New clarifying decanter GCF 465 for beverage technology
Low Energy Decanter - With the new decanter GCF 465 which has been presented for the first time at the intervitis interfructa 2010, GEA Westfalia Separator has succeeded in designing a clarifying decanter with a fundamentally improved capacity combined with considerably lower service and operating costs.
The decanter provides high throughput capacities in conjunction with reduced power requirement, and also provides optimum value for money. Despite the high throughput capacity, the specific energy requirement is very low.
Attractive design
The modern design is very attractive. It takes account of ergonomic requirements and ensures that all replacement parts are readily accessible. The machine is designed as a pedestal bearing version; the decanter stands directly on the ground without any feet, and is dynamically separated from the foundation only by means of rubber elements in order to avoid the transmission of vibrations. This arrangement eliminates the risk of self-critical vibration generation. In design terms, this means that the primary motor is arranged above the axle of the bowl and that the secondary motor is arranged in line on the gear drive shaft – with a split coupling, thus facilitating bowl disassembly when necessary.
Oxygen intake virtually eliminated
The decanter is designed as a deep pond machine. The small diameter of the solids discharge results in a relatively high level of contents in the bowl, which is associated with a corresponding content volume. Accordingly, throughput capacity and clarifying efficiency are higher. The clarifying decanter GCF 465 is operated with a centripetal pump under pressure so that oxygen intake is virtually eliminated. This is a crucial aspect to enable the machine to be used for clarifying oxygensensitive wine, must or fruit juice. At the same time, the solids chute is designed in such a way that the machine is easy to clean. Cleaning-inplace is supported by spray nozzles in the product chamber.
Low energy consumption
Energy consumption should also be as low as possible. GEA Westfalia Separator has met this requirement by way of reducing the solids discharge diameter. This is because the smaller the diameter, the less energy is required by the primary motor in order to discharge the product out of the bowl. In consequence, the geometry of the bearing hub on the liquid side was also modified, and energy consumption was thus reduced even further.
Maximum yields and excellent quality
The decanter is used in winemaking operations or in fruit juice operations as a multifunction machine for juicing, clarifying must and for processing yeast or must trub. It is designed for capacities of between 5 and 10 t/h for wine and fruit juice and for capacities of between 10 and 15 t/h for must clarification. The optimized bowl design of the decanter ensures a large clarifying surface and thus maximum separating performance in all applications. The GCF 465 is equipped with a special drive for automatic torque measurement and differential speed regulation. A particular feature of this drive is that an additional secondary gear and a secondary motor are used. This design permits infinitely variable torque-dependent differential speed regulation. The high regulating accuracy permits extremely small differential speeds, thus permitting optimum dewatering of the solids. This always ensures maximum yields for sediment processing for instance and also ensures excellent quality of the wine which is produced. Further characteristic features of the GCF 465 are high efficiency, low space requirement as well as low-maintenance and environmentally sound operation.
