Firdissa, Teshale (2012) Design and Optimization of Molasses Treatment Plant to Reduce Scale Formation in Ethanol Production (The Case of Metahara Sugar Factory Ethanol Plant). Masters thesis, Addis Ababa University.
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Abstract
Fouling in industrial heat exchangers leads to economic penalties. To overcome this problem, either cleaning of heat exchangers or reduction of the scaling is the two possible solutions. But, cleaning of heat transferring unit is an expensive exercise. Therefore, this study has been conducted with the objective to design and optimize molasses treatment plant to reduce scale formation in ethanol production. The study has been conducted in such a way that, first scale samples collected from Metahara sugar factory ethanol plant distillation column and characterized physically and it is hard scale with an average thickness of 2.04cm and gray in color which shows that it is the result of crystallization. In addition to this, it has been characterized chemically to determine its composition and the scale is 63.87% composed of CaO. Then, to assess cause of this scaling, process water and the raw molasses has been characterized for their composition and pH which shows that process water is within a normal hardness and pH range. But, the molasses of Metahara sugar factory is with an average of 2.41% CaO which is abnormally high when compared to world average of 1.5% CaO % molasses. Therefore, the main cause of heat transferring units scaling in the plant is the CaO content of the molasses. To overcome this problem, treating the molasses with H2SO4 and heat is the best technology. Because, the reaction of CaO with H2SO4 at higher temperature give CaSO4 which is insoluble in water and easily separated by sedimentation. Experiments have been conducted with varying influential molasses clarification conditions and 100OC temperature, 4 pH, 50o brix and 2hours retention time have been determined as the optimum clarification process conditions. At these optimum conditions 54.43% of the CaO in the molasses has been removed. At these process conditions, 1.08CaO% molasses has been obtained which is too low when compared with world average of 1.5CaO% molasses. Depending on the optimum conditions determined experimentally and the existing condition of the plant, molasses treatment plant process flow sheet has been proposed and the equipments for clarification plant have been designed in which case most of the equipments can be easily fabricated locally. Finally, the plant is financially evaluated and its initial investment cost will be recovered fully within only eight operation months which makes the plant viable.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Chemical Engineering |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor Q Science > Q Science (General) Q Science > QD Chemistry T Technology > T Technology (General) T Technology > TP Chemical technology |
| Divisions: | Africana |
| Depositing User: | Andriamparany Edilbert RANOARIVONY |
| Date Deposited: | 10 Aug 2018 12:19 |
| Last Modified: | 10 Aug 2018 12:19 |
| URI: | http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/8111 |
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