Frequency converters for the HVAC/R industry

The HVAC/R industry is facing significant pressure to adapt: the F-Gas Regulation, stricter efficiency requirements, new refrigerants, and growing demands for operational safety and serviceability. One aspect is therefore becoming increasingly critical: load adjustment and system control in real-world operation—and thus the use of variable frequency drives (VFDs) or inverters as a key efficiency and performance module.

KRIWAN is making a concerted entry into the field of power electronics—with the goal of combining HVAC/R-specific drive control with application expertise.

Why Frequency Converters Are Key in Refrigeration Technology

Part-load operation is common in many systems. While traditional approaches (on/off, mechanical power adjustment) often operate in cycles, a variable frequency drive (VFD) enables stepless speed control of the compressor. This has a direct impact on:

• System efficiency (COP) through demand-based power output
• More stable process control of temperature, pressure, and superheat
• Reduction of inrush currents and mechanical stress (soft start/soft stop)
• Lower noise emissions through optimized speed profiles
• Greater transparency for diagnostics, service, and system optimization

The variable frequency drive (VFD) is thus not “just a speed controller,” but becomes the control and protection module for the entire system.

KRIWAN: HVAC/R experience that feeds back into the frequency converter

KRIWAN has been a leader in electronic solutions for refrigeration technology for decades. We are now applying this expertise specifically to develop frequency converters designed with HVAC/R requirements in mind.

This means: a focus on application limits, protection concepts, control behavior, and ease of commissioning.

We are making targeted investments in the necessary development and manufacturing capabilities and building a scalable product family that will address different power ranges, applications, and system architectures in HVAC/R. The first development targets power classes from 11 to 18.5 kW. More will follow.

Customized solutions when it matters most

Since no two systems are alike, we support series integration with, for example:

• customized control and protection functions
• appropriate interfaces for system control
• project-specific characteristic curves and operating limits
• as well as housing and thermal design concepts, including derating.

The goal is a frequency converter that delivers measurable technical and economic benefits within the overall system. To get started quickly, we work together to clarify: compressor/motor data and speed range, refrigerant and operating window, required interfaces and diagnostics, as well as standards, quantities, and schedule.