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Heat Recovery
requires power for the mechanical discharge( e. g., rotary valve for both preheater and cooler) and the circulation pump for the heat transfer liquid.
Pilot testing For Agrifirm, the thermodynamic design of the MBHE was validated during several weeks of on-site pilot testing at the company’ s plant in 2021. In addition to validating thermodynamic design, the tests focused on better understanding how the solids would behave in the MBHE – with special attention on flowability of the solids between the pillow plates. Flowability is primarily influenced by the density of the solids, as well as particle size distribution. Plate spacing that is too narrow could compromise the product flow by bridging and caking, which cannot be accepted for biodegradable products. In addition, the pilot tests analyzed how much moisture was released from the product in the void between the solids within the MBHE. This free moisture or relative humidity in the void leads to condensation and needs to be controlled in both coolers and heaters. Condensation has the potential to create surface moisture on cold surfaces and / or particles, resulting in caking and bridging. The pilot tests revealed that a small amount of preheated air in the heater was enough to decrease the dew point of the air in the void and mitigate condensation. In the cooler, dehumidified air ensured the dew point was below the cooling water temperature in the plates. The pilot tests were encouraging and confirmed the MBHE as reliable, robust and therefore suitable to be used in Agrifirm’ s process.
Implementation Agrifirm constructed the full-scale plant in Oss, The Netherlands in Spring / Summer 2023, followed by commissioning in September.
An on-site pilot test in 2021 validated the thermodynamic design of the MBHE, as well as better understand how the solids would behave in the unit. Courtesy of Solex Thermal Science.
Air dehumidifier for the heater. Courtesy of Solex Thermal Science.
Dry cooler. Courtesy of Solex Thermal Science.
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