Hamilton Storage
Natural Cooling
150 g instead of 3 kg
Full power, natural refrigerant
ThermodynamX has a long-standing partnership with Hamilton Storage. Hamilton Storage is an innovation leader and pioneer in the field of automated storage systems for the life sciences. As early as 2018, Hamilton Storage began gradually transitioning its product portfolio to natural refrigerants. ThermodynamX was involved from the start and collaborated with Hamilton to develop the cooling system for the “Verso Q-Series” small-scale storage system. With the introduction of the new cooling system for the universal Verso platform in February 2026, this goal was fully achieved: All storage system platforms now operate with a natural refrigerant. We at ThermodynamX are proud to have supported our customers throughout this entire transition—from the initial development stage through to completion.
Background and Requirements
When developing the new cooling system for the Verso platform, Hamilton set high standards for various criteria. In addition to the switch to natural refrigerants and the associated safety requirements, the company also focused on the following criteria: low noise emissions, a compact design, short installation and repair times, and a reduction in the number of variants. The latter is particularly important because, as a global company, Hamilton installs systems in countries with different mains voltages and frequencies. In addition, the new cooling unit had to cover the entire temperature range from +20°C to -20°C.
https://www.hamiltoncompany.com/ambient-plus-4-minus-20-sample-storage/verso-dx, 22.05.2026
Development
ThermodynamX conducted a feasibility study for a novel concept over the course of a few weeks. An agile development approach was adopted, allowing critical components to be evaluated, tested, and refined rapidly. Short iteration cycles provided early confirmation that the shift in concept was the right path forward, while also enabling the project team to respond immediately to new insights. ThermodynamX was responsible for developing the refrigeration circuit, including defining and procuring the components—some of which were custom-made—and programming the unit’s control system. The company also handled a significant portion of the design engineering work. The Hamilton Storage team managed project leadership, electronics development, and the integration and interaction of the new concept with the cooling chamber. Assembly and commissioning of the alpha prototypes and pre-production units took place at the Grabs facility. Following an initial testing phase in Grabs, the prototypes were transferred to Hamilton Storage for extensive application testing. The optimization measures derived from these tests are being incorporated directly into the industrialization process, which was already underway alongside the testing phase. All activities and results were consolidated and coordinated through regular meetings held either online or at appropriate locations.
As a result, a monoblock refrigeration unit entered serial production in early 2026; it is manufactured, charged, and tested at the factory as a complete hermetic system. The new cooling system boasts numerous advantages.
“The insulation and sealing system in the new concept combines state-of-the-art materials in an intelligent way to meet the high requirements.” Bernhard Vetsch
Acoustic emission
The -20°C cooling system operates according to demand by varying the speeds of the compressors and fans. Typically, the Verso platform’s total cooling load is met by multiple monoblock units working in tandem, with their combined capacity matching the requirements. Since the platform requires a redundant cooling system, more units are installed than strictly necessary to meet the load—a feature that is deliberately leveraged to significantly lower noise levels. During normal operation, the control system activates all installed monoblocks, which meet the cooling demand collectively at low speeds. If a unit fails, or during a defrost cycle or periods of increased heat load, the monoblocks respond by adjusting their speeds. Eliminating on/off cycling reduces noise emissions by approximately 6 dB while simultaneously minimizing temperature fluctuations within the system and lowering energy consumption.
“Noise reduction exemplifies, among other things, the special capabilities resulting from the collaboration with ThermodynamX—namely, thinking beyond interfaces to find the best solution for the end customer.” Tobias Gafafer
Installation
A key advantage of the monoblock concept lies in the manufacturing approach: the cooling module can be assembled, checked, filled, and tested at the factory to ensure a hermetic seal. This reduces on-site installation time from two working days to just one hour—a massive benefit that also pays off when servicing is required, as a defective unit can be replaced very quickly without the need for a refrigeration technician. Consequently, there is no need to handle refrigerant at the end customer’s site.
“Cooling our platform is an inconspicuous yet crucial component—the only element that previously could not be commissioned at the factory. With the new concept, we are enhancing the quality and predictability of our installation.” – Tobias Gafafer
Refrigerant
A hydrocarbon is used as the natural refrigerant; it is already well-established and widely accepted in many applications, provided the charge remains at or below 150 g. This was precisely the key challenge facing ThermodynamX and the Hamilton Storage project team: the refrigerant charge had to be reduced twentyfold while maintaining the same cooling performance as the previous solution, which used a synthetic refrigerant.
A decisive breakthrough was achieved through the leak-free design of the evaporator assembly, resulting in significant advantages: all electronic and robotic components within the unit could be retained without modification, and the new cooling unit could also be retrofitted into existing systems.
“The evaporator assembly is a key element: thanks to this solution, important safety aspects could be addressed, which is what made the switch to a different refrigerant possible in the first place.” Bernhard Vetsch
Collaboration
Supporting such a demanding project as an external partner—and playing a pivotal role in the process—requires a collaboration built on mutual trust, respect, and genuine understanding. Particularly when working closely and using agile methods, interfaces cannot always be clearly defined: workloads are underestimated, requirements evolve, and unexpected insights emerge. This, too, is part of ambitious projects. Our client Hamilton Storage—and specifically Tobias Gafafer in his role as project manager—did an outstanding job ensuring that the development team could reach its full potential, even in the face of these challenges.
“ThermodynamX has proven to be a reliable partner, and the collaboration was outstanding. The project was completed within the time and budget constraints—an achievement all the more remarkable given that it spanned the entire process from assessing physical feasibility to delivering the finished product. Furthermore, during the development phase, ThermodynamX devised solutions that provide added value beyond the initial requirements.” – Tobias Gafafer
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