|
Summary: Where traditional craft meets innovation The Maurer Bakery is a family bakery and retail business preparing bread and other products that are chilled or frozen for onward distribution to the company’s network of 42 bakery-café outlets in Germany. In all, Maurer employs 400 people, 70 of whom work in the company’s two production facilities. Maurer is proud of its traditional approach to bread-making (“einfach, gutes Brot”) and operates during the night in order to deliver products to stores that open every morning at 6am. The newest factory, which extended the production area from 2,500 to a total of 6,000 square metres, includes a very large preparation area, 25 cold rooms and 4 freezer rooms, all cooled via a cascade system, which has been designed for a life-cycle of at least 20 years. The design had to take account of the requirements of F-GAS Regulations and, as a consequence, the company looked to its refrigeration partner, Ice COOL, who in collaboration with ECR and Climalife Holland could define the low GWP solution. Honeywell’s Solstice® ze (HFO-1234ze), with a GWP <1 according the IPCC 5th review, was matched with CO2 to create the first such industrial cascade system. It is also the perfect fit for Maurer’s commitment to energy efficiency and low environmental impact.
Background: Rising to the challenge Central to the decision of Maurer about the refrigeration system was the ability not only to meet incoming regulations but to implement a strategy that would bear down on energy consumption and enable the company to meet its stated environmental aims. The design of the refrigeration system was key in the development of the new production facility at the bakery. Maurer worked closely with Ice COOL, which specialises in customised solutions for the development of hygienic, eco-friendly and energy-efficient refrigeration for bakeries. They spent 6 months working through the challenge of designing a cascade system that could operate efficiently and accommodate the different pressure profiles of the refrigerants, collaborating closely with ECR. ECR-Nederland BV has a strong reputation for customised solutions, notably by applying very powerful 3D design modelling wrapped inside a full project package, compliant with PED and other regulations, and this approach was harnessed to ensure that Maurer was able to evaluate system performance and approve the overall design. The Solstice® ze option was introduced to ECR by Climalife Holland who had previously participated in a number of field trials involving Solstice® ze and highlighted the innovation as a future-proofed, lowest possible GWP solution. One major benefit is that Solstice® ze ze is not considered a fluorinated greenhouse gas and thus is not included in the quota allocations that will restrict placing HFCs on the market after 2015. The system design was optimised to the lower pressure of Solstice® ze versus the traditional refrigerant R-134a. As Solstice® ze is mildly flammable, Ice Cool checked with a certified body about ATEX compliance, who assessed that given the very low risk of Solstice® ze in that system design, ATEX extra measures were not needed. Project Implementation: Installing an industry ‘first’ Maurer commissioned the chiller/freezer system in November 2013 following extensive evaluation of Solstice® zeundertaken by Climalife and ECR as part of the Ice COOL design. The result is the first industrial cascade installation that combines Solstice® ze for medium temperature control and CO2 for low temperature. The cascade configuration has also enabled Maurer to meet its commitment to low energy consumption and reduced environmental impact.Indeed, as part of the system set-up, total energy performance is now closely monitored.From a technical perspective, bringing Solstice® ze and CO2 together in a single configuration presented challenges because CO2 is a high capacity, very fast fluid, whereas Solstice®ze is slow to reach steady stage because of its lower capacity. It took this combined expertise to deliver a solution that not only meets the needs of Maurer but also has great potential across the food industry. In this system, Solstice® ze is used for direct expansion on the high side down to evaporating temperatures of -10ºC and -15ºC, feeding the cold rooms as well as the working area where products are prepared. CO2 is used on the low side for the freezer rooms and the blast freezing process needed for some special dough products. Electronic expansion valves are used on both the MT and LT operations. The circuits also include two Güntner Microx condensers (tube volume of 2x20L) with ECFans, one Alfa Laval heat exchanger for heat recovery of 300 kW and one dry cooler for CO2 discharge gas cooling.
