Increased efficiency through ventilation retrofit

Systemair increases the overall efficiency of the ventilation system in the Becksteiner Winzer fermentation cellar.

Winzergenossenschaft Beckstein, Germany

Enhanced employee security

The ventilation system draws the hazardous fermentation gases outside and supplies the fermentation cellar with sufficient oxygen. This allows employees to work in a safe working environment.

Increased efficiency and air quality

The demand-regulated system only switches to full throttle when the CO₂ concentration rises above the reference value. Once the appropriate air quality is reached, a CO₂ sensor that permanently monitors the air quality automatically slows down the fans.

Extra protection against breakdowns

By installing two fans in parallel, the system is protected against breakdowns. If one fails, the other can continue to extract the hazardous fermentation gases.

: Europe
: 2021
: Industrial
Systemair supplies: MUB duct fans

Project Insights

A legacy structure

Becksteiner Winzer eG is the third oldest winegrowers' cooperative in Baden. It was founded in 1894 by Pastor Dr Heinrich Hansjakob and 18 Beckstein winegrowers. Today, it unites 354 members from 21 surrounding wine villages. The total area under vines is 250 hectares.

The previously installed extraction system, a belt-driven axial fan from the early 1970s, ran at full capacity for 356 days, although the peak season only lasts 40 days a year. In addition, Systemair's measurements showed that the system achieved an efficiency of around 60%, which could be improved with the latest EC technology. The aim should therefore be to replace the old system with a fan system that extracts the fermentation gases from the fermentation cellar in an energy-efficient, quiet and safe manner.

In addition, the system was very bulky and drew the air upwards via a large, straight chimney in the centre of the production area, which meant valuable space was lost.

The "Fan replacement makes it efficient" campaign was launched by leading German ventilation technology fan manufacturers, under the auspices of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) and the German Air Conditioning Association (FGK). The aim is to make operators of HVAC systems in non-residential buildings aware of the potential energy and cost savings that can be achieved by replacing outdated technology with modern and energy-efficient fan systems.

The medium to be transported is CO₂ (carbon dioxide) which is produced during the fermentation of the grape juice. While it poses no significant risk during air transport, it can be highly hazardous for people in enclosed spaces. During fermentation, CO₂ falls down during the fermentation process and displaces oxygen.

Addressing the need

During the retrofit at Becksteiner Winzer, the decision was made to install standard MUB EC series ducted fans with the latest motor and fan technology, which now ensure safe operation in the fermentation cellar. With a motor efficiency of 90%, this also has a positive effect on the overall efficiency of the system. The two speed-controlled fans are operated in parallel, which ensures redundancy in rare cases.

If one fan fails, the other can continue to keep the gas concentration in the fermentation cellar low. Both are also equipped with a CO₂ sensor, which automatically switches the fans down when the desired air quality is reached. This means that the system only runs at full power when necessary, for example during the peak season.

In addition, they have a significantly lower noise level compared to the old system, which is a relief for the bottling staff.

Moving the exhaust air chimney also made it possible to relocate the position of the fan within the building. The MUB fans used could be ideally planned due to their simple and flexible adjustment of the blow-out direction, thus creating space for process sequences. The air that previously left the fermentation cellar in a straight line is now blown out at a 90 degree angle.

The exhaust air chimney before the retrofit.

New space was created by moving in the fireplace.

The two new fans, which blow out the air at a 90 degree angle.

Self-cleaning impeller

Another advantage of the new system is that the impeller can clean itself of dust particles. On the old fan, it could be seen that dust particles were also sucked in during operation. Thanks to the backward curved blades of the new fans, they can clean themselves when running in the opposite direction so that nothing can get stuck. This is a good prerequisite for a long service life.

Planned savings

The assumed saving of 30% has already been achieved today. Assuming an operating time of 2,500 hours per year, this equates to approx. 7,500 kWh. At the end of the season, the savings are likely to be even greater.

We are now in the middle of the season in which the fermentation gases are produced. Everything was completed on time and we are very happy with the operation. It's so quiet that we hardly notice anything.
Michael Braun
Managing Director, Beckstein Winegrowers' Co-operative

Would you like to know more?

If you would like to know more about the project or speak to one of our experts, please contact Harald Rudelgass, Group Product Compliance Director, Systemair GmbH below.

MUB

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