Ethanol
Pumps for Ethanol Production
Ethanol
Ethanol has many uses from fuel additive for automotive to solvents and organic compound for livestock feed. It is a colorless, volatile and flammable fluid. Production of ethanol involves slurry solutions of agricultural crops, enzymes and yeast solutions. Pumping requirements are demanding due to high slurry content.
Pumping Consideration
In pumping, the biggest problem is high slurry content. Slurry from raw materials can cause a havoc on mechanical seals resulting in many leak issues. Not only that, a large amount of flush water is needed to keep the seal faces clean. The prospect of a leak, particularly in a refinery can be exceptionally dangerous and cause costly downtime. Many stages prior to obtaining pure ethanol requires jacket heating of the pump to keep the slurry from solidifying and again destroying mechanical seals.
Wilfley provides cost savings, robust metallurgy and a leak free solution for ethanol production.
Wilfley’s dynamic sealing technology in combination with the Solidlock™ static seal offers a leak free pumping system without the use of flush water. Pumps run without any external flushing system, providing a reliable operation 24/7 reducing maintenance time and costs. Wilfley’s WCD4 Duplex Stainless Steel can withstand the erosive nature of ethanol slurry.
Ethanol Case Study
USA Ethanol Plant
Wilfley A9 Pump Keeps Running After 5 Years
There was so little wear, the customer re-assembled the pump and put it back in service for another year. The pump has been in service almost 5 years with virtually no maintenance required. The customer has since purchased a second Wilfley A9 pump.