Objetivo Improving the production process of fatty acids by mechanical compression of methanol vapours ; the condensation heat will be used to preheat the mixture incoming into the distillation column.The only energy source used by the new installation is electricity: this is used to power the drive motor of the vapour compressor, and for a few other electrically driven pumps.A number of measurements under different circumstances (capacity/solution ratios) show that to evaporate 6,300 kg/h of solvent alcohol, 230 kW is required (215 kW for the compressor motor; 15 kW for the various process pumps). The specific energy consumption of the new installation is 131 kJ/kg solvent alcohol.Calculated specific energy consumption will not be the same under all circumstances: it may be affected (for example) by:- the solution ratio used (owing to a change in the boiling point ratio of the fatty acid/methanol mixture);- soiling of the installation, which gives rise to poorer heat transfer and the need for a higher temperature difference.The measured specific energy consumption is 90% of the supplier's stated figure, attributed mainly to the fact that in design (and the guarantee figures) allowance has been made for a certain amount of soiling of heat-exchanging surfaces and consequently for a poorer heat transfer than is (apparently) the case at the moment.Experience to date, has shown that :- the installation has required less energy per unit of evaporated product that was originally calculated;- the installation can easily achieve planned capacity;- operation has been largely trouble free;- there is no indication of any soiling or build-up of fatty acids in the vapour compressor.It is also worth noting that the benefits of incorporating an electrically driven vapour compressor are very much dependent on whether or not a combined heat and power generating system is available.If this is not the case, then the electricity costs will be higher and the energy saving (from a national point-of-view) much lower, since the average power station operates with a yield of 35%, while a good combined heat and power generating system has a yield of +/- 90%.In viewof the successful operation at Unichema, other vapour compressor installations can be used for processes in which (explosive/inflamable) solvents have to be removed by distillation.Possible processes may include:- extraction of oils and fats using solvents (eg. hexane);- wet fractionation of oils and fats (eg. with acetone);- distillation of alcohols during the extraction of sugars from protein-containing substances;- distillation processes in the petrochemical industry in general;- the paint or coatings industry;- synthetic resin/resin processing industry.The raw material is a mixture of liquid unsaturated (olein) and solid satured (stearin) fatty acids, in the ratio 55/45. The separation of olein and stearin is realised by using the difference in solubility in methanol between satured and unsatured fatty acids. The fatty acids are mixed with a methanol - water mixture at 30 deg. C, then cooled to -8 deg. C. Stearin crystallizes while olein remains in solution. A rotating drum filter separates the stearin crystals. The filter cake still contains 40-60% of methanol which is removed by distillation at 115-120 deg. C. The vapours of methanol and water are compressed in a mechanical compressor from 1 bar and 70 deg. C to about 2 bar and 85 deg. C. The 2 bar/85 deg. C vapours will condense in the pre-evaporators: the condensation heat will evaporate the incoming mixture. Programa(s) ENG-ENALT 2C - Programme (EEC) of demonstration projects relating to the exploitation of alternative energy sources and to energy saving and the substitution of hydrocarbons, 1983-1985 Tema(s) 3.2 - INDUSTRY Convocatoria de propuestas Data not available Régimen de financiación DEM - Demonstration contracts Coordinador UNICHEMA CHEMIE BV Aportación de la UE Sin datos Dirección BUURTJE 1 2802 BE GOUDA Países Bajos Ver en el mapa Coste total Sin datos
