Coal-Fired Blast Freezer with Ammonia Absorption (Oct 2013)Tuesday, October 08, 2013 3:03 PM
Coal-Fired Blast Freezer with Ammonia Absorption (Oct 2013)
October 5, 2013
NEWS RELEASE
WORLD’S FIRST COAL-FIRED BLAST FREEZER – USES AMMONIA ABSORPTION
REFRIGERATION AND CARBON DIOXIDE SECONDARY COOLANT
A new blast freezer with a unique refrigeration system is now undergoing commissioning at The Auction Block Company, a seafood processing company in Homer, Alaska.
This blast freezer serves the fish freezing needs of the Cook Inlet commerical fishing fleet. Both electricity and oil are expensive in Homer. However, coal is readily available and inexpensive. A local coal seam was used to refuel coal-fired ships dating from the early 1900’s.
The heart of the blast freezing system is an ammonia absorption refrigeration plant (“ThermoChiller”) supplied by Energy Concepts Company. The coal is burned in a Saskatoon sold-fuel boiler to produce 320°F high pressure hot water that powers the absorption refrigeration plant. Thirty-six tons of refrigeration is produced at -36°F. The refrigeration is transferred to CO2 at -30°F that is pumped to the blast freezer.
The 36 ton ThermoChiller is cooled by an air cooler in the colder months, and by 46°F seawater in the summer.
When there is no demand for blast freezing, the ThermoChiller refrigeration is diverted to a flake icemaker system to produce 10 tons of flake ice per day.
The Saskatoon Boilers are virtually emission-free, with exceptionally clean exhaust gas. When coal is expensive or not readily available, the boiler can be fired with wood chips, making this the world’s first renewable-energy powered blast freezer.
The overall system integration of the CO2 blast freezer, ice makers, ice storage, coal boilers, and ammonia absorption refrigeration was designed by W. Kallenberg, P.E. of Anchorage.
This absorption refrigeration apparatus (ThermoChiller) is available in capacities from 10 to 200 tons. It is engineered to order for whatever heat source is available, be it exhaust gas, natural gas, solar thermal heat, or geothermal heat. If cooling water is expensive or unavailable, an air-cooled version can be supplied. In addition to blast freezing, this ThermoChiller can also be used for cold stores, natural gas liquids recovery, or siloxane removal for wastewater treatment plants and landfills.
For more information contact:
Ellen Makar, 410 266-6521, emakar@energy-concepts.com