Challenge:
Achieving Extremely Low Process Temperatures
Natuchem aims to become the first company to build a facility that transforms scrubber effluent into ammonium sulfate crystals. Scrubber effluent is an agricultural byproduct derived from air scrubbers used in livestock barns and composting facilities. These scrubbers remove substances such as ammonia and fine dust from the air.
By converting scrubber effluent into ammonium sulfate, fossil resources are preserved, and materials that would otherwise be treated as waste are given a valuable second life.
Crystallizing ammonium sulfate from this effluent requires extremely low temperatures. The main challenge was therefore to provide a cooling system capable of reliably reaching and maintaining these conditions.
Sollution:
An Almost-New Sabroe Water-Cooled Chiller
HOS BV supplied a water-cooled chiller equipped with two Sabroe SAB 193 S compressors, providing a total capacity of 215.4 kW at an evaporation temperature of -37.7 °C. One compressor runs continuously, while the second serves as a standby unit.
The system includes four Alfa Laval M10-BWREF plate heat exchangers: two functioning as evaporators and two as condensers. Control is handled by two Unisab III management systems and two Danfoss VLT frequency converters.
Result:
A Reliable Cooling Solution as the Foundation for an Innovative Process
The water-cooled chiller delivered by HOS BV aligned seamlessly with the technical cooling requirements of the process at Natuchem. Installation and commissioning went smoothly, allowing for swift deployment. This cooling unit completed an innovative and complex system—one of a kind—that now serves as a blueprint for future projects.
The compressors were nearly new, and the entire system was electrically and mechanically tested before delivery in 2023. The chiller was delivered 100% ready for operation and has since performed reliably as part of the process.
We’ve been working with HOS BV for several years now. Although our business model doesn’t make us a typical customer for them, they always manage to provide us with excellent advice and well-matched solutions. The collaboration is consistently pleasant and efficient, both during the advisory phase and throughout the execution and delivery of the solutions we purchase.
S. Mommers
