Our technical center is open to customers from a wide range of industries and research and development institutions.
Here we provide you with an insight into the basic procedure of trials as well as their tasks and objectives.
The advantages of the technical center for process and system development
The technical center offers a number of advantages that are highly relevant for the development and optimization of processes and systems:
1. Practical testing: The technical center enables the practical testing of processes and systems under real conditions. It offers the opportunity to test various parameters, optimize processes, and identify possible weak points. This hands-on experience makes it possible to develop customized solutions and ensure efficient processes.
2. Risk minimization: The technical center enables various scenarios to be tested and the best solutions to be selected before major investments are made. Trials allow potential risks and uncertainties to be identified and minimized at an early stage. This helps to avoid costly mistakes and problems in later phases of the project.
3. Gathering data and gaining experience: The technical center provides valuable data and experience that is crucial when designing individual machines, systems, and processes. The precise recording of parameters such as temperature, pressure, and throughput serves as the basis for scaling processes and ensuring efficient and reliable production.
4. Individual solutions: By working closely with customers, customized solutions can be developed that are tailored to their individual requirements. The technical center offers flexibility in the configuration and combination of in-house and external systems to deliver optimal results.
5. Process guarantees: In addition to the general warranty, customers require explicit assurances for certain performance values and properties of the system. A typical example is the guarantee of a certain degree of purity. These guarantee values cannot be assured on a theoretical basis alone, particularly in the case of new processes or media. Only testing in the technical center provides the necessary data and information to confirm the guaranteed values.
Figure 1: In the GIG Karasek Technical Center, the systems can be configured and combined for a wide range of tasks. © GIG Karasek
The process of laboratory and technical center tests
GIG Karasek's technical center covers the entire range of evaporation and distillation technology and will in future also be equipped with equipment for converting CO2 into chemicals and fuels. Customized test processes are used to specifically address the individual requirements and tasks of our customers. The safety data sheets for the test product must be provided before conducting trials.
1. Preliminary tests in the laboratory
The laboratory facilities are mainly used for feasibility studies to investigate the suitability of new products. The substance data of the medium to be analyzed is often only known to a limited extent. Laboratory tests, which are carried out with a small quantity of around 20 to 30 liters, can be used to test the behavior of the medium under various parameters.
The focus is on the following questions:
- Is thermal separation of the product even possible?
- Is there a short-term build-up of deposits or excessive foaming?
- Can the medium still be able to flow freely?
- How does the medium behave in terms of viscosity?
The focus of the laboratory tests is therefore on assessing the basic suitability of the medium for the customer's application. The precise determination of the degree of separation and other quality parameters, on the other hand, is only carried out in pilot tests.
Figure 2: Base materials can be comprehensively tested in the laboratory facility. © GIG Karasek
2. Pilot-scale trials
The pilot systems are flexibly designed to enable a wide range of applications. They can be linked together and configured and combined for different tasks.
An exemplary model of a system combination is the further processing of a concentrated intermediate product in a thin-film or short-path evaporator, which was previously produced in a falling-film evaporator (e.g. wastewater reduction ). The thin-film evaporator can also be connected to the short-path evaporator to concentrate temperature-sensitive products gently and efficiently (e.g. fatty acids ).
It is also possible to integrate the customer's special equipment in order to adapt the pilot systems to the customer's specific requirements and process steps (e.g. extruder for melting granules).
Figure 3: Base materials can be comprehensively tested in the laboratory facility. © GIG Karasek
The detailed planning and execution of the tests is carried out in close cooperation with the customer to ensure that their individual requirements are met:
- As a rule, around 300 to 1,000 liters of the feedstock are required for the test series in the pilot system.
- Before starting the test series, the system is thoroughly cleaned to ensure that the experiments are carried out reliably and precisely.
- The actual test processes are carried out by process engineers who have the necessary specialist knowledge and practical experience.
- After completion of the tests, the customer receives samples that can be used for further analyses.
