Separators Digest

1 | 2007 The Magazine of Westfalia Separator AG

Turnkey Project
Complete dairy
installed in Iran

Must Clarification
Winemaking operations
benefit from decanter
technology

Crud Processing
Hydrometal recovery
by liquid extraction
 Contents

Turnkey Project | 10 The Oscar of Shipping | 26

Preface Mineraloil Systems

3 Changing One's Perception 23 Nothing More in the Air
26 The Oscar of Shipping
Separators News
4 Topical Umwelttechnik
30 PET Recycling
Food Tec 33 Separators Reduce the
10 Turnkey Project Strain on SBR Reactor
14 Must Clarification and 36 It Makes Twice the
Must Trub Clarification Sense to Reduce Speed
18 Control is Better
Lifestyle
Industry 38 Crucial Question
20 Crud Processing

Imprint
Publisher: Photography:
Westfalia Separator AG Michael Dannemann, Tim Luhmann,
Project management: Peter Arens Heinz-Gnter Spasic,
archive Westfalia Separator AG
Editors:
Peter Arens, Dr. Jrg Bckle, Conception and Layout:
Manfred Kaiser Kabutz Kommunikation GmbH The information contained in this brochure merely serves as a non-binding description
Feldstrae 5 59423 Unna of our products and is without guarantee. Binding information, in particular relating to
info@kabutz.de www.kabutz.de capacity data and suitability for specific applications, can only be provided within the
framework of concrete inquiries.

2 Contents
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
 Preface

Changing One's Perception

A good drop of wine must of course come from a
bottle with a genuine natural cork or so experts have
believed for centuries. Nothing else was acceptable; screw
caps were vilified. How times change! More and more
alternatives to the cork are becoming available as a means
of stopping wine bottles. In particular, the unloved screw
top is much better than its reputation and offers numerous
advantages. More and more premium wine growers in Stefan Rehnert
Australia and New Zealand are therefore using screw tops (right) and
for their bottles of high-quality wines. This provides them Werner Kohlstette

with obvious advantages: it is an undisputed fact that

approximately ten percent of all wines have their flavour
tainted by the cork (corked). The screw top avoids this as
the wine is also no longer able to oxidise. The wine does
not need a natural cork even to breathe or to develop. For
good wines, a screw top is therefore a major alternative for
undisturbed enjoyment of wine.

In certain cases, many years and decades are necessary

before received opinions, such as those concerning the
natural cork, can be revised. The newly presented CE 345 decanter is also a very
attractive product for SME operations. The decanter can
At Westfalia Separator, this process of revision, namely be used as a multi-function machine for clarifying must,
that of considering an already successful solution from processing tank bottoms or removing tartrate.
another point of view, is an established standard. We
for instance consistently pursue a policy of combining a Are you interested in breaking new ground, do you have an
centrifuge and membrane filtration as an extension of open mind for innovative solutions, then please visit us at
mechanical separation technology. Westfalia Separator is the INTERVITIS INTERFRUCTA in Stuttgart.
now presenting such hybrid solutions for sustainable
optimisation of the winemaking process at the INTERVITIS
INTERFRUCTA.

The separator GSC 25 is a further excellent example of

the strategy of always offering the best and most modern
solution. The hydrohermetic seal protects a product
that is sensitive to shearing, and avoids the absorption of Stefan Rehnert Werner Kohlstette
oxygen from the air. The tried-and-tested Westfalia Chief Executive Officer Chief Operating Officer
Separator HydroStop system ensures that the trub is also
particularly dry when it is discharged from the machine.
The benefit for winemaking operations is maximum yield.

Preface 3
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
 Separators News
Sold Out and Well
Attended: INTERVITIS
INTERFRUCTA 2007
It is by far the most international
technology exhibition for wine, fruit
and fruit juice: the Deutsche
Weinbauverband and Messe Stuttgart
expect to receive around 600
exhibitors and 40,000 visitors from
all continents at the INTERVITIS
INTERFRUCTA 2007 between 22 26
April 2007. As with previous events,
the exhibition grounds Killesberg will
also be completely sold out. The
INTERVITIS INTERFRUCTA 2007 does
not need to fear any reduction in the
number of exhibitors or overall area.
On the contrary, it is somewhat above
budget compared with the previous
event in 2004. For the first time more
Decanter CE 345
New Multi-Function Machine
for Winemaking Operations
than 1000 wine, fruit and fruit juice
experts from all over the world have
registered to attend the high quality
supporting programme of the
exhibition.
Westfalia Separator Food Tec
is traditionally represented with
a stand in hall 4.0, stand 114
The new CE 345 decanter was
presented at the INTERVITIS INTER-
The CE 345 is equipped with the
"Delta power T" drive for automatic
FRUCTA by Westfalia Separator Food torque measurement and differential
Tec. The new machine has a capacity
of up to 5000 l/h and excellent
speed regulation. This drive differs
from conventional gear drives in that
value-for-money making it ideal for an additional secondary gear and
SME operations. The decanter can be a secondary motor are used. This
used as a multi-function machine for construction allows infinitely-variable,
must clarification, tank bottom torque-dependent differential speed
processing or must trub processing. regulation. The high regulating
The optimised bowl design of the accuracy permits extremely small
decanter ensures a large clarifying differential speeds giving optimum
area to give maximum separating dewatering of the solids. This, for
performance in every area of instance, always provides maximum
application. yields in tank lees processing and
excellent quality of the recovered
wine.
Further characteristic features of
the CE 345 are excellent efficiency,
low space requirement,
low maintenance and an
environmentally sound method
of operation.
4 Separators News
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
 Separators News

Hybrid Solutions Optimise the Winemaking Process Optimum Wine

Through the concept of modern solids and Must
management, Westfalia Separator
Food Tec recognises that solid/liquid
Clarification
separation is increasingly determining
the quality of the end product and The GSC 25 separator shown at the
the cost-effectiveness of the entire INTERVITIS INTERFRUCTA has been
process chain. To achieve this, optimised by Westfalia Separator Food
Westfalia Separator is consistently Tec particularly for must and wine
pursuing a policy of combining the clarification in SME operations. The
centrifuge and membrane filtration as Westfalia Separator HyDRY separator,
an extension of mechanical separation developed in accordance with the new
technology. Westfalia Separator is standardisation concept, can be used
presenting this hybrid technology in the performance range 1000 l/h
for sustainable optimising of the wine- to 3000 l/h for must clarification
making process at the INTERVITIS and 3000 l/h to 7000 l/h for wine
INTERFRUCTA. clarification. It can also be used for
polishing wine upstream of filtration
The purposeful combination of centrifuge and membrane filtration
The intelligently combined technologies or recovering wine from lees.
extends mechanical separation technology.
of centrifugation and cross-flow
filtration with ceramic elements and
the related customised design for red
wine, white wine and ros wine also
increase the wine yield, availability
and the cost-effectiveness of the
entire process chain.

The GSC 25 is a further excellent

example of the Westfalia Separator
strategy of offering the latest
centrifuge technology in all market-
relevant performance classes. This
includes the hydrohermetic seal to
prevent the inclusion of oxygen from
the ambient air; and the tried-and-
tested Westfalia Separator HydroStop
system to ensure that the separated
trub is particularly dry when it is
discharged from the machine. Despite
these advanced engineering features,
the GSC 25 offers the customer
excellent value for money.

