An article in What’s New in Food Technology & Manufacturing magazine addresses how changes in cooling tower equipment and controls are having a positive impact in the food production industry. We often think of cooling towers and central plants in terms of handling air conditioning needs for inhabited spaces. However, there is a significant cooling need in food production, where heating and pasteurizing foods creates large quantities of heat. This heat impacts the equipment, and the food, which needs to be cooled before packaging.
The article highlights advances in fans, which traditionally use induction motors, drive shafts, and gearboxes. Newer technology is now leading many manufacturers to switch to permanent magnetic motors for fan operation, which are more compact and efficient, and reduce the number of connections and possible breakdown points.
The article also states, “… the higher efficiency of permanent magnetic motors, especially at partial loads, in tandem with the drive’s variable speed control ensure fast running of the fans at the required speed saving energy, reducing CO2 footprint and lowering running costs.”
This is yet another example of how upgrading cooling towers, controls, and other central plant infrastructure can often lead to significant advantages, even if the current system has not reached the end of its lifecycle. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to gauge if it is time to replace an entire system, or upgrade components, without conducting a thorough analysis and evaluation. That’s where design-build firms like Greenland can be of value for facility directors, owners, and CFOs – the Greenland team is often brought in early in the planning stages to consult regarding the existing systems and the feasibility, and the cost/benefits of updating.
If you are debating whether it is time to update your cooling tower fan motors, or your entire system, give the experts at Greenland a call – let’s talk about your project, and let us be a valuable resource for your research and planning.
You can read the full article, here: https://www.foodprocessing.com.au/content/processing/article/optimising-cooling-towers-896753573