- In addition, a comprehensive technical center report is provided, which contains all relevant test parameters such as temperature, pressure, and throughput. This documentation forms the basis for the subsequent design of equipment and systems.
- If the customer's analysis shows that the desired results have not yet been achieved, the process is optimized. Corresponding measures may include, for example, an adjustment of the parameters, the use of a different technology, or changes to the upstream process.
The costs for the tests are negligible compared to any costs from optimization measures in a large-scale plant. The trial is offered at a flat fee for 2 days, which includes preparation, follow-up, conversion, and maintenance work. Reduced flat fees apply for each additional day and for laboratory tests.
Figure 4: Customers receive samples for further analysis following their tests. © GIG Karasek
Tasks and objectives of technical center trials
The extensive test infrastructure provides the key basis for the evaluation of new products, the specification of optimum process parameters or performance limits, and the determination of design parameters for the layout of industrial plants. Typical tasks include the testing of process solutions for processing new products, optimizing existing systems, and exploring limit values.
Figure 5: Analysis of a substance sample in the technical center laboratory © GIG Karasek
1. Evaluating new products
The consideration of various aspects enables a well-founded assessment of the feasibility of trials and the applicability of specific processes.
"Tests are primarily used to validate theoretical designs. However, there are also customers who do not yet want to invest in a piece of equipment or a system, but simply want to test the separability of a medium. In such cases, it is necessary to carry out a preliminary assessment to determine whether the medium is fundamentally suitable for pilot tests and which evaporator technologies can be considered," explains Sarah Schüssler, Operator Technical Center at GIG Karasek.
Figure 6: Sarah Schüssler is Operator at the GIG Karasek Technical Center © GIG Karasek
The following criteria serve as a basis for evaluation:
- Toxicity: Due to the blow-out line of the vacuum system, highly toxic substances cannot be processed in the technical center.
- Viscosity: GIG Karasek has applications for a viscosity of up to 5,000 Pas. The evaluation only aims to determine the optimum evaporator technology for the respective client product.
- Risk of explosion: The technical center is equipped with equipment that can process potentially explosive substances. Applicability is checked individually on the basis of the temperature class and the expected explosion pressure, among other things.
- Aggressiveness of the medium: Corrosive or abrasive media can cause damage to the pilot systems. In some cases, trials are still possible, as the operating times for tests are limited.
- Deposit formation: The formation of deposits on heating surfaces impairs heat transfer and the performance of falling-film evaporators. The operating limits for the use of falling-film evaporators are checked on a case-by-case basis.
- Foaming: Media with a high rate of foam formation can lead to problems, especially with falling-film evaporators. The tendency to foam and its effects on the process are examined on a case-by-case basis.
- Dischargability: The technical center offers the option of drying products and converting them into a free-flowing solid.
2. Testing new process solutions
Theoretical calculations are often not enough for the successful realization of plant projects and the introduction of new processes. The variety of technical center equipment available makes it possible to determine the optimum system configuration and the required number of separators for the overall system. On this basis, a customized process solution is developed that best meets the customer's specific requirements and conditions.
Figure 7: The technical center offers high-quality test infrastructure for individual testing purposes © GIG Karasek
3. Optimization of systems
Over time, the requirements in existing systems may change or certain bottlenecks may make it necessary to adjust the process parameters. In such scenarios, trials offer a cost-effective and risk-free way of testing new operating data. Based on the test reports, the plant operator receives a solid basis for the optimum setting of the system without having to take the risk of cost-intensive failed tests on their own system.
1. Capacity increase
A typical application in this context is increasing the capacity of an existing system by removing throughput restrictions. Our process engineers first carry out an inspection at the customer's plant and then calculate the effects of various parameter changes on production performance as part of a theoretical study. In doing so, they rely on data provided by the customer. To validate the results, a technical center test is often carried out.
2. Plant optimization
There are also limitations when adjusting process parameters, however. For example, higher temperatures or pressures can lead to a reduction in product quality or shorten the service life of the system. In such cases, it may be necessary to improve the system itself in order to increase capacity.
