Objective The project was intended to reduce the energy input for malt drying at the Friedrich Weissheimer Malzfabrik plant at Gelsenkirchen from 67 000 MWh a year to 44 000 MWh a year.At the beginning of August 1983, the heat pump system had to be taken out of operation owing to an evaporator fault which turned out to be irrepairable.The cause of the corrosion damage to the evaporator could not to be fully ascertained, although it soon became evident that replacement in the original (copper) material was not to be considered.Since it was not possible to recommission the plant in its original form (due to the high cost) it was decided to convert the heat pump system to use waste heat from the refrigeration systems.By optimising the integration of the heat pump system into the production process it was possible to increase the number of hours of its operation from +/- 18 h/d in 1982 to +/- 22 h/d in mid-1983. As a result of restrictions in the available power supply (+/- 2500 kW) useful heat pump output was around 2 to 3 MW on simultaneous operation of the regrigeration plants.During the winter months of 1982/83 nominal heat output of 3.5 MW was almost achieved with close on 3.5 MW. The performance coefficient of 4.5 on which planning was based, was achieved.From June 1984 the heat pump system was supplied with waste heat from the refrigeration plants as heat source. This presents the following restrictions on heat pump operation:- reduced operational days 200/220 instead of 330;- fluctuating supply of waste heat (+/- 1.8 MW of useful waste heat produces heat outputs of 2 MW to 2.3 MW).In view of these restrictions, annual energy cost savings of +/- DM 180,000 to DM 200,000 are expected. As energy conservation is practically the only apparent use which can be made of the investment, it was decided to take the heat pump system back into service despite the relatively high cost of conversion (DM 190,000) in comparison with expected annual energy savings of DM 200,000.The proposal was to install two heat pumps with inputs of 330 kw and 420 kw. These would draw water from the harbour next to the plant through the evaporator system and heat would be transferred via r22 and r12 refrigerant circuits operated by five sabroe smc 16l compressors. The system was planned to operate as a bivalent system, the temperature being boosted through the existing boiler heating plant. Water heat was exchanged in an air heater and this circuit was used to dry the malt in the malt kilns. The plant output was approximately 90 000 tonnes of malt a year which required about 92 000 mwh a year for drying. About 25 000 Mwh were available via the existing heat recovery system. The heat pump installation was planned to contribute a further 23 000 Mwh a year for the use of approximately 5 500 Mwh a year of electricity.The system was the result of considerable investigation and planning by messrs. Weissheimer in association with Dr. -Ing. Harald Steinhaus of Att Energietechnik.The project, which was a refinement of previous suggestions to use an electricity powered heat pump system, was particularly attractive because harbour water at a relatively high temperature designed for 18 deg.C was available. The Gelsenkirchen site was near other industrial premises, particulary a refinery. Emission from these premises raised the water temperature locally.The system was built and installed during the latter half of 1981 and the beginning of 1982. The main heat pump installation was the responsibility of Sabroe Kaltetechnik gmbh of Flensburg. The targets were to integrate the system during the first half of 1982 and operate the demonstration programme between June-July 1982 and June-July 1983. In the event a series of problems meant that the plant was not judged to be properly integrated into the malt production process until July 1983. Programme(s) ENG-ENALT 1C - Programme (EEC) of financial support for projects to exploit alternative energy sources, 1979-1984 Topic(s) 1.6 - INDUSTRY Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme DEM - Demonstration contracts Coordinator WEISSHEIMER EU contribution No data Address KIRCHSTRASSE 31 5470 ANDERNACH Germany See on map Total cost No data