Separators News 5
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
 Separators News
Service
Expanding in
Hamburg
The service division (Customer Support
Centre) of Westfalia Separator
Mineraloil Systems has expanded so
strongly in recent years that the
premises in Hamburg-Bergedorf were
no longer sufficient. For this purpose,
a new building is now being
constructed, and the Customer
Support Centre will move in starting
mid-2007. In December 2006, the
foundation stone was laid in
Hamburg for the new building in the
Neulnder Business Park in Hamburg-
Harburg.
To meet increasing customer require-
ments and to be in a good position
to meet future developments, the
division will also be expanded. A
total area of 5441 m2 will see the
creation of 1316 m2 of office space,
a 590 m2 repair workshop and a
860 m2 warehouse as well as service
and outdoor areas.
New Managing
Director in Denmark
Boy Konstmann became the managing director of Westfalia Separator A/S,
Denmark on 1 October 2006. Following technical training, Mr. Konstmann
studied management, specialising in sales and marketing. He has been
working in various positions at Emerson Process Management since 1988,
most recently as sales director for Denmark.
Authorized Workshop Ireland
Westfalia Separator Ireland Ltd.
opened its authorized workshop
at the end of October 2006. Safety for
employees and customers are some
of the fundamental objectives of
Westfalia Separator Ireland Ltd.
so it is focusing on preventive main-
tenance services.
The company has supplied a large
number of decanters for environmental
and industrial applications with Werner Kohlstette, Chief Operating
new activities including routine Officer, Westfalia Separator, Michael
Hosford, Safety Officer Westfalia
replacement as well as overhauling of
Separator Ireland, Vincenzo Spitaleri,
gearboxes as a preventive measure.
Chairman Westfalia Separator
Ireland, Con OBrien, Managing
Director Westfalia Separator Ireland.
Authorized Workshop
in Belgium
At the end of 2006, Westfalia repairs for the marine sector allowing
Separator Belgium was recognised it to provide support services to the
as an authorized workshop. This Port of Antwerp.
means that it is now able to offer
the enhanced range of professional
services and overhaul replacement
parts such as spindles and clutches.
In the subsequent phase, Westfalia
Separator Belgium will include
The authorized workshop
in Antwerp
6 Separators News
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
 Separators News

Crude Oil Processing Installation for a Power Station in Riyadh

In 2006, Westfalia Separator Mineraloil
Systems received an order for a crude
oil processing installation for the
PP9 power station in Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia. This power station, with a
capacity of 2100 MW in the final design
stage, is responsible for assuring
energy supplies in the capital city of
Riyadh. It is responsible for cleaning
the crude oil and dewatering and
desalinating the fuel. This guarantees
the continuous and trouble-free
operation of the gas turbine power
station.

The order volume consists of the fuel

processing facility with 32 OSD 60
separators, various feeder pump
stations for crude oil, and feeder
installations. The scope of supply also
comprises a complete monitoring
installation with redundant control and
motor starters.

32 type OSD 60 separators will in future be operating in Riyadh.

Rapid Success: 100th CD 53 Decanter

The 100 th CD 53 decanter was
delivered from the Westfalia Separator
Niederahr works at the end of 2006.
The anniversary machine was sent
to Spain to recover olive oil. The
decanter is the middle-class model
of the new CDforce generation of
Westfalia Separator and was only
released for the market two years
ago. One of the major reasons behind
this success is that the decanter is
one of the most powerful in its size
class. The CD 53 has also been able
to compete with much larger
machines from competitors.
The still young decanter has been
very well received by the market
not only as a result of its high
performance but also as a result of
the intelligent overall concept. The
machine has a very compact design,
a footprint of only 4 m 2; and
numerous new developments for
individual components to ensure that
the decanter can be maintained
quickly and easily.

Separators News 7
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
 A Crocodile for the Wattenmeer

The Oldenburgisch-Ostfriesische Was- the mainland, where the sludge

serverband (OOWV) has modernised
the sludge dewatering facility at the
waste water treatment plant on
Spiekeroog. At the Eastern end of the
village on the North Sea Island, a
strainer belt press has now been
replaced by a new decanter from
Westfalia Separator.
Disposal costs
reduced by more
than 20 per cent
is disposed of in a sewage sludge
incinerating facility.
Spiekeroog has about 800 inhabitants,
and also reports in the region of
500,000 overnight stays of tourists.
This results in major seasonal
fluctuations in effluent. With the
UCD 305 decanter known as the
crocodile a machine has been
installed that can reliably process the
quantity of sludge at peak times.

As a result of the increase in the

dewatering efficiency from 18 to
more than 23 percent, the disposal
costs per tonne of dewatered
sludge have declined by more than
20 percent. In addition, there are also
savings in terms of transportation
The North Sea island of Spiekeroog
costs, because only approximately remains a popular tourist
25 containers instead of 35 containers destination also thanks to the
have to be transported by ship to decanter type UCD 305.

Remote Maintenance System

for On-Board Separator
Installations

The increase in global trade is being Employees of Westfalia Separator

accompanied by a constant increase
in world-wide ship traffic. Time is
becoming more and more important.
The process of controlling large trans-
port vessels is being increasingly
automated. However, on board, there
are no suitably qualified personnel
for carrying out changes to the
installation control directly on site.
However, to ensure that a quick and
efficient service programme is
available, process problems in future
are to be remedied by the remote
maintenance system.
Mineraloil Systems can carry out
changes to the process control world-
wide via an Internet connection. In
addition, a facility is to be provided
for ordering original spare parts
via the remote maintenance system
to guarantee optimised customer-
oriented service. The Internet remote
maintenance system was presented
in Hamburg as a new service product
at the exhibition SMM Ship,
Machine, Marine Technology in
2006.

8 Separators News
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
 Separators News

Controls for Separators with Simatic C7

Westfalia Separator Mineraloil The increased short-circuit resistance

Systems uses Simatic C7 controls
from Siemens for controlling the
BilgeMaster-D 3000
separating processes in the engine
with Siemens
rooms of ships. Operating conditions
control unit C7-635 (D20)
on board are anything but simple,
in particular, constantly high
temperatures of 45 C and more
mean that technology has to face
severe challenges.
Ulrich Dahlkemper, Head of
Automation and Drive Technology
said, We have incorporated our
comprehensive field experience in
the development of the latest
C7-generation. This feedback
from practical applications has
demonstrated its worth and has
resulted in further improvements in
terms of reliability, operability, service
life and software concept of the
current machines.
of analogue outputs, the redesign
of the printed circuit boards to
permit better heat dissipation and
the integrated PT-100 input are
examples of Westfalia Separator
recommendations that have been
implemented. The handling of
software has also become more
simple for exchanging devices or
handling updates: The new Micro
Memory Card (MMC) and the
Compact Flash-Card (CF) for the HMI
part of the C7-635 can be handled by
a fitter or marine engineer without
any specialist knowledge. For
Westfalia Separator, the worldwide
availability of spare parts and, if
necessary, support provided by the
manufacturer are major factors
for using Siemens automation
technology.

Mobile
Installation
Mobile waste water treatment
plants from Westfalia Separator
Umwelttechnik have two key func-
tions within the waste water sector:
to enable trials to be carried out with
original sewage sludge on site at
waste water treatment plants; and to
provide cover during shut down when
operators convert to new technology.
For instance, the Abwasserzweck-
verband Holtemme has ordered
a type UCD 536 decanter in
addition to the existing type UCA 505
machine from Westfalia Separator
The participants of the expert training, in front of the mobile installation
Umwelttechnik to expand the capacity
with decanter type UCD 536.
of the waste water treatment plant in
Silstedt. Until the new decanter was
installed, the waste water treatment
plant used the mobile installation as
a temporary solution for sludge
dewatering.

