UK-based startup Futraheat has developed an industrial heat pump that can be integrated into existing factory infrastructure to deliver high-temperature process steam.
“Unlike most heat pumps, which deliver hot water up to around 80 C, the Futraheat heat pump can produce steam up to 130 C – vital for the brewing industry and believed to be a first for the UK,” a spokesperson from the company told pv magazine. “It is also compatible with PV.”
The Greeanstram system has a heat supply capacity of 300 kW to 1.5 MW and the sink temperature can reach up to 200 C. The working fluids are R1233ZD and steam. Its coefficient of temperature (COP) is up to 6.2
The core of the system is the TurboClaw centrifugal compressor which, according to the manufacturer, operates at reduced speeds
without oil, yielding lower manufacturing, operating and maintenance costs.
Image: Futraheat
The permanent electric magnetic motor has a rated power of 100 kW and a rotation speed of 20,000 rpm. “The compressor can boost temperatures by up to 60 C,” the spokesperson said.
The company recently deployed a 300 kW prototype at the Hepworth Brewery, based in Sussex, UK. “The brewery has already solar panels and it is part of their plans to use this to power the heat pump,” the spokesperson said.
Hepworth Brewery expects the new heat pump will reduce the energy consumption and carbon emissions associated with wort boiling by up to 90%, whilst lowering fuel costs by up to 40%.
The pilot project could be scaled up site-wide to offset almost all of the fossil fuel-generated heat used at the brewery.
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