📋 Case Study
Food Processing Steam Peak-Shaving with Bio-Based PCM
Steam demand spikes (up to 12 MW) during sterilization cycles exceeding boiler capacity
🏗️ Project Overview
Nestlé dairy facility, Wisconsin, USA
🎯 Challenge
Steam demand spikes (up to 12 MW) during sterilization cycles exceeding boiler capacity
🔧 Design Approach
Encapsulated stearic acid PCM (52°C melt point) integrated into shell-and-tube latent heat exchangers
📐 Design Diagram
AI-generated project design illustration
📐 Key Calculations
PCM Encapsulation Fatigue Cycles
N_f = (σ'_f / σ_a)^b × (ε'_f / ε_a)^c
Result: 14,200 cycles
Exceeds 15-year operational requirement
Charge Time Compliance
t_charge = m·h_sf / Q_in
Result: 18.3 min
Meets <20-min sterilization prep window
📊 Results
Boiler oversizing reduced by 35%, steam pressure stability improved by 94%, ROI achieved in 3.2 years💡 Lessons Learned
- •Microencapsulation shell thickness must exceed 120 µm to prevent leakage after 5000+ thermal cycles
- •Glycol-water mixture required as HTF to prevent PCM solidification in piping
✅ Key Takeaways
- 1Microencapsulation shell thickness must exceed 120 µm to prevent leakage after 5000+ thermal cycles
- 2Glycol-water mixture required as HTF to prevent PCM solidification in piping