ProSonix

Boiler Feedwater Heating

Boiler Feedwater Heaters via Direct Steam Injection

Power generating plants utilise steam boilers to produce electricity energy for their operation. These boilers often have feedwater heaters which are an integral part of the plant’s thermodynamic cycle. The presence of the heaters in the cycle improves the thermal efficiency of the power plant by lowering the amount of thermal energy required to generate a given amount of electrical by re-using produced steam in a heat exchanger to heat feedwater prior to the Deaerator.

Issues Associated with Boiler Feedwater Heating

Heat exchangers are prone to mineral and scale build-up on the internal components. This scale build-up reduces their thermal efficiency and requires costly cleaning and replacement of damaged components
Mineral and scale build-up can lead to a plugging/fouling issue which increases energy consumption from the condensate pumps
Replacement of the heat exchangers requires considerable floor space and foundation improvement because of their size, weight and cleaning access requirements

ProSonix Direct Steam Injection Heater Solution

The PSX heater can be installed to heat up the returned condensate with low pressure steam from the turbine. Often times steam temperatures of 600°F (316°C) and feedwater temps of 400°F (204°C) are not uncommon. The key to efficient, safe and predictable steam injection is the use of internally modulated steam control and to inject steam at sonic velocity to achieve choked flow. By achieving choked flow, sonic velocity conditions can be achieved for steam injection. The use of an integral pneumatic actuator allows for sonic velocity steam injection for the PSX Heater to operate in a choked flow manner for good, non-violent mixing. The PSX heater is an internally modulated heater, with a variable position stem plug, that varies the mass flow rate of steam by changing the area in which the steam may pass. This type of modulation allows the full steam pressure to always be present at the point of injection, regardless of plug position.

Key PSX Heater Direct Steam Injection Benefits

Stable operation the internally modulated steam control design of the PSX heater controls the steam mass flow and not the steam pressure, thus eliminating steam hammer and vibration issues
Lower maintenance due to the PSX heater’s self cleaning design (no scaling or plugging/fouling)
Low pressure drop across the PSX Heater (typically 1-2 psig) reduce pump integration issues and flow disruptions
Economical installation as the PSX heater can be installed in the piping with no floor space requirements
Precise temperature control, typically +/- 1°F (-17°C), allows for a more reliable heating process
High turndown on both steam and liquid allow for process flexibility and process condition variations

Steel Production

Direct Steam Injection Solutions for Tank heating, Brackish Water and Mineral Leach Slurry Heating

ProSonix Direct Steam Injection Heating for alumina slurry, bauxite slurry, bitumen froth treatment, brackish water, mineral leach slurry heating, feedwater heater, evaporative flash recovery, jet sparger, naphtha, oil sands, slurry heating, Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD), tailings transport, tank heating, steam injection valves and water heating applications.

Slurry Heating

ProSonix direct steam injection heating can be used for a variety of difficult to handle mineral slurries such Alumina slurry, Brackish water, Bauxite slurry, Oil sands processing, Bitumen processing and leaching. The PSX heater is available in a variety of alloys to address corrosion issues and hardened wear resistant coatings can be applied to address erosion.

Energy Savings – Vent & Waste Steam Recovery

ProSonix J-Series Jet Sparger can be used to capture vent or waste steam that is typically released to atmosphere and inject back into process water system or water tanks for energy savings.

Evaporative Flash Recovery

The ProSonix steam injection heater’s ability to deliver instant, single pass heat up allows for recovery of costly solvents and naphtha from mine slurries, sour water, bitumen froth treatment and other slurry heating applications. Direct steam injection heating allows for flash recovery and separation in Oil sands and Tar sands processing.

Boiler Feedwater Heater

Direct steam injection heating for boiler feedwater can reduce energy costs and improve the thermal efficiency of the boiler. The PSX heater eliminates mineral and scale build-up and pugging/fouling associated with conventional feedwater heaters.

Lime Slaker Heating

A number of industries use hydrated lime addition for their processes. Hydrated lime (or calcium hydroxide, or slaked lime) is usually a dry powder resulting from the controlled slaking of quicklime with water. The exothermic or released heat of reaction is captured and used to evaporate the excess slaking water. High calcium quicklime readily reacts with water to form hydrated lime.

Aggressive Fluid Heating

Heating water and challenging fluids such as alumina slurry, bauxite slurry, brackish water and abrasive slurry such as oil sands/bitumen froth and tailings transport presents unique challenges for traditional heating methods. SAGD applications require large volumes of continuous heating for long periods of times. The ProSonix I-Series Inline heater can address scale and mineral build-up issues and is designed for demanding continuous process heating applications.

