Distillery: cascade ASHP + MVC delivers 120°C steam at ~240 kW
Anonymized spirits plant expands cooker steam without upsizing the site transformer—cascade air-source HP feeds an MVC steam train.
Engineering data
- Case type
- Anonymized field reference
- Data status
- anonymized_field_reference
- Industry
- Food
- Source temperature
- 15–25°C
- Sink temperature
- 115–120°C
- Temperature lift
- ≈ 90 K
- Heating or cooling duty
- 240 kW
- Architecture
- Cascade air-source HTHP + flash / twin-screw mechanical vapor compression
- Result status
- 120°C steam supply without electric-boiler capacity jump
- Key risk
- Winter ambient derate; MVC controls; water quality for steam generator
- Existing system
- Electric steam boiler (~72 kW class) limited by ~200 kW transformer headroom
- Refrigerant
- High-temp cascade working fluids (site-specific)
- COP
- 1.7–2
- Annual savings
- Enables three-cooker operation within existing electrical capacity
- Estimated payback
- Reported ~5.7 years (static)
Project background
A spirits producer planned additional distillation cookers. Simultaneous 120°C steam demand would have exceeded the site transformer if served only by electric boilers.
Source / inputs
Steam: 300 kg/h at 120°C. Published package: heating ~240 kW, COP ~1.85 at ~19°C ambient. Customer brand omitted.
Heat pump solution
Cascade air-source heat pumps raise water toward ~85°C; flash and twin-screw MVC lift vapor to 120°C process steam with pressure stabilization and controls.
COP & savings
Published rating: 240 kW heat, 120°C steam, 300 kg/h, COP 1.85. Payback figures in the source report are tariff-dependent.
Investment / ROI notes
Public static payback ~5.7 years; primary non-energy benefit is unlocking production within existing electrical infrastructure.