REF.BOX
REF.BOX is a technical software dedicated to the design, virtual prototyping, optimization and commercial characterization of systems and components for the HVAC and Refrigeration sectors. The software results from the long experience of the authors in numerical modelling heat exchangers and refrigeration units for domestic, commercial and industrial air conditioning and refrigeration. The Windows-based application is designed to effectively assist the manufacturing companies’ technical offices. By providing a robust and advanced calculation engine, REF.BOX frees up the designers from boring and time-consuming mathematical calculations, releasing their mental energy to focus on energy optimization and cost reduction aspects. REF.BOX is also an extremely detailed commercial configurator and coupled with the REF.WEB application, allows for an extreme characterization of company products.
Numerical engine:
REF.BOX is equipped with an extremely robust and advanced numerical engine based on a Levenberg-Marquardt type algorithm which solves the problem equations system. This is determined by the energy and mass conservation equations in the different components of the refrigeration units and exchangers starting from the thermodynamic cycle based on system unknowns (e.g. suctions and discharge saturation temperatures). The mathematical problem is constrained by the used-defined boundary conditions and by the thermal or refrigeration load, when assigned. The calculation engine is developed to solve systems resulting from the different market available refrigeration architectures including single or double vapor compression cycles, split-cycle cycles with economiser, cascade cycles and transcritical cycles.
The heat exchangers are simulated with dedicated models. Finite volume schemes allow the correct characterization of the operating fluids thermophysical properties and phenomenological coefficients variations. Two models are available: a) P-NTU for round tube and microchannel finned-coils with complete heat-exchanger geometric description and state-of-the-art phenomenological correlations for heat transfer coefficients, pressure drops and void fraction and b) CDUV (Corrected U-Value design) for all types of heat exchangers, especially those with liquid secondary fluid. This is an original model: the heat exchangers performance is accurately predicted in all operating conditions basing on the rated values alone, any geometric data are supplied.
For finned coil heat exchangers, a model with a three-dimensional finite volume scheme is also available which is able to graphically characterize all the round tube and microchannel coils possible circuits and to evaluate the effect of convergences and divergences in the refrigerant circuits and the frontal air maldistribution in terms of speed and temperature.
The compressors are simulated with polynomial models in accordance with the EN12900 standard. The model includes multi-frequency or capacity compressor characterization. For Danfoss Turbocor centrifugal compressors, an accurate original polynomial model is included for fast compressor simulation in the refrigeration unit. For compressors with frequency dependant operating envelope and dedicated controllers able to manage the minimum and maximum rotation speed as a function of the operating conditions, the unit numerical solver was modified to efficiently describe the real-life operation. The algorithm relaxes the load constraint to keep the solution within the numerical domain as constrained by the envelope itself.
Modules:
REF.BOX was developed as a modular software in order to satisfy and adapt to the specific needs of manufacturing companies in the air conditioning and refrigeration sectors. The following design modules are available:
- AHU: Air handling units for comfort applications;
- AIR: Air-conditioners for comfort applications;
- CHIL: Chiller for comfort applications;
- CLOSE: Direct expansion and secondary fluid systems for high precision cooling (data cooling);
- DEUM: Dehumidifiers for comfort, swimming pool and industrial applications;
- DHW: Heat pumps for domestic hot water applications.
- DRY: Air-dryers for industrial application;
- FC: Fan-coils for comfort applications;
- HP: Heat pumps for air-conditioning applications;
- HREC: Air-to-air heat recovery units for air-conditioning applications;
- PCHIL: Chiller for industrial process cooling applications;
- RACK: MT and LT refrigeration racks for commercial refrigeration;
- REF: Direct expansion and condensing units for refrigeration applications;
- ROOF: Roof-top direct expansion systems for air-conditioning applications;
- VCOILR: Ventilated units with round tube -finned coil;
- VCOILM: Ventilated units with microchannel tube -finned coil;
- COILR: Air heat-finned coil exchangers with round tube geometry;
- COILM: Air heat-finned coil exchangers with microchannel tube geometry.
Licences:
Three different kinds of licences are available:
- Single license: it is installed on a single local client PC and it uses its own activation code.;
- Site license: it is installed on a local client PC but it shares the activation code with all other client PC. Up to the owned number of site licenses PC can use contemporarily the software;
- Remote licence: it is installed on an Everbyte supplied remote server client PC and RefBox is configured as a remote desktop software, the licence shares the activation code with all other server users. Up to the owned number of remote licenses users can use contemporarily the software.
System requirements:
The minimum system requirements are:
- Local client: CPU Intel I5 or Ryzen R5, 16 GB of RAM, OS (only desktop version) Windows 10 or higher, updated to the latest version with WindowsUpdate, Framework 4.8. Communication between server and local client: SOAP protocol over HTTP (port 80). Communication between server and local client for data synchronization (between clients): 1987 port with SQL Server (only server licenses or for REF.WEB application);
- Site server: It is used for managing license keys and, if required, execute the synchronization between local clients (without REF.WEB). It is required to configure a server with these requirements: CPU Intel I7 or Ryzen R7, 8 GB of RAM, Windows 10 or Windows server 2016 or higher, IIS v7 or higher configured for ASP.NET v4 applications (hardware requirements depend from the number of the clients connected to the main server). The licence manager software requires needs a static IP address and your firewall must have port 80 open for SOAP protocol. Communication between Everbyte server/site server: with SOAP protocol over port 80. The address of manufacturer server is http://www.energyeverest.com. Communication between main server/local clients for data synchronization (between clients): you need to open port 1987 for access to SQL Server application.