Page 37 - Plastics News November 2019

FeAtures

Ways to Reduce Costs in Your Plastics Process Cooling Systems

For most plastics processors, energy and other utilities are among their highest recurring costs. Here are three
ways to increase profits by lowering those bills.

lastic processing has seen many changes over the limited by the temperature of the ambient air. In most
Pyears. We have seen significant advancements in cases, the practical limit is a process of water temperature
process throughput and increased quality control as well leaving the dry fluid cooler about 10°F warmer than the
as automation and controls. But one thing has remained entering air temperature.
surprisingly the same—the cooling systems. What most To expand the usefulness of fluid coolers as a replacement
people do not realize is there are new technologies today for evaporative cooling
that can reduce their industrial cooling system operating towers, manufacturers have
costs by over 40%.
added evaporative pads to
Oft en ove rlooke d or their fluid coolers to pre-
considered not as important cool the warm summertime
as other parts of a plastic air through a process called
processing plant, process adiabatic cooling. Adiabatic
water cooling systems are cooling occurs by evaporating
gaining more attention as water into the dry air entering
energy costs and concerns the fluid cooler. As the air absorbs water, it is cooled and
over water use continue to the cooler air is able to provide a consistent and stable
increase. There have been a output, leaving water temperature of 85°F to process.
number of advances in technology that provide increased Although this technology uses some water, the system is
efficiency to reduce production costs as well as global extremely water-efficient and only needed during peak
demand for power and fresh water.
summertime conditions. The
Cut water use by 90% with Adiabatic Fluid result is as much as a 90%
Coolers. reduction in water use versus
a conventional evaporative
Most plastic processing facilities have a cooling tower cooling tower. In addition,
to provide cooling to hydraulics, chiller condensers, and the water is fully evaporated
other process equipment. A cooling tower has a fan and and not recirculated, as is
evaporates water to produce 85°F process water. While the case with a conventional
effective at providing cooling, it uses a lot of water and cooling tower, so there is no
requires water treatment to control biological growth. need for water treatment.
Cooling towers also expose the process water to the
atmosphere and then require constant filtering. With Reduce energy consumption up to 34% with
limited resources and a heightened awareness of the need variable-speed chiller compressors.
to reduce energy and water consumption, the use of fluid When plastics processes require water cooler than 85°F,
coolers has become a popular alternative to conventional a chiller is used. A chiller uses refrigerant, compressor
evaporative cooling towers.
and evaporator to remove
Similarly, a fluid cooler uses heat from the process water
ambient air to cool the and cool the process fluid to
process water. However, this 50°F or so.
is done through a cooling coil Compressors and the use of
and without exposing process refrigerant have been around
water to the atmosphere. since the 19th century, and
This method is effective but
many different types of

37 November 2019 Plastics News