Concept Engineering:
Always A Sound Basis For Your Project!

The Concept Engineering gives you the perfect basis for your project by providing you with all information as needed to tailor the plant to your needs and be elaborating including relevant technical and commercial information for a final investment decision comprising:

• Determination of objectives and plant performance
• Technical Specification of the process including consumption figures
• Investigation of infrastructure requirements and site selection
• Cost estimates
• Case studies for a perfect ratio of CAPEX to OPEX
• Time schedule
• Information to file applications with authorities

If desired the scope of the Conceptual Engineering can be extend to a FEL1, FEL2 or FEED Engineering providing an exact source for EPC contracts to give fixed price offers.

Extended Basic Engineering:
The Heart of Your Project!

Based on our vast experience from building bioprocess plants over more than 100 years Vogelbusch provides a complete Basic Engineering package for your project defining the technology and the process as well as providing process warranties for the key parameter of the plant in form of the following documents:

• Mass & energy Balances
• Definition of Terminal Points
• Process Flow Diagrams
• Basic Piping engineering (P&I diagrams)
• Equipment layout incl. 3D equipment model and civil development drawings
• Electrical Engineering
• Automation Engineering
• Detailed Specification sheets
• Operation and Analysis Manuals

Detail Engineering:
Perfection in Detail

Finally, it depends on the details if your plant fulfils its expectations. Therefore, Vogelbusch may provide beside the Basic engineering also the detail engineering to ensure, that that all aspects of reliability, operability and safety of the process is materialized in the plant. Our team may provide, based on the Basic engineering, the following detail engineering services:

• Detailed vessel engineering as per EN and ASME standards
• Detailed piping engineering incl. 3D model, isometrics and stress calculation in line with relevant international standards
• Hard- and Software engineering of the control system

Alternatively, if the client wishes to execute the Detailed Engineering by himself, Vogelbusch offers Technical Assistance to ensure compliance with our process requirements

Procurement:
No Compromises in Manufacturing

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and a plant as good as the summary of the installed components. Without own manufacturing we are flexible to source from an international network of trusted and long-term partners complying with Vogelbusch’s high demands regarding quality and reliability. Together with our partners we can provide you with:

• Key components essential for meeting the guaranteed performance:
• Columns internals
• Molecular sieve materials
• Fermentation air spargers
• Process Control System
• Any other workshop manufactured or standardized process equipment
• Complete set of piping and electrical installation material
• Complete skid-mounted or site built process units

Supervision:
Always at your site and on your side!

Installation and start-up of a process plant is a complex procedure of sequential and parallel activities and we support you during all phases of it:

• Mechanical installation of equipment, piping and insulation
• Electrical installation
• Pre-commissioning incl. loop tests, dry and hydraulic tests of the plant
• Start-up with product and ramping up of capacity
• Performance Test Run and Hand-over of the plant
• Operator training
• Technical assistance, debottlenecking
• Implementation of latest developments

After Sales Services & Plant Optimization:
Support for every step of the way

Last but not least, Vogelbusch supports you also in the after sale process by providing efficient services such as:

• Supplying customers with spare parts
• Conducting technical audits for
• Expansion of capacity
• Increasing plant efficiency
• In order to offer our customers timely support in case of any issues, Vogelbusch is able to create remote access from Vienna to the facilities
• We offer our after sales services not only for our own plants, but also for plants from other providers

We have extensive experience of a wide range of feedstocks, and proprietary technology for every stage of the alcohol production process.

Continuous development and improvement of our expertise ensures that all our technologies are truly state-of-the-art and not just off-the-shelf designs.

Our modern in-house laboratory facilities and pilot plants, and synergies with other bioprocesses at our disposal open the way for highly specialized solutions. Our technology is not just advanced, but tried and tested, too.

Vogelbusch offers custom-designed solutions that optimize process economics for:

• Use of multiple feedstocks
• Combined or alternative production of bioethanol and neutral alcohol
• Compliance with precise client specifications for product quality, steam pressure, etc.
• Local maintenance and construction conditions
• Maximum plant availability in an operator-friendly environment

Sugar based – Pasteurization

• For the sake of design safety
• Reduced risk of infection
• Recommended for molasses feedstocks & extended storage of raw materials

Depending on raw material quality a sludge removal system maybe added.

