Freeze drying is a dehydration technique commonly used in food processing as well as biological, pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. In these technical scenarios, the application of heat for evaporative drying will either degrade the material to be dried or change its form and structure (Zhang et al., 2018).

Electrical equipment is almost always specified by manufacturers for operation within an optimal temperature range. That range is defined by the conditions that will ensure the equipment’s reliability, performance, efficiency and physical integrity are protected.

Shell-and-tube heat exchangers — first introduced in the 1900s — have long been used in all types of process applications because of their robust design. Shell-and-tube heat exchangers are able to withstand high pressures and temperatures, and these features are among the reasons for their wide use.

Predicting calcium carbonate scale in water systems has been done for more than 20 years — often with questionable or even inaccurate results rather than actual field observations.

When compared to space cooling, process cooling — or the removal of heat from the fluid that serves water-cooled equipment used in a manufacturing process — is a bird of a different feather. Interesting though — and the source of some fascination among those in the cooling trade — is that much of the equipment, tools and techniques remain the same.

The mechanical rooms in large multi-building industrial facilities are the hub of process temperature and climate control. Areas such as central utility plants, boiler and chiller rooms, mechanical and electrical rooms, and fuel rooms house myriad process cooling and heating equipment as well as systems for comfort heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment and systems.

In countless process facilities, power plants and oil fields across the country, machinery is hard at work producing materials, electricity, oil, gas and other goods that keep the U.S. economy humming. 

As I wrap up our April issue, I can’t help but hope for more April-like weather by the time you’re reading this. Winter in the upper Midwest may have started late — we had green grass until late December near where I live.

Conair Group, a supplier of auxiliary equipment for plastics processors, expanded its service presence in Canada and the northeastern United States by contracting with FinCap Electrical and Mechanical Inc., Newmarket, Ontario, to provide specialized installation, automation, control and repair services for Conair auxiliary equipment. 

Did you know that 3 million workplace injuries occur each year? Many of these injuries could have been avoided if facilities treated every day like they were preparing for an OSHA inspection.

A fluid cooler model incorporates finned coils to expand thermal performance and permit dry operation during a broader range of ambient temperatures. Marley DT can more effectively reject heat without evaporating water at ambient temperatures up to 20 degrees higher than with bare tube coils, which helps reduce costs associated with water usage, water treatment and pump energy.

A refrigeration review course hosted by Industrial Consultants has been scheduled in conjunction with both the 2019 DFW Ammonia Refrigeration Regional Conference and the 2019 Central Florida Ammonia Refrigeration Conference.

An electrochemical water treatment technology has been shown to reduce water use and cut operating costs for facilities operating HVAC systems utilizing cooling towers, according to a report by the General Services Administration.

A predictive maintenance solution designed for the centrifugal pump industry allows the pump and the motor to be remotely monitored continuously with cloud connectivity.

White rust, which is a combination of zinc carbonate and zinc hydroxide, shows up as white spots and bumps on a galvanized surface. It is porous and generally does not protect a steel structure. Left unchecked, leaks can form in a cooling tower basin in as little as two months in severe cases.

Kurita Water Industries Ltd. of Japan acquired U.S. Water Services Inc., a Minnesota-based company that manufactures and sells water treatment chemicals and facilities, for $270 million. Kurita will acquire 100 percent of the outstanding shares of Global Water Services Holding Company Inc., which is the holding company of U.S. Water.

A hybrid film evaporator chiller that reportedly reduces energy use by 34 percent and uses less refrigerant than other flooded chiller designs has been released. Accuchiller TCF uses a hybrid film evaporator, which provides the energy efficiency of wet (flooded) systems in a compact footprint using less refrigerant, according to the manufacturer.

Americold acquired privately held PortFresh Holdings LLC, a temperature-controlled operator servicing fresh produce trade primarily through the Port of Savannah in Georgia, for approximately $35 million. Americold plans to build a 15 million ft³ cold storage facility on land owned by PortFresh. The planned facility will include 37,000 pallet positions, advanced blast freezing capabilities and space to support refrigerated-containerized trade.

Designed for the severe operating conditions encountered in an air-cooled condenser, the cooling tower fan drive meets CTI STD 167. The helical gears are designed and manufactured from nickel alloy steel and are case hardened to ensure optimum tooth strength.

Lineage Logistics, a provider of temperature-controlled logistics solutions, signed a definitive agreement to acquire Preferred Freezer Services, a global network of temperature-controlled warehouses. The combined company will operate more than 1.3 billion ft³ of temperature-controlled capacity across 200 facilities in North America, Europe and Asia.

Conagra Brands plans to invest approximately $78 million to expand operations at its Beaver Dam facility in Wisconsin. The project, which is expected to create about 140 full-time jobs over the next five years, will increase the 350,000 ft² cold storage and vegetable packaging facility.

Cloverleaf Cold Storage will invest $21 million to expand its facility in Chesapeake, Va. The expansion, which is expected to create 33 new jobs, will add 100,000 ft² and allow the company to increase its blast freezing capabilities.

Construction started on a 52,000 ft² cold storage warehouse in Northern Ireland, the first of its kind in the country. The plant, which will allow products to be stored from -25°F to 5°F, is expected to create 50 new jobs by 2020.

Tippmann Innovation, a cold storage construction company, completed a cold storage and meat processing facility for Wolverine Packing Co. The 180,000 ft² warehouse in Detroit includes a freezer with capacity to store 20,000 pallets.

Within the company’s range of modular axial fans is a solution that is custom engineered for the application. The engineering team selects the axial fan model to meet the high efficiency and low noise requirements of the application. 

Line of bronze and stainless steel two-way solenoid valves is designed for the control of water, oil, steam, air, gas, cryogenics, solvents, oxygen or corrosive fluid.

ShockWave is a thermally engineered alternative to standard vertical-fluted products. Its enhanced vertical-flute orientation and PowerCurve design leverage the fouling resistance of vertical-fluted products with the thermal performance of high efficiency fills. 

Water/glycol-based, closed-loop air-cooled systems are designed for cooling a process that can operate at a temperature at least 5 to 10°F (3 to 5°C) above the ambient air. 

Falk Cooling Tower (CT) Series is designed specifically for induced-draft, wet cooling tower applications and is capable of withstanding harsh cooling tower operating conditions.

Fouling of pipes and heat exchanging surfaces lowers the thermal efficiency of the system. Fouling also increases the friction losses and induces erosion, corrosion and energy waste by increasing the demand for a higher flow rate.