezer, water is exposed to a deep vacuum. The vacuum forces a small part of the water to evaporate while the other part of the remaining water freezes, forming a water-ice mixture.

The mixture is pumped out from the freezer as ice slurry into the TES tank until ice concentration reaches 50%.

In order to maintain the deep vacuum in the freezer, the water vapor is continuously evacuated from the freezer, compressed and fed into the condenser by IDE's unique centrifugal compressor. Condensing of the water vapor requires cooling water at 5°C (41°F), which is supplied from a standard water chiller.

During TES discharge cycle, chilled water at -0.5°C (31°F) from the bottom of the TES tank is circulated through the heat exchanger in order to meet the required cooling load demand.

A well-proven technology
VIM had been serving the refrigeration and mining industries since the mid-1990s.

A most efficient ice maker
Power consumption is typically only 0.9 KW/Ton.

A simple and low cost storage tank
The ice slurry is stored in empty tanks, with no moving parts.

Very rapid discharge capability
Rapid discharge maximizes flexibility for energy cost savings.

Environmentally friendly
VIM employs water as the primary refrigerant.

Reference Plants:

• Nine Ice Makers (850 Tons each) for mine cooling in South Africa for Anglo Gold, operating since 1995. The latest three units had been commissioned in 2009.
• The latest three units had been commissioned in 2009.
• One Ice Maker (100 Tons) for TES in Japan, operating since 2002.
• One Ice Maker (400 Tons) for TES in Japan, for NISSAN
  Cars' new building, operating since 2007.
• Two All Weather Snowmakers (400 Tons each) at the
  ski resorts of Pitztal Austria and Zermatt Switzerland,
  operating since 2009.