12,500 DWT Reefer Vessel — Multi-Zone Cold Storage Evaporator System
Table of Contents
Project Overview
A specialized reefer vessel operator needed to replace the entire cold storage evaporator bank on their 12,500 DWT reefer vessel during a scheduled drydock. The vessel has 6 independent cargo compartments operating at different temperatures: frozen (-25°C), chilled (+2°C), and banana ripening (+14°C). Total 24 evaporator units across all compartments.
The Challenge
The drydock window was only 21 days, meaning all 24 units had to arrive at the shipyard before the vessel entered dry dock. The multi-temperature requirement demanded two different evaporator types: DLS side-blow chillers for frozen/chilled compartments and KFS bidirectional blast freezers for quick-freeze operations. All units had to be interchangeable with the existing Bitzer compressor system piping.
Our Solution
Cold Storage Retrofit
- Frozen Holds (-25°C)8 × DLS-100 Side-Blow Chillers
- Chilled Holds (+2°C)12 × DLS-60 Side-Blow Chillers
- Blast Freeze (-35°C)4 × KFS-140 Bidirectional
- Defrost TypeElectric + Hot Gas (dual mode)
- RefrigerantR404A (existing system)
- Total Cooling1,840 kW
Results
- All 24 units delivered 5 days before drydock entry
- Bolt-on compatibility with existing Bitzer piping — zero modification needed
- Temperature performance: frozen holds reached -28°C (exceeded -25°C spec)
- Energy savings: 15% lower power consumption vs. old evaporators
Qiangbin Zhu
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