NeoCharge can save industrial refrigeration facilities up to $200,000 (€185,000) per year in energy costs by “eliminating superheat” in direct expansion (DX) systems and lowering the recirculation ratio in recirculated systems, according to Danfoss’s Sales Director Hernan Hidalgo.
NeoCharge is a three-piece package consisting of a controller, motorized control valve and sensor that is designed to enable ammonia (R717) and CO2 (R744) refrigeration systems to work more efficiently. The controller is powered by a machine-learning algorithm, which also controls a sensor installed on the evaporator. The two work in tandem, monitoring the refrigerant quality and adjusting the flow as needed in real time.
In a DX system, Hidalgo said that running with a much higher evaporating temperature means using less energy, which leads to cost savings.
“Typically on a 300,000 ft2 [27,870m2] facility with 25 evaporators, if you’re running DX, our estimate is that you can save $150,000 to $200,000 [€139,000 to €185,000] using NeoCharge,” Hidalgo said.
“Typically on a 300,000 ft2 [27,870m2] facility with 25 evaporators, if you’re running DX, our estimate is that you can save $150,000 to $200,000 [€139,000 to €185,000] using NeoCharge.”
Hernan Hidalgo, Sales Director
The cost estimates are based on an electricity price ranging from 8 to 15 cents per kWh. When it comes to recirculating systems, the efficiency gains come from lowering the recirculation ratio.
“So if you have a regular system with 10,000 pounds [4,535kg] of ammonia, you can run it with six,” said Hidalgo. “If the end user wants to expand, they could invest in adding compressors and not more pump packages to send more ammonia to the system.”
Danfoss has advertised NeoCharge as “the shortcut to low-charge ammonia,” and according to data from ATMOsphere’s Natural Refrigerants: State of the Industry 2024 report, there are 1,230 industrial sites using low-charge ammonia in North America: 842 in the U.S. and 388 in Canada. ATMOsphere is the publisher of NaturalRefrigerants.com.
NeoCharge was released in October 2023, and since then it has been installed in 25 industrial refrigeration facilities, including four in North America, Hidalgo noted.
Retrofits or new systems
NeoCharge can be installed on both existing and new refrigeration systems. Hidalgo said the system can be installed on existing systems provided they have a Danfoss ICF valve station. On retrofits the panel only controls the liquid feed, but on “greenfield systems” the panel can control the temperature and defrosting, too, Hidalgo said.
“The beauty is that it can integrate with any system that is out there,” said Hidalgo. “So it’s Modbus communication, and if you have a PLC in place we can connect to it seamlessly. Danfoss can provide full end-to-end plant automation, but if you’re working with another company then we can integrate NeoCharge into that software.”
Latin America and CO2 systems
Inquiries about NeoCharge from end users have come from more places than just Europe and North America, Hidalgo said. Companies inLatin America, including Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, have also reached out. Hidalgo said the interest from Latin America centers on reducing the system’s charge as facility operators seek to place themselves closer to cities.
While ammonia refrigeration remains the primary application for NeoCharge, Hidalgo said that Danfoss has “been in talks” with a few facilities asking what the technology can do for an ammonia-CO2 cascade system or a transcritical CO2 system.
“Those discussions have just started, and we’re excited to continue the journey with those customers.”