Brackish Water Heating

The ProSonix Steam Injection heater is well suited for brackish water and other fluids with high dissolved mineral content. The unique inline heater design has a very low pressure drop, typically 1-2 psig, minimising flow disruptions which lead to precipitate falling out. The radial multi-port steam jet diffuser operates under sonic velocity steam injection which produces a self cleaning action. With no hot surfaces and velocity steam flow, mineral and scale build-up issues are eliminated.

Avoiding Transport Line Freeze-up

The ProSonix J-Series Jet Sparger is an economical way of adding heat to tailings transport and slurry lines to avoid freeze problems during colder winter months and during shut down or maintenance periods. The J-Series Jet Sparger can be installed on large diameter pipes (>18″) without expensive reconfiguration of piping and steam lines.

Water Heating

ProSonix direct steam injection heating is a good choice for a variety of water heating applications because the PSX heater has a high turndown on both steam and liquid. In applications such as SAGD, large volumes of water are required at high temperatures. ProSonix direct steam injection heaters are available in a variety of designs to address most needs.

Jet Sparger Optimisation for Tank Heating

Tank heating with spargers or eductors can lead to steam hammer problems which can damage tank walls and welds. Proper tank heating with a Jet Sparger utilises high velocity steam for rapid mixing and condensation of the steam. The ProSonix J-Series Jet Sparger is well suited for a variety of tank heating needs.

Mineral Leach Slurry Heating

Mineral-Leach-Slurry-Heating Inline process heating with Direct Steam Injection has multiple applications in a variety of process and utility applications. Many applications such as mineral processing, pulp and fiber slurry pre-treatment, oil sands mining and others are not well suited for traditional methods of heating. Typical challenges encountered are corrosive fluids, abrasive particulate, viscosity changes, plugging and fouling, eating for water, slurry, sludge, and aggressive fluid heating applications. Direct Steam Injection for Inline Heating is a very good choice for a variety of applications. One of the fundamental principals for efficient and reliable steam injection is the ability to produce and deliver high velocity steam. High velocity steam is what assures rapid and complete condensation and mixing of the steam in the fluid.

Internally Modulated Steam Control – ProSonix’s unique method of steam injection utilises an internal steam control to precisely deliver the appropriate mass flow of steam, and not the pressure, for the required heating. This is achieved via and integral Pneumatic Actuator and a variable position stem plug in the steam jet diffuser. The product does not throttle or regulate steam pressure. This design offers a precise method of steam control through a choked flow control delivery of the steam. Choked flow is the phenomenon of accelerating a vapor to maximum velocity by creating a pressure differential through an engineered nozzle. By establishing choked flow, the steam mass flow can be metered to precisely control the heating of the liquid. This produces predictable results based on position of the stem plug. Through a variable area steam diffuser, steam flow is metered at the point where steam and liquid first contact and mix. Internally modulated DSI heating controls the mass flow of the steam and not the pressure.

Advantages with Multi-Stage DSI Heating

It eliminates process upsets. Some fluids and slurries are not receptive to large volumes of steam addition because of their hi-viscosity/hi-solids. Splitting the heating load can result in improved steam condensation eliminating steam hammer (cavitation) and excessive wear
The PSX Inline Heater can be designed to match your slurry design flow velocities eliminating flow disruptions, accelerated flow velocity areas and maintaining solids in suspension
Rapid and complete condensation of the steam allows for more reliable temperature control of up to +/- 1°F (-17°C)
High velocity steam is self cleaning and eliminates issues associated with plugging and fouling along with scale and mineral build-up
Lower maintenance costs as proper condensation of the steam eliminates excessive wear, thus improving equipment reliability and life
Typically 1-2 psig reduces slurry pump demand which reduces energy consumption

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Oil Sands Processing

Oil-Sands-Processing Oil sands processing in Northern Canada utilises a variety of solvents and naphtha to assist in the separation of the Bitumen from the water and sand. These fluids can help promote chemical reactions, accelerate processing time and reduce processing costs. Many of these
must be recovered due to their high costs, importance of water recovery or issues associated with release of the chemicals to the environment.

