To Mr Mutungamiri

From Brian Masauli

Title Separations report

Product quality is a top priority

INTRODUCTION

The product of fermentation process is composed of yeast cells, unconsumed feed material,
fermentation waste and excess water. There is need to concentrate the yeast suspension from the

fermentation process and the best extraction method is centrifugal separation to separate the two fluids
of different densities, the yeast cream and the effluent. This separation process avails yeast for further
processing ie washing, cooling and filtration.

THE CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR

To 33332
Working principle

The centrifugal separator features an inlet, outlet, and separator. The fermentation wort is pumped into
a cone-shaped working apparatus in the separator. The separator produces a spinning vortex, which
leads to the filtration of the yeast cream from the effluent. The separated yeast cream is collected at the
bottom of the separator, and purged from there. The effluent Is recovered in the discharge chamber at
the higher part and evacuated in an exit piping.

Physics behind separators

 Separation of the two liquids is achieved by exploiting their difference in specific gravity. When
the fluids are acted upon by centrifugal force, the denser fluid settles in the periphery of the
bowl in rotation.
 The speed of bowl rotation affects the rate at which separation of the yeast cells from the
fermentation wort occurs since the centrifugal force is directly proportional to the rotation
speed, Fc=mw²r.

Components of the separator

Model being used at Lesaffre Zimbabwe is model WestFalia HDB75.

Driving unit
 The rotary action of the bowl is made possible by coupling it to an electric motor. The
electric motor makes it possible to achieve speeds of 5500r.p.m enabling centrifugal
force to act on the fluids being separated.
The bowl
 This is the essential part of the machine where separation occurs.
 The bowl is composed of :
1. The distributor
Fermentation wort is supplied to the bowl by the feeding tube and is directed
under the distributor where it passes through the holes on the low conical part
of the distributor into the channel of the discs.
2. The discs
The disc’s are cone shaped and layered on top of each other, each space
between two disc’s corresponding to a separating space that multiplies the
surface offered to the decantation. The disc’s are bored with holes close to the
periphery and the holes placed on top of each other, they constitute the
channels through which the yeast is distributed up to the top of the disc stack.
3. Paring disc chamber
The clear phase is recovered in the discharge chamber at the higher parts of the
disc’s where pairing disc’s evacuate it in an exit piping.
4. Nozzles
At the lower part of the disc’s, the heavy phase is recovered in the bowl hood
and is evacuated through the calibrated nozzles at the bottom of the frame
hood, where it leaves without pressure in a receiving pot.
5. Stainless steel frame
 Covers the bowl and also keeps the bowl safe from its environment which might
have contaminants.

Advantages of Centrifugal Separators

Centrifugal separators are used in a variety of industrial applications, owing to various

advantages they offer. They have a few moving parts than other separators and have no
filters, bags, screens, as well as cartridges, which makes them an ideal choice for various
industrial applications. In addition to their design advantages, these separators provide
the following benefits:
 Maintenance Free: The centrifugal separator is largely maintenance-free owing
to the absence of moving parts or other components. It is fitted with
an automatic purge valve designed to flush the debris and contaminants
automatically.
 Minimal or No Downtime: This is another major advantage of centrifugal
separator used in the industrial process. As the filtration is performed by the
spinning of a vortex, there are no real filters involved. This means there will no
accumulation of debris in filters, and there will no breakdown due to this
accumulation. Also, there will no need to change the filters more often, as in the
case of other liquid separators.
 Minimal Liquid Loss
 High Efficiency: The efficiency of centrifugal separation is 98% of 40 microns in a
single pass. However, for centrifugal separator, this is 44 microns.

Separations process flow diagram

Procedure

 After fermentation, fermentation wort is pumped from the fermenter by a centrifugal pump to
the separator for the first separation cycle. In the separator, yeast cream is separated from the
effluent and is pumped through the plate heat exchanger for cooling before being deposited in
the wash tank(brewer's tank) awaiting the next separation cycle, if it's seed it is pumped directly
to the seed storage tanks from the separators.

The heat exchanger

  The yeast cream needs to be cooled before being stored and for this purpose a gasket plate heat
exchanger is used. The icebank provides the cooling water at around 1°C enabling heat
exchange.

Why plate heat exchanger

 It is more economical – plates are more attractive when material costs are high
 Easier to maintain
 Low approach temperatures can be used
 More flexible – plates can be added
 More suitable for viscous material
 The temperature correction factor will normally be higher with plate heat exchangers as flow is
closer to true counter-flow.
 Significantly less fouling.

separation cycles

 Seed fermentation undergoe one separation cycle and deposited directly into the seed
storage tanks.
 Commercial fermentatios undergo 3 separation cycles, the first cycle without washing which
is placed in the brewer's tank then on the second cycle, yeast is pumped from the brewer's
tank back to the separator where it is diluted with water then sent to the second separator,
third cycle which separates a cleaner yeast. Counter current washing is practiced where the
clear phase leaving the second machine is used to dilute the cream from the first machine.
This is a more economic washing mode.

Storage tanks

 After separation, yeast cream is stored in the storage tanks awaiting further processing or use,
seed is stored in the seed tanks, 1D4 and 2D4 whilst commercial yeast, G2, is stored in the
cream storage tanks, CST1, CST2, CST3 and CST4.
 To preserve the cool temperature of the yeast, the cream storage tanks have insulation around
them also the tanks have cooling mechanism to maintain the cold temperature. CST1, CST2 and
CST4 have cooling coiles inside where as CST3 and 1D4 have heat exchangers for cooling. The
icebank supplies cooling water for the storage tanks.
 After the yeast cream is placed in the storage tanks circulation is maintained by centrifugal
pumps to prevent the denser yeast cells from settling to the bottom of the tank.

Recomendations

 Avail a cooling system for seed tank 2D4.

 Avail an insulation jacket for the heat exchanger to limit energy loss.