An example of this would be replacing a smaller evaporator body with a larger one. The design of the units in the evaporator body makes it possible to process the additional quantity without any problems, so that higher production can be achieved without having to completely replace the entire system. Here, too, the technical center can provide support and valuable insights through appropriate testing.
Figure 8: The extensive test infrastructure provides the basis for the development of individual equipment through to complete systems. © GIG Karasek
4. Exploring limit values
Let's say a customer has a feed with a specific composition, and the aim is either to carry out substance enrichment or separation. In order to process the extracted substance further or sell it on the market, certain limit values must be adhered to.
4.1. Degree of purity
The degree of purity of a product determines the amount of impurities or harmful substances it may contain. In the case of biodiesel, the sulfur content is limited to 10 ppm to ensure the required quality for the admixture. Trials can be used to test whether the customer's desired degree of purity can be achieved with the existing technologies. Tests also show under which process conditions the best results can be achieved.
4.2. Temperature
In some special applications, the product quality may deteriorate with increasing temperature. By conducting series of tests at different temperature levels, the maximum temperature at which the product remains stable without, for example, discoloration or other undesirable changes can be determined.
4.3. Viscosity
Viscosity plays a decisive role in the field of falling-film technology and represents an important limit value. A significant factor that influences viscosity is the dry matter content of the medium. This means that the higher the dry matter content, the higher the viscosity.
In a test, it is possible to specifically determine the dry matter content to which the medium can be concentrated before it can no longer be optimally processed in the falling-film evaporator due to its increasing viscosity. In other words, the determined limit value makes it possible to estimate the maximum viscosity at which the falling-film evaporator can still be operated efficiently.
By determining this limit value in the test, customers receive valuable information on optimal process design and can adjust the operating parameters accordingly to ensure efficient and reliable evaporation of the medium.
5. Scaling up: design parameters for dimensioning large systems
Scaling up refers to the transfer of results from technical center trials to a large-scale plant. Dimensionless key figures are determined on the basis of the test results to enable the design of a larger-scale production plant.
5.1 k-value as an indicator for heat transfer
An important aspect in the design of large systems is the heating surface, as this is the main criterion for the size of an assembly and ultimately its cost.
As an indicator of heat transfer, the k-value is the decisive key figure for determining the heating surface and optimum dimensioning of the system:
- A k-value that is too low would mean that the mass transfer is inefficient and a larger evaporator with a larger surface area is required.
- A k-value that is too high, on the other hand, can lead to unnecessary investment costs, as a smaller evaporator would be sufficient.
5.2. Determining the k-value
The k-value is calculated in three steps:
1. Heat transfer from the heating medium to the vessel shell.
2. Heat conduction through the vessel shell.
3. Heat transfer from the vessel shell to the process medium.
The heat transfer or k-value therefore depends on the materials used in the evaporator on the one hand, but is also influenced by the medium being evaporated on the other:
- While the material properties of the equipment are known, precise material data on the medium to be vaporized is often lacking. In most cases, the material properties provided by the customer for the theoretical design of the equipment do not suffice, as the level of detail is too low.
- The k-value must therefore be determined through a series of tests at defined temperatures and pressures in the technical center. The k-values and thus the system size can then be calculated on the basis of the recorded data.
5.3. Feedflow related to the heating surface (thin-film technology)
In the field of thin-film technology, the feedflow related to the heating surface can also be used for upscaling. The calculation is based on the linear extrapolation of the feed that was processed in the evaporator.
Conclusion: cost-effective testing of new concepts
The GIG Karasek Technical Center provides ideal conditions for cost-effective testing of a wide range of tasks. It covers a broad spectrum, such as determining the quality of new products, optimizing systems, and implementing plant projects. To this end, specially configurable laboratory and pilot systems are available, which can be individually configured for the respective application. You can soon find a detailed description of our pilot systems in our blog post "Flexibility and Adaptability: An overview of the technical center systems ".
