Company News • 04.09.2012

Hidding specialist butcher's shop opts for plasma technology

BÄRO developed customised solution to effectively eliminate odour emissions

For more than 75 years Hidding butcher's shop has stood for quality, a pleasant atmosphere and customer service. In addition to meat and sausage products the branch in the old part of Münster offers a range of lunch specials. To minimise odours from the kitchen exhaust air, the proprietors opted for plasma technology from BARO.

"Our butcher's shop with its hot snack counter gets lots of customers every day, especially at lunchtime. We offer our customers typical Westphalian food and delicious home-style cooking. Everything is freshly prepared and comes from our own production. Customers know where it originates from", says owner Andrea Runge. However, the daily cooking and frying meant that the proprietors had increasing problems with smells from the kitchen exhaust air. They initially hoped that a "normal" ventilation system would remedy the situation. But the problems remained. "This is an area of high building density and the shopping street is very busy. Our neighbours kept complaining and our operating licence was at risk. In the search for a solution my brother Thomas Hidding came across plasma technology from BARO." Following a consultation with BARO air hygiene expert Hartmut Engler and an on-site analysis, Andrea Runge decided to retrofit an exhaust air unit with plasma technology in her branch (the family has four further butcher's shops in and around Münster).

Together with an air conditioning and ventilation specialist from Münster BARO developed a customised solution to effectively eliminate odour emissions. A plasma technology module was fitted in the existing exhaust air system in the intermediate ceiling in very cramped conditions. It was specially designed for the exhaust air requirements of the butcher's shop and achieves an air purification rate of 3,000 m³ per hour. Including ventilation the system consumes just 1.5 kW/h per hour, which means that it does not only work cleanly - it is also extremely energy efficient. The exhaust air is cleaned in three stages of operation. To start with, the exhaust air is drawn into the system by a fan directly above the cooking areas where it is passed through an easily removable hydroSorp filter that frees it from grease, solids, aerosols and very small particles. In the second stage, the plasma stage, the odours in the previously filtered exhaust air are destroyed by an oxidation and decomposition process. Finally, the exhaust air passes through an active charcoal filter that - as a reaction platform only - keeps back any compounds that have not yet been oxidised and decomposes them. The result is odourless and grease-free kitchen exhaust air on a purely physical basis. Hartmut Engler says: "The elimination of grease residue in the exhaust air duct also has benefits in terms of fire protection. What's more, the method is very environmentally friendly. There is no longer any need for time-consuming and expensive removal of grease residue." After being cleaned by plasma technology the exhaust air that is now free from odours, germs and grease is then routed outside to the street.

Andrea Runge is delighted with the result: "The exhaust air is almost completely odourless and we have not had any complaints since. And we no longer have to worry about losing our operating licence. The planning and installation were completed on time and very professionally. The investment has most definitely paid off."