Issues Associated with Oil Sands Processing

The sand that is separated is very abrasive and can cause excessive wear. Devices that accelerate flow or cause impingement will wear very rapidly
Bitumen and froth are not well suited for heating in traditional heating devices due to issues with pressure drop, abrasion and plugging/fouling
Solvents sometimes require high temperatures for processing yet can be very unstable and flash in the pipe if temperatures are not controlled properly

PSX Heater Solution

The PSX heater can be installed to heat up the process fluid prior to the flash vessel or recovery tank. It has a high heating capacity and can achieve up to a 250°F (121°C) temperature rise in a single pass. For difficult to pump slurries or unstable solvents, the PSX heater can be arranged in a multi-stage configuration to stage the heating to optimise the process. The key to efficient, safe and predictable steam injection is to inject steam at sonic velocity to achieve choked flow. By achieving choked flow, sonic velocity conditions can be achieved for steam injection. All steam injectors need to operate in a choked flow manner for good, non-violent mixing. The PSX heater is an internally modulated heater that varies the mass flow rate of steam by changing the area in which the steam may pass. This type of modulation allows the full steam pressure to always be present at the point of injection regardless of plug position. Flow rates can range from 1 – 10,000 gpm.

Key PSX Heater Direct Steam Injection Benefits

Eliminate process upsets as the internal steam control design of the PSX heater controls the steam mass flow and not the steam pressure thus eliminating steam hammer and vibration issues
Lower maintenance due to the PSX heater’s self cleaning design (no scaling or plugging/fouling)
Low pressure drop (typically 1-2 psig) reduce pump integration issues and flow disruptions, and provides energy savings by lowering slurry pump demand
Improved temperature control, typically +/- 1°F (-17°C), allows for a more reliable heating process
Improved reliability as a variety of alloys and wear coatings are available to address wear issues

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Hot Water Supply Systems

Hot-Water-Supply-Systems-2 In the Food industry, blanching of vegetables and potatoes is a common practice. Enzymes in vegetables are inactivated by the blanching process. Blanching is the exposure of the vegetables to boiling water or steam for a brief period of time. The vegetable must then be rapidly cooled in ice water to prevent it from cooking. There are a number of applications where containers need to be cleaned and pauperised prior to being filled in the packaging process. Processes such as fruit and vegetable juice processors, potato processors, vegetable and fruit canning and so forth are all processes that require hot water supply for cleaning and washing of packages and containers prior to filling.

Blanching processes will operate at temperatures of 190-205°F (43-96°C). Water is delivered to the blancher which in turn needs to be heated prior to processing the vegetables or potatoes in the blancher. Proper temperature control ensures processing optimisation. A low pressure drop across the water heater allows for more efficient operation of the pumps and better control for the spray nozzles. There are a number of challenges associated with conventional water heating methods:

Heat exchangers require floor space for installation space and room to remove tubes for cleaning. Other issues are lag response time, mineral and scale build-up and high pressure drop
Traditional mechanical spargers are prone to plugging and fouling
Conventional steam injection heaters with external stream control via a steam PRV are prone to process upsets such as hammer and vibration

PSX Heater Solution – Inline Heating

ProSonix’s unique method of steam injection utilises an integral pneumatic actuator and a variable opening steam diffuser to deliver high velocity steam injection heating. We do not throttle or regulate steam pressure. This design offers a precise method of steam control through a choked flow delivery of the steam. Choked flow is the phenomenon of accelerating a vapor to maximum velocity by creating a pressure differential through an engineered nozzle. By establishing choked flow, the steam mass flow can be metered to precisely control the heating of the liquid. This produces predictable results based on position of the stem plug. Through a variable-area steam diffuser, steam flow is metered at the point where steam and liquid first contact and mix. This method eliminates the need for an external steam control valve or downstream mechanical mixing devices. High velocity steam flow optimises the steam mixing and condensation with the liquid and eliminates problems with vibration/steam hammer.

Key Direct Steam Injection Benefits

Precise temperature control +/- 1 °F (-17°C) assures optimal processing conditions
Self cleaning design eliminates costly maintenance issues from scale and mineral build-up
Energy savings as the low pressure drop (typically 1-2 psig) reduces energy pump demand
High turndown of both steam and water flowrate allow for flexible operating conditions
Ease of installation as the PSX heater can be installed on the pasteuriser or in the water piping above

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Meat & Poultry Processing

Hot-Water-Supply-Systems In the Food industry, processing of meats and poultry requires heat and significant amounts of hot water for many of the process and cleaning applications throughout the plant.

