FORKLIFT TRUCKS
FOOD & BEVERAGE ENERGY-SAVING SOLUTIONS FOR
FOOD & DRINK PRODUCERS T
he food and drink industry consumes high amounts of energy, so reducing energy use to offset soaring bills is a key priority for most companies. Tom Shoobridge, Manager of the Food & Beverage Facility Team for air and fluid power specialist Thorite, outlines some of the solutions which can help producers prevent waste and keep energy use under control.
Energy consumption in food and drink facilities is high, with everything from heating and cooling to cleaning in place (CIP) and packaging processes all demanding consistently high levels of use. The increase in energy prices has placed a huge additional burden on companies already battling to maintain a strong bottom line, so the pressure to optimise energy use and rein in costs has arguably even greater.
There are often numerous ways in which an immediate reduction in energy use can be achieved across a facility, and a comprehensive energy audit will help you identify them.
An ISO 11011 certified energy audit can be tailored to individual plant requirements. It will investigate energy use and energy waste, identify where savings can be made and suggest solutions to reduce consumption in the long term.
By default, optimising energy use ensures that assets operate at optimum productivity levels, enhancing reliability, extending equipment lifespan and providing a sound foundation for a proactive maintenance programme.
Audit assessments typically include: · Air leak detection · Compressed air generation and preparation analysis · Compressed air consumption analysis · Pressure drop measurement · Compressed air quality analysis · A quick machine analysis check for energy efficiency Where energy-saving opportunities are identified – and it is rare they are not - bespoke energy efficiency options will be recommended, with detailed analysis of what savings and efficiencies they can offer. A variety of solutions might be recommended.
FLOW RATE SENSORS
A flow rate sensor projects acoustic sounds into the media and measures the sound waves to determine a speed or flow rate. It can also detect the content of the media, for example the gas content in fizzy drinks, pulp content in fruit juice and any solid content in CIP systems.
The CIP analysis is particularly valuable as it can assess the content to determine if the water is clean. One food company was able to significantly reduce its CIP process time after installing a FLOWave SAW
(Surface Acoustic Waves) flowmeter.
The CIP process had been set to one hour, but the sensor identified that the water was clear in around 30 minutes. This not only reduced the required cleaning time, saving energy, but also dramatically reduced water consumption, which provided a six- month payback period and future cost savings.
PNEUMATIC SYSTEM EFFICIENCY A number of high and low-tech solutions are available which can conserve compressed air and reduce energy use: · Optimise component size – Some companies are using components which are twice the size required. This means the air cylinder is also too big, exhausting air unnecessarily. Ensuring components are optimised to the specific application will save energy and money. · Identify working strokes – Dependent on the
application, an air cylinder might require six bars of pressure to push a packaged product weighing 50kg off a conveyor belt, but only 1kg of pressure to return the cylinder. Your application can be programmed to ensure the pressure is customised to operational need, preventing ‘non-working’ air consumption. · Regulate air supply – Why pump air to a machine which is switched off? It sounds like a highly logical action but it is often overlooked. The solution can be as simple as installing a device which automatically shuts off the air supply when a machine is not running; or a digital system can be programmed to respond to inactivity and avoid a waste of air. · Air Blowers - Air Blowers are often left on 24/7, regardless of demand. However, a blower can be programmed, for example, to operate only when required or in pulse mode, if that is all that is required. One Thorite customer saved £100,000 a year in energy costs simply by installing a sensor and optimising the blowing process across all production lines. · Identify and isolate pressure needs – By identifying the actual force required within the process actuators, it is often possible to isolate specific zones where pressures can be lowered to reduce energy consumption.
VOLTAGE OPTIMISATION Due to EU-wide voltage standardisation in the 1990s, some factories are now being over- supplied with energy from the national grid. If your assets are operating on a higher voltage than required, not only can their reliability be impaired due to increased temperature and vibration levels, but you are also paying higher energy bills
than necessary.
The audit will calculate whether your assets can operate more effectively on a lower voltage and determine whether installing a voltage optimiser to regulate input could save on both energy bills and maintenance costs.
A major food producer which installed a GWE Eco-Max Power voltage optimiser achieved a reduction in energy consumption of 463,176 KWh a year, reducing annual electricity costs by £40,226.84. It also achieved a reduction in CO2 emissions totalling 243 tonnes a year.
DATA LOGGING SYSTEMS Recording and analysing your equipment’s air usage identifies patterns and anomalies in the system’s performance, indicating how and where energy savings can be made.
ELECTRIC AUTOMATION INTEGRATION
Not all compressors work best on pneumatic systems. If analysis of your compressor indicates that electric automation would improve energy efficiency, this can be integrated into your existing machines and systems.
SMART SYSTEMS
Customised smart systems control panels can be designed and installed. These offer specific optimisation to ensure high productivity and efficiency for process-driven enterprises.
AIR MANAGER CONTROLLERS Simple software upgrades allow the master controller in your compressors to be expanded without the need for further hardware investment, making air generation more intelligent, dependable and efficient.
COST BENEFITS
Even when energy prices are not at peak levels, the cost of carrying out a comprehensive energy audit is marginal when compared to the immediate savings that can be made. The outlay can be quickly offset by reduced energy consumption and return on investment is likely to be achieved within months.
Additional, less immediately calculable savings can be gained from improved asset reliability and lifespan, reduced downtime and a maintenance programme which can therefore be more proactive.
Thorite
www.thorite.co.uk FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS | SEPTEMBER 2022 33
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58
