Renewable Energy
Side-agitator technology offers biorefinery improved efficiency and reliability
Innovative side entry agitator technology and a rigorous R&D process have led to side-agitators aiding fermentation at Vivergo Fuels’ 27-acre plant.
La innovadora tecnología de agitador de entrada lateral y un riguroso proceso de investigación y desarrollo han posibilitado que los agitadores laterales sean una ayuda a la fermentación en la central de Vivergo Fuels, con una extensión de 27 acres.
Innovative Seitenrührwerktechnologie und ein rigoroser F&E-Prozess haben dafür gesorgt, dass Seitenrührwerke die Fermentation im 11 Hektar-Werk von Vivergo Fuels unterstützen.
W
ith plant process managers continually under pressure to identify new means of driving costs down, while improving process
efficiency, every element of a plant’s equipment is scrutinised to make sure it offers maximum value for money. Investing in effective and affordable equipment is an even greater concern when planning the construction of new plants. Vivergo Fuels, a company formed in 2007 to help meet the UK’s demand for bio-fuel, recently selected EKATO Group to design and manufacture the agitators required for its fermentation process, having been impressed by EKATO’s R&D process. Te side entry agitators from EKATO, the world’s leading developer of mixing technology, will be used for the continuous suspension of solids and homogenisation of tank contents, and offer a highly efficient and reliable mixing solution together with considerable savings compared to traditional top entry agitator technology.
Stewart Murray, Engineering Manager,
Vivergo Fuels, explains that: “EKATO demonstrated a good understanding of the complex mixing issues surrounding side entry agitators and their experience of supplying a wide range of agitators into the bio-fuels industry combined with an ability to carry out pilot scale trials were key factors in selecting the company’s technology for our plant.” Vivergo Fuels will use EKATO side entry agitators in all of their Fermentation Vessels in the 27-acre refinery. From 2010 the refinery will consume over one million tons of wheat per year, producing 420 million litres of bio fuel together with 500 000 tonnes of animal feed from the wheat protein and fibre left over from the fermentation process. EKATO has designed and built innovative
side entry agitators for more 25 years for a wide range of applications in different industries, ranging from food processing to flue gas desulphurisation (FGD), where top- entry agitators would be large and costly.
Fig. 1. Innovative side-agitator technology and a rigorous R&D process have led to EKATO being selected by Vivergo Fuels to provide side-agitators to aid fermentation at its new biorefinery plant.
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