White Wine Energy and Utilities – Covert Engineers, Inc.

CEI™ was requested to assist with process support utility engineering for a new white wine production facility in Oregon. The goal was to review, from an engineering basis, certain utility loads for the new white wine facility based on a typical vs. a “heavy” harvest schedule. The main areas analyzed for this system included:

Capacity of the existing boiler: could the unit handle the additional loads anticipated from the new facility.
Sizing the new chiller based on production schedules and environmental (spatial ventilation) requirements.
Architectural drawings for planned equipment layout and basic design.
Applicable general Utility Pipe routing and required drop points.

CEI™ sized a new chiller based on a model created to simulate the heat produced by wine fermentation within an entire cellar of stainless steel tanks and casks. This simulation allowed for more accurate energy modeling based on the crush data from past years. In addition, CEI™ analyzed the existing boiler to determine the available excess capacity, and if it would be sufficient to cover the new production needs.

General equipment location, process space requirements, and utility piping routing drawings were prepared to assist the contractor with the use of equipment procurement and development of installation scope documents. The equipment location drawing provides placement for air vents, exhaust fans, fluid coolers, humidifiers, and space heaters. In addition, CEI™ provided a piping schedule to the general contractor as a guideline for utility piping design.