Egg Processing Giant Engages ASED Consulting International for The Design And Specification Works of a Fully Integrated CO2 Refrigeration System

Client: Confidential [Active NDA]

Sector: Egg Processing & Production Facility
Location: Sydney, Australia
Site Type: Brownfield
Refrigeration System: Trans – Critical R744 (CO2) Refrigeration System
Configuration: Centralised Rack(s)
Commissioned: 2020
Job Number: P.3365.Q5.20

Consulting Services Provided:

  1. R744 (TCO2) Refrigeration Plant Specification
  2. Chilled Water Plant and Equipment Specification
  3. Heat Pump Plant and Equipment Specification
  4. Plant and Process Control Specification
  5. Electrical Specification
  6. Conditioned Space Panel Specification
  7. Bespoke Design of Fully Integrated R744 (CO2) Refrigeration System
  8. Bespoke Design of PLC Control Logic for Total Plant Control and Monitoring

Additional Services Provided:

  1. Project Management, Staging and Supervision
  2. Total Plant Commissioning Assistance
  3. Onsite and Offsite Practical and Theoretical Training

Engagement:

ASED Consulting was engaged to provide engineering and design specification services for a brownfield egg processing facility located in Sydney, Australia. The client was aware of the energy efficiency benefits of natural refrigerants and as such required ASED Consulting to provide a solution based on several parameters. Two refrigeration systems were modelled, the benchmark being an ultra – low charge direct expansion (DX) ammonia-based refrigeration system, the benchmark system was compared to a CO2 based refrigeration system.

Although the DX ammonia refrigeration system was superior in energy efficiency, the full CO2 system was deemed the best solution for the new facility based on parameters set out by the client and restrictions associated with the surrounding area.

The Process:

The existing refrigeration and associated equipment would need to be in service whilst the new facility was being built. Once the new facility was built the existing facility was demolished and built up as an extension of the new facility.

ASED Consulting was tasked with project management, staging and supervision of the entire new build, demolish of existing facility and rebuild process. The new facilities were built within time, budget and most importantly without cessation or hinderance of the facilities ability to manufacture and sell egg and egg-based products.

The Requirements:

  • Two blast freezing cells,
  • Two storage freezers,
  • Two blast chillers,
  • Four holding cool rooms,
  • Two staging rooms,
  • Four high-capacity pasteurisation systems,
  • Five pull down dimple jacket process tanks,
  • Two thermal energy storage (TES) systems,
  • One Propylene glycol thermal well,
  • One Ethylene glycol thermal well,
  • One process hot water thermal well,
  • Two process washdown thermal wells

The egg processing facility had several cooling and heating duties which required to be met. The refrigeration system was fully integrated to meet the facilities requirements with additional capacity in the event of seasonal high loads.

The Solution:

ASED Consulting International proposed the design be based on a integrated refrigeration & Central Energy System1, to meet the vast number of cooling and heating duties which would need to be satisfied.

Two centralised full CO2 refrigeration racks were nominated to meet the requirements of the new facility. This system was specifically designed and selected to meet the refrigeration requirements for the facility.

The client’s current refrigeration service provider did not have practical experience working on trans critical CO2 refrigeration systems, although they had experience working on low stage subcritical refrigeration systems with high stage synthetic based refrigeration systems performing the CO2 condensing duty along with other direct expansion cooling duties.

Training:

ASED Consulting provided theoretical and practical training which covered:

  • System pressures and ratings
  • Trans-critical and sub-critical operation
  • Flash gas migration systems
  • Installation practice
  • Co2 technologies
  • Control systems
  • First startup
  • Testing and commissioning
  • Safety during emergencies and plant shut down
  • Reactive and proactive maintenance

System Commissioning:

ASED Consulting International assisted the client’s refrigeration service provider with full refrigeration rack, connected loads, and control system commissioning, ensuring the highest level of total plant energy efficiency and operation.

The refrigeration plant has been successfully running for just over one year now. ASED Consulting carried out energy consumption audit on the entire refrigeration plant. It was evident that although the new facilities footprint was doubled compared to the previous layout the new CO2 refrigeration system is 37.0% more energy efficient.

Equipment Capacities:

Combined Refrigeration Duty:

  • Blast freezer cell(s):       325.00 kWR @ -35.0°C SST
  • Storage freezer(s):        800.00 kWR @ -25.0°C SST
  • Cool room(s):                1700.0 kWR @ -5.00°C SST
  • Process cooling:            2200.0 kWR @ -5.00°C SST

Combined Capped Heating Duty:

  • Hot water:                     1200.0 kWH @ 65.0°C
  • Warm glycol:                 320.00 kWH @ 24.0°C
  • Defrost glycol:               480.00 kWH @ 40.0°C
  • Process heating:           400.00 kWH @ 65.0°C

“Partner with leaders in the refrigeration consulting industry on your next project, for a bespoke design and solution”.

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