Ice Bank Silo

Ice Bank Silo cooling profile and boundary conditions for energy storage

When discussing ice storage tanks as an Ice bank silo, it's crucial to analyze the cooling profile and boundary conditions in case if a high thermal energy demand. This ensures finding the best solution for the user's specific needs. Clients often prioritize energy savings and thermal energy storage operation for stored energy. In all thermal energy food and dairy applications as well as for commercial buildings and their air conditioning systems. Our energy studies show that an Ice bank silo, as a dynamic ice storage system with high defrosting capacity and relatively high evaporation temperature, brings the best economic results. Contact us for more information on how to optimize your energy usage.

Ice Storage or Chilled Water Storage?

Which is right for the Job for the energy storage?

Thermal energy storage is a crucial aspect of modern renewable energy generation for engineers and consultants in the energy industry. To meet the increasing demand for renewable energy and decarbonize power systems, thermal ice storage solutions are now more popular than ever. This cost-effective technology allows large amounts of energy to be stored for extended periods without requiring expensive equipment. In this article, we explore the fundamentals of thermal ice storage mechanisms and highlight how this technology can benefit your projects. Discover how thermal ice storage can help you meet your renewable energy goals efficiently and effectively. For uge air conditioning systems, our system can be an ideal option.

The primary use of this system is to determine the most effective way of cooling, and what proportion of the system should be divided into a direct cooling circuit (with a better COP) on the one hand, and cooling by stored ice (with a smaller refrigeration system) on the other hand. The beauty of ice storage systems is that they can adapt very quickly to changing cooling requirements. This applies in several respects, including energy consumption, energy costs, investment costs, and availability of space and electricity. When it comes to choosing between an Ice bank silo or a Falling-Film Chiller, our customers are usually faced with a difficult decision. However, it is clear that an Ice bank silo can be operated more efficiently in terms of energy by taking advantage of the favorable low tariff period. This not only saves costs for energy consumption, but also reduces the overall energy costs and investment costs, which can be a huge advantage for businesses looking to improve their bottom line.

Fastest possible product cooling and energy storage with small refrigeration systems

When it comes to energy-saving and thermal energy storage, an Ice Bank Silo is a reliable and efficient choice for your freezing process. Our studies have shown that this dynamic ice storage system, with its high defrosting capacity and relatively high evaporation temperature, provides the best economic result for users. By analyzing the cooling profile and boundary conditions of a project, we can find the best solution to meet the specific needs of any situation. An Ice Bank Silo, with its large ice surface, enables fast product cooling even with a small refrigeration system. This makes it an ideal solution for extreme load peaks, ensuring maximum power reserve and safety. The efficiency of dynamic ice production with hot gas defrosting of a Buco Ice Bank Silo is based on the avoidance of thick ice sheets on the evaporator. Ice grants the maximum power reserve and safety, making it a highly attractive solution for businesses today. Thermal storage systems, such as the Ice Bank Silo, provide a cost-effective way to reduce energy consumption in buildings. There are two types of thermal storage systems, full and partial. With a full thermal storage system, ice is generated during off-peak times of the day, when electrical utility rates are lowest, and stored in an Ice Bank Silo. This ice can then be converted into cooling during on-peak utility periods. Partial thermal storage systems use a reduced size chiller or refrigeration system in conjunction with Ice Thermal Storage for peak loading needs. Both full and partial thermal storage systems help optimize efficiency and reduce costs, making them highly attractive solutions for businesses. By reducing the amount of energy used during peak periods, businesses can not only save money on their utility bills but also reduce their carbon footprint, contributing to a more sustainable future.

Are you interested in our products for energy storage and complete dairy solutions?

To ensure top-notch quality of food and dairy products, it's crucial to maintain consistent cooling performance even at a peak demand. Our BUCO ice storage not only produces ice but can also cool water directly to 0.5°C with higher COP for improved efficiency in a kind of partial storage. The ice storage tanks' evaporator can be used as a direct cooler for heated return water, providing a much higher refrigeration system efficiency due to a higher evaporation temperature and cost savings on electric drive energy for any ice thermal storage. The system can be automatically controlled by a PLC based on the return water temperature, making it ideal for base load use of thermal energy storage. Optimize your cold storage performance with our BUCO thermal energy storage and improve your product quality today!

Method of operation

The water distribution tray at the top pumps water, which is evenly distributed over heat exchange panels ice forms and freezes into a 7mm-10mm ice layer. After a few minutes, the hot gas is fed into the evaporator plates for a few seconds via an automatic controller, PLC, to separate the ice surface. The ice falls into the silo and breaks into small pieces and represents the ice melting mode. The PLC Controller for the BUCO ice bank silo is controlled via touch screen. The PLC for data control and parameter settings of refrigerant valve station and electrical components, fully programmed, ready to be connected and used.

Thermal storage ice bank?

BUCO Ice Bank Silo advantages

  • Our ice thermal storage cooling system boasts an extremely high capacity, making it ideal for peak loads in the food and dairy industry with an immense cooling capacity or cooling loads.

  • With direct cooling options for ice water, it's highly energy efficient with low electricity costs, even in huge air conditioning systems.

  • Plus, our thermal energy storage is made entirely of stainless steel and has minimal refrigerant content, making it an eco-friendly choice.

  • Our full storage system also takes up minimal floor space as ice storage and is easy to inspect as the evaporator is not inside of the chilled water tank.

  • We offer a range of ice thermal storage tank geometries to suit your needs, and our ice production is perfect for energetically favorable direct cooling. Trust us to take your food and dairy cooling needs to the next level!

BUCO Ice Bank technical specifications

  • Energy storage sizes from 2,000 kWh to over 10,000 kWh
  • Ice storage evaporator for ammonia and freons in the food and dairy industry

BUCO Ice Silo applications and benefits

  • Optimize your food and dairy cooling systems with peak capacity boost and reduced power consumption and decrease cooling costs.

  • Use our ice storage system to reduce power peaks of a peak cooling demand and favorable night-time electricity tariffs in the electricity grid to store energy.

Buco Ice Bank Silo construction and dimensions

Typical dimensions ice maker
L (m) / W (m) / H (m)

Compact system: 2.0 / 1.0 / 2.5
System type BEE: 2.0 / 3.0 / 2.5

Typical dimensions ice silo
D (m) / H (m)

approximately: 4.0 / 12.0
up to approx.: 4.0 / 20.0