Separators News 9
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
Turnkey Project
Complete dairy installed in Iran

At the end of last year, Westfalia Separator Food Tec,

Business Unit Dairy Technology, completed an entire fully
automated dairy as an exclusive order and turnkey project
for Iran Dairy Industries Company (IDIC) in Isfahan.
Westfalia Separator Food Tec was responsible for planning,
delivering and installing the entire process engineering with the
latest automation technology and high hygienic standards,
from the point at which milk is received right through to the
cooling room with the exception of locally manufactured
tanks. The exemplary project with a milk acceptance capacity of
200,000 l/day was also the largest individual order for Westfalia
Separator Food Tec.

Positive experience Separator Food Tec. Both installations are

from the past
Westfalia Separator Food Tec, Business Unit
Dairy Technology, had already worked very
successfully on two occasions in recent
years for the semi-state-run Iranian dairy
group IDIC. In Teheran, Westfalia Separator
Food Tec had installed a turnkey production
installation for double cream cheese seven
years before. This was followed by a turnkey
installation for the production of labneh, a
typical product similar to quark in the
countries of the Middle East, in Zanjan,
approximately 500 km to the North of
Teheran, under the leadership of Westfalia
still running to the complete satisfaction of
the operator, and without any problems,
several years after initial commissioning.
These positive experiences, and mutual
trust, were a major reason why Iran Dairy
Industries Company again engaged the
services of Westfalia Separator Food Tec for
a turnkey order. However, the project in
Isfahan was much more extensive. Isfahan
is the capital of the province of the
same name in Iran with around 2.5 million
inhabitants.

10 Food Tec
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
Food Tec 11
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
 Food Tec

Milk process and double cream cheese

IDIC also operates one of its many dairies in Isfahan. A 'dairy in
the dairy' has now been integrated in this large dairy with a wide
range of products; this offers a facility of taking 200,000 l of
whole milk per day and making 50,000 l of standardised milk
for the production of double cream cheese and processing
the remaining 150,000 l milk into milk powder. The dairy itself
installed the plant for making milk powder.

Alternatively, pasteurised and standardised Three tanks, each with a capacity of

milk as well as pasteurised cream can be
taken for further application to the other
production facilities located about 300
metres away. Vice versa, the new process
plant can receive additional cream from the
older dairy or from external suppliers via
a cream reception facility to produce a
higher quantity of double cream cheese and
consequently less milk powder if required.
This is because the minimum fat content in
the milk for producing double cream cheese
is 8 per cent. These various options enable
plant management to respond to the
supply of whole milk/cream and the market
requirements very flexibly.
75,000 l, receive the cooled whole milk
from two reception areas; the whole milk is
separated with a separator MSD 170.
Bacteria are removed with a separator
CNE 215; the whole milk is standardised
with a Westfalia Separator STANDOMAT
and pasteurised with a plate heat exchanger.
The cream is pasteurised separately via a
cream pasteuriser, cooled and then stored in
a tank facility of 2 x 20,000 l. Four 50,000 l
tanks blanketed with sterile air are available
for the skim milk and standardised milk. The
standardised milk is subject to heat treatment
and is homogenised in two stages using a
homogeniser from Niro Soavi, a company of

12 Food Tec
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
GEA Group. For the culture necessary
for the subsequent fermentation of
the milk (lactic acid bacteria), Westfalia
Separator Food Tec has installed a
virtually fully automated culture
station. On the basis of concentrated
freeze-dried or deep frozen lactic acid
bacteria (culture), this arrangement
produces a large volume of so-called
liquid 'bulk starter' (starter culture) The new dairy in the dairy processes up to 200,000 litres
which is supplied to the fermentation of whole milk per day.
tanks via a feed pump.

Unique process technology

After the fermented milk has
attained the desired pH value, after
the temperature of the milk has been
raised to 80 C, and after a reaction
time of 20 minutes in a reaction tank,
the heat-treated milk is supplied to the
separator KSA 20. The double cream
cheese is discharged as the light phase
almost completely under gravity as a
result of the high fat content and thus
the low specific weight, whereas the
whey (the heavy phase) with a higher
specific weight is discharged under
pressure via a so-called centripetal
pump at the periphery of the bowl.
For the mechanical separating process
of double cream cheese recovery,
Westfalia Separator Food Tec has
traditionally enjoyed a unique position
equivalent to that of a monopoly
in the dairy world thanks to its
advanced technology. Because the
KSA 20 separator is designed for a
cheese output of 2500 kg/h with a
corresponding feed of 7500 l milk/h,
150,000 l whole milk per day can, if
required, be processed into double
cream cheese in a 20 hour operation.
A constant dry matter of the product
is attained irrespective of the feed
quantity through a dry matter regu-
lating facility, i.e. inductive flow meter
and regulating valve in the feed and in
the whey discharge. From the separator,
the viscous cheese is pumped into two
mixing tanks. Salt is added beforehand
to the cheese through a metering device.
It is also possible for ingredients to be
added to the contents of the mixing
tanks, for instance, garlic, onions or
herbs. In the mixing tanks, the finished
product is constantly agitated; it is
then conveyed to a packaging machine
(still at a temperature of 80 C) and
packed, then stacked on palettes, cooled
to a temperature of 15 C by passing
through a 16 metre long cooling tunnel
and stored in a cooling room. The double
cream cheese is now ready to be sold.
The hygiene requirements
been satisfied by Westfalia Separator
Food Tec by means of sterile air
blanketing of process tanks as well as
the installation of a large CIP system
with four circuits for more than 30 CIP
routes. A concentrate feed installation,
including a tank for dissolving soda
pellets, adds the acid and
concentrate to the corresponding CIP
buffer tanks fully automatically.
November 2006 saw the commissioning
of the new 'dairy in a dairy' at Iran
Dairy Industries Company in Isfahan
for double cream cheese and milk
powder after a one-year construction
period. This advanced installation is
a further reference installation of
Westfalia Separator Food Tec for
the entire Middle East. Following this
successful project, IDIC will continue
to work together with Westfalia
Separator Food Tec and there are
already plans for a subsequent order
for a new labneh production line,
identical to the line already installed in
Zanjan. An impressive confirmation of
satisfaction.
have
Klaus-Michael Dukatz
lye Business Unit Dairy Technology
Westfalia Separator
Food Tec, Oelde
Tel. +49 2522 77-2832
dukatz.klaus-michael@
gea-westfalia.de

Food Tec 13
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
 Food Tec

Must Clarification and

Must Trub Clarification
Winemaking operations benefit
from decanter technology

The way is defined. Winemaking

operations wish to produce without
the use of kieselguhr in the medium
term for must and fine clarification. As
an alternative to kieselguhr filtration with
vacuum rotary filters, it is possible to
clarify must with decanters. Decanter
technology not only prevents the must
trub coming into contact with kieselguhr;
it also allows more gentle operation
than vacuum rotary filters, they are less
expensive because they do not use
consumables, and they require less labour
for preparation and cleaning.

