Control and optimization of the refrigeration plant in a brewery

The design and operation of a refrigeration plant in a brewery has been studied. The plant has been evaluated by using mathematical models of the components to simulate responses to real-life load variations. The study shows that the efficiency and economy of the actual refrigeration plant could be improved significantly by a combination of three different approaches: design optimization, improved operation strategy, and load management. The improvements obtainable by each approach and by combinations of approaches are reported. A reduction in primary fuel consumption of 15% is obtainable ideally, while a realistic practical goal is 10%