Food processing uses ammonia as refrigerant
In keeping with its name, Natures Way, which supplies packaged fresh fruit and salads to major retailers and food service companies, uses natural refrigerants for its new food-processing facility at Chichester. Ammonia is the refrigerant for the new cooling plant supplied by J & E Hall International of Dartford. The refrigeration plant maintains the required air temperatures in preparation halls and provides chilled water to processing equipment.
Ammonia has zero global-warming potential and zero ozone-depletion potential.
The cooling plant includes two HallScrew open-drive single-screw compressors, each sized to meet 60% of the cooling duty, and each fitted with a Fridgewatch compressor controller (one per compressor pack), two evaporative condensers, two stainless-steel plate heat exchanger packs and ammonia-flooded evaporators sized for 60% duty. They indirectly cool the water with a 25% propylene glycol solution which is used as the secondary cooling medium.
Variable-speed drives reduce running costs by up to 25% and offer a payback on installation costs of less than 18 months.
