CASE HISTORY
The client had an incumbent system of ATFD (Agitated Thin Film Dryer) set up in a MEE series (Multi-Effect Evaporator).
SUPPLIER
A well-known engineering company with more than 20 years of experience in the field
CHALLENGE
The MEE & ATFD installed by the supplier was supposed to operate with heat integration. However, the ATFD was non-functional, and therefore, the MEE was operating independently on steam. And the concentrate was dried in a spray dryer. This substantially increased the operating cost as well as the cost of disposal.
Though this system was sold by the supplier at a very low cost, the solution was not working and the supplier failed to provide a plausible solution.
PLEIAD OBJECTIVE
The team of Pleiad conducted a thorough survey of the overall setup, and agreed on a three-point objective with the client:
- Produce dry powder from ATFD with the desired quality for recycle / reuse
- As a part of heat integration,re-use the evaporated vapours from ATFD to Multi Effect Evaporator as a heat resource
- Improve the overall efficiency& smooth operation of the system
PLEIAD SOLUTION
- We worked on an efficient rotor design and replaced the existing rotor of the ATFD with a new one with effective mechanical engineering and dynamic balancing.
- We also re-engineered the condensate removal, and vapour balancing to condense available vapours (along with air) on evaporator.
ACHIEVEMENTS
- ATFDs operational in full-efficiency mode
- Dry (<4% moisture) recyclable powder at ATFD discharge
- Vapours from the ATFDs used in MEE as heating source
- Steam consumption at MEE almost NIL
- Powder discharged from the ATFD is now being reused in the operations on a need-basis
- The plant is now extremely cost effective and environmentally safe
- Overall operating cost reduced by 50% (saving of Rs. 4 Cr. per annum)
- Overall disposal cost reduced by 50% (saving of Rs. 1.2 Cr. per annum)
- Client is very satisfied as all the three objectives have been successfully met