Kelvion PHEs boost beer production at leading Spanish brewery

The units are used to cool 2 x 800 hl/h brewery wort down from a cooking temperature of around 98ºC to a fermentation level of 10ºC with cold water at 4.5ºC. They can also perform the same temperature profile with a slightly increased water flow and warmer inlet temperature of 6°C, which saves up to 25% on cooling energy costs.

Previously the company had relied on a single heat exchanger from another supplier which only allowed a maximum single flow of 800 hl/h. Also fouling problems occurred which negatively impacted the efficiency.

By replacing the competitor unit with the two Kelvion units, the performance bottle neck could be removed. Standard production flow has increased to 1,600 hl/h and  the customer has the possibility of running one unit with 900 hl/h while the other unit is cleaned. In addition, the pressure drop has decreased considerably. This overall ensures a constant production with enlarged output.

High quality, hygienic design & increased efficiency
With its Optiwave® design, the NT150L plate heat exchanger allows flow to be evenly distributed across the entire plate surface, maximising heat transfer while minimising fouling. This makes it ideally suited to the strict hygiene requirements of the brewing industry and can reduce CIP downtime and energy intake.

Other advantages include our trademarked PosLoc® plate design which allows plates to self-align and seal tightly every time the unit is closed, providing stress-free maintenance and reliable operation.

Outcome
The Director Sales Industry Iberia at Kelvion is satisfied with the result: "Increased performance and energy saving potential convinced the customer to order two more identical heat exchangers and two further units for their other plants. On top of that the same customer ordered three more wort processing units for a plant in the Philippines!"

We are thankful for the cooperation and are expecting further projects soon.