Air to Water Heat Exchangers
Ian Johnston

Closed Loop Cooling for Electrical Enclosures in Commercial Bakeries

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Solutions to Reduce Maintenance & Repair Costs

 

Electrical Enclosures and Enclosure Air Conditioners

Electrical enclosures and enclosure air conditioners often fall victim to flour damage in the make-up area of commercial bakeries. The “make-up area” is where dough is prepared by combining flour, moisture, and heat. When flour becomes wet due to ambient humidity levels, it forms a paste-like consistency. The build-up of flour and paste within the air conditioner leads to reduced performance and failure. Without proper cooling, the added stress and risk of failure for variable frequency drives andBakery - large mixing bowls enclosure electronics can lead to costly repairs and downtime.

Many commercial bakeries still use air conditioners to cool electronics in the make-up area because they provide convenient closed-loop electronics cooling. But this solution is not sustainable due to high concentrations of particulates in the air, which eventually clog air conditioners such that they fail. However, opening the doors to the enclosure to provide needed cooling ultimately does more damage by compromising the NEMA 4/4X environment.

Electronics must receive proper cooling solutions. This is because they have a narrow “sweet spot” for cooling between 85 degrees and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower temperatures risk condensation which can lead to water forming on electronics, while higher temperatures can cause heat stress failure.

 

A Solution for Commercial Bakeries – Liquid Cooling

Instead of air conditioning, a superior solution for bakeries is liquid cooling, which eradicates heat from enclosures in an efficient and cost-effective capacity. Liquid cooling proves especially well adapted to hot, dirty environments where it removes heat from machines. This makes liquid cooling the ideal solution for the makeup area in commercial bakeries.

Air to Water Heat Exchangers

When one of the fastest growing independent, family-owned baking manufacturers in the U.S. sought to optimize their resources, they turned to Pfannenberg. Drawing upon its decades of experience and expertise, Pfannenberg suggested a liquid cooling solution.

Pfannenberg’s PWS Series Air-to-Water Heat Exchangers now provides this leading bakery with a trouble-free cooling solution for their electrical enclosures in the make-up area. This solution easily operates in dusty environments where moisture and flour fill the air. To cool the bakery’s electrical units, the solution also utilizes glycol or a cool water source that the factory already has available.

In addition to sustainable cooling, the bakery improved the cleanliness of their electrical cabinets with this product. This is because PWS Series Air-to-Water Heat Exchangers have no filters, which means no down time results from changing filters or having them become clogged. The products also improved the efficiency of the cooled air by providing a stable temperature that sustained cool air, unlike previous AC units that would get clogged with airborne particles.

 

PWS Series Air-to-Water Heat Exchangers

By implementing four PWS Series Air-to-Water Heat Exchangers in the make-up area, the bakery overcame problems plaguing their enclosed electronics and achieved energy savings by eliminating the need for compressors and tapping into existing water or glycol lines that run throughout the manufacturing facility. The bakery also reduced maintenance costs by removing the risks of clogging and preventing unwanted repairs.

By partnering with Pfannenberg, this bakery took its business to the next level, and now seeks to implement even more Pfannenberg products to augment its manufacturing process. With products and solutions designed to meet high quality requirements and operate in the harshest conditions, Pfannenberg continues to prove itself a leader in innovative industrial solutions.

 

Air to Water Heat Exchangers
Ian Johnston

Thermal Management Solution for Large Commercial Bakery

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thermal management solution bakery cooling racks

Supermarkets strive to craft fresh and unique baked goods to bolster their brands. Any downtime in the baking process can turn away customers at the door.

One of the largest commercial bakeries for supermarkets, which supplies 19 US states and parts of Canada, had repeated failures in its electric enclosures’ air conditioners, which were breaking down throughout its plants. To overcome this issue, the bakery sought a reliable thermal management solution that could function effectively in hot and dusty environments.

commercial bakery solution mixing areaThe search for the ideal solution brought the bakery to Pfannenberg, who conducted a plant survey to identify the central problem — many A/C units were undersized for ambient air temperature and heat loads generated for the enclosures. Increased temperature in the electrical cabinet during summer months reduced component life and overheated the enclosure.

A/C units on the electrical cabinets were typically part of the OEM equipment and not sized properly for the plant’s ambient conditions or the enclosures. This motivated the bakery to search for a cost-effective solution that could reduce downtime and cut energy costs.

Pfannenberg quickly saw that the problem could be solved with its PWS Series Air-Water Heat Exchanger. Effective at providing cooling in harsh environments, this product provided the perfect fit for electrical enclosures throughout the bakery’s facilities.Air to Water Heat Exchangers

The cooling mechanism of the PWS Air-Water Heat Exchanger draws hot air from the enclosure into the top of the unit, then passes the air across the unit’s coil. When the heat leaves the coil, it cools the air. The cool air then continues moving out the bottom of the unit.

Because the unit has no refrigeration system, it did not require an external condenser air circuit. Ambient conditions also had no influence on how the air-to-water heat exchanger performs. Moreover, chilled water was already available in the bakery’s manufacturing plant, such that the Pfannenberg Air-Water Heat Exchanger achieved substantial energy savings while requiring little-to-no maintenance. No filters needed to be changed or cleaned.

After implementing the new product, the bakery saw a one-year return on investment (ROI) based on the total cost of ownership (TCO) for the bakery’s previous A/C units. On top of this, the bakery applied for energy rebates from their local utility to offset the investment, given that the payback period was less than 5 years.

Providing a complete, turnkey solution to thermal management, Pfannenberg empowered the leading bakery to slash costs in a sustainable fashion, reducing downtime to ensure the seamless flow of baked goods to its hungry customers.