Coffee extraction water heated with evaporator heat
How a soluble coffee plant extracting 3 tonnes of roast coffee a day can heat its extraction water with a heat pump fed from its extract evaporator, cutting furnace-oil boiler steam.
▶Video: Waste-heat recovery heat pumps
V10 · 2–2.5 minLifting warm water from condensers, effluent and process cooling to useful heat
Video coming soon01Problem statement
- Large hot-water demand. Extraction uses about 5 litres of water per kg of coffee at 90–110 °C, all heated with steam.
- Evaporator heat rejected. The extract evaporator rejects heat in condensate and condenser water at 45–60 °C.
- Flavour depends on temperature. Temperature swings in the early columns change extract yield and flavour.
- Losses between fuel and process. Burning furnace oil in a boiler or heater and distributing the heat loses a quarter or more of the fuel's energy before it reaches the process.
- Compliance, safety and handling. Fired equipment brings boiler inspections, fuel storage and unloading, flue emissions and an attendant on every shift.
02Use case
The reference plant extracts about 3 tonnes of roast and ground coffee a day in a battery of six columns, with campaigns of instant tea. The extract is concentrated in an evaporator and spray-dried to about 1.2 tonnes of soluble powder. It runs round the clock.
| Heat user | Process temp. | Basis | Heat, kWh/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extraction feed water | 30 → 105 °C | 3,000 kg coffee × 5 L/kg = 15,000 L/day | 1,306 |
| Extract preheating before evaporator | 40 → 75 °C | 12,000 L/day | 478 |
| Column jacket losses | 90–105 °C | 6 columns × 2 kW × 20 h | 240 |
| Storage and pipework standing losses | – | about 5% | 101 |
| Total useful heat | 2,125 | ||
Averaged over 20 running hours, the heat pumps need about 106 kW.
03P&ID
Tags: HP heat pump, TK tank, SG steam generator, P pump, PHE plate heat exchanger, TCV temperature control valve, TIC temperature indicating controller (panel), TT temperature transmitter, MT moisture transmitter, PT pressure transmitter, LT level transmitter, FS flow switch, NC normally closed. Process fluids are heated through their own exchanger, coil or jacket.
04Solution
System description
- 4 × SE-WWUHT-27 (108 kW total) (SE-WWUHT water-source, R245fa) delivering 115 °C, covering the day's 2,125 kWh in about 19.7 running hours.
- A 3,500 L insulated storage tank decouples the heat pumps from the process peaks.
- Heat source: extract evaporator condensate and condenser water at about 50 °C. Cooling the evaporator condenser water improves vacuum and lowers cooling tower load.
- The furnace-oil fired steam boiler stays connected behind a normally closed valve as standby.
- Condensate and condenser water from the extract evaporator, at about 50 °C, are the heat pump source.
- Extraction feed water is heated to 105 °C on heat pump hot water. Any higher-temperature hydrolysis stages stay on steam.
- Extract preheating and column jackets run from the same loop.
- The same system serves instant tea campaigns, which extract at 80–90 °C.
Selected equipment
| Model | SE-WWUHT-27 × 4 |
|---|---|
| Heating capacity | 27 kW each, 108 kW total |
| COP | 2.3 estimated for a 50 °C source (the data sheet is rated on a 60/55 °C source) |
| Rating | water or steam to 120 °C, R245fa |
| Supply temperature | 115 °C |
| Storage | 3,500 L insulated tank |
Capacity is sized from the heat demand above. COP is an estimate until Sunniva engineering confirms the design.
Control philosophy
TT-101 at the tank top starts the heat pump below 110 °C and stops it at 115 °C. TIC-201 holds extraction water at 105 °C. TIC-202 holds extract at 75 °C before the evaporator. TIC-203 holds column jackets at their set points. If the tank falls below 108 °C, the existing steam heater is enabled as standby.
05Energy saving and ROI
Change any input to match a customer's site. Defaults are typical Indian prices for October 2026. The installed cost is a placeholder; replace it with the actual quotation.
| Existing | Heat pump | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily consumption | – | – |
| Annual energy cost | – | – |
| Cost per tonne of soluble coffee | – | – |
| CO₂ per year | – | – |
06Benefits
Evaporator heat reused
Heat leaving the evaporator heats fresh extraction water.
