Desarrollo de un prototipo de CHILLER para terapia de inmersión en frío con control y supervisión remota por PLC vía internet

Abstract

This project aims to design, construct, and experimentally validate a water-cooling system for sports immersion therapy applications. The system is based on a vapor-compression refrigeration cycle using R-410A refrigerant and integrates remote monitoring technologies through IoT to ensure thermal stability and user safety within a temperature range of 5 °C to 15 °C. For the implementation of the prototype, a thermal sizing process was conducted, determining a cooling capacity equivalent to 0.9 HP. The system is supported by an AISI 316 stainless steel chassis, whose structural behavior was validated through Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The construction process included TIG welding and the application of elastomeric insulation, achieving a refrigeration circuit with a certified vacuum level of 300 microns. Subsequently, a hybrid control architecture was developed, separating the power stage from the control stage, and incorporating a safety chain composed of pressure switches and flow sensors to protect critical components against potential operational failures. Finally, the system’s performance was validated through pull-down tests and load disturbance evaluations. The results demonstrated that the equipment is capable of reducing the temperature of 150 liters of water from 24.5 °C to 5 °C in approximately 80 minutes, delivering an actual cooling capacity of 2.55 kW. Integration with the IoT platform enabled real-time visualization of process variables, confirming the technical and operational feasibility of the prototype for muscle recovery environments.