GEA Grasso Philippines & tube ice plant
The tube ice plant compared to block ice requires less production area but taller building. In common practise, there is an ice storage additionally. The main components of the NH3 system are compressor, condenser, and tube ice generator.
Tube ice generator
The tube ice generator consists of a shell and SS tube heat exchanger. Ice is made inside the tubes while the refrigerant NH3 is in contact with the outside surface of the tubes.
Water is frozen while it flows down the freezing tubes with great speed. This speed is necessary to avoid solids to be frozen with the water. In the circulation sump the solids are partially drained to purify the ice making water.
During the freezing cycle, water is circulated through the ice maker tubes via a pump until the required thickness is reached. The ice maker is then automatically switched to the defrosting cycle.
Defrosted ice flows down the tubes on rotating cutter which will cut the tube ice at pre-set length. The tube ice is collected in container.
The tube ice generator is built with high quality materials. Parts in contact with ice and water are made of stainless steel.
The ice generator will be fed with high pressure liquid ammonia from liquid separator for gravity system. During defrost cycle, the cold NH3 in the shell of the ice generator shall be vacuumed and replaced with hot gas from the discharge line automatically.
The water treatment system as an option will be supplied to turn raw water into filtered & sterilized.
Condenser
For condensation of HP discharge gases one can choose between shell & tube (with cooling tower) and evaporative condensers. Air cooled condensers can be utilized where water is a problem (e.g. dry area or region with bad water quality). With air cooled condenser the condensing temperature will be high and it means higher power consumption.
Compressor
Heavy duty single stage Grasso reciprocating compressors, designed for tube ice application
Ice storage
A separate Freon condensing unit shall be used for the ice storage. This room will be insulated to maintain -2C. Storing ice at this room temperature will prevent the tube ice from bonding to each other.
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