Steady extraction
Stable feed water temperature helps extract yield and flavour.
Works for tea too
Lower-temperature tea extraction runs from the same hot-water loop.
Lower energy cost
Each kWh of electricity delivers about 2.3 kWh of heat at the required temperature, against well under one kWh of useful heat per kWh of fuel burnt.
No flame on site
No burner, flue or fuel tank for this duty, and no fuel deliveries to schedule.
Built-in redundancy
Several machines share the load. If one is serviced, the others and the storage carry most of the day, with the existing heater in reserve.
07Engineering pointers
Site data to collect
- Roast coffee and tea extracted per day
- Extraction water ratio and temperatures by column
- Evaporator type, condensate and condenser water flows
- Extract volume and solids
- Current steam use
- Present fuel or electricity use and monthly bill
- Sanctioned electrical load and spare capacity
- Space for the heat pumps and storage, with service access
Design notes
- Water quality. Extraction water must be soft and low in chlorine, as both affect flavour and scale the columns.
- Pressurised loop. At 115 °C the hot-water loop must be held above about 2 bar(g).
- Aroma recovery. Keep the aroma recovery condenser on its own cooling. Use only the main evaporator streams as the heat source.
- Source stream. The source must give up roughly two-thirds of the heat delivered. Confirm its flow and temperature over a full production day, and filter it before the evaporator.
- Water quality. Scale forms quickly above 60 °C. Use softened make-up and keep the heat pump loop closed, with process fluids on the far side of an exchanger or coil.
- Performance figure. The COP on this page is an engineering estimate, not a data sheet value. Sunniva engineering will confirm it for the actual source and supply temperatures.
Service and warranty
Sunniva has supplied 5,000+ heat pumps since 2012, with nine service technicians across India, including remote sites such as Leh. All components carry a one-year warranty.
Talk to us
Coffee extraction water heated with evaporator heat
How a soluble coffee plant extracting 3 tonnes of roast coffee a day can heat its extraction water with a heat pump fed from its extract evaporator, cutting furnace-oil boiler steam.
▶Video: Waste-heat recovery heat pumps
V10 · 2–2.5 minLifting warm water from condensers, effluent and process cooling to useful heat
Video coming soon01Problem statement
- Large hot-water demand. Extraction uses about 5 litres of water per kg of coffee at 90–110 °C, all heated with steam.
- Evaporator heat rejected. The extract evaporator rejects heat in condensate and condenser water at 45–60 °C.
- Flavour depends on temperature. Temperature swings in the early columns change extract yield and flavour.
- Losses between fuel and process. Burning furnace oil in a boiler or heater and distributing the heat loses a quarter or more of the fuel's energy before it reaches the process.
- Compliance, safety and handling. Fired equipment brings boiler inspections, fuel storage and unloading, flue emissions and an attendant on every shift.
02Use case
The reference plant extracts about 3 tonnes of roast and ground coffee a day in a battery of six columns, with campaigns of instant tea. The extract is concentrated in an evaporator and spray-dried to about 1.2 tonnes of soluble powder. It runs round the clock.
| Heat user | Process temp. | Basis | Heat, kWh/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extraction feed water | 30 → 105 °C | 3,000 kg coffee × 5 L/kg = 15,000 L/day | 1,306 |
| Extract preheating before evaporator | 40 → 75 °C | 12,000 L/day | 478 |
| Column jacket losses | 90–105 °C | 6 columns × 2 kW × 20 h | 240 |
| Storage and pipework standing losses | – | about 5% | 101 |
| Total useful heat | 2,125 | ||
Averaged over 20 running hours, the heat pumps need about 106 kW.
03P&ID
Tags: HP heat pump, TK tank, SG steam generator, P pump, PHE plate heat exchanger, TCV temperature control valve, TIC temperature indicating controller (panel), TT temperature transmitter, MT moisture transmitter, PT pressure transmitter, LT level transmitter, FS flow switch, NC normally closed. Process fluids are heated through their own exchanger, coil or jacket.
