Climatic Chamber Configurator
Discover the Climatic Chamber Configurator
Our guide to choosing the climate chamber best suited to your needs.
Most climatic tests involve increasing the temperature and relative humidity to determine the reaction of the product or material being tested.
But what about the other side of the climate spectrum?
What are refrigeration systems and how many types of cooling chambers are there?
Today we are dealing with this topic.
Types of Cooling Chambers
In the industry, cooling chamber is an umbrella term that includes all those chambers that can bring and maintain the internal temperature at at least 0°.
For this reason, the function of a cooling chamber can be performed by at least three different types of laboratory instruments.
- Climatic Chambers and Environmental Chambers: Climatic chambers and environmental chambers—which can also perform climatic tests requiring very high temperatures—can even go well below freezing. However, they are more suitable for self-contained climatic tests, which are not the primary function of cooling chambers, as we will see.
- Laboratory Refrigerators: Specialized in achieving and maintaining very low temperatures, laboratory refrigerators perform the same function as cooling chambers and are often synonymous.
- Cooling Chambers Walk-In: the only case in which the term “cooling chamber” is used exclusively concerns those large chambers, called walk-in, which are not comparable to a laboratory refrigerator.
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Types of Refrigeration Systems
Cooling chambers operate with two main cooling systems: disposable refrigerants and mechanical refrigeration systems. Let's look at them in detail.
Disposable refrigerants, as the name suggests, involve the use of refrigerants that are used only once in the cooling process and subsequently discarded. The most common laboratory refrigerants are ice and liquid nitrogen. They are primarily used for single tests where cooling is only required for a limited period or where ease of use and safety are paramount.
Mechanical refrigeration systems, on the other hand, are more similar to those used in common home refrigerators. They are the most common. The thermodynamic cycle uses a refrigerant to remove heat from an environment and cool it. The main components of a mechanical refrigeration system include the compressor, condenser, evaporator, and expander. The refrigerant is compressed, cooled, evaporated, and then expanded to create the cooling cycle.
Uses of Cooling Chambers
The main use of cooling chambers is the storage of products and materials that must be kept at very low temperatures.
Three sectors are most involved: food, pharmaceuticals, and scientific research.
Walk-in refrigerators are mostly used in the food industry to store a large number of products, while laboratory refrigerators, more practical and compact, are used in the pharmaceutical industry and in scientific research institutes .
The main international standard that regulates the matter is ISO 23953 which provides guidelines on the classification, requirements and test conditions for countertop and non-countertop refrigerators used for professional purposes.
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FDM Laboratory Refrigerators
FDM – Environment Makers offers awide range of laboratory refrigerators and freezers capable of storing all the products and materials we have discussed.
For any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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Reference Standards
- EN 378 (series 1-4) — Refrigerating systems and heat pumps — Safety and environmental requirements
- ASHRAE Standard 34 — Designation and Safety Classification of Refrigerants
- ISO 817 — Refrigerants — Designation and safety classification
- EU Regulation 517/2014 (F-Gas) — Fluorinated greenhouse gases
- EU Regulation 2024/573 — F-Gas Phase-Down Revision for HFCs
- IEC 60335-2-89 — Safety for commercial refrigerating appliances
Authoritative Sources
- EU Commission — F-Gas Regulation.
- ASHRAE — American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
- AiCARR — Italian Association of Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration.
Frequently Asked Questions about Refrigeration Systems
What refrigerant gases are used in climatic chambers today?
The F-Gas 2024/573 phase-down is eliminating gases with high GWP (Global Warming Potential). Current gases: R-449A, R-452A (HFC/HFO blend, GWP ~1400-1900, exiting); R-454C, R-455A (HFO blend low-GWP ~150-250, new standard); R-290 propane (GWP 3, natural, flammable A3 class 2 ATEX); R-744 CO₂ (GWP 1, high pressure 80+ bar, for ultra-freezers and commercial refrigeration); R-170 ethane and R-508B cascade for very low temperatures (-80°C and below).
How do you reach -80°C in a chamber?
With a two-stage cascade system : the first stage uses R-449A/R-404A to cool to -40°C, while the second stage uses R-508B (GWP 13,400 — outlet) or R-170 (natural ethane) to cool to -80°C. Modern systems use eco-friendly R-290/R-170 or R-744/R-170 cascades . Three cascade stages with R-14 (tetrafluoromethane) or Joule-Thomson expansion with helium gas are required for -150°C . Emerging alternatives include a refrigerant-free Stirling cryocooler for -186°C
Direct vs. Indirect Refrigeration: Which Should You Choose?
Direct: evaporator inside the chamber, maximum heat exchange, lower cost, but risk of gas leaks in the chamber and local non-uniformity. Indirect (with glycol or brine): external exchanger + heat transfer fluid circuit in the chamber, greater uniformity (±0.3°C) and safety (no refrigerant inside), cost +20-30%. For ICH stability chambers and pharmaceutical applications, indirect is always preferred.
What are the mandatory checks for F-Gas refrigerated chambers?
For systems containing ≥5 tonnes CO₂ equivalent (approximately 1.3 kg R-404A or 2.3 kg R-134a): (1) Annual leak check by an F-Gas certified technician; (2) Equipment register with traceability of loadings/rechargings; (3) Mandatory recovery at end of life; (4) Installer with F-Gas certification EU Reg 517/2014. Exceeding 500 t CO₂eq requires an automatic leak detection system.
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