The BBVS (Beer Bottling Vacuum System) from Leybold is a complete turnkey solution that replaces the old liquid ring pump technology. As beer is sensitive to oxygen, various technical aspects must be taken into account when filling glass bottles. In order to limit the amount of residual oxygen, the filling process takes place under controlled vacuum conditions. "Until recently, liquid ring vacuum pumps were the standard solution for beer filling," explains Pierre Lantheaume, Market Sector Manager at Leybold. However, this type of pump has technical and economic disadvantages. "In addition to excessive water and energy consumption, breweries also risk contamination of the waste water and downtime due to cavitation," says Lantheaume. These undesirable effects are eliminated with the new vacuum system, which can support bottling lines with a capacity of up to 60,000 bottles per hour, depending on the bottle size.
Simple installation
The new BBVS includes a separator tank with an automatically controlled drain tank to stop foam and liquid being carried out of the filler by the gas flow. The DRYVAC dry screw vacuum pump ensures a low, constant vacuum level, while a control cabinet with PLC controls the entire system. The equipment can be connected to the filler via digital I/Os or a fieldbus for remote control and can also be operated as a stand-alone system via push buttons.
The water-cooled DRYVAC
The water-cooled DRYVAC models, the DV 650 FP-r and DV 800 FP-r, are the core element of the complete solution. With them, Leybold offers a proven screw vacuum pump that is designed for harsh industrial processes. The comparatively low internal temperature profile of the screw vacuum pump also prevents the formation of undesirable caramel layers.
Low energy and water consumption
In addition to their design, the DRYVAC models are also characterized by their practical features. In working environments, the screw design of the DRYVAC ensures reliable pump performance, low ultimate pressure and high efficiency. To deliver the same flow rate at the same working pressure, it requires 15-20 % less energy than a liquid ring pump.