Batchwater

Batching concrete is unavoidably dirty work. Any piece of equipment on a concrete plant must be able to operate for years despite this harsh environment. There are many brands that make water chillers and heat pumps, but only one that manufactures them specifically for the rugged applications of the concrete industry.

Since 1981, American Geothermal is the only company in the world that manufactures batchwater chillers and heat pumps specifically for the concrete industry. Every year we receive reports of customers with “comfort-cooling” chillers and heat pumps that fail within months or even weeks of installation. In contrast, American Geothermal Chillbatch and Thermabatch systems often outlive the concrete plants that they are used on.

Why heat or cool batchwater?

Most of the world’s climates are not ideal for placing concrete. Some climates are too hot and some are too cold. Mixing concrete generates heat, often more heat than is optimal for concrete in moderate or warm ambient temperatures. In cold climates, the generated heat may not be enough to overcome the negative effects of cold ambient temperatures.
To mitigate the negative effects of placing concrete at non-ideal temperatures, we cool and heat batchwater before it is mixed with the other elements used to make concrete. By heating or cooling one element of the mixture, we are indirectly heating or cooling the concrete’s temperature.

Why not use ice?

Ice is expensive to produce, difficult to store, and can be dangerous to handle. On average, cooling water to 35°F using American Geothermal equipment is 1-2% of the cost of ice and produces the exact same benefit.  In most cases, 35°F water replaces up to 40 pounds of ice per cubic yard.  Because of this, American Geothermal systems often pay for themselves in less than one year. That doesn’t even include the cost of labor or safety hazards associated with handling ice. Visit our Customer Calculations(link) to calculate how much an American Geothermal system could save you!