Integrated Motor Drives for Feedstock Conversion
Biofuel plants convert renewable feedstocks like corn, sugar crops, vegetable oils, animal fats, and organic waste into transportation fuels including ethanol, biodiesel, and renewable fuels. In a typical ethanol plant, processes such as milling, slurry preparation, fermentation, distillation, evaporation, drying, and wastewater treatment rely heavily on motor-driven pumps, fans, mixers, blowers, and centrifuges to process material.
For new builds or upgrades to rotating equipment, VIDAR offers a compatible & simple solution for operators looking to save on maintenance activities, money on energy, and time between failures. A simple motor swap can positively impact plant operations such as on:
Aspiration, Dust Collection, Baghouse Fans
Aspiration fans pull air through grain handling and milling equipment to remove dust and fine particulates. Then dust collection or baghouse fans create the negative pressure to extract this dust and pull it through cyclones, baghouses, or filters.
VIDAR’s PID controller permits operators to set a differential or static pressure target, then speed automatically changes to maintain that setpoint. In addition, variable speed control makes airflow balancing an easier routine versus orifice plate adjustments.
Fermenter Agitators
These agitators mix fermenter contents to maintain uniform solids, nutrients, yeast, temperature, and composition during fermentation.
VIDAR makes mixers smarter, in this case changing speed & acceleration rates to optimize suspension while limiting yeast shear. Use up to 4 acceleration/deceleration curves or create up to 15 speed setpoints controlled by contacts.
Steep Fill & Transfer Pumps
In wet milling ethanol plants, steep fill pumps push process water into steeping vessels where corn is soaked and conditioned before separation. Transfer pumps in general move mash, slurry, process water, thin stillage, condensate, or other process fluid between tanks or stages.
Program LEDs and digital outputs to signify when steeping vessels are full or empty. Use level control for tank transfer on either the suction or discharge side. No modifications necessary for corrosive gas protection. Minimum speed limits ensure adequate pipeline velocities.
Hydrocyclone Centrifugal Feed Pumps
Hydrocyclones are cone shaped static separators that rely on gravity and fluid velocity to separate solids from the inlet slurry.
Since inlet feed pressure is critical to separation efficiency, VIDAR can adjust speed to stabilize manifold pressure even when feed viscosity changes or screens accumulate deposits. Go even further by setting up automatic indicators for when screens or filters need a replacement.
Evaporator Feed Pumps
Feed thin stillage or other liquid process streams through heat exchanging evaporators, which remove water and concentrate dissolved or suspended solids into syrup for example.
Control steepwater concentration by adjusting analog setpoint(s) for the two heat exchanging lines, the flow rate of thin stillage and/or the temperature of hot water. Command each VIDAR from your control room or directly at the pump using the language of flow rates or temperature.
Cooling Water Pumps
These pumps circulate cooling water through heat exchangers, fermenters, condensers, and other process equipment to simply remove heat.
For existing chilled water pumps still running at a fixed speed due to eHouse real estate constraints, VIDAR’s integrated design opens the door to variable speed benefits. Control to a constant header pressure, put VIDAR to sleep when no demand exists, and mitigate transient effects like water hammer with integral soft starting.
