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| PILOT
15
The PILOT 15 is a complete distillation system including all of the pumping, heating, vacuum generating and control equipment needed for plant operation. The small amount of floor space occupied by the unit helps make PILOT 15, in either single or multiple installations, a most attractive system. The PILOT 15 is designed for throughputs between 10 and 80 lb/hr (4.5 to 36 kg/hr), depending on feed material characteristics. The major advantages to be expected from the PILOT 15 molecular still are:
The PILOT 15 is designed to continuously distill thermally sensitive organic and silicone compounds in the molecular weight range of 150 to 400 AMU at vacuum pressures from 1 to 700 X 10-3 Torr. Some examples of distillation from the PILOT 15 include fatty acid amides, dimer acids, epoxy resins, drying oils, monoesters, di-octyl phthalate, Vitamin A, and tocopherols (Vitamin E).
The PILOT
15 is designed to distill materials in the pressure range from
700 X 10-3 Torr down to 1 X 10-3 Torr. The
lower the pressure, the lower the heat required to effect distillation.
The lower the heat, the lower the chance of damaging the product
and reduces the energy costs required for the purification process.
The PILOT 15 has a complete vacuum system as can be seen from
the diagram. Both the degasser and the high vacuum distillation
chamber have vapor traps; these vapor traps are cooled by liquid
Nitrogen. A diffusion-ejector pump and a rotary vane vacuum pump
evacuate the main chamber. The degasser has a separate rotary
vane vacuum pump. There are three regions of pressure monitoring.
This enables the operator to get accurate pressure measurements
in the three critical areas: the degasser, the high-vacuum chamber,
and the fore line.
The material handling on the PILOT 15 is accomplished through stainless steel tubing, check valves and liquid transfer pumps. The first liquid-transfer pump feeds material from the customer-supplied source to the falling film degassing stage. The line from this pump to the degasser is heated. The second liquid transfer pump removes the material from the degasser and via a heated line is feed to the center of the spinning heated disc. The lighter end material (distillate) evaporates. Then condenses on the water-cooled cover plate and is removed through connecting stainless steel tubing to a third liquid transfer pump. The un-distilled material (residue) is collected by a gutter assembly and then is removed via connecting stainless steel tubing through the fourth liquid transfer pump.
The product path through the PILOT 15 is heated in four separate zones. The zones can be temperature regulated for conditioning of the product for various steps in the process. They are the degasser feed line, the degasser wall, the rotor feed line and the rotor temperature. Additional heating of the feed and return lines can be added as an option.
The PILOT 15 Control Center controls and displays the following:
The PILOT 15 receives process material from the customer-supplied storage tank. This material passes through stainless steel pipes through the variable speed feed pump. This pump controls the flow rate of material through the PILOT 15. From the feed pump the material passes along a length of heated pipe before entering the degasser.
From the feed pump the material passes along a length of pipe, which is heated to reduce any heat lose, before entering the distillation chamber. This temperature is adjustable by the customer. In the distillation chamber the material is introduced onto the center of the spinning rotor disk and is spread across the heated surface. The surface area increases exponentially as material travels across the disc thus exposing more material to surface for evaporation as it travels across. The material will separate into a vapor phase, the distillate, depending on the operators' combination choice of temperature and pressure. The remaining material is the residue. The distillate vapor is condensed on a water-cooled surface and flows down the chamber walls and out to the distillate pump. The residue passing across the full surface of the rotor is collected in a surrounding gutter and flows out of the chamber to the residue pump. On the exit of each pump is a non-return valve to isolate the distillation chamber from atmospheric pressure. Feed, distillate, and residue storage tanks are supplied by the customer, unless specified otherwise. Both the degasser and distillation chambers have independent vacuum pumping systems which are protected with individual traps. The traps
in each vacuum line are refrigerated to protect from cross-contamination
with the vacuum pump fluids. Both traps have drain taps, which
are used to empty the traps while the PILOT 15 is shut down and
at atmosphere. Trap collection vessels or gear pumps can be added
to drain the traps while the PILOT 15 is running and are supplied
as an option. The degasser vacuum pump is a direct drive rotary
vane positive displacement pump with exhaust to atmosphere. The
distillation chamber vacuum pumps are a diffusion-ejector pump
backed by a direct drive rotary vane positive-displacement pump
with exhaust to atmosphere. System pressures are monitored at
the degasser, distillation chamber, and the ejector pump fore
line. The traps in each vacuum line are refrigerated and protected from cross-contamination with the vacuum pump fluids. Both traps have drain taps which are used to empty the traps while the PILOT 15 is shut down and at atmosphere. Trap collection vessels can be used to drain the traps while the PILOT 15 is running and are supplied as an option, unless specified otherwise. The degasser vacuum pump is a direct drive rotary vane positive displacement pump with exhause to atmosphere. The distillation chamber vacuum pumps are a diffusion-ejector pump backed by a direct drive rotary vane positive-displacement pump with exhaust to atmosphere. System pressures are monitored at the degasser, distillation chamber, and the ejector pump foreline.
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Centrifugal
molecular distillation is a purification technique, which has
gained wide acceptance in the chemical, food processing, pharmaceutical,
and petroleum industries as well as the specialty chemicals industry.
The PILOT 15 utilizes this technique for pilot plant and medium
production needs on a continuous basis.
All
the readouts and controls are conveniently grouped in a control
panel mounted on the still. The control center offers displays
of the three vacuum stations, the actual and set-point temperatures
of the degasser and degasser pre-heater, the distillation chamber
pre-heater, and the rotor heater and display of the residue temperature
as it leaves the heated surface. Controls of all vacuum pumps
and feed pumps are also located here. 
Preheated
material enters a rotating cup within the degasser and is spun
onto the heated walls to quickly out gas the material. The media
runs down and is collected on the heated base. Degassed material
passes, via a heated pipeline, to the distillation chamber feed
pump.