METHOD TO AUTOMATE TECHNOLOGY OF POWDERY PRODUCT PRODUCTION FROM DISTILLERY STILLAGE FILTRATE Russian patent published in 2015 - IPC A23K1/06 A23K1/00 

FIELD: technological processes.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to automation of technological processes of treatment of distillery stillage being a by-product of alcohol production and may be used to automate the process in food, fodder and other industries. Mechanical wringing of distillery stillage, its coarse and fine separation accordingly in two parallel separators and fine filters is carried out, and each of them periodically operates in the separation mode with cake and filtrate discharge and in the mode of counterflow water regeneration of filtering elements. The produced filtrate downstream the fine filter operating in the separation mode is sent into an accumulating tank. The filtrate is evaporated in the vacuum-evaporating apparatus to produce a condensed solution, which is sent to a spray dryer to produce a powdery product. Underpressure in the vacuum apparatus is developed with the help of a steam jet ejector installation, comprising a steam generator, an ejector, a condenser, a condensate collector and a pump operating in a closed thermodynamic cycle. The working steam produced in the steam generator is divided into two parts, one of which is sent to a heating chamber of the vacuum-evaporating apparatus, and the other one - into the ejector nozzle. Ejected vapours from the vacuum apparatus create underpressure of 0.3-0.5 atm. in it. The mixture of the spent working and ejected vapours is sent to the condenser, in which due to recuperative heat exchange they heat air with its subsequent supply into the spray dryer, from which the spent air is discharged into the heat-exchanger-recuperator, where its temperature is reduced to the dew point, and drop liquid contained in it is condensed as moisture evaporated from the product on the cooling surface of the heat-exchanger-evaporator, and then again sent first into the condenser and further into the spray dryer with creation of the closed cycle. The condensate produced downstream the heat-exchanger-recuperator together with condensate downstream the heating chamber of the vacuum-evaporating apparatus and the condenser is drained into the condensate collector. At the same time one part of condensate with a pump is sent to the steam generator to refill water level in it, and the other one is sent to separators and fine filters operating in the mode of counterflow water regeneration for recovery of throughput capacity of filtering elements. By measured current flow of initial distillery stillage they set frequency of rotation of separators. By the flow of distillery stillage downstream separators and fine filters, the necessity in their regeneration is set. At the same time supply of distillery stillage is switched to the other pair of the separator and filter, the condensate is supplied from the collector for regeneration of filtering elements. The filtrate downstream separators and filters is collected in the accumulating reservoir. While evaporating and drying filtrate of distillery stillage, they measure moisture and flow of distillery stillage filtrate prior to its supply for evaporation and then for drying, at the same time they adjust speed of spray dryer disc rotation by impact at capacity of the sprayer drive. After drying they again measure moisture of finished powdery product, besides, by moisture of distillery stillage filtrate they set steam flow to the vacuum-evaporating apparatus, and by moisture of condensed filtrate of the distillery stillage they set flow of heated air prior to supply into the spray dryer by impact at capacity of adjusted drives of fans. If air temperature deviates from the specified interval of values towards reduction, they increase coefficient of ejection to increase flow of working steam, and if it deviates towards increase, they mix dried air downstream the heat-exchanger-recuperator with air after the condenser by impact at adjustment of their flows, and by moisture of dried air downstream the heat-exchanger-recuperator they set cold water flow at the inlet to the heat exchanger. Frequency of separator drive rotation is maintained by variation of initial distillery stillage flow. Flow of saturated steam downstream the steam generator, pressure of steam and level of condensate in the steam generator, by pressure of saturated steam in the steam generator they set specified efficiency of the steam generator by impact at capacity of electric heating elements. As condensate level in the steam generator drops below the specified value, they supply condensate from the condensate collector, and as steam pressure in the steam generator reaches the upper limit value, they discharge pressure of steam via a safety valve.

EFFECT: realisation of the invention provides for increased quality of finished product due to accuracy and reliability of control in process of distillery stillage treatment, increased energy efficiency and ecological compatibility of product production process, reduced prime cost of finished goods.

1 dwg