Digital Re-print March | April 2013

Measures for increasing the energy efficiency of UFA feed mills in Switzerland
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Measures for increasing the energy efficiency of UFA feed mills in Switzerland
by Peter Hofer, production manager, UFA, Switzerland and Viktor Borner, segment sales manager feed, Bhler AG, Switzerland
FA is Switzerlands largest animal feed producer, with sites in Herzogenbuchsee (300,000 t/a), St. Margrethen (90,000 t/a), Sursee (85,000 t/a), and Puidoux (70,000 t/a). The finished product is marketed in the form of either expanded or pelleted feed. The average electrical energy requirement was cut within 10 years by about 4 percent, while thermal energy consumption was reduced by 10 kWh/t. And this was accomplished while increasing the upgrading degree from 60 percent to currently 100 percent. All feed produced in the UFA facilities is thermally hygienized. On the basis of measures already implemented or still in the planning stage, the authors here explain the potential for increasing energy efficiency. Biblis plant in Herzogenbuchsee (constructed in 2001/2002) The plant was highly energy-efficient right from the start. Thus, a multistage grinding system using two-pass crushing mills and
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vertical-rotor hammer mills reduces the energy requirement by about 30 percent in comparison to a direct grinding system. Since it went into service, the following measures for enhancing energy efficiency have been implemented: The exhaust air of the compressed-air generators and blowers is used for the flake dryers and for blowing hot air into the thermal systems for drying. These and additional measures result in savings of 120 MWh of natural gas per year. Smart control of the compressedair generators and a pressure band reduction have enabled savings to be achieved on the order of 0.5 GWh of electrical energy per year. The following measures will be taken shortly: Installation of a fifth thermal line, equipped with a Kubex T9 pellet mill. These new-generation pellet mills have direct drives. Their motors have an energy efficiency exceeding 95 percent and are water-cooled, and losses due to gearings or V-belt drives have

been entirely eliminated. This allows electrical energy savings on the order of magnitude of 20-30 percent compared to conventional pellet mills. Application of differential-pressure controllers on the large dust collection filters. They enable the purge-air requirement for cleaning the filter bags (sleeves) to be slashed. The payback time of this investment is a mere few months.

St. Margrethen plant (rebuilt in 2006/2007)

The post-grinding system in this plant is equipped with a pre-screening stage ahead of the vertical-rotor hammer mills. This combination in St. Margrethen cuts the energy requirement by about 20 percent in comparison to conventional horizontal hammer mills. Frequency converters allow the grinding texture of the feed to be adjusted during ongoing production and markedly reduce the starting current. Since it went into operation, the followGrain

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FEATURE ing measures have been taken to increase energy efficiency: The exhaust heat of the compressed-air generators and the flash steam of the condensate separation system of the steam boilers are used for preheating the feed water. This cuts annual natural gas consumption by 210 MWh. The following measures will be taken shortly: Application of differential-pressure controllers on the large dust collection filters, which slashes the purge-air requirement. The payback time of this investment is just a few months. exhaust gases is mixed with the turbine cooling air and the ambient air and blown as hot air into the thermal systems for drying. This system configuration allows (almost) 100 percent utilization of the fuel. Installation of lowpressure-purged dust collection filters with differential-pressure controllers for the pellet coolers. The purge-air blower is equipped with a frequency converter and supplies only that amount of compressed air which is currently needed by the one to three filters, which can be activated and deactivated as required. Cooler fans have been provided with frequency converters. This markedly reduces the starting current and allows energy-optimized operation as a function of the ambient temperature.

UFA Biblis in Herzogenbuchsee: The largest UFA plant with an annual output of about 300,000 metric tons.

