Kloosterboer is widely recognized as one of the best companies in the industry, offering European customers a complete package of cooling and freezing storage, land and sea transportation, stevedoring and customized services.
With a cold storage capacity of 155,000 tons, the plant located in Vlissingen, the Netherlands, is Kloosterboer’s largest.
The challenge of the building was to decrease the consumption of refrigeration fluid while improving energy consumption and exhaust temperature .
The challenge of the stable
Cold storage space in the plant is kept cold by refrigeration compressors. It is critical that all rooms and cells are kept at the same temperature at all times, so compressors run 24/7. The only time they are turned off is during maintenance intervals and repairs.
Although maintenance and repairs are unavoidable, Richard Garstman, Cooling Technology Engineer, is committed to limiting and minimizing disruptions. He knows that proper maintenance protocol combined with the application of appropriate lubricants can help reduce unnecessary outages. Of the many lubricants it uses, refrigeration compressor fluid is among the most important.
“The fluid consumption was very high, and we were not satisfied with either the energy consumption or the discharge temperature.”
The solution: Petro-Canada Reflo 68A
After careful analysis and a search for the right supplier, the following product was chosen.
Petro-Canada REFLO 68A
, recommended because it is an ammonia refrigeration compressor oil used in some of the largest industrial refrigeration systems. The goal in using this product is to:
- Extend the duration of service,
- Reduce fluid consumption,
- Lower operating costs.
The result of Petro-Canada REFLO 68A ammonia refrigeration compressor oil.
Initially, the REFLO 68A product was applied to 3 compressors in the Vlissingen plant, and the results were very positive, especially in terms of fluid consumption, which decreased.
“Since making the switch to REFLO 68A, our overall operating costs have decreased significantly,” says Garstman. “A very good example is fluid consumption, which has decreased by 60 percent!”
The lower volatility of Petro-Canada REFLO 68A oil can help reduce the oil entrainment found with solvent-refined paraffinic and naphthenic oils.
Less oil drag improves coolant flow and can reduce fluid consumption*. Garstman adds, “We also noticed that the exhaust temperature dropped from 117°C (242°F) to 83°C (181°F).”
REFLO 68A performed so well at the Vlissingen plant that Kloosterboer decided to replace all compressors at the other Vlissingen sites. “We are so impressed with REFLO 68A that we will proceed with a complete changeover,” says Garstman. “The next step is 3 compressors at our plant in Denemarkenweg.”