Meat producers use a combination of scalding and de-hairing to prepare for evisceration. Carcasses are immersed in the tank that is filled with water at 136 to 140°F (58 to 60°C). The carcasses will be turned to ensure even scalding during the 4-4½ minute cycle. The water temperature is critical, because high temperatures degrade the meat and can excessively soften the skin, which can lead to tissue damage from subsequent handling. Low temperatures lead to excessive immersion times or difficult hair removal
Slaughtered carcasses are sprayed with hot water after de-hiding and after evisceration to clean the surface of the carcass. The carcass is hung from the overhead conveyor and an operator uses a high pressure sprayer to wash the surface of the carcass.Water must be at least 170°F (77°C) and may contain acetic or lactic acid to help kill all micro organisms. Too high of temperatures will damage the meat
Cutting tools, knives and evisceration equipment requires regular cleaning and sanitising. FDA approved temperatures must be maintained
Chicken processor will scald chicken paws. Accurate temperature control is required to avoid ‘graying’ the paw
Most facilities pre-treat the wastewater before discharging the water to the public sewer system. Sludge processing in digesters is common to break down organic solids and to produce methane for boiler energy supply

There are a number of challenges associated with conventional water heating methods:

Heat exchangers often plug and foul which reduces reliability and processing times
Water flow constantly varies based on processing conditions and clean-up periods
Processing plants must be able to demonstrate proper sanitising temperatures and are maintained to meet FDA approval

PSX Heater Solution – Inline Heating

‘Choked flow’ is the phenomenon of accelerating a vapor to maximum velocity by creating a pressure differential through an engineered nozzle. By establishing choked flow, the steam mass flow can be metered to precisely control the heating of the liquid. This produces predictable results based on the position of the stem plug.

Through a variable-area steam diffuser, steam flow is metered at the point where steam and liquid first contact and mix. This method eliminates the need for an external steam control valve or downstream mechanical mixing devices. High velocity steam flow optimises the steam mixing and condensation with the liquid and eliminates problems with vibration/steam hammering.

Key Direct Steam Injection Benefits

Precise temperature control +/- 1 °F (-17°C) assures optimal processing conditions
Self cleaning design eliminates costly maintenance issues from plugging and fouling
Energy savings as the low pressure drop (typically 1-2 psig) reduces energy pump demand
High turndown of both steam and water flow rate allow for flexible operating conditions
Ease of installation as the PSX heater can be installed in the water piping saving valuable floor space

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Vegetable Blanching

Hot-Water-Supply-Systems-2 High velocity steam delivery assures complete mixing of steam, reducing occurrences of vibration and saves energy losses from uncondensed steam escaping. Integral stem plug eliminates the need for steam pressure control valves. A single Jet sparger can be used for small tanks. When heating larger tanks, or if a higher temperature rise is required, multiple PSX spargers can be placed around the tank.

Common Applications

Wet milling of corn
Re-hydration of fruits
Steeping of vegetables and fruits
Washing of vegetable and fruits
Wash down and cleaning of water supply

ProSonix Jet Sparger Solution

Install the PSX Jet Diffuser Tank Mount Sparger on the tank wall to heat the tank until the tank reaches a steady state temperature. Various size tanks can be accommodated with single or multiple Jet Sparger arrangements.

The tank temperature can be controlled via a tank sensor, a discharge sensor, a cascade control loop or in a variety of configurations allowing consistent precise temperature control. The internal steam control design of the PSX heater controls the steam mass flow and not the steam pressure thus eliminating steam hammer and vibration issues.The PSX heater has a high heating capacity which accelerates tank heat-up time over the time it takes conventional steam sparging. Once the desired tank temperature is achieved, a single PSX heater steam injector can be operated to allow for trim temperature control of the tank until the desired tank temperature is achieved. Injection of high velocity steam minimises and improves condensation and mixing, therefore structural damage to the tank from the sparger can be eliminated. As the PSX heater utilises sonic velocity steam injection; scale and mineral build issues in the steam injector is eliminated.

Note: Use of tank sparging for applications above 150°F (66°C) may be inefficient and lead to extended heating times. For tank heating applications above 150°F (66°C), the PSX Inline heater is recommended.

