When Summit Matsu Chillers was contacted by Dyno Nobel to assist with the design of the cooling system for a new ammonium nitrate emulsion plant at Port Hedland in WA the project presented some challenges.
The ammonium nitrate produced by the plant is used to manufacture explosives, so accurate temperature control was critical.
The location was remote, there was a shortage of local trades and services, and there was a lack of accommodation and facilities. Port Hedland has consistently high ambient air temperatures, and the site is dusty.
Summit Matsu Chillers decided on a unique cooling concept that was designed for high ambient conditions, allowed free cooling overnight and during most of winter, and was pre-fabricated for fast and simple connection at site, saving Dyno Nobel considerable expense on the overall project.
Summit Matsu Chillers is the Australian distributor for Thermokey heat exchangers, so the dry cooler selected was a Thermokey JGQ series 5.2 x 2.4 metre, V-shape type, delivering 366kW of cooling.
Rosenberg fans were factory-fitted at Summit Matsu Chillers and the control system was set to monitor the water outlet temperature and turn fans on or off as the ambient temperature changed.
The chiller delivered 250kW of refrigeration capacity at 45°C ambient air temperature and was fabricated into a 20-foot shipping container together with a 5000-litre insulated thermal buffer storage tank.
Grundfos pumps were used for both the chiller side and process side and power distribution and electrical controls were factory-wired.
Chiller compressors used were Hanbell screw compressors with solenoid staged capacity control.
The chiller controller was a Dixell iPro from Emerson and was set so that the dry cooler would operate up until the ambient condition rose to a point where the chiller was required.
The controller then staged the first chiller compressor, then the second compressor depending on demand.
Summit Matsu Chillers is a licensed electrical contractor so any site wiring that could be done in house was completed to reduce site installation costs.
Summit Matsu Chillers is also a licensed refrigeration and air conditioning contractor and was able to offer site commissioning and preventative maintenance through its national contractor network.
Summit Matsu Chillers manufactures a standard chiller range using components sourced from the world's best manufacturers.
Customers include Hewlett Packard, Dyno Nobel, Modwood, ABB and Rockwell Automation.
Summit Matsu Chillers also manufactures containerised chillers, plant rooms and pump and tank modules for rapid deployment to remote sites.
Customers have included Fortescue Metals Group, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Xstrata, Newcrest Mining, BC Iron and Newmont Mining.