Three column MultiPressure system for production of bioethanol

DESIGN TARGET
Saving energy by recovery and re-use of secondary energy without impacting overall performance

THERMAL INTEGRATION
Vogelbusch MultiPressure distillation/rectification

• Several columns with different steam pressures
• Heat input (steam) re-used up to 3 times

Thermal integration of rectification and dehydration

• Molecular sieve technology
• Practically no steam demand
• Using latent heat of feed vapours
  (rectified alcohol)

Thermal integration of DDGS drying and evaporation

REASONS
DDGS-drying = biggest individual consumer of primary thermal energy in an integrated bioethanol facility

No other consumer for waste heat available

EFFECT
Zero life steam demand for stillage evaporation

Promaìz - Alejandro Roca (Córdoba)
Bioethanol plant with ENA Annex Distillery

Process design and supply of equipment (including fermenter internals, distillation columns, molecular sieve dehydration) & process automation for a complete bioethanol plant

420,000 l/day bioethanol based on corn

Debottlenecking for capacity expansion to 550,000 l/day

Process design and supply of equipment for an Annex Distillery for production of 100,000 l/day neutral alcohol

Process design and detailed piping engineering for the installation of new process units for capacity. Expansion to 800,000 l/day

Cofco Bioenergy - Zhaodong, P.R. China
Bioethanol plant

Capacity: 1,100,000 l/day

Feedstock: fermented mash from corn and rice

Process design for bioethanol distillation/rectification/dehydration (D|R|D) unit

Supply of column trays

Vogelbusch replaced two old rectification and dehydration plants by a state-of-the-art D|R|D unit. It produces bioethanol according to Chinese standard GB 18350-2013.
The steam consumption of 1.25 tons per ton of product sets a new benchmark in Chinese ethanol industry.

Ethanol Energy, Vrdy, CZ
Bioethanol plant

Revamping of an existing fuel alcohol plant from a double pressure system to a triple pressure system for capacity increase and reduction for steam consumption

Feedstock: fermented mash from corn

Integration of an additional column for acidity reduction

Design engineering of a pilot plant for stale bread and damaged grain

CropEnergies, Zeitz, DE
Bioethanol plant

Capacity: 800,000 l/day bioethanol from wheat / multi-feed

Integration of MultiCont^© continuous fermentation, MultiPressure distillation system and fully integrated energy saving facility

Process and detail piping engineering, procurement and supply of key equipment, assembly supervision and technical commissioning

The plant is the largest (single train) bioethanol facility in Europe. It is designed for multiple grain sources together with by-products of beet sugar processing, and is highly avanced in terms of energy saving and enviromental protection

Roquette Freres, Beinheim, FR
Bioethanol plant

Capacity: 400,000 l/day bioethanol

Raw material: wheat / wheat starch

Integration of MultiCont^© continuous fermentation, MultiPressure distillation/rectification system and
dehydration unit (D|R|D)

Process engineering, technical services, procurement assistance and supply of
key equipment

The plant is designed to process wheat starch from the neighboring starch factory and alternatively milled grain

Cargill Inc., Blair, Nebraska, U.S.
Bioethanol plant

Process design engineering for two complete plants:

• 760,000 l/day bioethanol from corn hydrolysate
• 1,190,000 l/day bioethanol from corn hydrolysate

Integration of MultiCont© continuous fermentation, MultiPressure distillation system and supply of key components for a molecular sieve dehydration

Penford Products, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S.
Bioethanol plant

Process design engineering for a complete bioethanol plant

Capacity: 450,000 l/day

Raw material: corn hydrolysate

The plant utilizes technology licensed by Vogelbusch subsidiary VOGELBUSCH U.S. with MultiCont^© continuous fermentation and thermal integrated MultiPressure distillation/rectification and dehydration system for highly energy efficient fuel ethanol production.
Corn hydrolysate from Penford Products‘s existing wet corn milling operation is used as feedstock.

Jilin Fuel Ethanol, P.R. CN
Bioethanol plant

Capacity 1.25 million l/day

Feedstock: corn starch slurry

Integration of MultiCont^© continuous fermentation, supply of proprietary equipment, assembly supervision and technical commissioning

This plant is the largest single train installation in the world. It utilizes a newly developed Chinese wet milling technology which was incorporated with Vogelbusch‘s MultiPressure distillation technology.
The detail engineering was provided by Shanghai Design Institiute and partially by the Design Institute of the Petroleum Industry.