Key Direct Steam Injection Benefits

Energy savings resulting from more efficient steam condensation, faster tank heat-up and reduced heat loss to atmosphere
Lower maintenance due to the PSX ‘Jet Spargers’ self cleaning design
Reliable process heating reduces process upsets and elimination of steam hammering
Improved temperature control allows for a more reliable heating process

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Ethanol Production

Ethanol-Production PSX Jet Cookers use ethanol (ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol) that is produced through a liquefaction process whereby a starch is converted to a sugar, which is then converted to an alcohol product and referred to as ethanol. Ethanol production requires a starch (corn, wheat, rye) based feedstock to supply the conversion process. The grain mash must go through a cook process, to raise the slurry’s temperature. In the Primary Liquefaction Stage, slurry is then pumped through a pressurized jet cooker at 221°F (105°C) and held for 5 minutes. The mixture is then cooled by an atmospheric or vacuum flash condenser. After the flash condensation cooling, the mixture is held for 1–2 hours at 180°F – 190°F (82°C – 88°C) to allow the enzymes time to work.

The Jet Cooker is a critical to evenly hydrolyse and heat the grain mash slurry. The relationship between the Jet Cooker’s steam injector and condensing tube produces a pressure drop to help maximise shear action to improve starch conversion.
Poor alignment of the steam injector and condensing tube can cause artificially high delta P, pre-mature localised wear, non-uniform shearing action and an increased use of enzymes to compensate.
The poor alignment of steam injection and condensing tubes lead to overdriving the condensing tube which can reduce starch slurry flow rates through the Jet Cooker and increases energy consumption by placing a higher demand on the slurry pumps.
Single point condensing tube drive systems lead to premature failure of drive components.

PSX Jet Cooker Solution:

The PSX heater is state of the art Jet Cooking technology. The steam condensing tube has multiple bearing surfaces, thus providing precise alignment with the steam injector which assures radial flow of starch slurry in the Jet Cooker. The unique drive system rotates the condensing tube thus eliminating localised wear.

ProSonix Direct Steam Injection Key Benefits:

Multiple bearing surfaces assure proper alignment between the condensing tube and steam nozzle thus improved shear action and reduces enzyme consumption
Industrial drive system eliminates single point drive failure points improving reliability
Reduced pressure drop improves performance and reduces energy consumption
Lower maintenance costs with improved drive system reduces internal wear
Reduced plant air consumption as drive system utilises AC Motor

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Corn Wet Mill – Fructose & Corn Syrup

Corn-Wet-Mill--Fructose-Corn-Syrup Corn wet milling is the process of separating the corn kernel into starch, protein, germ and fiber in an aqueous medium prior to fermentation. The primary products of wet milling include starch and starch derived products (e.g. high fructose corn syrup and ethanol), corn oil, corn gluten and corn germ. All agricultural crops and residues contain starch, which is a polymer of glucose, a six-carbon sugar. To produce ethanol from grain, the starch portion of the grain is exposed and mixed with water to form a mash. The mash is heated and enzymes are added to convert the starch into glucose.

There are two primary areas where direct steam injection heating can provide value for the Wet Mill process. They are the steeping process and the primary liquefaction or starch cooking process.

Steeping Process

The steeping facilitates the separation of the grain into its many components. In the wet milling process, steeping is the process where the grain is first soaked or ‘steeped’ in water and dilute sulfurous acid for 24-36 hours. Steep tanks may hold from 70.5 to 458 cubic meters (m3) (2,000 to 13,000 bushels) of corn, which is then submerged in a current of dilute sulfurous acid solution at a temperature of about 125°F (52°C). To reach this temperature, hot water is added to the steeping tanks. After steeping, the corn slurry is processed through a series of grinders to separate the corn germ. The remaining fiber, gluten and starch components are further segregated using centrifugal, screen and hydroclonic separators.

PSX Water Heater Advantages

Internal steam modulation design of the PSX heater controls the steam mass flow and not the steam pressure thus eliminating steam hammer and vibration issues
Low pressure steam may be used since the steep system operates at low pressure
Low maintenance due to the PSX heater’s self cleaning design
Stable operation due to better steam injection heating methods (elimination of steam hammer)
Precise temperature control allows for a more reliable heating process.+/- 1°F (-17.2°C)
Reduced pressure drop (typically 1-2 psig) reduces pump energy demand
Direct mechanical control of the steam injector allows for linear process heating control
PSX is controlled by the plant PLC/DCS or local controller with no proprietary software required
Ease of installation as the PSX heater can be installed in the piping requiring no floor space

Primary Liquefaction – Starch Cooking Process

After the steeping and separation process, the starch is physically and chemically prepared for fermentation. The milled grain is mixed with process water, the pH is adjusted to about 5.8, and an alpha-amylase enzyme is added. The grain mash must go through a cook process, to raise the slurry’s temperature. In the Primary Liquefaction Stage, slurry is then heated with a pressurised jet cooker at 221°F – 228°F (105°C – 109°C). The mixture is then cooled by an atmospheric or vacuum flash condenser and then the mixture is held for 1–2 hours at 180–190°F (82°C – 88°C) to allow the enzymes time to work.

