Citrus oil refining plant
Solution
3V Technologies:
Thin film evaporation.
3V Competences:
Ability to configure complete concentration systems for highly thermosensitive products.
Design:
Definition of operating conditions and coherent sizing of main equipment and ancillaries to fit into a space with particular height constraints including software design.
Build:
Build all process equipment and assemble a skid ready for final installation at customer’s site including control loops and software implementation.
Operate:
Commissioning & start-up of the units.
Team
3V project team:
3V Tech Project Manager, Project Engineering Manager, Document Controller, I&C Engineer, Automation Engineer, Drafter.
Site of realisation:
Italy.
Audience
Client industry:
Citrus oil refining.
Context
Project context:
Increase capacity of high quality limonene essential oil.
Project goal & client needs:
Supply of a turn-key solution including automation system with complete shop pre-assembly.
Results
Project execution timing:
14 months.
Project complexity:
The most intricate element of the project was linked to the installation location, requiring the system to be inserted into a predefined space with critical height limitations.
Other information
As many other extraction and refining activities from natural products, this case shows how thin film evaporation under vacuum is the right solution for product concentration of products with a high degradation tendency.
Year: 2020
Final product: high purity limonene
Capacity: 750 kg/h
Skid dimensions: 4000x4000x12000 mm
Material: Stainless steel SS316L
Scope of supply:
- 15 m2 thin film evaporator
- Condensers (two separately controlled cooling loops)
- Vacuum system (primary + booster)
- Feed and transfer pumps
- Complete automation including control logic and software
