07 January 2019
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 | Two BITZER ammonia compressor packs (ACP) with a combined cooling capacity of 1.4MW are delivering high performance refrigeration for a new 60,000sq ft pizza production plant in the north of England. The industrial scale single-stage pumped ammonia system serves all the cooling needs of the facility for one of the UK’s leading food companies. The installation by Integral UK uses the ACP systems to supply multi-temperature cooling for the plant’s 2°C chill store, -5°C spiral chillers, -18°C freezer cold store. |
 | Integral UK designed the multi-compressor packaged ammonia solution to maintain the highest levels of efficiency, whilst minimising payback time on the project. The ACP units selected have three compressors per pack, giving standby capacity and resilience needed for such critical process applications. It enables engineers to service a compressor while the others remain operational, reducing process down-time and improving life-cycle cost. Following commissioning earlier this year, the plant has operated smoothly and quickly established itself as the most energy efficient plant of its kind operated by the food production company. Part-load efficiency The ammonia packs are based on compact screw compressors, which BITZER says result in a smaller footprint than equivalent-capacity reciprocating compressors. In addition to the inherent efficiency of screw compressors, the speed of the lead compressor is controlled by an integrated variable speed drive (VSD), which significantly increases part-load efficiency and enables soft-start. Efficiency can be further enhanced with the addition of an optional economiser module. A further benefit for end users is that screw compressors have much longer maintenance intervals than reciprocating compressors, which substantially reduces the cost of ownership over the lifetime of the plant. Kevin Glass, managing director of BITZER UK, said: “This superbly executed Integral UK project is an excellent example of how to harness the strengths of our modern ammonia refrigeration systems, to deliver an efficient, safe, resilient and cost-effective solution. Ammonia systems have traditionally been built as one-offs, often in less than ideal conditions. BITZER builds ACP units in a pristine factory environment, ensuring the highest possible quality and integrity, absolutely necessary when working with ammonia. “The modular design means that contractors can quickly connect up ACP units on site with a few simple pipework and electrical connections. This dramatically speeds up with whole process of installation and commissioning. We believe it is a game-changer for industrial refrigeration.” |
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