HBO/WO Graduation Assignment – Sustainable Flaming Furnace

The Assignment

The Flaming Furnace singes residual hair and stubble from dehaired carcasses of pigs and/or sows. Since the energy crisis and awareness of our ecological footprint, there is more demand from the market and within Marel to reduce energy consumption and ecological footprint. The current flaming furnace consumes a large amount of natural gas, propane gas, or Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). The assignment is split into two parts (If it is possible within the time frame, part 2 will be carried out, based on the findings from the research):

• Advise in alternative gasses besides above-mentioned gasses.
• Develop a prototype flaming furnace with above-mentioned gasses with 50% less gas consumption.

What You’ll Be Doing

1. Advice in alternative gasses.

• Create a program of requirements.
• Investigate alternative gasses like hydrogen or a mix of gasses.
• Gather information in and outside Marel, e.g., CV boiler industry.
• Create an advice report on how to proceed in the future for Marel.
• Create a proposal for a feasibility model.

2. Develop a prototype flaming furnace with at least 50% less gas consumption.

• Set up project plan including activities, time, cost, risks.
• Gather data on current consumption of the flaming furnace.
• Create a program of requirements.
• Validate program of requirements with stakeholders.
• Create Value Proposition / Business Case for the customer and for Marel.
• Develop prototype with the team including mechanical design, hardware, and software.
• Create test specification for in-house test.

Who We Are

Marel is a global leader in advanced processing systems for the poultry, meat, and fish industries. With 7,500 employees in over 30 countries, we work towards sustainable and efficient food processing. We offer you the opportunity to explore your ideas, grow, and make a meaningful contribution to our organization.

The Department

Innovation – Sustainment & Maintenance

The department Sustainment & Maintenance is responsible for the product portfolio that is Free For Sale. This means we are maintaining to uphold the lifecycle of the product, sustaining to extend the lifecycle of a product, and giving advice to end the lifecycle of the product. Key activities are standardization & modularization, developing retrofits and modification packages according to our Product Development Process with all required deliverables.

What We Offer:

• A monthly internship allowance of €400, based on a 40-hour week.
• A travel allowance of €0.23 per kilometer.
• Opportunities for personal and professional growth, including access to LinkedIn Learning.
• All necessary resources to get started, including a quality work laptop.
• Two vacation days per month!

Who Are You?

• You are a 4th-year HBO/Master’s student pursuing a technical degree in fields such as: Chemical Engineering, Energy Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Sustainable Energy Technology.
• You have experience or knowledge of gases, combustion processes, and energy transition strategies.
• You have a strong understanding of CV boilers, combustion processes, and gas consumption reduction.
• Team player, who works well in multi-disciplinary teams.
• Strong communication skills.
• Experience with or knowledge of 3D design tools. Preferred is Solidworks.
• Result-driven approach.
• English proficiency is a must.

Excited?

Do you see yourself joining Marel and contributing to the future of the food industry? Send your details to Cynthia Ding at Cynthia.ding@marel.com. We look forward to working with you!