World Class Ammonia

Refrigeration

In pursuit of a definition relevant to

Tropicana and the food industry

Glenn Johnson
Tropicana Products
Background
? Tropicana has three large systems used to
chill & freeze orange juice and to maintain
refrigerated and frozen storage areas
System Capacity NH3 Charge
Bradenton North 12,100 Tr @ 20 degrees F 185,172 lbs.
Bradenton South 10,600 Tr @ -30/40 degrees F 206,676 lbs.
Ft. Pierce 5200 Tr @ 20 degrees F 85,000 lbs.
? Tropicana also has two smaller but still
PSM regulated systems in Jersey City, NJ
and City of Industry, Ca.
? North System - Machine Room North
? Incremental rather than planned growth
? Mixes multiple utilities
• Ammonia refrigeration
• Compressed air
• Tower water
? Mechanical integrity questionable
? No secondary containment

? Main control room is centrally located

making egress difficult
? South Refrigeration System

? Actually two machine rooms (South & 14)

? Machine Room 14 is also an “evolved”
rather than planned design
• MV Starters on mezzanine above compressors
• Compressors spaced tightly together
? Machine
Room South built in 1988 is the
most modern
• Good layout
• Adjacent control room
• Still no secondary containment
? Ft. Pierce System

? “Evolved” rather than planned growth

? Mixed utilities
• Ammonia Refrigeration
• Compressed air
? Recent improvements and expansions
follow ASHRAE15 and IIAR2 but
without an overall vision
The Challenge
? Modernize Tropicana’s refrigeration
systems bringing them to a “world-
class” standard in terms of what ?????
? Safety (for sure - got to have that!)
? Reliability (need some of that too!)
? Minimal ammonia charge (less is Better)
? Total cost of ownership (yeah !- That sounds good also)
• Energy efficiency
• Operability
• Maintainability
? Business Risk (Can we get to zero ??)
? Consistently applied across all locations
Defining “World-class”
? Nuclear Industry (Port St. Lucie Power
Plant)
• Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Containment
• Strictly followed “change control” procedures
• Issues quickly and formally addressed
• Highly trained operating groups with
comprehensive procedures for qualification and
periodic re-qualification
• Governmentally (NRC) controlled
? Petrochemical Industry
• Class I Installations
• PSM regulated
Thoughts to Date
? Absolutes
? Items that should be incorporated
into any new machine room or area
containing major charge
? Trade-offs
? Items that are in essence a question
of balance between competing needs
• Thermodynamic and $$ efficiency vs.
Risk
• Secondary brine loops
• Critically charged units
• How many separate systems
Critical Control Points
? Scope Definition
? Design
? Installation
? Programming and Commissioning
? Operating
? Maintaining
? Change control
Design Guidelines
? Simplified layouts
• Reduce number of components
• Intuitive header and piping designs
• Standardize components and component
operations
? Isolation of ammonia systems
• Containment of liquid ammonia in case of a spill
• Machine rooms maintained at negative pressure
• Ventilation to reduce vapor concentrations and
and scrubbing systems to reduce amount
discharged
• Separation of compressed air and ammonia
• Intrinsic safety but not necessarily Class I Div 2
Design Guidelines (cont.)
? System integrity
? Building structural issues
? Piping supports
? All vessels ASME rated for minimum 250 psi
? Seamless pipe
• Stainless steel for 6” and smaller
• Non-SS primed and painted prior to insulation
? Major header runs on outside
? Relief valves wherever liquid ammonia can
be trapped
? Pumpout systems
? 100% Design Package
Design Guidelines (cont.)

? Automation
? Auto-staging of compressors and
evaporative condensors
? Isolated central control room

? Intuitive green-yellow-red graphic displays

? Ammonia sensors and relief valve indicators

? Continuous monitoring of critical variables

with historical archiving of data
? Analog vs. discrete sensors

? Auto-page on alarms
Installation Guidelines
? Contractors properly qualified
? Certified welders
? Insure piping integrity going in
? Instruments properly installed
? Formal process for field modification
procedures
Commissioning Guidelines

? Piping Integrity and Vessel Checkout

? 10% X-ray of Welds
? Isolate and pressure test to 120# for 1 hour
? Pull vacuum
? Power and controls
? Voltage and rotation
? E-stops circuit and emergency circuits and then each
device
? Discrete I/0, Analog Inputs Calibration, Analog Outs
Response
? Operation Program Line by Line
? All alarm code line-by-line
? Graphic displays
Operating Guidelines
? Formal training and qualification on ammonia
theory and on specific ammonia systems
? Periodic re-training and re-qualification
? Continuous monitoring of system operation
both by automation and trained operators
? Disaster planning and drills
? Controlled access to ammonia areas
Maintenance Guidelines
? Formalize calibration methods and schedules for
instruments
? Routine checks of piping systems
? Temperature and vibration monitoring
? Oil analysis
? Lockout / tagout
? Pumpout procedures
? Emergency Response Team Training
Change Control Guidelines
? Formal, rigid process for change
control
? Reviews through
• Operations
• Engineering
• Maintenance
• PSM Committee
? Understand risks of implementation
Challenge for the IRC
University of Wisconsin-Madison

? Clearinghouse for NH3-related info

? Development of guidelines for “world-
class” standards
? Develop and execute training and
qualification programs
? Auditing of member systems, personnel,
and procedures
? Develop its unique identity
? Funding and sustaining strategy