KETEC – Research Platform Refrigeration and Energy Technology

Building on the industrial traditions of southwest Saxony and local educational institutions and companies in the field of refrigeration technology, a competence center for refrigeration and air conditioning technology is to be established at the Reichenbach site in the long term. In a first step, a superordinate research platform was initiated as a crystallization core.

Under the project coordination of the Chair of Technical Thermodynamics at Chemnitz University of Technology, innovative refrigeration and air conditioning systems and efficient energy storage systems are to be developed here, as well as the use of natural refrigerants advanced. Accompanying research work deals with the application of information technology and artificial intelligence in the field. The developed solutions will be used in food supply, for energy supply in industry, for air conditioning of buildings and district cooling supply, but also in the operation of data centers.

Fraunhofer ISE is involved in various subprojects focusing on high-temperature heat pumps with natural refrigerants, refrigerant-oil mixtures, improvement of recoolers, heat recovery from IT components, and optimized operation of the platform.

In addition, Fraunhofer ISE is involved in the area of training. The close interaction between research and training at KETEC will ensure that current scientific findings are quickly transferred into practice, for example refrigeration systems and heat pumps with climate-friendly refrigerants. 

Fraunhofer ISE's main activities in the research platform are subproject 6 "High-temperature heat pump with A2/A3 refrigerant", subproject 8 "Improving the design and operation of recoolers", subprojects 9 and 10 "Ice-slurry  production on multi-component base" and "PCM storage", and SP 12 System operation of the platform and its optimization.