SCAD SensiStat:
The SensiStat controller works with your 12 or 24-volt
holding plate refrigeration system and reduces your
battery usage by:
- Providing precise control over the thermal
settings, reducing excess running of your
refrigeration compressor.
- Allowing your refrigeration system's
compressors to run while the charging source
(generator, engine, solar, wind, shore, etc.) is on,
using "excess" power and minimizing battery usage
when your charging source is off.
How it works:
A typical thermostat turns on your refrigeration
compressor to freeze holding plates solid. The plates
are then allowed to defrost to a temperature
approximately 8° F
higher before the compressor is turned on again and the
plates are refrozen. The difference between the freezing
temperature and the “defrosted” temperature is known as
hysteresis or differential.
The SensiStat comes with temperature sensors that
allows you to monitor and display both the holding plate
temperature and refrigeration box temperature. Normal
thermostats do not take advantage of randomly available
“excess” power provided whenever your charging source
(generator, engine, solar, wind, shore, etc.) are
running and charging your batteries. Excess energy that
is available during the battery charging cycle can now
be diverted to help freeze your holding plate therefore
maximizing energy production
When the SCAD SensiStat refrigeration controller
detects charging level voltages from your battery bank,
it closes down the hysteresis to only 1°
F and uses the available free power to refreeze on your
holding plates. For example, when you are motoring into
an anchorage at the end of the day, the SensiStat will
automatically run your refrigeration compressor while
your engine is running and save you all the battery
energy that would have been used later that evening
running the refrigeration compressor directly off the
batteries, when your engine isn't running.
The SCAD SensiStat detects excess voltages which can
damage your refrigeration system and alerts you. In
order to prevent damage the SensiStat does not over-ride
the differential when excess voltages are present.
The SensiStat Economizer gives you complete
control over your refrigeration system.
You can program the SCAD SensiStat to ignore
extra power (such as while on shore power) or even force
a freezing of the holding plates for up to 60 minutes.
Finally, although the factory settings will work for
most sailors, you can custom program the holding
plate freezing temperature, the normal and override
differentials, the displayed temperature scale
(Fahrenheit or Centigrade), and whether the holding
plate or box temperature is displayed by default.
