The range of ATEX plate products from Furphy Engineering provide versatile heat exchange solutions. This Case Study details the energy and cost saving benefits of double embossed ATEX plates.

1. Water
Savings+ =
Efficiency
Savings
+
Cost
Savings
WasteHeat
WasteWater
FormoreinformationonATEXplatespleaseviewourproductinformationflyerby
clickingonthislinktoourwebsite:www.furphys.com.au/what-we-do/atex
TheBenefits
TheEnergyrequiredtoheatthefeedwaterintheplantoperationsisconsiderable
giventhehighheatcapacityofwater.Coolingthehotwastewaterwiththefeedwater
usedintheplantnegatestheneedforasignificantamountofenergy,reducingthegas
billdramaticallywithouttheneedforadditionalcomplicatedsystemstobeputinplace.
FForGouge,itwasparticularlyimportantthatthenewsystemdidnotjeopardisethe
smoothandcontinuousoperationofthelaundrygiventhecomplexityoftheir
productionprocess.Specifyinga‘drop-in’,lowpressureATEXunitwithnoadditional
controlsorcleaningsystemsforeithertheeffluentofthefeedwatersideswasan
importantfactor.Theabsenceofanyadditionalpressurisedunitsandanopenheat
exchangeinterfacealsonegatestheneedforadditionalriskmitigationandcomplex
cleaningsystems.
TheSynergy
WasteHeatEnergyisoftennotconsideredasaneasilyattaninablesourceofcost
saving,justaswatersavingmethodsareoftenconsideredtopresentmoreproblems
thantheyfix.PeterTapscott,GeneralManagerofFurphyEngineeringdescribeshowin
thisproject,successisadirectresultofthesynergybetweenthesetwoproblems:
WithsuchanefficientsystemtheATEXunittakesuponly2m3
inthesettlingtank,
buthasbeenmeasuredwithanoutputof764kW.Byreducingtheamountofenergy
neededtoheatupthefeedwater,Gougehavenoticedasignificant14%average
decreaseintheirtotalplantgasbill.Thepaybackperiodontheirinvestmentwillbeless
thanayear,basedsolelyonthedirectsavingsfromtheunit.
TTwotraditionallydifficultcostsavingexerciseshavenotonlybeenmadepossible,
butalsopresentahighlybeneficialeconomicargumentforundertakingthem.For
businesseskeentoimprovetheirefficienciesandreducecosts,ATEXprovidesa
fantastic‘drop-in’solutionthatprovidesbothdirectandindirectsavingswithoutcomplex
systemsanddisruptiontoproduction.
“Icouldn’tbehappier.”PhilPriestly,ManagingDirectoratGougeLaundry
“Toachievea14%gassavingacross
ourplantisreallyquiteamazing.”
PhilPriestly,ManagingDirectoratGougeLaundry
FurphyEngineeringStaffInstallingtheATEXunitonsite
EffluentIn
Temp:>55o
c
Flow:7.5l/s
EffluentOut
Temp:<38o
c
Flow:7.5l/s
FeedWaterIn
<20o
c,8.5l/s
FeedWaterOut
>35o
c,8.5l/s
SchematicoftheFuphyEngineeringATEXDesign
SavingonTotal
PlantGasBill
20%+14%SavingonWater
UsagebyPlant
TheChallenge
GougeLinenandGarmentServices,basedinNorthernVictoria,processtonnesof
laundrydailyandareconstantlytryingtoimprovetheirprocessefficiencies.Gouge’s
ManagingDirectorPhilPriestlyexplainshow,throughtheireffortstoreducewater
usage,otherproblemsarosethatrequirednewwaysofthinkingtosolve.
TheSolution
Wasteprocessingistypicallychallengingfortraditionalheatexchangersystemsand
Gougewerelookingatinstallinganexpensiveandconvolutedcontrolsystem.AsAdam
Furphyillustrates,thebenefitsofthenewATEXtechnologynegatethosetraditional
issuesandprovideasolutionthatisbothsimpleandeffective:
“Initiallywesetoutonacoursetoreduceourwaterconsumption,whichisa
significantcostinourindustry.Weachievedconsiderablereductionsviaanumber
ofinternaladjustments,butunfortunatelywedroveourdischargetemperatureway
beyondGoulburnValleyWater’supperlimit.Researchsuggestedthatwecoulduse
ourincomingwatertocoolourdischargewaterbyusingaheatexchanger.Iwas
notconvincedthatinstallingpumpsandcontrolsystemswasthebestsolution.
ContactwasmadewithAdamFurphyfromFurphyEngineeringandasolutionwas
bobornwiththeirdimpleplateheatexchangersystem.”
“AnATEXheatexchangeunitisperfectforthisapplicationfor2reasons:
Primarilybecausetheirparrallelplate
assemblyenablesinstallationinGouge’s
existingsettlingtankallowingtheeffluent
toflowovertheheatexchangeplates
withoutblockageandfoulingissues.
SSecondlybecauseofFurphy
Engineering’scustommanifoldandplate
designthatallowsforexceptionallylow
coolantpressuredrop.Thisisimportant
forGougebecausetheirfeedwateris
thecoolant,meaningnoadditional
pumpingrequirementsareneededto
cocontinueproductionasusual.”
“Wasteheatistypicallyconsideredtobealowgradeheatandwehavetodesign
largesurfaceareaunitstorecoversignificantamountsofenergy.Whatmakesthis
systemsosuccessfulintermsoftheenergyrecoveryandpowersavingisthehigh
gradeheatthatisthenegativeresultofthewatersavingmeasures.Inthiscase
twonegativesaremakingasignificantlypositiveoutcome.”
Howincreasingprocessefficienciesand
savingwaterinyourplantcannowsave
onyourpowerbillaswell
CostSavingSynergy:AFurphyCaseStudy