For decades, plastics processors have had to select chillers based on their maximum cooling-capacity requirements. While this approach ensures plenty of chiller capacity, it is not always energy efficient. 

The 2018 Refrigerating Engineers & Technicians Association annual national conference — taking place November 6-9 in Dallas — is more than just a conference. RETA 2018 is a champion for those working on the ground within and for the industrial refrigeration industry. It provides many opportunities for attendees to enhance their careers.

During process cooling, the cooling water absorbs large volumes of airborne particulate while the cooling tower acts as an air scrubber, filtering the surrounding air. With time, these fine particles can build up and settle within the system, adversely affecting cooling performance while lowering the life of wetted subcomponents. 

Industrial applications have numerous requirements for heat exchangers and thermal transfer. Heat exchanger uses span the gamut: compressor and engine cooling, transformer temperature regulation, heat recovery from various processes, and treatment of effluent, digestate and other waste streams, to name a few.

Named Fabricator of the Year for 2018, BTD Manufacturing has been growing steadily since it started out as Bismarck Tool and Die back in 1979. Over the years, it has acquired several companies and expanded its repertoire of custom services. One of those companies was Impulse Manufacturing in Dawsonville, Ga., which joined the BTD team in 2015.

The popularity of enclosure coolers has grown exponentially in the last 40 years. The implementation of more sophisticated electrical equipment in industrial applications led to a demand for a more effective method to control enclosure internal temperatures.

Selecting a chiller supplier is part of a multistep process that ultimately aims to deliver adequate, effective cooling for your process application at a cost-effective price.

Google “October is awareness month for” and you will be inundated with responses. Some are well known and long observed — for instance, Breast Cancer Awareness Month or National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. 

Melting ice, leaks and spills as well as areas like wet cooling tower decking create hazards for those working near industrial process cooling equipment. Free safety education resources designed for facility managers provide data on slip, trip and fall hazards in the workplace and industry trends for safety.

A mechanical equipment-locking system can protect cooling tower components from irreparable damage due to high wind speeds, says the manufacturer.

One of Evoqua Water Technologies’ wholly owned subsidiaries signed a definitive agreement to purchase ProAct Services Corp., a provider of on-site treatment services of contaminated water, for $132 million. Upon closing, ProAct Services will operate as a separate division within Evoqua’s Industrial Segment and will continue to be based in Ludington, Mich.

Expansion of an existing food distribution facility for Aldi Inc. in Frederick, Md., is complete. As first reported here in October, integrated design-build firm A M King was chosen to expand the new cold storage center, which will boost the discount grocer’s existing perishables space.

A traveling, working closed-circuit cooler allows mechanical contractors and prospective users to look at the operation and efficiency of the units firsthand. Evapco’s eco-Air trailer recently began a West Coast tour in Los Angeles.

A technology designed to control mineral-deposit scaling in ethanol production, dubbed pHytOUT by its manufacturer, earned further patent protection.

Multistack LLC, a privately held manufacturer of cooling, heating and energy-recovery systems, has acquired Budzar Industries, Willoughby, Ohio. Budzar manufactures custom temperature control and pumping systems for the rubber, chemical, pharmaceutical and food industries.

Canadian pork producer duBreton will install an in-rack freezing system at its facility in Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec. The company was challenged to meet Chinese export guidelines, which requires all pork products to be frozen at 5°F within a 48-hour time frame from the start of the freezing process. Their current blast freezing methods achieved freeze times in 72 hours.

Conestoga Cold Storage started construction on a multimillion-dollar expansion at its facility in Kitchener, Ontario. The 140’ automated high rise will be able to hold more than 10,000 pallets of frozen goods in 3.5 million ft³ of refrigerated space when complete. A second phase of expansion planned for 2019 will nearly double storage capacity.

The Northwest Technical Institute in Springdale, Ark., will invest $3 million for an ammonia refrigeration technology and maintenance center. According to a local report, it will be one of only five nationally accredited training programs.

Shortly after construction of its 205,000 ft² cold storage facility in Sioux Falls, S.D., was complete, Win Chill Cold Storage realized that it would need more capacity. So, the company began planning with an industrial design-build firm for a phase two expansion.

Line of flat and round heat pipe includes round heat pipes in lengths of ~2.76 to 23.6” (70 to 600 mm) and diameters of ~0.15 to 0.4” (4 to 10 mm). 

The Marley V Tech provides lower energy usage and a smaller footprint than an air-cooled fluid cooler and lower site-water usage compared to an evaporative fluid cooler, says the manufacturer.

Designed to complement the company’s line of 1 to 30 ton chillers, VS Series is supplied with four variable-speed compressors that operate effectively between 10 percent and 100 percent of rated capacity. 

With a heavy-duty welded steel frame and panel construction, the ABP panel fan is offered in diameters from 24 through 72” and capacities to 73,200 cfm. A factory-set adjustable-pitch impeller provides precise performance matching, says the manufacturer. 

PCA 400 provides on-demand or semi-continuous sampling in light industrial applications where compressors, generators, boilers and furnaces are present.

Industrial air-conditioner cooling units often are used for cooling sealed enclosures. Yet, a cooler ambient environment could be used to help cool a warm electrical enclosure. 

Engineered to simplify tower automation and reduce energy costs, Model ITC 9521 can be used to control heat-rejection applications. 

E3:ICE is custom engineered to meet the functional and performance demands of critical industrial process applications in chemical, pharmaceutical, food processing, oil/gas, rubber and plastics. 

Designed with ease of installation in mind, Nexus is 8’ shorter, has a smaller footprint and weighs as much as one-third less than traditional fluid coolers, says the manufacturer.

Camco FMO XL-46 is derived from a blend of polyalphaolefin (PAO) synthetic lubricant and other synthetic fluids and proprietary additives. 

Based on a digital platform that provides multiple communication and integration options, the line of fixed gas detectors includes basic to heavy-duty models with sensor technology to match the specific refrigerant, application and safety requirements of the refrigeration system.