Heating and cooling are common processes in food processing, each of which either directly or indirectly produces large quantities of heat. If not managed properly, the excess heat may damage equipment and or the product through overheating. It is, therefore, essential to have a reliable cooling system that can extract heat sufficiently with minimal maintenance.
The cooling system usually features cooling towers that house large fan blades. To power the fan, it is now possible for a high-efficiency permanent magnet direct-drive motor to be coupled directly to the fan. A variable speed drive (VSD) controls the speed of the high-torque, direct-drive motor for optimal fan operation. A major advantage of this method of speed control is its inherent adjustability. For example, in extreme cold weather conditions, tower icing can be averted by running the fan at a slower than normal speed or back-running the fan at a slow backwards speed, raising the tower and process water temperatures.