Sector Perspective: Delivering a low GWP solution Maurer’s adoption of Honeywell Solstice® zee reflects growing demand in the Food & Beverage market for the application of refrigerants with low GWP, energy efficiency and reduced carbon emissions. The refrigerant is an alternative to R-134a, with a GWP of <1 and ideally suited to chillers, vending, CO2 cascade systems, air dryers and heat pumps. RESULTS
« After one year of operation, the installation is working safely as expected and helping us achieve our environmental targets, as well as delivering a long term solution that will meet refrigerant regulatory requirements in the future without any additional investment in system renovation. ». “Using our long experience of working with HFCs, ammonia R-290 and CO2, we have tested Solstice® ze and confirmed that it has a better CoP. When taking account of the total cost of ownership and failure/safety issues, we believe that Solstice® ze is a perfect solution for “We had to go through a learning curve to optimise the entire installation performance, as Solstice® ze and CO2 are not the easiest combination due to their very different capacities and speeds to reach steady stage. But now we are satisfied and positive that a cascade system combining Solstice® ze with CO2 is a sound, reliable and efficient choice when the design and safety conditions are properly handled.”
|
 |
Context: A se ridica la nivelul provocarii
Scopul central la decizia brutariei Maurer legat de sistemul de refrigerare, a fost capacitatea nu numai de a satisface reglementarile in vigoare, dar sa si implementeze o strategie care va scadea consumul de energie si va permite societatii sa indeplineasca obiectivele de mediu declarate.
Proiectarea sistemului de refrigerare a fost esential in dezvoltarea de noi facilitati de productie la brutarie. Maurer a lucrat indeaproape cu Ice COOL, ce este specializat in solutii personalizate pentru dezvoltarea unei refrigerari igienice, ecologice si eficiente din punct de vedere energetic pentru brutarii.
Ei au petrecut 6 luni cu provocarea de a reusi sa proiecteze un sistem cascada care ar putea functiona eficient si sa aiba diferite profiluri de presiune a refrigerantilor, colaborând indeaproape cu ECR.
ECR-Nederland BV are o reputatie pentru solutii personalizate, in special prin aplicarea de modele 3D infasurata intr-un pachet complet de proiect, in conformitate cu PED si alte reglementari, si aceasta abordare a fost valorificata pentru a se asigura ca Maurer a fost capabil de a evalua performanta sistemului si va aproba proiectul de ansamblu.
Optiunea Solstice® ze a fost introdusa ECR-ului de Climalife Olanda care au participat anterior la o serie de studii de teren care au implicat folosirea solutiei Solstice® ze si a subliniat inovarea ca o solutie cu GWP redus si folosibila in viitor.
Un beneficiu major este ca Solstice® ze nu este considerat un gaz cu efect de sera fluorurat si, prin urmare nu este inclus in cota de alocari care vor restrictiona introducerea HFC pe piata dupa 2015. Designul sistemului a fost optimizat la presiunea cea mai scazuta a Solstice® ze fata de agentul de refrigerare traditional R-134a. Cum Solstice® ze este usor inflamabil, Ice COOL a verificat impreuna cu o persoana certificata legat de conformitatea cu ATEX, care a evaluat ca, având in vedere riscul foarte redus al Solstice® ze in proiectarea sistemului, masuri suplimentare ATEX, nu au fost necesare.
Implementarea Proiectului: Instalarea unei industrii “intai“
Maurer a comandat sistemul de racire / congelare in noiembrie 2013 in urma unei evaluari ample a produsului Solstice® ze preluat de Climalife si ECR, ca parte a designului COOL.
Rezultatul este prima instalare industriala de tip cascada care combina Solstice® ze pentru control mediu de temperatura si CO2 pentru temperatura scazuta.
