Energy efficient rotary screw blowers aid yeast production for Lallemand GB
Rotary screw blowers from Atlas Copco are providing a highly reliable source of vital process air for Lallemand GB, the UK’s largest commercial yeast producer, who is predicting to reduce its annual energy bills by 25% as a result of adopting the technology.
Lallemand GB is the UK operation of Lallemand Inc., a Canadian company specialising in the research, development, production and distribution of commercial yeast and bacteria. Its production site in Felixstowe produces bakers’ and distillers’ fresh cream and compressed yeasts, as well as instant dry yeast for supply to European and world-wide markets.
The success of the company’s 22-hour fermentation process cycle, which has fluctuating pressure and flow requirements, is totally reliant upon a continuous supply of oil-free low pressure air to deliver oxygen to the stock yeast. If the air flow to the fermentation vessel is interrupted, the entire product batch fails and has to be discarded, with consequent production loss and financial penalties. It was this critical issue that prompted Lallemand GB’s management to consider replacing some of its conventional lobe type blowers, which were experiencing reliability issues, with 100% oil-free Class 0 certified rotary screw blower technology from Atlas Copco.
In seeking a solution, and comparing the merits of replacements, the company’s management was initially divided. According to Mick Arnold, Fermentation Manager at Lallemand GB:
On one hand there was an inclination to adopt updated versions of equipment that was familiar to us. However, we came to the realisation that there was no point in continuing to rectify problems with existing machines by virtue of add-ons, or risk the offer of new but hitherto untested hybrid solutions whose performance and efficiency are not yet established. On balance, our conclusion was that we should focus on sourcing proven, reliable and fully integrated replacements that took account of whole lifecycle energy costs, as well as demonstrating the potential to improve our productivity.
This decision was endorsed by the company’s Engineering Manager, Roger Houghton:
We wanted reliable equipment that would be easy to install and capable of functioning straight from the box, and were impressed with the build quality, inherent reliability and integrated design of Atlas Copco’s ZS rotary screw blower offering.
As a result, an Atlas Copco ZS200+FS-1200 oil-free, positive displacement rotary screw blower was installed on site, as a supplementary unit to the company’s conventional lobe type blowers, to evaluate its reliability and energy efficiency. Twelve months of trouble-free performance convinced Lallemand GB to install a complete blower installation, comprising three fixed-speed ZS 200+FS-1200 machines and a further three variable speed ZS200+VSD-1200 blowers to supply air at pressures between 0.199 and 1.16 bar(g) to three of its six fermentation units. The final endorsement of the new installation was voiced by Roger Houghton:
We have found that the Atlas Copco units cope with the essential fluctuations in process air demand, and it seems that screw blower technology can operate from 100% capacity down to 25% with very little change in specific power requirement. We estimate that our energy costs are down by at least 25% and at this rate we expect to achieve payback in less than three years
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Editor’s Notes: Atlas Copco Compressors is the GB sales and service operation of the Atlas Copco Group providing oil-free and oil-injected stationary air compressors, gas and process compressors, vacuum pumps, turbo expanders, nitrogen generators, air treatment equipment (such as compressed air dryers, coolers, and filters) air management systems, and custom designed engineered packages.
Atlas Copco Compressors’ sales and distribution network means that specialist compressed air advice and service is always within easy reach. A team of over 80 service engineers operates across the country, to ensure maximum running efficiency and minimum downtime at its customers' sites.
In the United Kingdom, Atlas Copco also handles the sales and marketing of construction and mining equipment, portable compressors and electric power generators, industrial power tools and assembly systems – all backed up by a nationwide sales, distribution, service and maintenance network.
Atlas Copco is a world-leading provider of sustainable productivity solutions. The Group serves customers with innovative compressors, vacuum solutions and air treatment systems, construction and mining equipment, power tools and assembly systems. Atlas Copco develops products and services focused on productivity, energy efficiency, safety and ergonomics. The company was founded in 1873, is based in Stockholm, Sweden, and has a global reach spanning more than 180 countries. In 2015, Atlas Copco had revenues of BSEK 102 (BEUR 11) and more than 43,000 employees. Learn more at https://www.atlascopco.com/en-uk/compressors.
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