Maximising the benefits of renewable energy continues to be the focus for an increasingly diverse range of companies who are continuing to invest in the anaerobic digestion (AD) process and a new bio-energy plant at the Glendullan distillery is a good example.
Mixing is an essential part of the AD process and System Mix, who market the Rotamix Dual Zone Mixing System, have made an important contribution in supplying mixing equipment to both the Dailuaine and Glendullan distilleries.
The mixing system installed at the Dailuaine Bioplant consists of a single Vaughan HE10R12-381 horizontal end suction chopper pump driven by a 37kW rated motor and four internally floor mounted double nozzle assemblies to mix a 24.5m diameter digester tank. The success of this initial AD project was an important factor in the decision to upgrade the Bioplant at the Glendullan distillery, where another single pump mixing system is operating successfully.
Production residues such as spent grains and pot ale form the bulk of the materials which are fed into the bioplants which ultimately produce outputs of bio-gas of up to 500kWe CHP and are used to power the distilleries.
Problems such as solids settlement are commonplace reducing active digester volume and can result in a significant reduction in output, leading to failure of compliance requirements. Also compressors in 'traditional' gas mixing systems and submersible in-tank propeller systems are often associated with labour intensive maintenance issues, resulting in process downtime and associated costs.
Andy Parr, Director at System Mix commented: "Today AD operators need to maximise the sustainable credentials of their plant and equipment even further and we are confident that the benefits of our mixing systems are becoming even more relevant and important".