Process bottlenecks addressed through steam system modifications for a sweetener plant in Malaysia

The plant faced the following challenges:

• Wet steam conditions observed at several process points.
• Fluctuating steam pressure at the inlet of the Ethanol Rectification System (ERS) plant.
• Temperature instability at the distillation and dehydration columns.
• Live steam loss due to manual bypassing of steam traps to maintain the required temperature.
• Excessive back pressure on condensate system due to trap bypassing.
• Water hammering issues in the condensate lines.

Forbes Marshall conducted a detailed steam and condensate study and the following solutions were recommended and implemented:

• A moisture separator was installed to remove condensate formed in the mainline before it reached the control valve.
• The existing pilot operated valve was replaced with a Forbes Marshall roboter pressure reducing valve, which stabilised supply steam pressure to the ERS 1 process.
• The existing float trap was replaced with a steam-operated pump trap (SOPT) to eliminate water hammering issues in the distillation column and maintain plate heat exchanger (PHE) temperature at 100°C (212°F).
• A steam-operated pressure powered pump (PPPPU) was installed to recover and transfer condensate to the pressurised deaerator.

Steam pressure to the ERS 1 process is now stable.

Water hammering issues in the distillation column eliminated.

Temperature at the PHE is stable at 100°C (212°F).

Condensate is recovered and transferred to the pressurised deaerator.

Problem of wet steam eliminated.