Air supplies for rent

29/01/2020

For wastewater treatment, Kelheim Fibres operates two bio-high reactors. Due to increased production, the installation of a bigger third bio-high reactor had been necessary. The short-term increase in compressed air was produced by a rental unit of AERZEN Rental Division (ARD).

Compressed air for bio high-reactor

At Kelheim Fibres, wastewater is produced in two bio-high reactors (BHR) during the manufacture of viscose and acrylic fibres. The currently installed Aerzen screw compressors supply the oxygen required for the bacterial process. When it came to commissioning a third BHR, additional air supply was needed, as the installed Aerzen screw compressors only provided enough air to meet the demand of the two existing BHRs. The solution: AERZEN Rental Division (ARD) installed two CVO 2800 (VM 45) rental units for approximately three weeks and connected them to the BHR’s pipe system.

In addition to the compressor units, ARD also provided the necessary piping, the diesel generator (500 kVA) with a separate 11,500 litre tank and a distributor along with the required power cables. AERZEN Rental Division organised and handled the transport, installation, commissioning of the units and training of the operating personnel. The CVO 2800 rental compressors are frequency-controlled and together cover a control range of 23 m³/min to 104 m³/min at a maximum pressure of 3.5 bar g.

As an operational test, the third BHR was filled with water. Thanks to the ARD rental units, it was possible to test the function of the radial nozzles during this phase. These nozzles are responsible for the even distribution of oxygen in the aeration tank. Various operating conditions could be simulated by varying the volume flow over the entire range of the compressors. After successful testing, the third BHR was put into operation with wastewater using the rental compressors. Once successful commissioning had been ensured, one of the existing smaller bio high-reactors was taken out of operation, meaning that the installed compressors once again had the capacity to supply the full oxygen requirement to the BHRs and the rental compressors could be switched off.