Configuratia in cascada a permis, de asemenea, brutariei Maurer sa-si indeplineasca angajamentul sau de a avea un consum redus de energie si un impact redus asupra mediului. Intr-adevar, ca parte a instalarii sistemului, performanta totala de energie este acum strâns monitorizata. Dintr-un punct de vedere tehnic, amestecand Solstice® ze si CO2 intr-o singura configuratie a prezentat provocari ,deoarece CO2 este un fluid foarte rapid cu capacitate mare, in timp ce Solstice® ze din cauza capacitatii sale scazute este un fluid lent pentru a ajunge la stadiul de echilibru. A fost nevoie de aceasta expertiza combinata pentru a oferi o solutie care sa raspunda nu numai nevoilor brutariei Maurer, dar care prezinta un mare potential in intreaga industrie alimentara.
In acest sistem, Solstice® ze este folosita pentru expansiunea directa pe parte de temperatura crescuta pana la temperaturi de evaporare de-10ºC si de-15ºC, alimentand camerele frigorifice, precum si zona de lucru unde produsele sunt preparate. CO2 este folosit pe partea de temperatura scazuta pentru camerele frigorifice si pentru procesul de congelare insuflata necesar pentru unele produse speciale din aluat. Valvele electronice de expansiune sunt utilizate pe ambele actionari MT si LT. Circuitele includ, de asemenea doua condensatoare Güntner Microx (volum tub de 2x20L) cu ECFans, un schimbator de caldura Alfa Laval pentru recuperarea caldurii de 300 kW si o camera de refrigerare uscata pentru racirea descarcarii de gaz CO2.
Perspectiva de sector: A avea o solutie GWP de temperatura scazuta
Adoptarea de catre brutaria Maurer a solutiei Solstice® ze a celor de la Honeywell reflecta o cerere in cresterea pe piata de alimente si bauturi pentru aplicarea de agenti de refrigerare cu GWP scazut, eficienta energetica si emisii de carbon reduse. Agentul refrigerant este o alternativa la R-134a, cu un GWP <1 si ideal pentru aparate de racit, vânzari, sisteme in cascada CO2, uscatoare de aer si pompe de caldura.
REZULTATE
Parteneriatul a livrat si a implementat cu succes primul sistem industrial de tip cascada Solstice® ze/CO2 pentru racire si congelare.
Performanta de refrigerare este foarte satisfacatoare la diferite temperaturi, necesare pentru productie si birouri, care garanteaza calitatea inalta, necesara pentru aceasta afacere.
Ca si reducerea emisiilor directe cu 99,9% si indirecta prin imbunatatirea de CoP, instalarea ofera o solutie de viitor, cu standarde ridicate de siguranta.
«Dupa un an de functionare, instalatia functioneaza in conditii de siguranta cum era de asteptat si ne ajuta la atingerea obiectivelor noastre de mediu, precum si furnizarea unei solutii pe termen lung, care va indeplini in viitor reglementari privind cerinte de refrigerare, fara nici o investitie suplimentara in renovarea sistemului.».
TOBIAS MAURER, Director General
“Utilizand experienta noastra indelungata de lucru cu HFC, amoniac R-290 si CO2, am testat Solstice® ze si am confirmat ca are un CoP mai bun. Atunci când se ia in considerare costul total al problemelor legate de proprietate si de avarie / siguranta, credem ca Solstice® ze este o solutie perfecta pentru instalatii ca aceasta. In prezent tinem cont de Solstice® ze ca o optiune pentru refrigerare zona supermarket cu temperatura inalta combinata cu CO2 pentru zona de temepratura scazuta. ”
UDO J. VAN DER MEER,ECR-NETHERLANDS BV
“A trebuit sa trecem printr-un proces de invatare pentru a optimiza intreaga performanta de instalare, astfel ca Solstice® ze si CO2 nu sunt cel mai usoare amestecuri, datorita capacitatii lor diferite si a vitezei de a ajunge la stadiul de echilibru. Dar acum suntem multumiti si increzatori ca un sistem de tip cascada ce combina Solstice® ze cu CO2 este o alegere fiabila si eficienta atunci când conditiile de proiectare si de siguranta sunt tratate in mod corespunzator. ”
PETER WEHRENS, ICE COOL