Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/520302
28 STiR tea & coffee industry international / Issue 3, 2015 (June/July) Koziorowski suggested the afterburner with a cone is more cost effective. Specifically, he said, "The catalyzer cassette materials will be, for example, palladium, a material which is not cheap so the investment for that is higher but you reach lower emission levels with it." For companies needing to sustain a high volume throughput, both Koziorowski and Schmidt recommend taking a look at the Proforte. This FRTO (flameless, regenerative, thermal oxidizer) treats and takes the roasting exhaust gases through a ceramic bed with interior temperatures of 900 to 1,100°C. The ceramic bed maintains its temperature because the flow of exhaust gas into the system is cyclically reversed. The modularity of Probat's product line allows roasters flex- ibility in making a decision about how best to address air quality standards. However, Schmidt said, "For a large corporation, based on the volume of air [pollutants] to be destroyed, I would recom- mend RTO. It is not an economical solution for a small roaster." Neuhaus-Neotec's customer-centric focus Neuhaus-Neotec designs its equipment for large companies so that about 90-95% of the roaster's air is routed in a circle. Neuhaus also offers solutions that utilize the exhaust air of the roaster to pre-heat the green coffee, thus saving up to 25% of the energy and increasing the roaster's efficiency by up to 25% with the same energy use. (See illustration at left) Leon Heisterüber, who heads process engineering, research & development at the company, said, "Compliance with the lim- its set by the new technical instructions on air quality control (guideline 3892 of the Association of German Engineers) or also with the stricter limits of other countries (Switzerland, Italy, etc.) is no problem for Neuhaus Neotec. The know-how is not just restricted to the coffee market but comes also from other industrial sectors such as the chemical, pharmaceutical, energy, or waste incineration so we can always offer our customers the best possible solution." According to Heisterüber, special requirements for emission limits are the norm in Scandinavia; often, not only quality but also the quantity of exhaust gases in a region must be assessed. California also has some of the strictest environmental rules in the United States. For these reasons, Neuhaus Neotec utilizes Karl Schmidt, president Probat Burns Probat's TVR line of thermal pre-cleaners is comparable to that of the RV afterburner. The base model (TVR/KEG) can be fitted later with a catalytic (NVK) afterburner as above. Thermal catalytic exhaust is used to pre-heat green coffee.