Fixed PCA unit

ice storagefor aircraft

Overview
The Shenling Fully Electric Ice Thermal Storage PCA unit is designed for airport pre-conditioning of aircraft cabins using off-peak electricity to produce and store ice, which is then melted to provide cooling during peak periods. The system reduces on-site peak power demand and overall operating costs while ensuring rapid, stable conditioned air for aircraft turnarounds.

Key Features

• Available in inverter-driven or fixed-speed variants
• Ice storage technology to shift energy use to off-peak hours
• Up to 50% lower electrical power distribution versus conventional PCA units
• Maximum cooling output reached in ~3 minutes
• Cooling COP up to 4.35 (tested at 35°C ambient)
• Automatic modulation of cooling output
• IoT remote monitoring, diagnostics and OTA updates
• R410a refrigerant
• Compact footprint for simplified on-site installation

1. Ice Storage Technology, Greater Savings The unit produces and stores ice during off-peak periods (typically at night) and uses the stored ice to supply cooling during peak daytime hours. This load-shifting increases effective system COP by exploiting diurnal temperature differences; tests show COP gains up to 23% for a 6°C day–night temperature swing.

2. High Efficiency Multi-stage heat recovery and optimized refrigerant circuits deliver high energy efficiency. At 35°C ambient the cooling COP can reach 4.35. For heating duties, the unit can condense up to 65°C even at -25°C ambient, lowering energy use and providing an EER of 2.35 compared with electric heating.

3. Rapid Cooling Pre-start circulation of the refrigerant pump prevents liquid slugging and enables immediate cold-air delivery when the blower starts. The system stabilizes to maximum cooling output in about 3 minutes to support fast turnaround operations.

4. Integrated Design & Easy Installation The product integrates refrigeration, thermal storage, electrical controls and air distribution into a single compact unit, avoiding separate chillers and large storage tanks. Only basic power and water connections are required, reducing installation time and footprint.

5. Low Electrical Power Distribution The unit significantly reduces peak electrical demand and can operate within existing high-mast lighting distribution limits. Under adverse conditions, the distribution remains below 60 kW, roughly a 50% reduction versus traditional PCA solutions.

6. Smart Control An integrated IoT platform enables remote real-time monitoring, diagnostics and OTA firmware updates via laptop or mobile device. The system supports intelligent cooling-output adjustment based on ambient conditions and aircraft heat-load and automates running-cost calculations for simplified operations and billing.

7. High Adaptability Configurable for diverse climates and extreme conditions, the unit operates reliably from -40°C to 60°C and is suitable for high-humidity and coastal environments with salt-corrosion considerations.

8. Reference Projects Shenling PCA units are installed at major international and regional airports worldwide and are selected for reliability, energy savings and intelligent features. Reference sites include Beijing Daxing, Beijing Capital, Guangzhou Baiyun, Shanghai Pudong, Shenzhen Baoan and Hong Kong airports.

Technical specifications

• Voltage: 380 V
• Frequency: 50/60 Hz
• Air flow: 4,200–6,000 m3/h
• External static pressure: 0–7,400 Pa
• Cooling capacity: 157–195 kW
• Discharge (cooling): ≤ 2 °C
• Heating capacity: 75 kW
• Discharge (heating): ≥ 40 °C
• Cold storage time: 4 h
• Cooling time: 3.02–4.05 h
• Power consumption (storage): 26.9–27.2 kW
• Power consumption (cooling): 43.7–44.9 kW
• Heat storage time: 2.6 h
• Heating time: 6.2 h
• Power consumption (heating): 35.6 kW
• Cooling COP: up to 4.35 (tested at 35 °C ambient)
• Refrigerant: R410a
• IoT remote monitoring and OTA capability