VIPA 200V in use - Sochi 2014

Refrigeration controllers with VIPA control technology

When the major winter sporting event opened in February 2014, the participants experienced a premier. For the first time, the winter sports competitions took place in a subtropical region directly by the sea. The ice rinks for the various sports are located in the middle of the city of Sochi, while the snow and bobsleigh sports take place in the mountains 70km away. Udo Gurgel, the person responsible for many of the world's bobsled tracks, together with scientists from Leipzig, Germany, developed a new masterpiece.

Extreme demands on the control technology for the refrigeration machines

Artificial ice production for constructing bobsled and luge tracks is one of the most complicated tasks. Because of the particular climate of the city, it required expert knowledge to offer the world's best athletes perfect competition conditions. GEA Refrigeration Technologies won the contract for the production of the artificial ice on the bobsled tracks. Applications at GEA include cooling processes for the food and beverage industry, shipping, oil/gas industry, building and leisure facilities, such as indoor ski slopes and skating centers. Sports facilities in many countries use GEA ammonia refrigeration systems for making ice and air conditioning. For consistent competition and ice conditions on the entire track, ammonia refrigeration systems produce the ice on all first-class runs worldwide. Because of its efficiency, and other refrigerants do not evaporate as evenly over the entire route as ammonia. The Sochi tracks also used ammonia and were equipped with a gas detection system to detect and display leaks quickly due to national regulations. The control of the ice production and permanent monitoring of safety-relevant parameters requires very efficient technology.

Exactly suitable solution with VIPA components

GEA relies on the space-saving CPUs and modules of the 200V series from VIPA to control the self-developed refrigerating machines. VIPA Touch Panels also operate each aggregate. The touch panels are where to read important parameters and make manual adjustments. The touch panels also generate alarms so that fault messages get handled immediately. In total, there are four refrigerating machines along the track, each with a VIPA controller, a touch panel, and the components for the periphery.