04Solution
System description
- 4 × SE-WWUHT-27 (108 kW total) (SE-WWUHT water-source, R245fa) delivering 115 °C, covering the day's 2,125 kWh in about 19.7 running hours.
- A 3,500 L insulated storage tank decouples the heat pumps from the process peaks.
- Heat source: extract evaporator condensate and condenser water at about 50 °C. Cooling the evaporator condenser water improves vacuum and lowers cooling tower load.
- The furnace-oil fired steam boiler stays connected behind a normally closed valve as standby.
- Condensate and condenser water from the extract evaporator, at about 50 °C, are the heat pump source.
- Extraction feed water is heated to 105 °C on heat pump hot water. Any higher-temperature hydrolysis stages stay on steam.
- Extract preheating and column jackets run from the same loop.
- The same system serves instant tea campaigns, which extract at 80–90 °C.
Selected equipment
| Model | SE-WWUHT-27 × 4 |
|---|---|
| Heating capacity | 27 kW each, 108 kW total |
| COP | 2.3 estimated for a 50 °C source (the data sheet is rated on a 60/55 °C source) |
| Rating | water or steam to 120 °C, R245fa |
| Supply temperature | 115 °C |
| Storage | 3,500 L insulated tank |
Capacity is sized from the heat demand above. COP is an estimate until Sunniva engineering confirms the design.
Control philosophy
TT-101 at the tank top starts the heat pump below 110 °C and stops it at 115 °C. TIC-201 holds extraction water at 105 °C. TIC-202 holds extract at 75 °C before the evaporator. TIC-203 holds column jackets at their set points. If the tank falls below 108 °C, the existing steam heater is enabled as standby.
05Energy saving and ROI
Change any input to match a customer's site. Defaults are typical Indian prices for October 2026. The installed cost is a placeholder; replace it with the actual quotation.
| Existing | Heat pump | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily consumption | – | – |
| Annual energy cost | – | – |
| Cost per tonne of soluble coffee | – | – |
| CO₂ per year | – | – |
06Benefits
Evaporator heat reused
Heat leaving the evaporator heats fresh extraction water.
Steady extraction
Stable feed water temperature helps extract yield and flavour.
Works for tea too
Lower-temperature tea extraction runs from the same hot-water loop.
Lower energy cost
Each kWh of electricity delivers about 2.3 kWh of heat at the required temperature, against well under one kWh of useful heat per kWh of fuel burnt.
No flame on site
No burner, flue or fuel tank for this duty, and no fuel deliveries to schedule.
Built-in redundancy
Several machines share the load. If one is serviced, the others and the storage carry most of the day, with the existing heater in reserve.
07Engineering pointers
Site data to collect
- Roast coffee and tea extracted per day
- Extraction water ratio and temperatures by column
- Evaporator type, condensate and condenser water flows
- Extract volume and solids
- Current steam use
- Present fuel or electricity use and monthly bill
- Sanctioned electrical load and spare capacity
- Space for the heat pumps and storage, with service access
Design notes
- Water quality. Extraction water must be soft and low in chlorine, as both affect flavour and scale the columns.
- Pressurised loop. At 115 °C the hot-water loop must be held above about 2 bar(g).
- Aroma recovery. Keep the aroma recovery condenser on its own cooling. Use only the main evaporator streams as the heat source.
- Source stream. The source must give up roughly two-thirds of the heat delivered. Confirm its flow and temperature over a full production day, and filter it before the evaporator.
- Water quality. Scale forms quickly above 60 °C. Use softened make-up and keep the heat pump loop closed, with process fluids on the far side of an exchanger or coil.
- Performance figure. The COP on this page is an engineering estimate, not a data sheet value. Sunniva engineering will confirm it for the actual source and supply temperatures.
Service and warranty
Sunniva has supplied 5,000+ heat pumps since 2012, with nine service technicians across India, including remote sites such as Leh. All components carry a one-year warranty.