Almagest, Ihtiman, BG
Extra Neutral Alcohol plant (ENA)

Complete plant for the production of Extra Neutral Alcohol from grains (wheat, optional corn, milo, triticale) used for alcoholic beverages as well as DDGS and corn oil

Capacity 60,000 l/day, expansion to 80,000 l/day

Thermal integration of existing dehydration unit

Addition of corn oil separation facility

Process design packages, automation, supply of key equipment, consulting services

Lantmännen Reppe, Lidköping, SE
Extra Neutral Alcohol plant (ENA)

Rectification unit for an existing production facility for Extra Neutral Alcohol from wheat starch mash
Capacity: 47,000 l/day

Addition of a MultiPressure distillation unit
Capacity: 50,000 l/day ENA

Process design package, technical services and supply of key equipment

A new unit fulfilled all guarantee values such as capacity, yield, steam consumption to the full satisfaction of the client and the product quality met highest standards for ENA.
The final product is the international competition winning „Renat Brännvin“ vodka marketed by Vin & Sprit.

Razi Yeast & Alcohol Company, Ahvaz, IR
Extra Neutral Alcohol plant (ENA)

Grassroots factory for the production of Extra Neutral Alcohol

Raw material: cane molasses

Capacity: 110,000 l/day

Process design package and supply of complete equipment
(formerly Sugar Cane & Byproducts Corporation)

Slovenske Liehovary á Likérky, Leopoldov, SL
Extra Neutral Alcohol plant (ENA)

Grassroots distillation & rectification unit for Extra Neutral Alcohol made from beet molasses and/or grain mashes, for the fabrication of alcoholic beverages

Capacity: 30,000 l/day

Process design package and supply of key equipment

Technical feasibility study targeting capacity expansion and improving plant performance

Bangyikhan Distillery, TH
Extra Neutral Alcohol plant (ENA)

Complete plant for production of beverage alcohol plant and reconstruction of existing distillery including 3 evaporation plants
Capacities:

• 40 t/h
• 38 t/h
• 38 t/h

Feedstock: cane vinasses

Plants designed for perfect yeast growth and quality yeast

Comprehensive yeast culture collection meeting specified requirements regarding raw material and product quality

MX process for yeast cream, compressed yeast (Y32-36) andinstant active dry yeast

Longstanding experience in process design and selection of equipment

Variety of highly effective proprietary fermenter systems:

• EB-4 high efficiency aeration
• Jet pipe aeration
• IZ deep jet aeration (fodder yeast)

Close attention to process economics: controlled molasses feed (Autoxymax), balanced oxygen and nutrition supply, efficient temperature control 

Proprietary gas analyser system for process automation

Lab facilities for quality testing of baker's yeast

Confidential
Europe

Supply of complete fermentation system

Raw Material: by-product of food processing

Sugar Cane
Ahvaz | IR

Process design and supply of equipment for a complete plant for the production of instant active dry baker's yeast (ADY)

Raw Material: cane molasses

Capacity: 32,000 kg/day

DHW
Hamburg | DE

Retrofitting of a fermenter for baker's yeast, conversion to VB aeration and engineering and supply of aeration and foam cyclone

Raw Material: beet molasses

Capacity: 27,000 kg/day

DHW
Nurenberg | DE

Engineering and supply of key equipment, additional fermenter for baker's yeast

Raw Material: beet molasses

Capacity: 25,000 kg/day

Hefe Schweiz
Stettfurt | CH

Engineering and supply of key equipment, reconstruction and extension of a baker’s yeast production

Raw Material: beet molasses

Capacity: 30,000 kg/day

Research & Development
Small scale fermentation facilities

Inhouse laboratories and pilot plant for testing of feedstocks and micro-organisms

• Fermentation station with 12 bubble columns (17 liters gross volume)

Design package for pilot plant is offered as part of each plant engineering

• Enabling testing of fermentation process and microorganism quality control

Citric acid strain / Spore cultivation
VOGELBUSCH Sporebox

Proprietary strains of Aspergillus niger specifically adapted to match

• Pure feedstocks: raw sugar | glucose | starch hydrolysate
• Beet molasses

• System for the production of filamentous micro-organisms
• VOGELBUSCH patent
• Cultivation on plates under controlled conditions
• Harvesting apparatus included

Confidential

Technical audit services: review of existing citric acid plant Recommendation of downstream process optimization

Confidential

Design review and consultancy services for the erection of a citric acid production plant

Confidential

Fermentation test series and conceptual engineering for citric acid production from a lignocellulosic based feedstock

Feedstock: Hydrolysate from cellulose

Kimia Gharb Gostar

Engineering, supply of equipment, supervision of erection and start-up and training for a citric acid plant

Capacity: 36.5 t/day citric acid
monohydrate / anhydrate
Raw material: raw sugar

Citro Misr

Engineering, supervision of erection and
start-up, training and delivery of proprietary equipment for a citric acid

Capacity: 36.5 t/day CAM

Raw material: Raw sugar

The most important step for final product specification

• Depending on the desired final product, the enzyme, ist dosage and reaction time are chosen.
• Maltodextrin (DE below 20) is only partially hydrolyzed and will be sold as spray dried product.
• Depending on the enzyme, saccharification can result in glucose (monosaccharide), maltose (disaccharide) or mixture of sugars.
• DE96 or higher syrup is almost completely converted to glucose and can be sold directly or used as an intermediate for other processes such as raw material for fermentations, conversion to fructose syrups (HFS), crystallization or hydrogenation to sorbitol.

