Florensis: new facilities with varying heat and cold demand
The new Florensis building in Dinteloord comprises a greenhouse complex, a production hall and office space. Nijssen realized a number of cold rooms and climate rooms in the production hall and a central refrigeration system to condition these facilities.
In the new production hall of 5,900 m2, a total of eighteen plug-in robots are being installed. The filled trays are placed in the cold rooms for further conditioning at a temperature around 16°C and 95% humidity.
Both the new greenhouse space and the production hall in Dinteloord contain the latest technical innovations in the field of climate technology, cultivation technology and energy saving. In this way Florensis gives substance to its sustainability objectives.
Custom cooling system designed
To make maximum use of available heat and cold and to achieve optimum energy efficiency, a standard chiller was not the optimum solution for the refrigeration system. In consultation with Florensis and consultancy firm AAB NL, Nijssen has designed a central refrigeration system that supplies hot and cold water for cooling and heating. Linked to this is a second installation with water / glycol refrigerants. This ensures a lower temperature in order to condition the cooling cells and also supplies cold to the central refrigeration system.
High efficiency in partial load
It rarely happens that the installation has to run at full capacity. That is why the cooling system is designed with a high energy efficiency in part-load situations. The installation is also equipped with heat recovery, so that the residual heat from the refrigeration system can also be used.
Optimal response to changing heat and cold demand
The cooling and heat demand for the various parts of the new facilities varies greatly throughout the seasons. While there is little cold demand from the cold stores in the winter, the cooling system also produces little residual heat. Therefore the residual heat from the installation is linked to the CHP installation that keeps the greenhouse at the right temperature. Heat from the greenhouse complex can also be used to heat the production hall. Conversely, excess heat from the refrigeration system is available for greenhouse heating. Via the Nijssen pipeline, heat is also supplied to third parties for the heating of office spaces.
"Connecting the various systems throughout the complex was a challenge in this project," says Jordi Mol, technical engineer at Nijssen. "It requires constant and accurate coordination with all parties involved during the realization."
Extensive control
The control of the production hall and climate rooms is provided by the Nijssen Control System. The conditions in the cold stores are set, monitored and logged via user-friendly and intuitive visualization. The temperature and humidity of each room can also be read on site.
The central refrigeration system is also included. This means that all settings of control valves, condenser and compressors are visible in the control. All parameters such as various pressures and temperatures in the cooling circuit are also monitored in real time. This makes it easier to make diagnoses and to optimize the efficiency and operation of the refrigeration system remotely.
Completion: autumn 2019
