Photo - refrigeration plant at Pumpherston refinery.
code: LVSAV2019.040
Description
B&W negative copied in 1990 from official albums then held at Grangemouth refinery.
Ammonia compressors and refrigerating plant used in the paraffin extraction plant at Pumpherston. Wax was initially separated from oil mixtures by passing wax-rich oil fractions through filter cooled filter presses which encouraged formation of wax flakes which were retained on the filter cloth. The first pass through such presses was cooled by water, the second chilled to a lower temperature with an ammonia refrigerant. These ammonia compressors at Pumpherston refinery (described as 50-ton Stern compressors driven by 115 hp motors) pressurised the ammonia used as a refrigerant in the filter presses.
