Keeping apples fresh and cool is a challenge for many farms, but it is one that Gebbers Farms solves in a unique way.
At its facility on the slopes of the Cascades mountain range in Washington state, US, Gebbers sorts, processes and pre-sizes thousands of apples daily. The company revolutionised its field-to-table process in 2008 when Doug Lockhart of Lockhart Industries installed a Geoexchange system.
A greener way forward
The system takes advantage of the earth’s naturally stable temperatures to cool the water and rooms used at the Gebbers facility. Geoexchange heat pumps hook up to a series of pipes in loops, which run through a large holding pond built at the site. Excess heat transfers into the pond in summer and is pulled from the pond in winter. In essence, it is the same heat exchanging process used by a household heating pump.
“Gebbers Farms believes in taking a proactive approach to the responsible use of scarce natural resources,” says Bob Grandy, Gebbers’ spokesman and food safety engineer. “In our business, we use large quantities of water and electricity to process fruit. Fortunately, by being located where we are in North-Central Washington, we are blessed with both. Truthfully, it would have been easier and less expensive to go with a conventional refrigeration system in the pre-size facility that we built in 2009. Instead, Gebbers chose Geoexchange.”
Grandy says that Gebbers actively seeks out new technologies for its production line, like geothermal technology. A three-story streamlined mass of pumps, valves, HDPE pipes and gleaming metal refrigerant condensing units form the “brains” of the facility. Together, these elements run a Geoexchange energy process that may be the first of its kind in the fruit processing industry.
Inside the apple pre-size processing plant, forklifts deliver wooden bins of unsorted apples to a dunk tank, where the apples are cleaned and sanitised. The fruit is then inspected for defects electronically and then by human hands.
The water used throughout the facility is cooled with Geoexchange system brine. The cooled water then flows into a cool shower and flumes at minus 1.7C. The water recirculates for a week through a closed system.
High quality results
Chilled water preserves the fruits’ crisp, bright state, as if it was just plucked from the tree. In contrast, using room temperature water hastens the ripening process, says Doug Lockhart.
“With little more than some innovative refrigeration equipment, pumping and controls, we were able to increase the quality,” he says.
“Less water is used as well and it is used more efficiently,” adds Grandy.
After being sorted, the apples are packed into bins and transferred into the cold storage room, which the Geoexchange system also cools to minus 1.7C.
“A real benefit of the system is that it cools rooms and water quickly,” Grandy says. “And Grundfos pumps are instrumental in that process, by powering the heat exchange required for cooling the water.”
Eventually, the Geoexchange system could potentially be used in the underfloor heating or become part of the water treatment bio-system. Gebbers plans to integrate the Geoexchange in phases.
The advantage of CR pumps
Grundfos CR pumps were used in the Gebbers system due to their wide application to both available pressure and flow dynamics.
“Gebbers technicians have indicated that the Grundfos pumps work well, are efficient, and do the job,” Grandy says. “We don’t have the luxury to have downtime. We need things to work.”
Customers are happier too. Several of Gebbers’ top clients have sent representatives to view the new green initiative that produces higher quality apples, economic savings and a sustainable processing approach.
“Although the new system was more expensive than a conventional system, we have found its accuracy, serviceability and overall performance to meet or exceed our expectations,” says Grandy. “Once all of the features are fully implemented, we believe the system will provide further economical and environmentally sustainable results for our company.”
Read more about Gebbers’ geothermal system here.
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Content on this page is paid for and provided by Grundfos, sponsor of the water hub
