Powerblanket has always offered the best in heating solutions. Now, the best in process cooling solutions is readily available through North Slope Chillers.
PROCESS COOLING SYSTEMS
Process cooling systems provide solutions where cooling is required at a specific location in manufacturing or some other process. Taking a product, system, or liquid from a starting temperature to a lower temperature is the purpose behind process cooling systems. 
PROCESS COOLING METHOD
- Heat exchangers transfer heat between a solid object and a fluid, or between two or more fluids. The fluids may be separated by a solid wall to prevent mixing or they may be in direct contact. Exchangers are widely used in space heating, refrigeration, air conditioning, power stations, chemical plants, petrochemical plants, petroleum refineries, natural-gas processing, and sewage treatment.
- The classic example of a heat exchanger is found in an internal combustion engine in which a circulating fluid known as engine coolant flows through radiator coils and air flows past the coils, which cools the coolant and heats the incoming air. The Powerblanket Circulation Blanket is an example of a heat exchanger for drums, barrels, and buckets.
- North Slope Chillers uses the same principle as a refrigerator, but instead of cooling the air inside of an insulated box, chillers cool the water that flows from the chiller to the object being cooled. Refrigeration is typically direct expansion, including an evaporator & fan system inside an insulated box, with a remotely located compressor/condenser. Most fans run continuously to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the controlled space, while the refrigeration process operates intermittently to control the required amount of heat rejection.
Types of Cooling Liquids
There are two main cooling liquids used in process cooling, water and glycol. Chilled water is often the cooling agent of choice because it is low-cost, has excellent thermal transfer properties, and is readily available. Sometimes specific water purities, such as distilled or hard water, are required to help prevent corrosion or electricity resistance.
Glycol is a bit more expensive but can reach a freezing point below -60° F. North Slope Chillers can utilize both glycol and water mixed together to reach nearly any desired temperature.
INDUSTRIES USING PROCESS COOLING SYSTEMS
Indoor Agriculture 
Farming indoors is one of the fastest growing arms of agriculture. According to Mike Kaler’s book, Don’t Bet the Farm, “today, indoor farming is a $500 million industry, and significant expansion is expected… The future for indoor agriculture looks a lot like manufacturing of the past — maximizing production and minimizing risks. It will play an important role in food security in the United States and around the world.” Maintaining consistent temperatures while balancing humidity can pose a tricky challenge for the indoor farmer. The temperature differential can be as much as 1° F per vertical foot.
Many indoor agriculture operations, such as hydroponics, are looking to cooling systems that can be incorporated into the existing ventilation system. Onsite and digital monitoring controls are also improving the management of the indoor environment.
Breweries and Distilleries
A lot of beverage and food industries will use industrial cooling systems to maintain temperature while a product cures and processes. Spirits spend years locked inside barrels during the aging process. During that time, they undergo a series of seasonal climatic changes that trigger chemical changes known as fermentation. In this delicate process, if a spirit ages too long or too quickly, it can result in undesired flavors and aromas that compromise the quality of the spirit. Yet in a stratified space, barrels at the top of the rackhouse age more rapidly — and can easily age too long.
In order to help stay in control of temperature fluctuations caused by fermentation, brewers turn to process cooling. Keg Coolers and Fluxwraps, both from North Slope Chillers, have been instrumental at allowing brewers to perfect their brew flavors and protect their creations from excess heat.
Injection Molding
Process cooling can be directly associated with the process itself. One of the essential requirements for plastic injection molding is proper cooling of the mold between cycles. Process cooling allows for controlled temperatures during the curing phase. Time saved in cooling is time saved in money, as well as in energy expended in monitoring temperatures, which is why manufacturers turn to process cooling to ensure molds are created exactly as specified.
Process cooling also results in less wasted product that would have been the result of curing molds that had poor or no temperature regulation equipment.
NORTH SLOPE CHILLERS AND PROCESS COOLING 
Optimize performance when the heat is high with North Slope Chillers’ process cooling systems.
FEATURES:
- Ready-to-ship industrial cooling and process cooling products are available for 15, 30, and 55-gallon drums, and for 5-gallon buckets.
- Custom systems can be designed for a large variety of industrial cooling applications, and shipped within 2 weeks.
- Fluxwrap blankets use Powerblanket’s patented heat-spreading technology in reverse to draw heat to the blanket and cool the contents of the container.
- Fluxwrap covers and insulation are the same as the robust system used in the Powerblanket heating products.
- North Slope Chillers’ industrial cooling systems are portable (120VAC required).
- Control the temperature of your equipment or bulk materials.
- When materials are delivered too hot, waiting for the material to cool can mean lost hours or even days.
- Fluxwraps can be left installed and running while bulk material containers are in use.
Chilling with North Slope Chillers
North Slope Chillers offer the best process cooling solutions for every industry, even in situations that require custom solutions. With chiller temperatures capable of reaching everything from –100° F to 90° F, there’s virtually nothing that North Slope Chillers can’t cool. For more information, call (866) 826-2993 or email [email protected].
Works Cited
Kaler, Mike. “Don’t Bet the Farm”. Process Cooling. January/February 2017. P 16.
Stoike, Jamison. “5 Ways to Use Fans in Breweries and Distilleries”. Process Cooling, January/February 2017. P 20.
Keep your products and processes within the desired temperature range with Powerblanket's industrial cooling solutions.
