Product category:
Flowmeters and Flow Sensors
News Release from: Hydramotion | Subject: XL7 online viscometer
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 11 April 2007
Online viscometer serves grain
distillery
Since 1998, an XL7 online viscometer from Hydramotion has been in use at one of Scotland's largest grain distilleries, the North British Distillery company in Edinburgh.
Since 1998, an XL7 online viscometer from Hydramotion has been in use at one of Scotland's largest grain distilleries, the North British Distillery company in Edinburgh The viscometer is being used to monitor the viscosity of a by-product from the distillation called "spent wash", ultimately used in the making of Distillers Dark Grains animal feed
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 23 Jun 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Online viscometer helps keep toner flowing
An intrinsically safe XL7 online viscometer is playing a key role in keeping the production lines running for a major toner producer.
Online viscometer maintains polymer composition
For Polyacryl Iran Corp, the benefits of the Hydramotion XL7 online viscometer were evident as soon as it was installed.
"North British", now owned by Lothian Distillers, was established in 1885 by a group of independent blenders including Andrew Usher, one of the pioneers of commercial whisky blending.
Its main product is Scotch grain whisky, the base spirit for many of today's leading blended whiskies such as JandB, Famous Grouse, Chivas Regal and Cutty Sark.
With three Coffey stills in continuous operation, North British now produces over 1.4 million litres of spirit every week.
Further reading
Online viscometer measures mud in the oilfield
Measuring the viscosity of drilling fluids at the high pressures of the oilfield is all in a day's work for the XL7 online viscometer from Hydramotion.
Viscometer boosts oil burner performance
A Hydramotion online viscometer has helped Hindustan Organic Chemicals operate its burners efficiently.
In the distillery, maise and malted barley are mixed with water, yeast is added and the mixture allowed to ferment.
The resulting liquid (called "wash"), containing about 8% alcohol, is transferred to the still, where it is heated by low-pressure steam.
The alcoholic liquor distils off and is collected for maturation, storage and bottling.
The spent wash condensate is centrifuged and passed through a series of evaporation stages.
The resulting syrup is mixed with dried residues from the mashing process ("draff"), pelletised and sold on for feeding to cattle.
During the evaporation process, production staff monitor the viscosity of the condensate in order to ensure that the syrup will have the right consistency.
Installed around two-thirds of the way down the line, the XL7 viscometer readings give an instant reflection of the degree of evaporation and thus the progress of the process.
All the process controllers have to do is watch the readings and adjust the control valve position changing the ratio of flow forward to recycled flow to the final stage of evaporation.
Traditional craft still plays its part, however.
While the Hydramotion viscometer gives a vital early warning of change, controllers call on their time-honoured skills to interpret the viscometer readings and decide on the appropriate action.
"One great advantage of the XL7 is its simplicity".
"It is extremely easy to use", comments Instrumentation Supervisor Brian Morris.
With a single solid sensor and no delicate or expensive accessories, the XL7 viscometer is quick to install, needs no calibration on site and is completely clean-in-place compatible.
Morris adds: "Running costs have been negligible".
"The instrument was installed in 1998 and is used every day in the 24/7 process, but the only maintenance it has ever had is the cleaning it gets as part of the biannual maintenance shutdown of the plant". Request a free brochure from Hydramotion ...
• Hydramotion: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Engineeringtalk email newsletter
• Engineeringtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