14 Food Tec
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
 Food Tec

This is all achieved with identical or even

better separating efficiency and higher
quality. And because the product remains in
the rotary filter for longer the oxygen
consumption is also higher. A further factor
is that a decanter is a multi-purpose machine
in a winemaking operation which, in
addition to seasonal must clarification, can
also be used for must trub treatment, lees
processing and for tartrate separation.
Various practical installations have taken
this step and prove that the decanter
process is flexible, less labour-intensive and
more cost-effective.

Pre-clarification necessary

Scroll-type presses and pneumatic tank

presses are frequently still to be found in
winemaking operations to press the must
with a high solid rate. The solid content
is too high to enable the product to go
immediately to the fermentation stage.
Pre-clarification is therefore necessary
upstream of fermentation. This is a task for
a decanter, although the machines are in
principle solids-oriented.

Food Tec 15
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
 Food Tec
Pre-clarification removes the trub with micro-
organisms and other residues on the grape
skins, avoids unwanted initial fermentation as a
result of bacteria reduction, ensures fewer wine
faults such as unwanted factors of taste and
nose and overall allows the fermentation process
to be monitored more easily to produce good
wine quality.
16
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
A question of philosophy: must
clarification or trub concentration?
The procedure tends to be a question of
winemaking operation philosophy. Either the
decanter reduces the solids content directly
from the pressed or freely discharging must, or
the must is initially sedimented in a settling
tank, the clear phase is drawn off from the top
of the tank to the fermentation stage and the
must sediment, namely the trub, is routed via
the decanter.
In the case of must from scroll-type presses, the
decanter is responsible for reducing the solid
content from approximately 10 percent to
around 1 percent (by volume) or (depending
on the specific requirement) even to 0.5 to
0.6 percent (by volume) with a corresponding
reduction in capacity. With pneumatic tank
presses, the initial solids content is around
2 to 4 percent; this can then be reduced to the
same low values in the decanter.
If sedimentation takes place as a pre-clarification
process, the decanter is responsible for separating
the remaining must from the must trub. The
must trub has much higher solid contents of
around 20 percent (by volume) or more.
However, the decanter is ideally suited for this
task. The trub still contains approximately
80 percent must. The decanter then separates
the trub from the remaining must and recovers
a minimum of around 16 percent of top
quality must, in relation to the total quantity.
The must is of a much higher quality than
that produced in a pure settling process
using, for example, a vacuum rotary filter. The
capacity of the decanter is lower because
the solid load in the sediment is naturally much
higher than in the must. For certain qualities
and types, some winemaking operations
use both methods. However, sedimentation
requires large tank capacities and additional
cooling.
Food Tec

Comparison between
vacuum rotary filter and
decanter
A direct comparison between a vacuum
rotary filter and a decanter used for
processing must trub demonstrates
the advantages and weaknesses of the
two systems. Whereas the investment
costs of a decanter are initially slightly
higher than a vacuum rotary filter, the
decanter's financial benefits are to be
seen in the running costs. For example,
a vacuum rotary filter with a filter area
of 20 m and a CD 305 decanter are
2
each to reduce 5000 l/h must trub
downstream of the floatation tank to
a solid content of less than 0.5 percent
(by volume). For 10 to 11 hours process
time, the vacuum rotary filter requires
approximately 300 400 kg kieselguhr.
For preparation and cleaning time,
the vacuum rotary filter requires
approximately 2.5 hours, whereas the
decanter needs half an hour.
This example demonstrates the diffe-
rences between the technologies. If
a decanter is used, there are no
operating costs attributable to filter
aids such as kieselguhr, and there are
also no disposal costs. There are also no
must losses due to the kieselguhr.
Vacuum rotary filters are more difficult
to clean, and therefore involve high
water and personnel costs. This is not
the case with the decanter. In addition,
decanters operate continuously and
automatically, whereas vacuum rotary
filters, with their semi-continuous
method of operation, require monitor-
ing. Personnel, cleaning and filter aid
costs are the main economic factors in
favour of the decanter. They are easy
to handle, automation costs are low,
and the practice-performance ratio is
favourable. The decanter also enables
a flotation facility to be connected in
the discharge; after a settling period in
the flotation tank downstream of
the decanter, the must can then be
pumped to the fermentation stage
with a residual solid content of less
than 0.5 percent (by volume).
Wide range of products
For clarifying must and/or treating
must trub, Westfalia Separator offers a
wide range of decanters, starting with
the smallest version of the CD 305.
Its capacity is 5000 to 8000 l/h for
must clarification and 2000 l/h for trub
concentration. In the medium range,
Food Tec 17
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
Food Tec
there is the CA 501 machine with a
capacity of 15,000 to 17,000 l/h for
must clarification and 3500 l/h for trub
concentration. At the upper end
of the performance range, there is the
CA 755 with a capacity of 35,000 to
40,000 l/h for must clarification and
10,000 l/h for trub concentration. All
types can also be used as a multi-
function machine for processing tank
bottoms and removing tartrate. The
decanter method is the technological
The decanter method is the technical
and economic alternative for must
clarification and trub concentration.
and economic alternative for must
clarification and trub concentration.
This is also the reason why decanters
have been increasingly installed in
many quality winemaking operations
for several years.
Frank Schauz
Product Manager Wine/Juice
Business Unit Beverage Technology
Westfalia Separator
Food Tec, Oelde
Tel. +49 2522 77-2938
schauz.frank@gea-westfalia.de
 Food Tec

Control
is Better
Preventing unwanted
down times with Westfalia
Separator WEWATCH

It would be good to know the status of a separator or decanter in ongoing

operation, thought Westfalia Separator. It would then be possible to identify
damage to bearings or bowl imbalance far in advance, to replace parts at a planned
date and not have to make an ad hoc response to unforeseen problems. So Westfalia
Separator has developed the WEWATCH system.

18 Food Tec
Separators Digest 1 | 2007

This condition monitoring aroused the interest of operators
right from the very beginning, and since being launched
on the market around one year ago, has established a
very good presence in the food and beverage segment.
Maximum process reliability
By permanently monitoring a machine
in production mode, the condition
monitoring facility prevents unwanted
downtimes. Sensors are applied to
defined measuring points of the
separator or decanter; these measure
and record the vibrations and the
speed. In this way, the measuring
facility records the total vibration in a
defined frequency range as well as
specific bearing data. If certain preset
limit values are exceeded, the system
initially triggers a preliminary alarm,
and a main alarm follows if even higher
values are recorded. The system then
generates a message which is sent
to the Westfalia Separator WEWATCH
server at the headquarters in Oelde
and also with an SMS message to the
on-call mobile of the Westfalia
Separator WEWATCH team. This team
is on call 24-hours a day, and responds
immediately. Outside normal office
hours, the team is able to log onto the
server at any time and retrieve the
machine data if required. This solution
provides maximum process reliability
for the operator. In critical situations,
the on-call engineer also notifies
the local subsidiary of Westfalia
Separator, which in turn contacts the
operator, who is then able to initiate
any necessary action.
Bowl imbalance recognised
The capability of this system was
established by an operator shortly
after his machine had been installed.
After the system had recognised an
Food Tec
such an early stage that unwanted
downtimes are avoided. On the contrary,
it is either possible for timely action to
be taken or for planned repairs to be
carried out with due consideration
being given to ongoing production.
increase in the signals, the on-call team Pro-active control is simply better.
established contact with the operator Westfalia Separator WEWATCH has
and described the situation. Because already demonstrated its worth in
the machine was initially running the dairy industry, the vegetable oil
well, the customer did not take the industry and the brewing industry of
information seriously at first. However, Europe.
after approximately two months, the
machine had to be shut down as a
result of imbalance, and it had to be
overhauled. The reason: as a result of
the change to the CIP programme, the
cleaning process was incomplete, and
product had accumulated in the bowl;
this resulted in bowl imbalance. Now
Besides vibration
measurement,
other process data
can be read out
and transmitted.
that the discs have been replaced, the
machine is running perfectly again. An
immediate response however would
have permitted a planned procedure.
The company then retrofitted the
Westfalia Separator WEWATCH system
in all separators in the company.
Thomas Fritz
Service International
Pro-active control
Westfalia Separator
Food Tec, Oelde
The primary objective of condition
Tel. +49 2522 77-5038
monitoring is to recognise any signs of fritz.thomas@gea-westfalia.de
damage to a separator or decanter at
Food Tec 19
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
 Industry

Crud Processing
Elegant process of hydrometal
recovery by liquid extraction

Raw materials are the driving force behind the world economy.
Liquid extraction with acid has become established globally as a
method of recovering valuable hydrometals such as copper,
nickel, zinc, cobalt and uranium.

