KRONES AG 
By Krones Hydroclassic water treatment system for small outputs
At the Brau Beviale 2011, Krones AG, Neutraubling, Germany, is premiering the Hydroclassic water treatment system, further rounding off the company's capabilities as a turnkey vendor of complete production facilities. The Hydroclassic RO is a prefabricated unit that utilises membrane technology featuring the reverse osmosis principle. The unit on show at the fair, with a permeate output of just five cubic metres an hour, is one of the smallest water treatment systems in Krones' portfolio. It will be integrated in the new building of the Ratsherrn Brewery in Hamburg, for whom Krones, as part of a turnkey order, is supplying the entire brewing process technology for an annual output of 50,000 hectolitres.
The brewery will be able to commission this Hydroclassic system itself once the reverse osmosis membranes have been installed, without any risk of a system malfunction, because potential malfunction parameters such as mains water pressure, mains water temperature, and filling level of the client's own product water tanks are compensated for under fully automated control. Since the Ratsherrn Brewery is going to be using different types of mains water, the Hydroclassic is in this specific project fitted with additional equipment for precise mixing, like an online automatic analyser for monitoring the total or carbonate hardness. From four different mains water supplies, the system can produce a mash liquor of consistently high quality and a constant m-value (carbonate hardness) without needing any operator interaction.
A consistent efficiency of 85 per cent
The Hydroclassic RO, which constitutes the basic variant of
Krones' water treatment capabilities, is constructed as a
single unit mounted on a base frame, with its associated
control cabinet. For this compactly dimensioned system,
with a footprint of just six square metres, a consistent
efficiency of 85 per cent is assured by an operating mode
controlled in dependence on the actual yield. A
frequency-controlled pump ensures gentle flows, while the
automated permeate flushing function prevents uncontrolled
furring. These two points prolong the useful lifetimes of
the reverse osmosis membranes.
In terms of material selection, Hydroclassic systems for water treatment are a combination of stainless steel and glass-fibre-reinforced plastic (gfrp). The pressurised pipes are made of more affordable plastic in food-grade quality, while the rest of the system is manufactured entirely of stainless steel in hygienic design, meeting all the relevant construction guidelines for hygiene-friendly machines. This ensures a sustainedly dependable production operation, while at the same time reducing the capital investment outlay.
09.11.2011
