Automated controls for ice rinks cool down costs
Moncton, N.B., ice centre leverages upgraded refrigeration system and Kepware plug-and-play communications software to keep temperatures just right
By Design Engineering staff | April 09, 2009
The Tim Hortons 4 Ice Centre in Moncton, N.B., is the city’s first multi-pad arena with four separate ice surfaces. Constructed in 2002, the facility was designed to incorporate a year-round arena facility as the focal point for community ice sports within the city. Housing four NHL-size rinks running 12 months a year, the centre encores substantial energy costs to maintain the desired ice conditions. A centralized ammonia refrigeration plant automated by a PLC-based control system was at the heart of the facility’s ice-making efforts.
The centre was motivated to reduce the overall energy usage at the facility by an increased community focus on reducing energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions. Taking into consideration that the refrigeration system at the facility accounted for the largest usage of electricity, it was a natural decision to take the appropriate measures to enhance its efficiency.
The 4 Ice Centre needed an upgrade to their current PLC-based control system that could grow and accommodate the complicated usage schedules. So it was in Fall 2007 the facility personnel contacted Keswick Ridge, N.B.-based TechCold International, a division of Advanced Monitoring Technologies Inc. (AMT). The centre identified TechCold as a solution provider because of their reputation for having engineered a 15 to 25 percent energy savings at more than a dozen regional rinks.
TechCold is focused on designing and implementing high-end industrial refrigeration control/energy management systems for various applications including food processing and cold storage facilities—as well as ice rinks. With more than 10 years of experience in providing control solutions, they were contracted to provide the necessary upgrades to bring the Tim Hortons 4 Ice Centre to a new standard of energy efficiency.
TechCold Pro-Act XP Arena Control System provides automated control over the refrigeration plant by controlling ice temperatures to within 0.5°F with infrared technology, offering consistent, high-quality ice surfaces. The Pro-Act System offers enhanced control by reducing the facility’s electrical loads through high-end programming that allows for automated control of the refrigeration equipment such as compressors and pump motors. This automated control effectively reduces run time on these devices, saving energy and reducing associated greenhouse gas emissions.
A user interface graphic is provided to allow facility personnel to set up event schedules and monitor how the system is running. By having the ability to monitor and control their system through the Pro-Act graphics, plant personnel can set the desired ice temperatures and schedule multiple events so that the control system can turn equipment on and off based on the system load requirements to maintain the desired ice temperatures.
In responding to the challenges, TCI looked to Portland, Maine-based Kepware Technologies for its communications software.
Combining Kepware’s KEPServerEx software and TCI’s high-end ice rink control system, the facility was able to implement automated control over their refrigeration plant. This means consistent ice temperatures, resulting in high-quality ice regardless of the time of year or the level of both rink usage and audience attendance. Any customization work for the communication system was done prior to the installation with the help of Kepware’s KEPServerEx software, which can be used as a simulator of the equipment to which it will eventually communicate upon implementation at the customer site. Kepware offers a nearly plug-and-play system with the ability to add custom graphics to suit specific customer needs that is often the case from one facility to the next. Custom graphics include such things as auxiliary control and monitoring of other facility equipment.
“Not only has KEPServerEx reduced the added investment required to establish communications on a project, with KEPServerEx, we install it, turn it on and we know it will work,” said Brad Watts, director of TechCold’s refrigeration control products. “It’s that simple.”
One feature that was requested by the Tim Hortons 4 Ice personnel was the ability to monitor the system from multiple client computers through the facility’s Ethernet network. This allows for remote monitoring of the control system not only from other client PCs within the facility but also from other buildings and areas of the city. Thanks to a partnership with Kepware, TechCold was able to provide the requested remote monitoring capabilities by adapting Kepware’s KEPServerEx OPC server software program. Because of the multitude of different facets of hardware and protocol technology that can be encountered with different projects, KEPServerEx has allowed TechCold to substantially reduce development time for these various applications through the program’s ability to communicate with over 150 different recognized protocols.
After the control system was up and running for only six months, operators noticed a substantial decrease in run time of the compressors and brine pumps. While expressing initial concern that the equipment wasn't running at night, TechCold explained that the system has the ability to float through low traffic times without any degradation in efficiency of energy usage. The Pro-Act system was set to maintain higher ice temperature during these times by way of the scheduling software allowing for operators to determine ice temperature set points based on the requirements of their facility. Depending on outdoor as well as indoor ambient temperatures, float times can be increased dramatically to reduce electrical loads and run times on equipment.
Jean Martin, operations manager at the centre, said he feels confident the system has resulted in substantial energy savings for the facility. He also noted that there are other associated energy savings with the Pro-Act upgrade in terms of the building’s heating requirements: “People have commented on the ambient temperature of the facility being more comfortable (warmer). This is a result of the refrigeration plant not running all night,” he commented.
With better management of the refrigeration system, the Tim Hortons 4-Ice Centre has created a more attractive venue for both skaters and their audiences.
www.kepware.com
www.techcold.com
www.moncton4plex.com