During the reaction in settling tanks, an Acid washing, extraction and

emulsion layer known as crud forms.
This relatively stable emulsion can have
a significantly negative impact on the
effectiveness of extraction because there is
hardly any contact between the aqueous
metal solution and the organic acid. The
crud therefore has to be constantly treated,
and there is nothing better than a 3-phase
decanter for this task. These specially-
developed centrifugal systems from
Westfalia Separator are ideal for this
application. They primarily ensure a reliable
and continuous extraction process, and also
recover valuable acids from the crud.
The method involving liquid extraction of
" hydrometals" has become established
throughout the world because it has
a relatively low energy consumption. The
liquid extraction method is preferred not
only for copper, but also for molybdenum,
rhenium, calcium, zinc, cobalt, nickel,
magnesium, uranium and rare earths.
electro-cathode recovery
The liquid extraction procedure is relatively
simple. The decomposed hydrometals are
first broken down and then subjected to
organic acid washing, generally using
sulphuric acid. This is followed by extraction
in several stages connected in series in
settling tanks. The final stage of the process
is to recover copper electrically from the
copper electrolytes on cathodes.
In the settling tanks, the extraction liquid
with the dissolved copper breaks down in
three phases, with ideally five to ten percent
solid copper about 30 percent organic
phase and about 60 percent aqueous
phase. Unfortunately, an emulsion, or the
crud, forms between the organic and
the aqueous phase; this hinders further
extraction because it reduces the phase
surface between the aqueous and organic
phase.

20 Industry
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
 The method involving
liquid extraction of
hydrometals has become
established throughout
the world because it has
a relatively low energy
consumption.

Industry 21
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
 Industry

3-phase decanter ensures constant efficiency

This is where the 3-phase decanter technology

from Westfalia Separator comes into play.
The emulsion is drawn up from the tank and
pumped into the decanter. The 3-phase
decanter separates the crud into three
phases of solids, aqueous solution and
organic phase. The organic material is
recycled into the first stage of extraction
where it is used again as solvent. Solids
and aqueous phase are discharged by the
decanter.

Westfalia Separator can guarantee that the

organic phase recovered from the crud is
more than 97 percent and that not more
than two percent of organic components Duplex steel is available for the decanters CE 205 and
are contained in the discarded aqueous CE 305; this year it has also been available for CE 345
phase. These extremely high values ensure
that, over a period of time, a balance is
and CE 450 and thus for the complete family of
achieved between emulsion formation and 3-phase decanters. This range of models is designed
emulsion breakdown to allow uniform to cope with processing capacities of 600 to 23,000 l
extraction with a constant efficiency.
crud per hour to cover all sizes of industrial operation.
The clean and fully automatic method of
operation of the 3-phase decanters has also If the phase conditions of the emulsion, the crud, change as a result of

demonstrated its value when compared external factors such as dust, it may be necessary for the pond depth of the
with open and labour-intensive filter decanter to be changed. This can be achieved with the VariPond system for
presses.
the Westfalia Separator decanters while the installation is still running.

Specifically adapted to meet Westfalia Separator has thought of everything.

the process needs
Tore Hartmann
Westfalia Separator has designed decanters
Product Manager
specifically for these process needs. The low Westfalia Separator
pH value of the process (pH 2) in conjunction Industry, Oelde
with a range of chloride concentrations Tel. +49 2522 77-1630

results in pitting. The only remedy is to hartmann.tore@gea-westfalia.de

use very high-quality material. For all

components that come into contact with
Ralf Schestak
product, Westfalia Separator Industry uses
duplex steel that is resistant to pitting and is Product Manager
Westfalia Separator
more resistant to abrasion/erosion than
Industry, Oelde
normal steel.
Tel. +49 2522 77-2869
schestak.ralf@gea-westfalia.de

22 Industry
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
Nothing More
in the Air
Indian automotive supplier uses
OTC 2 separator to increase the
operating life of its cooling lubricants
Mineraloil Systems

Good lubrication is a well known requirement for good

travel, not only on the road but also in the production of
automotive components. Drilling, milling, grinding, stamping
and pressing operations are used in this industry and cooling
lubricants are used to ensure that everything runs properly.
However, cooling lubricants have a major enemy: impurities
from the processing process that cut off the air to this complex
emulsion.

The result: microbial decomposition of the

emulsifiers, acid formation and discoloration.
This is not an acceptable situation for a
quality-oriented company operating in
accordance with Kaizen principles, such as
the Indian automotive supplier Delphi-TVS.
The solution: continuous cooling lubricant
treatment with a separator type OTC 2 from
Westfalia Separator.

The latest diesel technology

made in India

Delphi-TVS is a joint venture between the

US Delphi Automotive Systems and the
Indian T.V. Sundaram Iyengar & Sons.
Delphi-TVS is India's largest producer of
automotive components such as injection
systems and filters. The company has
established a profile particularly in the field
of diesel technology. Accordingly, in 1991,
Delphi-TVS launched the first modern direct
injection system for car diesel engines on
the Indian market. This is to be followed
soon by an extremely modern common rail
injection system.

