LAUDA Integral XT Air-Cooled Circulating Chiller

Overview

The LAUDA Integral XT Air-Cooled Circulating Chiller is an engineered thermal management solution designed for precision temperature control in demanding laboratory and pilot-scale process applications. Unlike water-cooled variants, the XT Air-Cooled series utilizes high-efficiency finned-tube condensers with intelligent variable-speed fans to reject heat directly to ambient air—eliminating dependency on external cooling water infrastructure. This architecture ensures stable thermal output across fluctuating ambient conditions while maintaining consistent setpoint accuracy within ±0.05 K at –10 °C. The system operates across a broad working temperature range of –45 to +200 °C, making it suitable for both cryogenic reaction control and high-temperature material testing. Its robust stainless-steel circulation pump, integrated pressure and flow monitoring, and dual-stage refrigeration circuit (employing environmentally compliant R-513A refrigerant) support reproducible thermal profiles under continuous load. The XT series complies with IEC 61000-6-3 (EMC emission standards) and meets CE marking requirements for safety and electromagnetic compatibility.

Key Features

• Air-cooled condensation system eliminates need for chilled water supply or cooling towers—ideal for facilities with limited water access or strict water conservation policies
• High-precision PID temperature control with adaptive tuning algorithm, enabling rapid thermal equilibration and minimal overshoot
• Stainless-steel circulation pump rated for continuous operation at up to 2.9 bar pressure and 45 L/min flow rate
• Integrated expansion tank (5.5 L fill volume) accommodates thermal fluid expansion across full operating range, reducing risk of vapor lock or pressure spikes
• Intelligent fan speed regulation minimizes acoustic noise (<62 dB(A) at 1 m) and optimizes energy consumption based on real-time heat load
• Front-panel touchscreen interface with multilingual support (English, German, French, Spanish), real-time trend logging, and password-protected parameter configuration
• Comprehensive safety architecture including dry-run protection, overtemperature cutoff, refrigerant leak detection, and automatic pump shutdown on flow loss

Sample Compatibility & Compliance

The Integral XT is compatible with a wide range of heat transfer fluids—including water/glycol mixtures, silicone oils, and specialized synthetic heat transfer media—enabling application flexibility across chemical synthesis, polymer processing, and analytical instrument cooling. Its sealed circulation path prevents contamination of sensitive samples or instruments. From a regulatory standpoint, the unit supports GLP and GMP environments through configurable audit trails, electronic signature capability (per FDA 21 CFR Part 11 when paired with LAUDA’s optional software suite), and traceable calibration records. It conforms to ISO/IEC 17025 requirements for equipment used in accredited testing laboratories and meets ASTM E2877-22 criteria for performance verification of temperature-controlled circulating systems.

Software & Data Management

LAUDA’s PC-based ChillerControl Pro software enables remote monitoring, multi-unit synchronization, and automated protocol execution. Users can define time-temperature ramps, trigger data exports in CSV or XML format, and generate PDF reports compliant with internal QA documentation standards. All operational events—including temperature deviations exceeding user-defined thresholds, pump fault logs, and refrigerant pressure anomalies—are timestamped and stored locally with optional cloud backup. The system supports OPC UA connectivity for integration into larger SCADA or MES platforms, facilitating centralized thermal asset management in pilot plants and quality control labs.

Applications

• Temperature stabilization of laser sources, spectrometers, and X-ray diffractometers requiring low-drift thermal environments
• Cryogenic reaction control in pharmaceutical development (e.g., Grignard additions, lithiation steps)
• Thermal cycling of battery electrode slurries and solid-state electrolyte composites during R&D
• Calibration of temperature-sensitive sensors and transducers per ISO 17025 procedures
• Process simulation in pilot-scale bioreactors and continuous flow reactors where ambient heat rejection must remain decoupled from HVAC systems
• Long-duration aging studies of adhesives, coatings, and encapsulants under controlled thermal stress

FAQ

Can the Integral XT operate continuously at –45 °C?
Yes—the system is validated for uninterrupted operation at its minimum setpoint, provided ambient temperature remains below +35 °C and proper ventilation (≥1 m clearance on all sides) is maintained.
Is the unit suitable for use with flammable heat transfer fluids?
No—only non-flammable, LAUDA-certified heat transfer media (e.g., Therminol LT, Lauda AC 25) are approved for use. Flammable fluids void warranty and violate IEC 60335-1 safety certification.
Does the XT series support external temperature feedback control?
Yes—via optional Pt100 input channel, enabling cascade control using a process sensor located downstream of the chiller outlet.
What maintenance intervals are recommended?
Compressor oil and refrigerant levels should be verified annually; air filters require cleaning every 3 months in standard lab environments, or monthly in dusty industrial settings.
Can multiple XT units be synchronized for redundant cooling capacity?
Yes—using LAUDA’s Master-Slave communication protocol over RS-485, up to four units can coordinate setpoints, alarms, and load balancing without external PLC intervention.