BIOTECH ROSVA, Kaluga Region, RU

Process design for a biotechnological production complex for processing of wheat to upgraded biotech products, including supply of production units for

• 125 t/day sorbitol
• 265 t/day HFS-55
• 20 t/day dextrose monohydrate

Raw material: 730 t/day wheat

Plemzavod «Yubileinii», Ishim, Tyumen Region, RU

Process design and supply of key equipment for a unit for production of high DE glucose solution used as fermentation substrate in a grain processing complex

Capacity: 144 t/day high DE glucose solution

Dextro Misr, Cairo, EG

Process engineering, supply of proprietary equipment and supervision of erection of a glucose/sorbitol production

Raw material:

• 24.2 t/day sorbitol
• 7.6 t/day glucose

Tangshan Jidong, Tangshan, CN

Engineering, supervision of erection and start-up, training, and delivery of proprietary equipment for an anhydrous glucose factory

Raw material: starch milk

Capacity: 15.6 t/day glucose anhydrate in pharma quality

One possibility of electrification of thermal processes such as evaporation, distillation, crystallisation or even drying is mechanical vapor recompression, i.e. the utilisation of the latent heat of vapours, which are compressed and hence have a suitable temperature to heat either the process, in which the vapours were formed or any other thermal process.

Such vapours are typically compressed by any kind of compressors and then used for indirect heating of any kind of heat exchanger.

The efficiency of such processes are described by the parameter COP (Coefficient of Power, i.e. the ratio of thermal energy provided and electrical energy needed.

Beside the efficiency of compression, the COP is mainly determined by the necessary difference of temperature between the condensation temperature of the available vapours and the condensation temperature needed within the heat exchangers.

Depending on the application, COPs in the range of 4 – 40 are achievable and, based on typical European costs of energies (e.g. 30 € / ton of medium pressure steam, 0.08 € / kWh of electricity) the implementation of an MVR system forms an attractive alternative to steam heated solutions.

Compression of water waters has been successfully used over decades and is the first choice for evaporation of low concentrated liquids with low boiling point elevation. First applications included concentration of milk or whey as well as residue waters in the potato starch industry have been widely implemented in the 1980s.

Industrial Mechanical Vapor Recompressors shall combine rigid design, good efficiencies, sufficient compression rates as well as the ability to handle larges volumes.

Therefore first choice for MVR are radial fans with open or closed impellers.

During the last decades compression rates able to be achieved rose due to the usage of special materials for the construction of impellers, so that today vapours exceeding 50 000 kg/h can be compressed and a DT of more than 10K can be achieved in a single stage radial fan.

A broad range of other type of compressors such as root blowers or turbo-compressors can also be used and are found in industrial applications e.g. for smaller plants or for applications where a very high compression rate is needed.

Radial fans are also available in explosion proof design following ATEX or IEC guidelines and hence also flammable gases and vapours can be compressed.

Typically the capacity of a plant is controlled by speed control of the MVR resulting in a stable and energy efficient operation over a broad range of capacities.

A broad range of other type of compressors such as root blowers or turbo-compressors can also be used and are found in industrial applications e.g. for smaller plants or for applications where a very high compression rate is needed.

Radial fans are also available in explosion proof design following ATEX or IEC guidelines and hence also flammable gases and vapours can be compressed.

Typically the capacity of a plant is controlled by speed control of the MVR resulting in a stable and energy efficient operation over a broad range of capacities.

MVR driven Evaporators in bioprocesses

Evaporation of water to increase the concentration of biobased intermediate or final products constitutes a standard unit operation in a number of bioprocesses.

The introduction of Mechanical Vapor Recompression and therefore shifting from thermal to electrical energy as heating source has the following advantages:

• Reduction of Operation costs
• Better balance between steam and electrical demand for best utilisation of an existing co-gen plant
• Considerable reduction of cooling water demand
• Freedom to select an evaporation temperature according to process needs

The specific demand of electricity of an MVR driven evaporator mainly depends on the boiling point elevation of the concentrate as well as the type of evaporator used.