24 Mineraloil Systems
Separators Digest 1 | 2007

To produce these injection systems and
all the other automotive components,
Delphi-TVS (in the same way as any
other manufacturer who processes metal)
requires cooling lubricating emulsions.
These reduce friction and convert energy
which is generated during metal cutting;
they assist the process of dissipating heat
and also flush away the swarf from the
tool face.
Water-soluble cooling lubricating emulsions
consist of various components such as
emulsifiers, stabilisers or corrosion-protection
additives and mineral oil constituents. Their
main enemy is contamination from foreign
substances such as tramp oils or solids. Solids
introduced into an emulsion either rise to
the top or fall to the bottom. A third part is
suspended in the emulsion and is constantly
rinsed onto the work pieces.
Micro-organisms
feel at home
Together with the tramp oils, the solids that
rise to the surface form a thick floating
layer. These hinder the process of oxygen
interchange or mean that the process is
completely impossible. In parallel with this
process, the solids which fall through
the emulsion collect at the bottom of the
machine. Both factors together produce
ideal living conditions for certain types of
micro-organisms, which start to expand
almost like an explosion at temperatures in
excess of 22 C.
These micro-organisms lower the pH value
of the cooling lubricating emulsions very
quickly, and the cooling and lubricating
characteristics deteriorate significantly. This
results in shorter and uncalculable tool
operating lives, longer setup times, quality
problems and strong odours as well as a
major hazard potential for employees. In
the metal processing industry, this results
in high costs for replacing, disposing of,
Mineraloil Systems
Mineraloil Systems
shutting down and making up new cooling
lubricants as well the high cost of staff
absence.
Kaizen project
The aim of a Kaizen project at Delphi-TVS
was to close this gap in terms of quality.
The solution of 'how to prevent the
formation of bacteria' was quickly found.
The solids and tramp oils that entered the
emulsions had to be separated as quickly as
possible and as effectively as possible.
Delphi-TVS, therefore, decided to install a
type OTC 2 separator that fulfils both tasks
simultaneously. Extremely fine solids and
tramp oil are continuously separated in a
single process.
From more than 100,000 CFU
to less than 1000 CFU
The installation was commissioned in
August 2004, and has since been operating
to everybody's complete satisfaction. The
major evaluation criterion for Delphi-TVS
was the bacteria load before and after the
installation of the OTC 2 separator. The
result is clear: the bacteria count was
reduced by the separator from an initial
load of more than 100,000 CFU (CFU = Cell
Forming Units) to less than 1000. The
odour problem is correspondingly low,
whereby this was the primary Kaizen
objective of Delphi-TVS - because pleasant
work conditions mean better motivated
staff. The continuous treatment of cooling
lubricating emulsions using the separator
also contributes to a considerable direct
reduction of costs.
Rajesh Chhabra
Project Coordinator
Westfalia Separator India Pvt. Ltd.
New Delhi
Tel. +91 1128520538
rajesh@westfalia-india.com
25
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
SeaProtect Solutions, the system for processing bilgewater
and sludge at sea, which was launched on the market only
a few years ago, is making headlines.

The Oscar
of Shipping
SeaProtect Solutions receive the
Seatrade Dubai International Maritime Award
The BilgeMaster treatment system from
the SeaProtect Solutions programme of
Westfalia Separator Mineraloil Systems,
Oelde, has received the most coveted
award of international shipping, which is
considered to be the 'Shipping Oscar'. At
the end of 2006 at the Seatrade Middle
East Maritime Exhibition, the Business Unit
Marine received the Seatrade Dubai
International Maritime Award which is
recognised worldwide for environmental
protection. SeaProtect Solutions have
accordingly received the highest public
recognition.
 Mineraloil Systems

And the winner is

More than 150 applicants took part in the competition

which was held in a total of 11 categories. Westfalia
Separator Mineraloil Systems was put on the shortlist in the
environmental protection category right from the very beginning.
The official award ceremony was held on the occasion of the
Seatrade Middle East Maritime Exhibition.

A jury of experts selected the best of the
best: the jury panel included the Secretary
General of the International Maritime
Organisation (IMO), a sub-organisation of
the UN, Efthimios Mitropoulos, as well as
Captain Duncan McKelvie, Chairman of the
Nautical Institute of the United Arab
Emirates, Captain Jitendra Misra, Chairman
of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers as
well as Anthony Muncer, Chairman of the
Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and
Technology, in the United Arab Emirates.
The environmental protection award was
sponsored by the renowned classification
society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).
And the winner is The Area Sales
Manager of Westfalia Separator Mineraloil
Systems Business Unit Marine, Richard
Holthaus, had the honour of receiving
the award on the evening of 4 December
2006, in front of an audience of around
800 guests, from the hands of the Managing
Director of the National Iranian Tanker
Company (NITC), Mohammad Souri.

Kurt Poprawa

Head of Business Unit Marine

Westfalia Separator
Mineraloil Systems, Oelde
Tel. +49 2522 77-2539
poprawa.kurt@gea-westfalia.de

28 Mineraloil Systems
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
 Mineraloil Systems

Extremely reliable

The unbeatable advantage of the BilgeMaster
system, which the jury also recognised with
its decision, is its extremely high reliability.
Centrifugal systems have been used in
shipping for 85 years, and are known to the
ship's crew, for instance also in fuel and lube
oil systems. The ship's crew is the operator
of the system, and does not require any
additional training; the separators are
relatively easy to handle. This ease of
handling and reliable operation means
that the crew does not have to bypass
bilge processing and discharge effluent
containing oil into the ocean, as has
frequently been the case in the past with
malfunctioning static de-oiling systems. A
further advantage is that the BilgeMaster
system is a purely mechanical centrifugal
system that works simply without any
chemicals or other consumables.
There was a correspondingly strong response
at the Dubai Seatrade Middle East Maritime
Exhibition after the award ceremony.
Not only ship operators but also various
classification societies were very interested
in this reliable technology of the future.
In the Business Unit Marine of Westfalia Separator
Mineraloil Systems, SeaProtect Solutions has
tripled revenues and volume sales of the systems
during the past two years, and the trend is still
rising. Many shipping companies are retrofitting the
BilgeMaster, SludgeMaster or CombiMaster systems
to existing fleets or are equipping new vessels with
the systems right from the very beginning.

Richard Holthaus (left),

Area Sales Manager
Westfalia Separator
Mineraloil Systems, Business
Unit Marine, was extremely
proud of the Seatrade
Dubai International
Maritime Award in the
field of environmental
protection, which he
received from the hands of
Chairman and Managing
Director of the National
Iranian Tanker Company,
Mohammad Souri (centre),
and Andrew Callaghan,
Sales Director of Seatrade.

Mineraloil Systems 29
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
Umwelttechnik

PET Recycling
Decanters used for cleaning
washing lye and water circuit
with high efficiency

Recycling

In the recycling process, old PET products are

cut up into smaller pieces. This PET recyclate
can then be melted down and subsequently
extruded to make new products. There are
a wide range of applications for recycled
PET: (deep-drawn) film, tyre belts as a
substitute for metal belts, fibres e.g. as
fleece for functional clothing or as a cushion
filling, right through to 'bottle-to-bottle'
recycling (B2B), which requires very extensive
cleaning of the used PET. Extremely hygienic
PET regranulate suitable for use with food is
obtained to be made into new PET beverage
bottles. PET recycling is carried out in a
series of several separating and cleaning
stages. Cleaning with wash lye is particularly
important and intense to produce high
quality PET flakes.

30 Umwelttechnik
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
 Umwelttechnik

They are light, they are 'indestructible', they are suitable for use
with food, and they are recyclable. Everybody knows them,
everybody uses them: PET beverage bottles are on the advance
throughout the world for soft drinks, mineral water, and now
also for beer. PET is made from crude oil making it a valuable raw
material that can be recycled profitably. Westfalia Separator supports this
requirement with centrifugal technology. Decanter technology is used in two ways for

the recycling of PET. It makes sense to use such technology for washing lye and also for

removing solids from the water circuit. This is because water consumption in PET recycling is

high and is a considerable cost factor. For both purposes, several decanters from Westfalia

Separator have already been installed in practical recycling applications.