Previous first generation jet cookers suffered from various issues:

Poor alignment of the steam injector and condensing tube force the system to run at artificially high pressure drops (delta P), causing premature localised wear, non-uniform shearing action and an increased use of enzymes to compensate
The poor alignment of steam injection and condensing tube leads to over driving the condensing tube which can reduce starch slurry flow rates through the Jet Cooker and increase energy consumption by placing a higher demand on the slurry pumps
Single point condensing tube drive systems lead to premature failure of drive components

PSX Jet Cooker Key Benefits:

Multiple bearing surfaces provides precise alignment between steam injector and condensing tube to promote radial slurry flow which assures uniform and radial flow of the starch slurry
Improved jet cooking performance. The PSXJet Cooker is designed for ethanol and starch process applications, where optimisation of the pressure drop results in improved starch cook-out performance and a reduction in enzyme costs. The uniform alignment between the Condensing Tube and Steam Injector for more uniform flow and eliminates the need for over driving the combining tube to compensate for misalignment
Reduced maintenance by eliminating the single point bolt stud connection which is a common failure point in other Jet Cookers
No proprietary software or controls required. The system can be operated directly from the plant DCS/PLC
No plant air consumption as the drive system utilises an AC motor
Positional steam inlet allows the steam inlet to rotate 360° to meet the incoming steam piping regardless of the slurry inlet and discharge positions for ease of installation

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Jet Cooker Starch Liquefaction

The OptiShear Jet Cooker is designed for starch cooking, wet mill processing of starch, ethanol production, as well as fructose and alcohol production. ProSonix unique method of direct steam injection utilises internal steam modulation via an integral Pneumatic Actuator and variable position steam plug, to accurately meter the mass flow of steam, through choked flow conditions. Choked flow is the phenomenon of accelerating a vapor to maximum velocity by creating a pressure differential through an engineered opening. By establishing choked flow, the steam mass flow can be metered to precisely control the heating of the liquid. This produces predictable results based on the position of the steam plug. Through a variable-area steam diffuser, steam flow is metered at the point where steam and liquid first contact and mix.

Starch slurry processing is designed for starch slurries with solids concentration of up to 40%
The OptiShear is well suited for all types of starch such as corn, potato, wheat, rice, and cassava or tapioca
High velocity steam and turbulent mixing injection via internally modulated steam control and variable position steam plug for vibration free operation
Precise temperature control of +/- 1°F (-17.2°C) for reliable heating performance
The OptiShear can be installed in any orientation and requires no floor space for installation
Automatic or manual operation simplifies process integration
Can be installed in any orientation. High temperature rise up 250°F (121°C) in a single pass
Materials of construction. Standard carbon steel or 316SS with optional wear coatings available for erosive slurry conditions
Standard ANSI class connections (NPT threaded or RFF flanged) for 150 psig steam, with optional 300 psig available. Design standards- designed to ASME

Adjustable Slurry Gap Optimizes Starch & Steam Mixing, Reducing Enzyme Use

In starch cooking, proper agitation or “shear” is required to optimize the thermal effect of the steam on the starch particles. The OptiShear Jet Cooker is equipped with an adjustable Condensing Tube (CT). The adjustable CT can be positioned to vary the gap relative to the steam nozzle, creating a narrow slurry gap. This narrow gap between the CT & steam nozzle optimizes the steam exposure to the thin ribbon of starch slurry as it enters the CT. By changing the position of the CT relative to the face of the steam nozzle, back pressure inside of the OptiShear can be optimized to reduce uncooked starch and enzyme usage.

Radial Slurry Flow

In the OptiShear design, the condensing tube and steam nozzle interface is truly coaxial, ensuring the starch slurry gap is uniform throughout the full 360° flow path. The tube rests on multiple bearing surfaces so there is no movement of the tube relative to the injector except to adjust the gap.

Advanced Drive System

The tube movement in the ProSonix heater to adjust the starch gap is accomplished using a threaded engagement. The tube is rotated and an external thread moves the tube towards or away from the injector (nozzle). Moving the tube in this way changes the orientation of the tube inside the heater, causing any wear spots of the tube to move as well. This has the beneficial effect of evening out the wear of the internal parts, extending their operating life.

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