Low-energy decanter for beverage technology

With the GCF 465 decanter presented for the first time at INTERVITIS INTERFRUCTA 2010, GEA Westfalia Separator has succeeded in constructing a clarifying decanter with fundamentally enhanced performance with simultaneous reduction of the service and operating costs. The decanter delivers high throughput capacities with reduced energy requirement coupled with an optimum price-performance ratio. Despite the high throughput capacity and the sharply increased torque, the specific energy requirement is very low.

The decanter is designed as a deep-pond machine. The small solids discharge diameter produces a relatively high liquid level in the bowl which in turn means a correspondingly high filling volume. Throughput capacity and clarification efficiency are consequently higher. The GCF 465 clarifying decanter is operated under pressure with a centripetal pump with the result that oxygen intake is largely avoided. This is important for its application in the clarification of oxygen-sensitive wine, must or fruit juice. At the same time, the catcher is constructed in such a way that the machine is easy to clean. The cleaning-in-place procedure has been optimized by fitting spray nozzles in the product chamber. GEA Westfalia Separator achieved a low energy consumption by reducing the solids discharge diameter. As a result, the geometry of the bearing hub on the liquid side was able to be modified to further reduce the energy consumption. The GCF 465 clarifying decanter is rated for capacities of 5 to 10 t/h for wine and fruit juice clarification and 10 to 15 t/h for must clarification.