Thermal treatment

Burning - Roasting

With roasting of food products, most people spontaneously think of coffee beans. However, the technique is also applicable to nuts, cocoa and other typical bulk food products/commodities. The roasters that are developed by CEE, operate at temperature levels ranging of 145°C to 225°C. It concerns continuous systems, which excel in energy efficiency.

Supported by the Thermolab, we create state-of-the-art industrial roasters. For starters, an optimal roasting recipe is developed for the specific product. CEE then designs a custom made roaster, which can impose that recipe perfectly on the product to be roasted. Finally, we look at how the roaster, with maximum internal heat recovery, can also be integrated optimally
on the site.

Check out our references or send us an e-mail if you have any questions.


Pyrolysis – Gasification


Pyrolysis is also used in cleaning or purification of products and chemical recycling. This involves removal of unwanted components under well controlled conditions, in a low-oxygen environment. The process is perfectly manageable, but requires custom installations with specific solutions. The materials, be it packed goods or bulk products, must be exposed to a controlled atmosphere for a fixed duration, as consistent as possible, without harming the materials themselves.

Gasification is applied to extract syngas from organic components, as a fuel or chemical building block. By adding controlled amounts of oxygen while heating to high temperatures, it is possible to prepare a CO and H2 rich gas.

Pyrolysis and gasification are technologies that play their part in building a circular economy, with Waste to Energy (W2E) and Waste to Chemicals (W2C) processes.


In our Thermolab, we characterize products and materials for pyrolysis and gasification under an atmosphere controlled in composition, temperature and flow. This is focused on determining the optimal process and its limits. By modelling, testing and upscaling, CEE translates this into the actual process, with the objective to achieve the transformation with a limited negative to net positive energy yield. Environmental requirements are of course also at the top of the priority list. In the industrial realization, we use both third-party components and specifically designed solutions.

Check out our references or send us an e-mail if you have any questions.


Sintering


During sintering, solid matter is heated to a temperature where it just starts to melt and coalesce. The result is a very hard material. A well established process is the baking of face bricks, where the sintering takes place at temperatures between 900°C and 1150°C. The products are then cooled in a precisely controlled way, with maximum internal heat recovery. Then, they are ready for packaging.

Supported by our Thermolab, we create customized, state-of-the-art industrial furnaces. For starters, an optimal burning recipe is developed for the specific product. CEE then designs a custom made oven, which can impose that recipe perfectly on the product to be sintered. Finally, we check how the oven, with maximum internal heat recovery, can be optimally integrated  energy wise on the specific site. Recovery of waste heat in the previous drying process and/or use of available waste heat on site might be a possibility.

    Check out our references or send us an e-mail if you have any questions.



    Autoclaving 

    Autoclaving of products requires simultaneous heating and moistening, whether or not under pressure. In 90% of cases, multiple batch systems are used, each equipped with direct steam injection. It goes without saying that autoclaving is an energy-intensive manufacturing step. In our systems, we focus special attention on the tightness of the autoclave/wetting rooms, automation, homogenization of the internal atmosphere, steam recovery between the different autoclaves and energy recovery of the flashed condensate. To minimize the load on the water treatment, we typically work with indirect cooling (free cooling) of the contaminated water.

      Check out our references or send us an e-mail if you have any questions.



      Sterilizing – Pasteurisation

      Both sterilization and pasteurisation are based on heating of the product to be treated. In the first case, the temperatures are well above 100°C. Pasteurisation happens at lower temperatures. The CEE systems are characterized by the fact that they are not batch processes, which facilitates heat-and water recovery. By systematically applying the counter-flow principle, heat requirements are at lower temperatures and installations can work on waste heat. This heat may come from other production processes or a CHP plant. It goes without saying that the installations comply with  food sector requirements.

        Check out our references or send us an e-mail if you have any questions.



        Chemical reactions

        Chemical production processes may include both endothermic and exothermic reaction steps. The chemical reactors must above all be functional for, but must also be optimally supplied with (inexpensive) heat and cold. CEE developed reactors with an external circulation process for heating/cooling of the reagents, in combination with heat and cold storage. The cooling of one reactor can for instance be used to heat another.
        As a result, all reactors can be supplied with minimal residual energy. It goes without saying that maximum flexibility and usability are taken into account.

          Check out our references or send us an e-mail if you have any questions.