MVR driven Evaporators in bioprocesses

Evaporation of water to increase the concentration of biobased intermediate or final products constitutes a standard unit operation in a number of bioprocesses.

The introduction of Mechanical Vapor Recompression and therefore shifting from thermal to electrical energy as heating source has the following advantages:

• Reduction of Operation costs
• Better balance between steam and electrical demand for best utilisation of an existing co-gen plant
• Considerable reduction of cooling water demand
• Freedom to select an evaporation temperature according to process needs

The specific demand of electricity of an MVR driven evaporator mainly depends on the boiling point elevation of the concentrate as well as the type of evaporator used.

Redistillation of alcohol

An application often seen in the pharmaceutical industry is the redistillation of impure ethanol containing both involatile substances, such as proteins and salts as well as volatile fermentation by-products such as esters and aldehydes.

Such a unit typically comprises a distillation column in which the involatile components leave the plant at the bottom and in which alcohol and other volatile components are concentrated at the top as well as a purification column on which’s top volatile components are separated.

The rectification column is heated by the top vapours of the distillation column. The latent heat of the top vapours of the rectification column are recompressed and heat the reboiler of the distillation column.

Direct compression

Direct compression of concentrated alcoholic vapours requires EEx-proof machines.

Advantages:

• Reduced compression rate and OPEX
• No intermediate condenser and secondary water cycle needed

Disadvantages:

• Limited compression rate per single MVR
• Limited capacity range
• Higher costs of MVRs due to EEx-proof design

Typical process parameter:

• Alcohol inlet concentration: 35% wt.
• Outlet concentration: 92% wt.
• Needed Δ T: 30K
• Number of compressors in series: 4
• Steam demand of a steam heated system: approx. 1.2 t / t of final product
• Electricity demand of an MVR heated system: approx. 105 kWh / t of final product
• COP: approx. 6.8

Indirect compression

To avoid potential explosive atmosphere in or around the recompressors the top vapours of the rectification column are condensed and evaporate the water of the secondary steam cycle. The vapor vapours are subsequently compressed and heat the distillation column’s reboiler.

Advantages:

• No explosive atmosphere in or around the MVRs
• High compression rates per MVR possible
• Broad range of MVRs available
• More simple MVRs

Disadvantages:

• DT of the reboiler of secondary water increases the overall compression rate needed
• COP is redued
• Costs for intermediate condenser and secondary water loop

Indirect compression

To avoid potential explosive atmosphere in or around the recompressors the top vapours of the rectification column are condensed and evaporate the water of the secondary steam cycle. The vapor vapours are subsequently compressed and heat the distillation column’s reboiler.

Typical process parameter:

• Alcohol inlet concentration: 35% wt.
• Outlet concentration: 90% wt.
• Needed ΔT: 35K
• Number of compressors in series: 5
• Steam demand of a steam heated system: approx. 1.2 t / t of final product
• Electricity demand of an MVR heated system: approx. 118 kWh / t of final product
• COP: approx. 6.1

Bolt on production of ENA grade alcohol:

The production of ENA grade alcohol includes a hydroselection column for removal of polar substance in diluted alcohol as well as a column for removal of methanol.

Both columns show a very low difference of temperature between the top and the bottom of the columns and therefore these columns can be heated in a very efficient way by direct or indirect vapor recompression.

Typical process parameter for purification of potable alcohol:

• Needed ΔT: 9K
• Number of compressors in series: 1
• Steam demand of a steam heated system: approx. 1.1 t / t of final product
• Electricity demand of an MVR heated system: approx. 25 kWh / t of final product
• COP: approx. 28

Fuel alcohol production:

Mechanical vapor recompression can also be effectively used to distill, rectify and even dehydrate fermented alcoholic mash into dehydrated fuel alcohol in a combined process.

Beside its reduced OPEX, an advantage of this system is, that the operation temperature and pressures can be set within a broad range to minimize the fouling tendency of the mash and the stillage.
br>Beside the reduced energy costs, such a system has the advantage that also the cooling water consumption is considerably reduced.

Typical process parameter for the production of fuel alcohol from a fermented mash with approx. 14%vol of alcohol when a secondary steam loop is foreseen: hydroselection column of potable alcohol:

• Needed ΔT: 45K
• Number of compressors in series: 1
• Steam demand of a steam heated system: approx. 1.2 t / m³ of final product
• Electricity demand of an MVR heated system: approx. 205 kWh / m³ of final product
• COP: approx. 3.5
• Reduction of energy costs (Steam costs: 30 €/t, electricity costs 0.08 € / kWh): 55%