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Edward Lowton
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ARTICLE
Thermal fluid heater built into brewery wort boiler
25 February 2014
Babcock Wanson's TPC1000B Thermal Fluid Heater has been incorporated into a new Wort Boiler by Microdat, a process and packaging specialist for the brewing, beverage and food industries. The first Wort Boiler of this type has been installed into Wye Valley Brewery in Herefordshire.
Whilst thermal fluid heaters are used extensively across a wide range of industries, this is the first time they have been applied to the brewery sector, which has traditionally used steam as the heating method of choice. Unlike steam boilers, thermal fluid heating systems are compact, easy to use and offer substantial savings in total energy costs.
A fully automatic coil type, multi-pass thermal fluid heater complete with integrated burner, control system and safety devices, the TPC1000B provides optimal distribution of the heat, high fluid velocity in the exchange tubes and continuous flow monitoring to ensure long thermal fluid and system life and the highest level of safety.
At the Wye Valley 80brl plant, the new external Wort Boiler system and copper are located adjacent to the TPC1000B heater, which is LPG fired. The thermal fluid circulates through the Wort Boiler heat exchanger, which due to the use of thermal fluid does not require rating as a pressure vessel. Once boiling, the wort will thermosyphon through the heat exchanger without the need to use the copper casting pump at all.
The Wort Boiler control system was a major consideration to Wye Valley. Their biggest seller is Herefordshire Pale Ale which has a colour of only 8 EBC, so great care is required with colour pick up. The Microdat integrated control system, coupled to a fixed flow of thermal fluid and the Babcock Wanson burner control system, has ensured very precise heat transfer to the process which also reduces overall fuel costs.
Other benefits over steam heating systems include no change of state of the fluid, so no condensate and therefore no flash steam or blow down losses. All this means no make-up water is required and no effluent discharge, plus completely corrosion free operation without the need for expensive chemical treatment. The system precisely matches fuel input to plant energy requirements for highest practicable operating efficiency. With lower energy input demand also comes lower total exhaust emissions, so there are also environmental benefits.
Using thermal fluid as opposed to water has other key benefits including removing the problems caused by scaling if water treatment malfunctions or freezing due to low ambient temperatures, as well as improved safety. A thermal fluid heater is also very compact and needs no specialist site work.
The above all adds up to substantial savings and, with Babcock Wanson's TPC B thermal fluid heating system, between 20-50% energy savings can be made when compared to the transfer of the same amount of heat using traditional steam boilers.
So successful has the new Wort Boiler incorporating Babcock Wanson's TPC1000B Thermal Fluid Heater been that Wye Valley intends to phase out the use of steam on site altogether.
Babcock Wanson offers a complete range of products and services for boiler houses and other process heating needs, from steam boilers, thermal fluid heaters, rapid steam generators and hot water boilers to VOC and odour treatment by thermal oxidation, water treatment or process air heating solutions. The company aims to help optimise customer's energy production with high quality products and efficient service.
A fully automatic coil type, multi-pass thermal fluid heater complete with integrated burner, control system and safety devices, the TPC1000B provides optimal distribution of the heat, high fluid velocity in the exchange tubes and continuous flow monitoring to ensure long thermal fluid and system life and the highest level of safety.
At the Wye Valley 80brl plant, the new external Wort Boiler system and copper are located adjacent to the TPC1000B heater, which is LPG fired. The thermal fluid circulates through the Wort Boiler heat exchanger, which due to the use of thermal fluid does not require rating as a pressure vessel. Once boiling, the wort will thermosyphon through the heat exchanger without the need to use the copper casting pump at all.
The Wort Boiler control system was a major consideration to Wye Valley. Their biggest seller is Herefordshire Pale Ale which has a colour of only 8 EBC, so great care is required with colour pick up. The Microdat integrated control system, coupled to a fixed flow of thermal fluid and the Babcock Wanson burner control system, has ensured very precise heat transfer to the process which also reduces overall fuel costs.
Other benefits over steam heating systems include no change of state of the fluid, so no condensate and therefore no flash steam or blow down losses. All this means no make-up water is required and no effluent discharge, plus completely corrosion free operation without the need for expensive chemical treatment. The system precisely matches fuel input to plant energy requirements for highest practicable operating efficiency. With lower energy input demand also comes lower total exhaust emissions, so there are also environmental benefits.
Using thermal fluid as opposed to water has other key benefits including removing the problems caused by scaling if water treatment malfunctions or freezing due to low ambient temperatures, as well as improved safety. A thermal fluid heater is also very compact and needs no specialist site work.
The above all adds up to substantial savings and, with Babcock Wanson's TPC B thermal fluid heating system, between 20-50% energy savings can be made when compared to the transfer of the same amount of heat using traditional steam boilers.
So successful has the new Wort Boiler incorporating Babcock Wanson's TPC1000B Thermal Fluid Heater been that Wye Valley intends to phase out the use of steam on site altogether.
Babcock Wanson offers a complete range of products and services for boiler houses and other process heating needs, from steam boilers, thermal fluid heaters, rapid steam generators and hot water boilers to VOC and odour treatment by thermal oxidation, water treatment or process air heating solutions. The company aims to help optimise customer's energy production with high quality products and efficient service.
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