Umwelttechnik 31
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
 Umwelttechnik
Decanters used for cleaning
the water circuit
The water from the various washing
stages is collected for water recycling,
and initially pre-clarified using an
inclined clarifier. The pre-concentrated
effluent sludge, the sump of the inclined
clarifier, is passed conventionally
through a decanter. The company
MultiPet uses a UCD 305 decanter for
this purpose. At its Bernburg location
in Saxony-Anhalt, MultiPet Gesellschaft
fr PET-Recycling mbH recycles almost
20,000 tonnes of PET bottle waste
every year, and uses this to make high
quality PET flakes for use in the plastics
industry. In this application, 5 m3/h
effluent sludge with a concentration of
approximately 8 percent (by volume) is
fed from the inclined clarifier to the
UCD 305; the sludge is then separated
into a clarified phase and solids with a
dry matter content of up to 50 percent
(by weight). In this case, the decanter
pays for itself quickly as a result of the
lower fresh water requirement and the
lower effluent costs.
Recycling
In the recycling process, old PET products
are cut up into smaller pieces. This
PET recyclate can then be melted down
and subsequently extruded to make new
products.
Martin Neugebauer
Sales Industry
Westfalia Separator
Deutschland, Edderitz
Tel. +49 34976 38-552
neugebauer.martin@gea-westfalia.de
Decanters for treating
washing lyes
The UCD 345 decanter at Texplast
GmbH in Wolfen is used for another
purpose. This company processes
PET plastics, and commissioned an
additional process installation with a
capacity of 25,000 tonnes p.a. of PET
in October 2006; this installation
increased the total capacity of the
plant to 45,000 tonnes. Texplast
supplies its parent company Fromm
Plastics in Thuringia with flakes.
Texplast is also able to further process
flakes and make regranulate for use in
food packaging at the Wolfen site.
Lye washing is extremely important for
this process. An alternative solution for
recovering the soda lye used would be
to employ a depth filter, as indeed was
the case in the existing old installation
at Texplast. However, depth filters
require frequent backflushing and
thus involve a lot of manual labour.
This problem is solved in a much
more elegant manner by the UCD 345
32 Umwelttechnik
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
decanter. This processes up to 10 m3/h
of washing lye with a temperature of
90 C fully automatically and with little
manual labour.
The advantages of decanter technology
in the PET recycling process are also
recognised outside Germany. Sulo,
formerly Cleanaway, one of the largest
disposal companies on the European
market, has been using two UCD 305
decanters since the year 2005, one for
lye washing and also one for the
water circuit in Norrkpping, Sweden.
In Austria, various beverage manufac-
turers, including Coca Cola Beverages
Austria, have acquired an equity
interest in PET to PET Recycling GmbH.
In 2007, this company is also installing
two UCD 305 decanters, one for lye
washing and one for the water circuit
in the Mllendorf plant. The demand
for PET recycling material continues to
rise.
 Umwelttechnik

Separators Reduce the

Strain on SBR Reactor
Premiere at WMG in the Netherlands
Reduction of effluent costs

Using highly innovative separators,

Westfalia Separator Umwelttechnik has
enabled the waste water treatment plant
WMG to remedy a quality problem affecting
its effluent before the expiry of an
official deadline. WMG ['Waterzuivering
Milieuboulevard Groningen' (waste water
treatment plant in the Milieuboulevard
Business Park, Groningen/NL)] is a subsidiary
of the Grontmij Group, a major European
consulting and engineering company with
3500 employees. The company is responsible
for the pre-treatment of waste water of
the member companies of the Milieu-
boulevard, and in particular three industrial
waste landfill sites and a fermentation
installation for domestic waste. The latter
received numerous separators at the end of
2005 - the first for WMG in the Netherlands.

Umwelttechnik 33
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
 Umwelttechnik

Threshold values exceeded by 500 percent

As with many other installations, the waste water at WMG is pre-

treated with the aid of an SBR reactor, a biological clarification
system. The pre-treated water is then forwarded to the municipal
treatment plants of the regional water works. However, this water is
not sufficiently clean to meet the local water quality standards. This is due
to a problem frequently encountered in SBR reactors, where the processes of
nitrification, denitrification and sedimentation take place in a single reactor.
The problem arises as a result of the formation of light sludge when
the reactor is running under extreme loads and adequate sedimentation
therefore does not take place.

"The quantity of solids to be disposed
of in the water has to be less than
100 mg per litre of water, says Tiemen
Romkes, who is responsible for the
financial as well as the technical side of
the project as the works manager
at WMG. So far, the limit values
have consistently been exceeded
by 500 percent. In such cases, it
would have been possible to throttle
production; however, this would not
have been a meaningful solution. We
did not consider the use of chemicals,
as these are precisely the substances
we are required to remove from the
water.
Search for alternatives
Accordingly, WMG started to search
for technical alternatives. It was not
possible for decanters to be used in this
application, because the water did
not contain sufficient solids. Three
alternative possibilities were considered:
filter/strainer technologies, relaxation
flotation and separator technology. In
principle, all three technologies would
have been suitable for this task.
However, the sludge in Groningen
proved to be insufficiently stable for the
filter/strainer technology. The sludge
simply passed through the strainer,
said Romkes. The idea of the relaxation
flotation installation was also abandoned
shortly afterwards. Although the pro-
cedure worked, it was not possible to
do without the addition of chemicals.
In addition, this system would have
made us extremely dependent on the
human factor: because of the different
composition of the effluent encountered,
we would have had to employ highly
qualified specialists to constantly moni-
tor the corresponding water quality.
Separators: tremendous
results, considerably lower
than the limit values
WMG also considered using centrifuges.
Tiemen Romkes explains, Initially, we
carried out a laboratory trial with
Westfalia Separator Nederland, to
establish whether such a solution
would function at all. The laboratory
tests were successful, and were there-
fore followed by a pilot programme
at the headquarters of Westfalia
Separator in Oelde.
The results were simply tremendous,
says Romkes. We were able to separate
more than 12 kg of sludge per cubic
metre of water! We achieved well
below 50 mg per litre: considerably
lower than the limit values defined
by the municipal water authority. In
addition, the procedure resulted in a

34 Umwelttechnik
Separators Digest 1 | 2007

considerable decline in disposal costs, which
are determined by the quantity of 'Kjeldahl
nitrogen'. We were also able to reduce the
settling period and thus the time spent in
the SBR reactor".
The 25 m3 of effluent produced every
hour by the reactor are now split over two
separators type OSD 60, each of which has
an hourly capacity of 15 m . At the end
3
of 2005, they were connected to the SBR
installation. It was not a minute too soon,
because the municipal water authority had
given WMG time until 1 January 2006 to
solve this problem.
Payback period of two years
For Romkes, this was an excellent investment.
In the final analysis, everything is merely a
matter of costs and benefits: we were
indeed able to amortise our entire investment
within two years simply on the basis of the
disposal costs. And this calculation does not
even take into account the savings in terms
Umwelttechnik
Umwelttechnik
of labour and chemicals. In addition, the
separators operate much more reliably than
the relaxation/flotation installation. We will
certainly never regret this step.
Omnipresent problem
WMG is now operating the first waste water
treatment plant in the Netherlands that uses
a separator. Tiemen Romkes is of the opinion
that many more will follow. The problem
with flotation sludge is omnipresent. We
have been courageous enough to take off
our blinkers and we have been successful!
With hindsight, I have to ask myself why we
did not consider this solution before.
Joost Barneveld
Sales Engineer
Westfalia Separator Nederland B.V.
Cuijk, Netherlands
Tel. +31 485319358
joost.barneveld@westfalia.nl
35
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
It Makes Twice the
Sense to Reduce Speed
Energy optimizer for Westfalia Separator
VariPond decanter reduces electricity costs

It is possible to drive a car at various speeds: with high engine

speed and high energy consumption; or to step up a gear,
reduce engine revs and, ultimately, the consumption of energy.

