In commercial kitchens, cooking is not continuous, but the exhaust air systems often run at full capacity. Ventilation is therefore one of the most energy-intensive systems there. Sprinx's Cheetah Energy Control System is an efficient way to reduce the energy consumption and running costs of ventilation systems. By means of optical and thermal sensors, Cheetah detects the amount of steam and temperature changes and automatically adjusts the speed of the fan motors with frequency converter control to the demand. Only when cooking is taking place does the ventilation run at maximum power. Conversely, when there is little cooking activity, the air exhaust is shut down appropriately so that no energy is wasted.
Cheetah can be installed in all existing and new commercial kitchens, where it will reduce energy consumption immediately after installation. The system can be connected to already installed frequency converters. If these are not present in a system, they are added as part of the Cheetah installation.
The choice fell on HVAC frequency inverter ACH580.
ABB drives control the ventilation fan motors in most Sprinx projects.
In our search for efficient products, we came across with ABB’s AC drives. We have been using them for a long time for all applications where new frequency converters are required.
Nicole Bosch, Director Sprinx Germany
The ACH580 has complete HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) functionality and works in tandem with all types of HVAC motors such as asynchronous, permanent magnet and synchronous reluctance motors. The drive comes with an intuitive control panel for configuration, use, and monitoring.
All essential features are already integrated, from the EMC filter to the native communication protocol BACnet. The dimensions of the inverters are the same in all available protection classes, which simplifies selection, installation, and commissioning.
Nicole Bosch particularly appreciates three features of the ACH580: ease of installation, ease of use, and high reliability. The latter is particularly important to her. "By monitoring the systems, we know that the converters are very reliable and do not break down. That's why we always use ABB AC drives." In addition, the coupling with Cheetah works smoothly.
When Sprinx Germany received the order from the Augustinum Group to install the Cheetah system in the canteen kitchens of several retirement homes, the ACH580 was also set again. The Augustinum Group operates 23 retirement homes in Germany with their own commercial kitchens.
Focus on lower energy consumption
In the operation of commercial kitchens, there is a strong focus on lower energy consumption. The energy management system of the Augustinum Group is certified according to ISO 50001:2018. It manages multiple parameters to optimize energy consumption and energy efficiency in the social service provider's facilities. The high importance of the energy efficiency topic is also highlighted by Paul Eschlwöch, an energy manager at the Augustinum Group, who is in charge of energy use.
In 2022, 172,000 kWh of electricity was saved with Cheetah at the retirement home in Bad Soden. As a result, Sprinx Germany was commissioned with the implementation of the remaining projects. A total of 17 sites were equipped with the monitoring system.
Managing Director Paul Eschlwöch is very satisfied with the monitoring system and is convinced of its success. According to calculations by Sprinx Germany, regulating the kitchen ventilation in the Augustinum retirement homes can save up to 40 percent in energy costs or a total of up to 200,000 euros per year.
Operation is not disturbed by retrofit jobs
The retrofitting work took place after the kitchen was closed so that operations would not be disturbed.
Usually, a retrofit takes about four days. During this time, the sensors were installed in the cooker hoods and the monitoring system was added to the frequency converters and the existing fan motors. Once installed, Cheetah Energy Control could be used immediately.
At the systems where drives yet were missing – ACH580 were installed - during the retrofit jobs – for the exhaust air and supply air fans.
Nicole Bosch emphasizes: "We use existing, well-functioning ventilation systems and make them more efficient by controlling the systems as needed with the help of frequency converters. The energy savings are equal to or greater than with new EC motors, and it is more cost-effective for customers."
Cheetah Energy Control System
Sprinx's Cheetah Energy Control System precisely measures the heat as well as the smoke and vapor generated in the cooker hood and controls the necessary extraction volume based on this data. Temperature sensors record the current heat in the extractor hoods and in the exhaust air duct. Optical sensors detect smoke and steam in the kitchen. A microprocessor evaluates the data and intervenes specifically in the control of the fan motors. The sensors used are specially developed for the commercial kitchen sector, i.e. equipped with stainless steel housings and shielded cables.
The system can be used in all existing and new professional kitchens of care facilities, canteens and restaurants. According to Sprinx, significant energy savings are possible with Cheetah, as up to 30 percent less air needs to be air-conditioned. Power consumption can be reduced by up to 50 percent.
