GlowCore Plays Critical Role in Producing World-Famous Chocolates
In a unique twist of boiler application technology, GlowCore
has been cast in a role that not even Willy Wonke would have imagined: melting chocolate
for one of the world's largest chocolate manufacturers.
This unique application came about when Lindt & Sprungli
(USA), Inc. Chocolates of Switzerland decided to build a U.S. production facility in
Stratham, New Hampshire, which required some critical operational factors to be met.
The 100,000 square foot building, a "fast-track"
construction job built and put into operation in 90 working days, must be environmentally
controlled due to the perishable nature of chocolate. Heat load, therefore, becomes
a critical factor in this type of operational environment. And one of the key
processing steps involves heat.
Producing chocolates in the United States requires the melting of
chocolate cakes (pre-processed in Switzerland) in one of three chocolate liquefier
machines. These exclusive liquefiers draw their heat from one power plant - a bank
of three GlowCore GB160 high-efficiency (89% AFUE) boilers.
The heat input to melt chocolate must be precisely controlled
between 100ºF and 144ºF, depending on the type of chocolate melted, the number of
liquefiers being utilized and the shapes being molded. If too much heat is used, it
could burn the pre-processed chocolate and ruin the batch.
To avoid this potential problem, each machine is controlled by a
zone valve. The boilers are remotely operated from a control station 80 feet
away. Depending on loads and chocolates types, all or part of any of the three
boilers may be fired at the same time.
Lindt & Sprungli's original design called for a conventional
cast-iron boiler. But this system would have thrown off considerable excess heat,
requiring 10 tons of air conditioning to off-set this excess heat load. Also, it
would have been lower efficiency (70% AFUE) requiring greater BTU input, which would cost
more to operate and make precise temperature control more difficult to achieve.
Then GlowCore dealer Paul Boulanger of Champion Plumbing and
Heating pointed out how the GB160 could avoid these pitfalls, and designed the alternative
system.
"GlowCore's technology is perfectly suited for this
sensitive application," says Boulanger, "since their boilers are highly
efficient, tied directly to outside draw and can be closely controlled individually from a
control panel in another room. And because the units themselves generate no excess
heat, we avoid both the air make-up and excess heat problems. Not to mention the
additional installation and operational cost of 10 tons of air conditioning."
Okay, let's mention it: How much was saved using the
Boulanger-designed GlowCore system?
"Well, right off the top'" says Boulanger'
"$15,000 was saved in the cost of 10 tons of air conditioning. Then there's the
daily savings. Running 10 tons 24 hours a day at about 9C per kilowatt hour . . .
well, you figure it out,"
Indeed.
Dealer: Champion Plumbing & Heating
Location: Stratham, NH
Project: Lindt & Sprungli (USA), Inc. Chocolates of Switzerland
GlowCore System: 3 x GB160 Boilers
BTU: 160,000
Total: 480,000
AFUE: 89%
Savings: The costs of installing and operating 10 tons of air conditioning; plus
on-going energy cost savings provided by stainless-steel, high-efficiency boilers.
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