Design, automation and control of a two-stage, two-load-demand experimental refrigeration plant

This paper describes the design, implementation and automation of a two-stage, two-load-demand experimental refrigeration plant. The facility is fully configurable, since cycles with one or two compression stages, and one or two load demands can be set up. Detailed description of the experimental facility concerning its physical components, actuators and sensors is addressed, as well as low-level control and communication bus issues. The high-level control environment and its communication with the low-level controller are also approached. Furthermore, a well-known in industry decentralised control strategy is applied to a one-stage, two-load-demand refrigeration cycle, analysing some preliminary control results from an energy efficiency point of view.