Cold / Eutectic / Holdover / Holding plates and Energy Accumulators...

[secrabtree]

For what it's worth since I am NOT a refrigeration tech - The engine driven compressor for my refrigeration system died and for many years I used Ice. But before we left for Mexico we decided that a 12V system would be good because it'd work even if we left the boat (on shore power first, later we installed sufficient solar). The refrigeration tech said that the 30 year old 1/2" thick holding plates that were on the boat were better than anything that was available then (2005) and he installed a Seafrost system using those holding plates. The system worked fine - except that the Seafrost mechanical thermostat was &*^%. We found, while we were in Mexico, that the range was too large. We had to monitor the temperature in the refrigerator and turn it on or off as needed. When we returned in 2009 I replaced it with a mechanical thermostat from Frigiboat and it has worked fine ever since. I could have purchased an electronic thermostat from Seafrost for aabout $250, but chose the mechanical from Frigiboat for about $50. Just MY experience.

[SV THIRD DAY]

The great thing about the world with the internet is that you have access to almost limitless information. The hard thing is figuring out if the information you are reading is accurate or not. So as a vendor when I see wrong or misleading information give about our products, I know if it's not corrected it becomes "internet truth". Now I'm not implying in any way that the wrong information being given was done intentionally, I'm sure it was either based on old or incomplete information. Living as I do on the computer all day for "work" (my Biz partner uses that term loosely in calling what I do all day work) I'm always available to answer questions. Heck, it's either that or work on my exterior teak!

Here are some views of the standard Technautics holding plates that we have been using now pretty much from day one back in 1968. As I mentioned in an earlier post, as long as you don't hit these holding plates with a hammer and puncture the 316 SS or damage the copper tubing they just last and last. The only moving part is the thermally adjusting expansion valve, which is replaceable. So barring an internal fin-tube evaporator coil leak these things can outlive your use of the boat. We do 2-3 old 120v AC/engine driven holding plate conversions to 12v DC per month, where we recycle 15, 20 and even 25yr old holding plates. I take a 25yr old holding plate in the front door and send the same plate back to the client with a new full warranty. That’s a testimony to the durability of the holding plates.

This shot just shows the fin-tube evaporation radiator sitting on a holding plate, so give you an idea of what’s inside.


We have these fin-tube evaporation radiators custom made for us by a company in Texas (we don't import cheap **** from China) so that they fit perfectly in the stamped 316 SS pan body. That's a LOT of surface area and it adds a great deal of efficiency over just plopping in a 12ft coil of copper tubing. Sure it adds costs, but it also dramatically increases the refrigerant/eutectic solution heat transfer and that pays off in daily amp usage at the end of the day.



Now here’s a photo of the back of the holding plate showing the seam weld that we use to connect the SS pan body to the SS back plate. We don’t just “spot weld” the pan and back plate together. Perhaps where that confusion comes from is that years ago we once used a few spot welds to hold the pan to the back plate while the assembly is rolled through the welding wheels on the seam welder. If this weld fails…heck even 20yrs later…send it back and I’ll give you a new holding plate for FREE, but that just won't happen, but yes, I will be around doing this and irritating everyone here on CF in 20yrs..ha ha ha.
Oh and this weld you are looking at is 18yrs old on the boat show demo plate we lug around.




Here’s just a ready to ship photo of one of our standard Down Left Holding Plates. We have 1" thick, 2.5" thick, 4" thick and can make a custom plate in about any size. Our largest is a 4ft x 2ft x 4" holding plate used in our off the grid solar Mega Box. (See Last few photos just for fun)



Finally, after setting some details straight on our holding plates, here is a view from my "Office" today...




Now just for fun...
These have the Huge 4ft x 2ft x 4" holding plate in them and are ran by two of our standard off the shelf CoolBlue compressor/condensing units. That's 1000W of solar (4-250W panels) on top giving shade and power to the off the grid box with a 400AH LiFePO4 battery bank[. It's set up to be lifted into areas with helicopter lifting eyes and the panels erected in about 30 minutes. 100% air Cooled and tested/confirmed to the Milspec temp 135-degs F for a mobile food service unit. We are just getting one ready to ship to papua new guinea for a remote refrigerationless village...now do you see why I love my Job so much? I'm just trying to figure out a way for the client to pay me to come out to PNG for start-up!

[Neptune's Gear]

Great Post!

Sent from my D5503 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app