A climate chamber is a storage unit or walk-in safe where substances are heated or cooled, or stored at a constant temperature. Climate chambers are built by KOK Environmental Storage Systems for indoor or outdoor placement and in any desired size. The temperature range for which KOK Environmental Storage Systems designs climate chambers is from -18 °C to +80 °C.
Refrigeration and cooling systems are always electrical systems and are composed of a compressor (outside) and an evaporator (inside).
Heating can also be an electrical installation, but can also be carried out using steam or thermal oil. Connection to a central heating system or heat pump is also possible.
If a climate chamber must also comply with the PGS 15 guideline, the cooling and heating installations can be designed to be ATEX (Ex) compliant.
For temperatures between 18 °C and 25 °C, an “inverter” air conditioner is a suitable high-efficiency solution. The cooling and heating capacity of an inverter is 3 to 4 times higher than its power consumption.
If the temperature needs to stay below 18 °C, a cooling system is required. The necessary capacity is determined based on the functional requirements. Temperature control and monitoring can be based on local control or connected to a “factory control system”.
Steam heating is an efficient method of heating. Because steam at a pressure of 5.5 bar has a temperature of approximately 155°C, it can be used via a heat exchanger to achieve a high temperature in the heating chamber.
Large spaces can be heated with a ducted air heater combined with a box fan and an air distribution system. In this way, a constant and stable temperature can be achieved in all corners and at all heights of the heating chamber.
A finned tube heater is suitable for frost protection or for heating up to a maximum of 30°C. These heaters are available with a range of outputs between 250 W and 3,000 W and can be supplied in ATEX versions.
To achieve a temperature of 30°C to 80°C, an electric duct heater is used. The power is determined by the required energy and the time duration within which the heating must take place. Temperature control and monitoring can be based on local control or connected to a “factory control system”.
