Station for collecting and returning condensate from the fryers of the oil press shop (MPS). In the summer of 2020, at the largest oil extraction plant in Moldova, the specialists of our company successfully put into operation a station for collecting and returning condensate from fryers. A condensate collection and return station was put into operation, as well as an automatic system for regulating the supply of steam to the braziers.
Before the start of modernization, according to the old scheme, steam was supplied to the braziers through two independent steam pipelines. A pressure regulator was installed on each of the steam lines, through which all 9 vats of the brazier were fed with steam. The steam pressure on the regulator was manually set by the operator based on the heating temperature of the product (sunflower kernel) in the brazier.
Condensate from two braziers was discharged through steam traps into a common tank under atmospheric pressure. Due to the presence of a large amount of passing steam behind the steam traps and valves, there were significant energy losses to the environment.
There was a significant emission of flash steam into the atmosphere at the enterprise. The total steam loss was up to 2000 kg/h. With the cost of steam 10 euros per 1 ton (husk fuel), it is equivalent to losses of about 170 thousand euros per year.
After conducting a comprehensive energy audit and performing heat engineering calculations, Artezia specialists proposed solutions to improve the energy efficiency of the enterprise. To eliminate the passing steam, water separators are proposed for each of the two circuits of the braziers.
To separate the vapors of secondary boiling, a module for separating steam from superheated condensate coming from the water separators of each of the braziers is used. The separated steam with minimal pressure is fed to the upper vats of the braziers. The steam pressure in the upper vats of the braziers is determined by the operator based on process containment conditions and maximum economy. The maximum economy corresponds to the mode with the minimum pressure of flash vapors.
Summing up, the introduction of a new condensate collection and return system made it possible to:
- Eliminate existing steam losses in the steam condensate system (SCS) of the MPC braziers
- Eliminate excess condensate fryers
- Provide conditions for the production of flash vapors and their reuse in the technological cycle of fryers
- Improve the quality of regulation of the steam supply to the braziers in order to improve the quality of the heat treatment of the initial product
- Increase the performance of fryers, limited by the existing shortcomings of the PKS
- Reduce system maintenance costs (system operation is easy to control and monitor)
- Reduce the influence of the human factor and create a data archive with the possibility of their analysis
- Increase operational safety
One of the proofs of the positive results of the innovation is the words of the General Director of the enterprise: “This year, thanks to the installation of modern equipment, we were able to significantly increase the production of our products while reducing production losses. Thus, the cost of production has significantly decreased. The high level of technological equipment gives us additional commercial advantages, such as the ability to purchase raw materials at the most attractive prices, as well as the introduction of effective tools to improve agricultural producers.”
The condensate collection and return station made it possible to reduce the release of steam into the atmosphere to almost zero and achieve steam savings of 10% (about 250 kg/h from two braziers), which is about 25,000 euros per year.
