Project Description

Design, supply, supervise installation and commission vacuum drainage system to collect, centralise and recycle for further use, the condensate from ceiling mounted ultra high capacity refrigeration fan coil units designed to keep the cold store at 2˚C.  System to be fully automated and electronically controlled to facilitate remote monitoring and control of both the prepackaged vacuum centre plant, and all 40 ceiling mounted field equipment stations (condensate collection points).

Design Challenges

The client specification, based their previous experience, required minimisation of risk associated with using a gravity piping network to carry liquid wastes from the ultra high capacity fan coil units mounted under the ceiling within the 80,000m3 cold store. The risk of damage to gravity drainage pipes descending from the ceiling to the floor in the column free cold store, which would result in waste spillage into the cold store, with the consequent significant financial loss of product, was of great concern to the client, especially given the size of this cold store.

Why was Avac’s vacuum system the solution

Avac’s design solution provided for condensation collection stations, suspended immediately below the fan coil units, with the liquid waste being then lifted vertically up through the thermal ceiling before horizontal transportation back to the prepackaged vacuum central plant in a combined plant room with the refrigeration equipment. The plant-room is at ground level outside of the cold store itself. This design eliminated any risk of physical damage to pipework resulting in product loss, as the only pipework in the cold store is 9m above the floor, safely above risk of damage from material handing equipment.

Avac provided 100% redundancy of critical equipment at the condensate collection stations as well as the plant room equipment, which of course significantly enhances reliability, thus helping to ensure the risk of food spoilage is mitigated. Further added value was provided by their fully
electronic control system for reliability, as well as providing the facility management staff with remote (either off-site or on-site) control of both the vacuum plant and the field equipment, for maintenance and diagnostics use.