38 n FOOD AND BEVERAGE September 2023 www.drivesncontrols.com Possibly one of the best brewery upgrades FOR MANY YEARS, the Danish beermaker Carlsberg has focused on sustainable development to reduce its emissions of carbon dioxide and cut its consumption of water and energy. As part of this process, in 2012 its upgraded the hydrophore and ventilation systems at its Okocim Brewery, located in Brzesko in Poland. For the hydrophore system – which is used to maintain water pressure at the site – the main challenge was to distribute water reliably throughout the brewery. The plant requires stable pressure which can adapt to current conditions, without any hydraulic surges. Before the upgrade, the brewery had been experiencing erratic pump shutdowns and start-ups, and the water pressure often exceeded demand. The brewery also needed to ensure adequate air exchange in the premises’ ventilation system, as well as being able to control dewpoint levels and to remove carbon dioxide. Okocim also wanted to collect historical data to generate reports. Analysis of the data would help the brewery to develop optimal conditions for producing and storing beer. In addition, the brewer was keen to improve its maintenance and support services, to ensure reliable production. A Polish automation specialist called Control-Service upgraded the brewery’s installations, using variable-speed drives to optimise the operation of both the water distribution and ventilation systems. For the water system, it chose three 55kW pumps, two 55kW drives (Danfoss VLT Aqua Drive FC 202 devices), and a 55kW softstarter. The drives do not need to switch between pumps, and the entire system is protected on several levels. If the first drive fails, the second takes over automatically. A pressure switch also helps to maintain the pre-set pressure, if required. To optimise the ventilation system, Control-Service installed a VLT HVAC Drive FC 102, which is designed for HVAC installations and incorporates a smart air-handling controller with different modes of operation. A smart logic controller in the drive handles PLC tasks to control valves, fans and dampers. As well as circulating air, an algorithm was developed for the ventilation system that allows it also to evacuate carbon dioxide, thus avoiding the need for a separate CO2 system. Since commissioning the upgraded installation, Control-Service has been responsible for its upkeep, including preventive maintenance of the drives and soft-starters. To help maintain uptime, the company’s maintenance inspection dates are aligned with the brewery’s production schedules. “Production security and certainty of achieving planned throughput are important aspects of maintaining uptime,” explains Krzysztof Grodny, head of electric controls at the Okocim Brewery. “This is where knowledge of the condition of the drives and a preventive approach to equipment maintenance are key.” Not only has the new water distribution system met the brewery’s requirements, but the investment paid for itself in just seven months. The new dual-pump system is about 17% more energy-efficient than a comparable single-pump system running at 100% capacity would have been. The upgraded air recirculation system adapts its behaviour to the brewery’s operating cycles. During weekends and holidays, when demand is lower, the energy consumption is reduced by up to 80%. Following the results in Poland, other Carlsberg divisions have deployed similar installations elsewhere. n Following a VSD upgrade, a Polish brewery owned by Carlsberg has cut the energy consumed by its ventilation and water pressurisation and distribution systems by up to 50%. The upgrade is also saving water and reducing the site’s carbon dioxide emissions. Reliable uptime is vital for production security and to achieve planned throughput at the Okocim brewery. Dedicated HVAC drives are optimising fan and pump control and thus helping to cut the brewery’s electricity bills.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ0NzM=