Chilled Process Ingredient Water System with new BHX Technology© – an introduction Many types of food processors require batched chilled ingredient water for process applications – typically the colder the better. Numerous sources exist for these ingredient water chillers, most common being open plate and closed heat exchanger systems, each with their own strengths and…
Closed-Loop Energy Systems Typical baking processes require various thermal heat exchanges – heating or cooling – used in sequence or simultaneously. Significant potential exists to reuse these process thermal waste streams. A Closed-Loop Waste Energy System (CLWES) greatly enhances facility sustainability providing both energy and carbon footprint reductions. Capturing and re-purposing thermal waste streams into…
Atmospheric Molds Control Summer and fall present the greatest challenges in preventing mold spore contamination at North American food processing facilities. Annual mold complaints typically spike during the warmer and more humid months of the year when conditions are ideal for microbial growth. With reported spoilage rates approaching 5% seasonally in some facilities, mold contamination…
Central Electric Panel Cooling Self-contained air conditioning units mounted on electric panels have long been a source of frustration due to their excessive energy consumption, high maintenance requirements, and questionable reliability. Additionally since equipment is located in production space where high dust concentrations and excessive ambient temperatures may be present, potential exists for the sensitive…
Chemical vs Natural Refrigerants Rapidly changing environmental regulations have caused industry to struggle when evaluating the choice between chemical or natural refrigerants in process cooling applications. In the United States the Clean Air Act first phased out CFC and later HCFC chemical refrigerants citing their ozone depletion potential. In response to these mandates and increasing…
Compressed Air Energy Savings While compressed air systems are an essential workhorse in most industrial facilities, they also carry the distinction of being one of the largest consumers of electricity. Opportunities for compressed air system optimization are so significant the US Department of Energy has a dedicated website outlining methods for reducing their energy…
It’s been over two years since the Clean Air Act mandated refrigerant HCFC R-22 could no longer be supplied in new equipment due to its ozone depletion potential, and so the workhorse refrigerant depended on in the past only has inventories remaining to support existing systems. So what is the right choice to meet future bakery refrigerant requirements? It depends on several factors but even after analyzing from a scientific perspective and business case it still many times comes down to individual preferences and comfort levels.
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Spiral Cooling Environmental Systems as designed by Air Management provide many important product quality benefits including a key benefit in reducing exposure to atmospheric molds. In colder climates, molds can be found in the outdoor air starting in the late winter and peaking in the late summer to early fall months (July to October).
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