Versatility In Vapor

Shelby Baker, sales engineer with Fluid Quip Technologies, says her favorite characteristic of mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) is its surprising versatility. “There’s a lot more potential to use MVRs than where you initially think of—at the evaporators. Our work with Gevo in designing NetZero 1 utilizes MVRs in multiple areas of the plant to achieve an ultra-low energy and low-CI footprint for this next-generation ethanol plant.”

MVR, which recompresses and reheats existing gases in lieu of burning natural gas, is suitable to increase efficiency in any vapor stream being condensed and moving to a liquid phase, she adds. “If you’re using a cooling tower to condense a stream, that would be a spot where we could integrate an MVR to turn the low-value vapor steam into a valuable heat source and reduce cooling tower loading in addition to boiler steam.”

Interest in MVR among ethanol producers is trending high. Baker says FQT has recently fielded inquiries from and created concepts for upwards of 40 projects.

Read the full article on Ethanol Producer Magazine →