Utility design
Utilities are essential for any production process. Heating, cooling, water, steam, compressed air, industrial gases and (waste) water require reliable installations that meet demand. Well-designed systems can improve productivity, provide heat recovery, and reduce operational costs. Uticon has decades of experience with utility design and infrastructures that support production. We have gained this experience in a wide range of production environments and specialise in advising manufacturers in the food industry.
We are experts in this field
- Utility & infrastructure design
- Saving energy consumption & reducing waste
- Efficient use of water resources
- Reduction of wastewater flows
- Temperature control
Infrastructure design
Based on the process design, we calculate the required capacities and develop utility designs. We do this for both new construction projects and existing production environments. We advise our customers on the implementation of efficient generation technologies and the possibilities for energy savings and reduction of waste. By (re)assessing energy systems and infrastructure design, we can get the most out of our customers’ resources in order to reduce utility costs.
Steam plants and consumers
Steam is a common energy carrier in the food industry. Installations last a long time and form the basis of a factory for many years. Problems arise when expansion creates bottlenecks in distribution or generation. Uticon solves these steam and condensate problems through expert utility design. We advise on adaptations and expansions of existing installations. We also analyse problems with steam consumers and make improvement proposals. We set up boiler houses and develop new steam networks. Based on our utility design expertise and understanding of production processes, we also make recommendations for heat recovery or alternatives to steam.
Quality of compressed air and energy consumption
In food, specific requirements are set for compressed air. In addition to the quality of compressed air and the reliability of the installation, energy consumption is an important aspect. Uticon can assist in finding useful applications to increase efficiency. For example, efficiency can be improved by finding a useful application for the residual heat from compressors and air dryers. We ensure that installations are tailored to the customer’s needs, incorporating utility design considerations.
Industrial gas systems
Carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen (N2) are industrial gases often used in the packaging of food products under protective atmosphere. Uticon has extensive experience in calculating, designing, and implementing systems for industrial gases.
Efficient use of water management
In almost all production processes, water is used as an energy carrier (for heating or cooling), a means of transport, for cleaning or as a raw material for products. Installations must comply with health and safety regulations. Whether it concerns systems for hot, hot water, demi water, cooling water, process water or cleaning water; Uticon supports customers with utility design so that they can efficiently use their water management for their specific purposes.
Reducing wastewater flow
In almost all processes in which water is used, we must deal with wastewater. This often results in wastewater flows that cannot be discharged directly into the sewage or surface water without cleaning. By using utility design Uticon helps customers to reduce their wastewater flow. We do this based on process improvements, re-use of water and heat and recovery of valuable components from the residual flow.
Temperature control
Cooling is widely used in the food industry. For the quality and shelf life of products, good temperature control during the production process and storage is very important. There is a great diversity in refrigeration installations. Moreover, the supply is developing rapidly because installations must comply with changing environmental requirements. Based on our knowledge and experience, we advise our customers which cooling system (medium, configuration) best suits their specific situation. For the best solution we can work out a full design of the cooling systems.
For this purpose, we calculate cooling loads, determine components and configurations, define control loops, and set up distribution networks. We analyse problems in existing installations and propose solutions. We help clients make (multi-year) plans so that they can switch to new installations in phases. We also work out modifications and improvements in the utility design and optimise the energy performance of installations based on proposals for process modifications, the use of heat recovery and fine-tuning of the controls.
Projects where utility design has been applied.
Let us talk about your project or challenge!
René de Roos
+31 88 20 11 700
