However, conventional refrigeration systems often reach their economic limits when it comes to large hall volumes. They are considered energy-intensive, cause high operating costs and cannot always be efficiently integrated into existing production environments. Infranorm has developed an alternative cooling concept for industrial halls.

Cooling without a classic refrigeration system

The solution is aimed at large industrial, production and logistics halls with high cooling and energy requirements. It is based on "Sustainable Hall Conditioning" in combination with two-stage adiabatic cooling (cooling through the evaporation of water).

According to the company, the energy consumption of the hall cooling system can be reduced by up to 95% compared to conventional refrigeration systems. At the same time, stable temperatures, controlled humidity and constant conditions for production and personnel can be achieved.

"Industrial halls have to be thought of differently today. It is not enough to simply introduce cold into a large volume. The decisive factor is a system that considers temperature, air quality, energy use and production conditions together," says Christian Lindner, Managing Director of Infranorm.

Heat as a business factor

High temperatures in production environments are increasingly seen as more than just a comfort problem. They affect the performance of employees, can put a strain on machines and influence the stability of processes and product quality.

At the same time, companies are under pressure to reduce energy costs and make production processes more sustainable. "Particularly in existing industrial halls, the key question is not just how to cool, but how to cool economically, sustainably and reliably," says Lindner. "This is exactly where Sustainable Hall Conditioning comes in."

Technical approach: two-stage adiabatic cooling

The core of the solution is a two-stage adiabatic cooling system. In contrast to simple adiabatic systems, the air is first pre-cooled via an air-water heat exchanger and then subjected to direct adiabatic cooling.

This process is intended to increase the cooling capacity and reduce the moisture input at the same time. In practice, the company claims up to seven degrees Celsius lower temperatures and up to 60 percent less moisture input compared to single-stage adiabatic systems. The aim is to achieve a room air humidity in the range suitable for production and technology.

The system also includes aluminum fins with a 3D honeycomb structure, which enable a larger evaporation surface and are intended to reduce pressure loss. According to Infranorm, the service life of the cooling honeycombs is up to five years.

Planning on the basis of simulations

A central component of the approach is planning reliability before implementation. To this end, site-specific weather data, the geometry of the hall and internal heat loads are evaluated.

On this basis, Infranorm creates an hourly and daily forecast of the expected cooling capacity. This enables companies to estimate the achievable temperature and humidity values and the potential energy savings even before the project begins.

References from industry and logistics

According to the company, the concept is already being used in various sectors. In a best practice overview, Infranorm lists applications from industry, production and logistics, including projects for hall cooling, fresh air supply, hall conditioning and air purification.

Among others, applications at WIHO Hofbauer, Profiform and GMT Wintersteller are mentioned. These projects combined cooling, air quality and stable production conditions in different industrial environments.

Systemic approach instead of individual techniques

The cooling concept is part of a more comprehensive system for hall conditioning. It has a modular design and can be integrated into existing hall and system structures.

Existing heating and ventilation systems should not be replaced, but rather supplemented. In addition to cooling, ventilation, air purification, heat recovery and precision air conditioning can also be integrated. The aim is to take a holistic view of the hall environment, taking into account not only temperature but also air quality, energy use and operational safety.

Classification for the industry

With this concept, Infranorm is primarily targeting large industrial, production and logistics halls in which conventional refrigeration systems reach their economic or energy limits.

Another aspect is the absence of compression refrigeration and climate-damaging refrigerants such as F-gases or PFAS. This also places the system in the context of energy efficiency and climate targets.

"Our aim is not just to cool industrial halls, but to make them better as a whole - more efficient, more productive and more sustainable," says Lindner. "Cooling as a game changer is a key component of this."