MECHANICAL VAPOUR COMPRESSOR

Informations projet

N° de convention de subvention: EE.-00666-83

Projet clôturé

Date de début 31 Août 1983

Date de fin 31 Mai 1985

Financé au titre de

• Programme (EEC) of demonstration projects relating to the exploitation of alternative energy sources and to energy saving and the substitution of hydrocarbons, 1983-1985

Coût total

€ 1 210 755,00

Contribution de l’UE

€ 80 878,00

Coordonné par

UNICHEMA CHEMIE BV
Netherlands

Objectif

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.

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Programme(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

Thème(s)

• 3.2 - INDUSTRY

Appel à propositions

Données non disponibles

Régime de financement

DEM - Demonstration contracts

Coordinateur

UNICHEMA CHEMIE BV

• Contribution de l’UE: Aucune donnée
• Adresse: BUURTJE 1 ; 2802 BE GOUDA ; Pays-Bas
• Coût total: Aucune donnée