Technical Case Study: Industrial Glycol System Upgrade for Food Production
In high-volume food production, chilled glycol is a critical utility for process control, impacting everything from ingredient stability to final product quality. This report details a full system redesign at a major UK food manufacturing site, focused on increasing resilience and efficiency without interrupting production schedules.
The Challenge: Infrastructure Limitations
The site’s original cooling system supported four primary areas: cream yeast storage, brine ring mains, mixer jacket cooling, and potable chilled water. However, the system was failing to meet peak demand due to several technical bottlenecks:
- Flow Restrictions: Undersized pipework limited the flow rates required for consistent cooling.
- Capacity Peaks: Existing chillers were operating at maximum output during peak periods, leaving no margin for redundancy.
- Hydraulic Imbalance: Inconsistent weir levels in the 10,000-litre glycol tank caused uneven distribution across the cooling circuits.
The objective was to deliver a new glycol chiller and ring main, separate the three chiller circuits for better control, and integrate the system with the existing PLC—all while maintaining zero unplanned downtime.
The Solution: Engineering and Integration
The upgrade involved a complete redesign of the system architecture to improve both mechanical flow and digital control:
- Primary Hardware: Installation of a new 260kW air-cooled glycol chiller.
- Circuit Separation: Implementation of dedicated pump sets and ring mains for each of the three chillers to allow for precise system balancing.
- System Logic: Full PLC integration was established to manageduty/assist/standby rotation. Control logic was enhanced using inverter compressors and Variable Speed Drive (VSD) fans.
- Sustainability: Transitioned to R454B refrigerant, which carries a low Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 467, aligned with long-term CO₂e reduction targets.
The installation was executed in stages. Critical changeovers were mapped to scheduled maintenance windows, ensuring that the plant remained operational throughout the project duration.
Results and Performance Metrics
Following commissioning, the site achieved the following performance improvements:
- Thermal Stability: Consistent temperatures maintained across all processes, including dough mixing and yeast storage.
- Operational Efficiency: The site now requires only two chillers during peak summer demand and a single chiller during milder conditions.
- Waste Reduction: Improved temperature control has led to higher product consistency and a reduction in waste associated with batch failure.
- Cost Management: Lower energy consumption and reduced labour costs associated with system stoppages.
Engineering for Resilience
This project demonstrates that significant infrastructure upgrades can be achieved in live production environments through rigorous planning and staged execution. If your current cooling capacity is limiting production volume or increasing operational costs, a technical audit can identify the necessary steps to restore system resilience.
