Call for partners: Freeze concentrator for energy efficient low temperature dewatering

Evaporation of water requires seven times more energy compared to freezing of water. Solutions where the heat of evaporation is recovered such as multi-effect evaporators or mechanical vapor recompression in addition, require high temperatures to be cost-efficient. Progressive freeze concentrating does not require high temperatures and integrates heat recovery to preserve product quality and achieve a high energy efficient solution for dewatering of liquid product streams.

Objectives and activities

The objective is to optimize and demonstrate TNO’s progressive freeze concentration unit, with a 10 kW cooling capacity, in collaboration with end-users to establish the added value of this progressive freeze concentration technology for the various product streams that require dewatering. This means conducting dewatering experiments using end-users product streams, if possible on-site, but also establishing the economic feasibility of this technology.

Activities that are foreseen:

• Optimization and further development of the current progressive freeze concentration unit
• Experiments using reference solutions as well as end-users product streams to determine system performance
• Economic analysis based on model calculations, full-scale design and the associated CAPEX and OPEX
• Evaluation of technical and economic feasibility of full scale technology

Looking for partners

We are looking for partners to further co-develop progressive freeze concentration technology for energy efficient, low temperature dewatering of liquid product streams with preserved product quality. End users of food and biobased products are invited, especially those with heat sensitive products. In addition, we are looking for a potential system supplier, preferably active in the heat pump and/or refrigeration industry and interested in entering the market for low temperature dewatering with a focus on freeze concentration.