Puidoux plant (constructed in 1993, expanded in 2010)

The factory in Puidoux was acquired by UFA in 2005. In 2010, a third thermal line including a HYSYS pelleting system was added. With the expansion, the following measures for cutting energy consumption were taken: Installation of a Capstone C65 microgas-turbine for generating electrical energy, with a maximum (net) output of 60 kW. The 300C hot exhaust gases are first used for heating the feed water for the steam boiler and then the water of the building heating. The entire residual heat contained in the hot

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FEATURE ated by UFA. In 2007, it underwent a total overhaul and was equipped with a stateof-the-art process control system allowing unmanned operation. The Bhler standard control system served as the basis of the new control system. But one challenge was still to programme the control system for unattended nighttime operation. UFAs specifications were the following: the mixing line and the pellet mill and expander line were to produce feed fully automatically during the night shift. This means that the control system of the plant must move to a secure mode in the event of faults. The system must automatically acknowledge and correct any faults detected. In addition, it must ensure plant and personnel safety at all times. Last, but not least, the new control system was also to alert the standby staff via SMS in case of unplanned incidences, and remote maintenance was also to be possible. In unmanned operation, the control system must make the decisions that are otherwise made by the experienced operator. In order to enable it to do this, it must receive large volumes of information from the sensors and respond according to defined instructions. For example, sensors monitor the temperatures and vibrations in the hammer mill, in the mixer, and in the expander as well as in the machine bearings. This cutting-edge control system also allows optimal, energyefficient operation of the entire plant. With the expansion, the following additional energy-saving measures were implemented: Installation of a multistage grinding system using two-pass crushing mills with pre-screening and intermediate screening ahead of the hammer mill. This cuts the energy requirement by about 30 percent compared to a directgrinding system. The grinding texture

Multistage grinding system using a DFZL crushing mill. It allows the grinding texture of the feed to be adjusted to animals specific needs and up to 30 percent energy to be saved compared to a directgrinding system

The following measures will be taken shortly: Installation of a multistage grinding system using two-pass crushing mills and vertical-rotor hammer mills, which reduce the energy requirement by as much as 30 percent in comparison to a direct-grinding system. The grinding texture can be automatically controlled by the process control system to meet the specific animals needs.

Urs Steiner, production manager with UFA Sursee, in the control centre: smart control and sensor systems enable unattended night time production

Sursee plant (constructed in 1965, expanded in 2007)

The factory in Sursee is the oldest of the four feed mills oper16 | march - april 2013 Grain

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FEATURE can be automatically controlled by the process control system to meet the specific animals needs.

Utilization of the exhaust heat of compressors

Instead of blowing the heat exhausted by the air compressors into in atmosphere as exhaust heat, it is systematically utilized for - say - preheating the boiler feed water or operating hot-air heat exchangers instead of using steam. Together with other heat recovery measures, this systematic utilization of exhaust heat alone enabled UFA to save a total of about 880 MWh of thermal energy in 2011. An additional roughly 1 GWh of electric power was saved by efficiency-improving measures.

Energy-saving measures taken by UFA

In order to further reduce energy consumption and to spare the environment, UFA continuously adapts its feed mills to the latest technological knowledge. For example, over the past 10 years about 5 percent electrical energy and 17 percent thermal energy per metric ton of animal feed produced have been conserved - and this while at the same time increasing the upgrading degree from formerly 60 percent to currently 100 percent.

Micro-gas-turbine in Puidoux

Efficient energy utilization by combined heat and power generation

Utilization by combustion of the energy that is chemically stored in the energy carrier for generating electrical power as the highest-value form of energy improves the calorific value of the heating oil by a factor of about three compared to pure steam generation. This so-called combined heat and power generation process substantially increases exergetic efficiency. This means that the chemical potential contained in the fuel (heating oil, natural gas) is exploited almost to the physically possible limit, since electric power is generated beside heat.

Application of energy-efficient motors

Basically, UFA today only procures electric motors of the energy efficiency class IE3 according to IEC 60034-30 or higher.

Distinguished with CO2 label thanks to systematic energysaving strategy

UFA has a comprehensive energy management system in place, which ranges from saving power by using a staircase lighting control system (5 MWh/a) to refurbishing entire plants. This has allowed the UFA factories to discharge 500 metric tons less CO2 into the atmosphere in absolute terms than in 2008 while increasing their volume by 10 percent. In all, some 3,100 t less CO2 were emitted into the environment in 2011 than would have been the case if development had continued unchecked. Thanks to the targeted reduction of carbon emissions, UFA is exempted from paying CO2 duties on fuels and is allowed to carry the Swiss CO2 Label.

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