Defrost cycles in refrigerators and freezers are normally under control of a simple electromechanical timer which turns on the defrost at preset intervals. The problem with this setup is there may be little or no relationship between the defrost heater operation and the frost which it is supposed to eliminate.
A new device called the Ice Meister adaptive defrost heater control replaces the time and does a better job managing the defrost cycle . It senses the interaction between molecules of frost and photons of light. It conserves energy by operating defrost heaters when and only when frost is present.
As soon as frost appears on refrigerator coils, the Ice Meister turns the compressor off and the heater on. When the offending frost has been melted away and removed, the device turns the heater off and the compressor back on again.
Ice Meister can be installed on any refrigerator at the factory, or retrofitted in the field as an aftermarket product. The manufacturer says it eliminates all moving parts, reduces parts count, reduces cost to manufacture, and improves reliability.
Developers can get an evaluation kit for the Ice*Meister Model 9734-REFR Adaptive De-Frost Controller in four parts, including 9734-REFR sensor head, 10 ft of lightweight blue cable, Model 9733-CORE interface, Model 9733-DIN rail enclosure box with LEDs and screw terminals.
More info: www.NewAvionics.com