Ice builder and second stage plate cooler

The role of an ice builder, how it works with a second stage plate heat exchanger and DX tank, plus the advantages of this type of system.

In an ice builder, the refrigeration system is used to build ice in the same way as in an ice bank, but separately in a secondary vessel. Iced water from the ice builder is passed through a plate heat exchanger to cool the milk. Often twin stage plate heat exchangers are used: in the first stage, borehole or mains water pre-cools the milk, and in the second stage iced water is used to reduce the milk temperature to 4°C.

A final holding DX tank, usually fitted with a small refrigeration compressor, would provide any remainder cooling necessary and maintain the required milk temperature until collection.

Ice builder systems can be a good solution to benefit from cheaper tariffs or where excess renewable electricity from PV or wind generation is available; where silo milk holding systems are needed to cope with large volumes, they can reduce peak electricity requirements. In systems using robotic milking, which provide sporadic milk flows throughout the day, compressor cycling times can be minimised.