T
he Refrigeration Research Centre (RRC) in Lincoln is
the first facility of its kind in the world and precisely
models the essential dynamics of a typical supermarket. It
serves as the location for pioneering research being carried
out in collaboration with Tesco and specialist tech company IMS Evolve.
Scientists and engineers are currently working there to develop and
test innovative refrigeration systems that could significantly reduce the
environmental impact of the food and drink retail industry in the future.
Mass refrigeration is responsible for around 12% of the UK’s carbon
emissions, according to the university. With hundreds of thousands of
commercial refrigeration systems across the UK, there is “significant
pressure” being placed on the National Grid while they typically
represent up to one third of a retailer’s energy cost.
The National Grid has recently placed more emphasis on the
development of new mechanisms to manage electricity output at
peak times, as part of a concept called ‘demand side response’ (DSR).
DSR aims to stabilise the grid by managing demand and using power more
intelligently rather than simply generating more electricity to meet short
periods of huge demand, and in turn growing the UK’s carbon footprint.
The research — funded by Innovate UK as part of a Knowledge
Transfer Network — by the University of Lincoln, IMS Evolve, Tesco
and The Grimsby Institute, explores how to modify refrigeration control
in proportion to the available energy on the National Grid while also
optimising food temperature control. Working at the RRC as part of a
two-year project, researchers carried out a major industrial demonstration
applying DSR to food retailing networks, using IoT technology.
Professor Simon Pearson, director of the Lincoln Institute for Agri-
food Technology (LIAT), said: “Stabilising the Grid is a strategic national
priority, which is addressed not just from the supply side of energy
but from stabilising demand too — so-called demand side responses.
Maintaining a reliable and efficient network of commercial refrigerationAn imitation supermarket set up at the
University of Lincoln is poised to play a
key part in tackling the impact of mass
refrigeration on the UK’s carbon footprint.IMITATION SUPERMARKET
HELPS TESCO TEST BOUNDARIES
OF ITS REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS
systems is absolutely imperative, as
supermarkets use them not only to
keep our food and drink chilled but
also to prolong the shelf life of produce.
Currently, control systems use very
static control temperatures, but this
project is developing algorithms to
dynamically control refrigeration
temperatures. Successfully integrating
food refrigeration systems into DSR
mechanisms would have national and
internationally relevant impact, and our
research has shown that this can be
done while controlling food quality
and temperature control limits.”
Edward Porter, director of
IoT at IMS Evolve, said its work
had proved that “it is possible to
optimise the quality of refrigerated
produce while using demand side
response to make a significant impact to
an area which makes up almost a third
of a retailer’s costs and is responsible for
12% of the UK’s carbon emissions.”
Filippo Chiettini, energy manager
at Tesco Stores Limited, commented:
“This project gave us a valuable insight
into the safe boundaries of operations of
our refrigeration systems. It allowed us
to understand what degree of flexibility
can be safely exploited for services
like DSR. It also enriched our general
understanding of how different types of
food behave within different areas of a
refrigerated cabinet.”IT HAS ENRICHED
OUR GENERAL
UNDERSTANDING
OF HOW DIFFERENT
TYPES OF FOOD
BEHAVE WITHIN
DIFFERENT AREAS
OF A REFRIGERATED
CABINET”12%
Total amount of the
UK’s carbon emissions
that mass refrigeration
is responsible forhttp://www.foodserviceequipmentjournal.com August 2019 | Foodservice Equipment Journal | 13
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