Paper production: Metering technology in research
Student researchers use metering system to discover how pulp can be manufactured more efficiently by the addition of chemicals.
It’s an ambitious research project. Swedish paper manufacturer Holmen Paper wants to cut energy consumption in its pulp production process by at least 30%. If it succeeds, it will save 130 million kWh per year – enough to provide a year’s worth of heating, lighting and electricity for 6500 households.
Fast, flexible metering
Three student researchers at Holmen Paper are looking to find a way of reducing the energy costs of pulp production. Pulp is an important raw material in paper production which is normally obtained from timber.
The wood chips can be broken up more easily by adding metered quantities of chemicals, a process which also saves energy. The chemicals are added by a ProMinent metering system. “The results so far are very promising,” says student researcher Erik Nelsson. “The ProMinent metering system allows us to vary the chemical addition with the necessary speed and flexibility.”
Metering systems handles up to 1360 litres per hour
The metering system handles hydrogen peroxide, sodium sulphite, dithionite, EDTA, sodium silicate and enzymes with an adjustable capacity of between 1 and 1360 litres per hour. The speed, which in this case means the number of strokes per minute, can be manually controlled on the control panel by means of pulse input or analogue input signal. The number of strokes per minute ranges from 1 to 124.
ProMinent offers warranty
“We chose a ProMinent system because it allows many different flow variations, can be quickly adapted to our requirements and carries the CE label, and because the manufacturer offers a complete functional warranty,” explains Peter Nilsson from Holmen.