This is roughly the way in which the new
energy optimizer from Westfalia Separator
for VariPond decanters works. The bowl
speed the engine speed is automatically
reduced, if this is possible by process
engineering means. Nevertheless, Westfalia
Separator VariPond the gear ensures conditions fluctuate significantly. The energy
that the discharge concentration (the speed)
is maintained constant. And because the
output is related to the square of the bowl
speed, reducing bowl speed makes twice
the sense. Indeed, when the reduction in
labour-intensive conversion work is factored
in, three-times the reduction in cost can be
achieved.
Westfalia Separator
VariPond gives the signal
Westfalia Separator VariPond decanters
from Westfalia Separator can be found
wherever the downstream process requires a
constant feed concentration. One example is
in digesting towers in waste water treatment
plants. These should be filled with a defined
concentration to achieve a gas yield which is
as high as possible and also to permit the
necessary circulation. This optimum solids
concentration is regulated by Westfalia
Separator VariPond even when feed
optimizer now also dictates the bowl speed.
Westfalia Separator VariPond is a weir
which can be adjusted during operation. If
for instance the solids concentration is too
high, the weir increases the liquid level in the
decanter, and the solids are diluted back to
the desired concentration. The same effect is
achieved if the decanter thickens the solids to
a lesser extent in this case, Westfalia
Separator VariPond has to decrease the
level of dilution. And this is precisely the
point at which the energy optimizer is used.
With the sensors of the Westfalia Separator
VariPond it recognises the need to dilute the
product and generates the command for the
bowl speed to be reduced.
 Umwelttechnik

Only ever the required

acceleration energy

However, is it possible for the nominal speed

to be reduced from the point of view of
process engineering? Certainly not always,
but very often it is. New decanters are, for
instance, set to their maximum performance
on commissioning. In practice, however, they
are frequently operated with lower outputs
because the operator wishes to maintain a
performance reserve. Daily fluctuations are
also encountered in the feed; this means that
the throughput capacity which is required
under real conditions can thus be reduced
further. In both cases, the bowl speed can be
reduced without any problem. If there is any
change in the throughput capacity or the
consistency of the product, the speed is auto-
matically increased again. With the energy
optimizer, only the acceleration energy
required for the process is ever used. In the
waste water treatment plant Oldenburg,
three decanters of the type UCA 501 were
equipped with an energy optimizer at the
beginning of 2005. For more than one year
now, they have been working to the full
satisfaction of the operator. And rightly so:
the bowl speed has been reduced by up to
25 percent, corresponding to an energy saving
of 50 percent. This technology is also attractive
for customers already operating a Westfalia
Separator VariPond decanter because the
energy optimizer can be retrofitted.

Bernd Lking

Head of Business Unit

Westfalia Separator
Umwelttechnik, Oelde
Tel. +49 2522 77-2002
lueking.bernd@gea-westfalia.de

Martin Lentrup

Decanter Research and Development

Westfalia Separator
Industry, Oelde
Tel. +49 2522 77-1603
lentrup.martin@gea-westfalia.de
 Lifestyle
Crucial Question
More and more technologies are becoming
available to the wine grower but is it
also in the interests of the consumer?
How much technology can wine take? This
question has always been the subject of
passionate discussions, as wine is perceived
to be the counterpart to the soulless
industrial product. The debate has been
fuelled further as a result of oak chips being
approved in the EU; these provide a less
expensive alternative, which can also be
more easily controlled by technical means,
for adjusting the oak-matured label
(Barrique) which is very much in demand.
However, these new possibilities
winemaking technology are increasingly
dividing the wine world. On the one hand,
the producers argue that the product has to
be adjusted to meet the global taste of
consumers with all permissible technological
means. On the other, traditionalists argue
that wine is only wine if it is subject to a
minimum of treatment in the winemaking
operation. Somewhere between these two
extremes are wine growers who use selected
winemaking techniques and succeed in
achieving a modern interpretation of wines
which are rooted in the traditions of a wine-
growing area. But what does the consumer
think of these discussions between experts?
In the past, wine was often only ready for
drinking after many years of maturing.
Thanks to winemaking technology, this long
storage period is no longer necessary. The
customer welcomes this development. Who
wants to look at his red wine for five years
and more before he can open
And fruity white wines with clear tones and
a considerable amount of CO2 are in
demand at present. Stainless-steel tanks
for white wines are for this reason just as
accepted today as cooled fermentation.
These are only a few examples indicating
that the consumer in principle is not
absolutely opposed to technology. The
crucial question is: what technology?
A nag is not a thoroughbred
of
If we look at the relevant expert media and
internet chat rooms, its obvious that most
people prefer traditional technology to
trying to convert a nag into an expensive
thoroughbred: the process of breaking
down and subsequently recomposing the
wine with a spinning cone column, the
addition of wood chips, water, tannins and
special aroma yeasts, the production of ice
wine with the aid of cryo extraction. For
consumers, this is too much technology for
nature, and the fascination of what is wine
degenerates into an artificial product.
On the other hand, the wine drinker accepts
all technologies that enable the special
features of the particular grape, such as
terroir and the signature of the wine-
grower, to be developed in such a way that
they meet the consumers' preferences. The
worldwide renaissance of modern German
Riesling is a good example in this respect.
it? However, the fact that the consumer
38 Lifestyle
Separators Digest 1 | 2007
 Lifestyle

approves the technology is only half the

battle. The technology must also permit
cost-effective wine production, because
wine is increasingly coming under price
pressure. In this context, centrifugal
technology is becoming more and more
important in the winemaking process. For
many consumers, it is a positive development,
as it only accelerates the traditional process of
clarifying wine by means of sedimentation
entirely without chemicals or high-tech tricks.

Olives and grapes

At the same time, with their fully continuous

method of operation without any auxiliary
substances, they provide the wine grower
with benefits in terms of quality and cost-
There are many indications that centri-
effectiveness throughout all stages of wine fuges will introduce major changes in
clarification and also during juicing and
must clarification compared with kieselguhr winemaking techniques. This has already
filtration or presses. A further factor is that become reality with another food which
decanters and separators are multi-purpose
machines in a winemaking operation. arouses at least as many emotions as wine
For instance, the decanter used for must
among consumers: most top quality olive
processing can also be used for processing
tank yeast for the rest of the year. oils are now extracted by centrifugal force.
 A Good Wine
Unfolds its Message
in the Glass

absolutely clear: colour, bouquet, clarity, subtlety,

aroma, taste nothing should cloud the pleasure of the
producer and the consumer.

The VINEX process from Westfalia Separator, which uses

decanters to juice the grapes, improves the winemaking
results, is gentle on the grapes and minimises costs.

The pigments are extracted from the grape skins in a

continuous process, releasing the valuable substances from
the pulp. The seeds and stems remain intact, so no bitter
substances develop.

With VINEX the vintner no longer has an issue with long

mash standing times, large and expensive mash tanks,
inhomogeneous must quality and undesirable oxidation.

VINEX ensures constantly high quality and good yields.

Take the Best Separate the Rest

Westfalia Separator
Food Tec
Werner-Habig-Strae 1
www.kabutz.de

59302 Oelde (Germany)

Phone +49 2522 77-0
Fax +49 2522 77-2089
foodtec@gea-westfalia.de
2100.537

www.westfalia-separator.com

9997-1302-000/0407 EN Printed in Germany Printed on chlorine-free, bleached paper