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Dairy uses bioeXile® with the Get Clean, Keep Clean™ approach to save energy and solve quality problems

  • Industry: Dairy Manufacturing
  • Application: Closed chilled system, evaporative condenser heat exchange loop
  • Problem: Microbiological fouling in cooling and heat exchanger systems causing energy and product losses
  • Solution: Get Clean, Keep Clean approach including bioeXile technology
  • Results: 27% reduction in energy consumption, i.e. €84k energy savings and 132 tons CO2 emissions saved  in less than 9 months + Elimination of the temperature induced product quality issues and losses.

Problem

A large European dairy manufacturer produces enriched powdered milk and bulk butter exported to over 50 countries globally. The cooling system was not meeting design efficiency, resulting in excessive energy consumption and costs. Most importantly, the insufficient cooling was having a negative impact on how much product could be processed during a season.

The facility leadership suspected a cooling water management issue may be involved. So Chem-Aqua was contacted, asked to assess and recommend improvements.

Analysis

Our team evaluated the facility and found that the root of the problems came down to biofouling in the service water systems providing the process cooling. Biofilm and biofouling is common in these applications, restricting  flow and also acting as a thermal insulator.

To address this challenging issue, we recommended the facility to engage the ‘Get Clean, Keep Clean’ program – our 360° Total System Approach.

Solution

The Get Clean, Keep Clean program involved first a deep cleaning of the system, followed by a rigorous Keep Clean approach.

The Get Clean phase was deployed just prior to the beginning of the busy dairy season and involved the proprietary bioeXile-L product- a powerful biofilm penetrant. By removing the biofouling, seed material for regrowth was greatly removed.

Next, in order to mitigate the return of biofouling problems and to protect the system, we moved to the second phase of the program-Keep Clean. This included carefully selected biocides and  scale/corrosion inhibitor, accompanied by a thorough monitoring.

 The Get Clean Phase

Chem-Aqua experts applied a 24-hour bioeXile®-L Clean and Flush procedure through the whole chilled water system, including:  the chilled and hot water tanks on site, pipework into the factory, as well as numerous cooling jackets and heat exchangers (approximately 150 m3 in total). During the entire procedure, our personnel took water samples for on-site analysis and did bacterial sampling at regular intervals.

bioeXile-L, a neutral pH non-toxic agent, was selected due to its rating for usage in cooling systems around food processing. This product disrupts the protective layer of a biofilm, exposing the living bacteria underneath. Bacterial samples proved a large presence of bacteria during the bioeXile flush (including Pseudomonas species which are a clear indicator of biofilm presence). The subsequent chlorination procedure killed the exposed bacteria.

A physical cleaning of tanks followed the bioeXile-L Clean and Flush.

The Keep Clean Phase

The water system was put back into service and treated with a customized inhibitor and biocide program, along with improved monitoring and control.

According to customer’s own energy recordings depicted in the graphical representation below, the Get Clean, Keep Clean™ approach resulted in substantial energy savings throughout the peak production season from March to October ( week 9 to week 38):

Results and Impact

  • 27% energy savings / €84 K  during the high production season and hottest summer on record
  • Sustainability and carbon footprint improvements: 132 metric tons CO2 emission saved
  • Cooling efficiency restored

Customer testimonial

The clean carried out [by Chem-Aqua] greatly reduced the energy usage of the refrigeration system and reduced the cooling load on the same system. In turn we had less down graded product as the plant was able to reach the desired temperature. I would recommend a [bioeXile-L] clean every year.”  –  Site Engineering Manager