UTILITY

5.1 Steam Requirement

Steam is one of the most important unit needed in chemical plants. Steam utility unit
supplies the steam requirement in certain process of production. Compared to other heating
agent, steam is cheaper, has no corrosive property, and easy to obtain. Steam is produced by
heating water into vapor form. In this this plant, the steam is mostly being distributed around
the site for heating which the steam is by far the most commonly used heating medium where
shell-and-tube heat exchangers are the most common. It has been generally known that steam
is distributed around the site for various purposes such as for heating, tracing, boiling feed
water de-aeration, water heating, flaring, for atomization of fuel oil in combusting, distillation,
and many more (Chemical Process Design and Integration, 2016). In mycoprotein production,
steam is needed for the heating process in several process such as drying, fermentation, and
storage.

So, it can be analyzed that steam generators are needed. However, before choosing the
suitable technology related to that, it is necessary to calculate the steam requirement in this
plant.
Table 5.1 Steam Requirement

No Unit Amount of rate (kg/h) Steam requirement (kW)

1 Blending Storage (P-1) 1059,29 616,17
2 Blending Storage (P-2) 3162,87 1851,52
3 Airlift Fermentation (P-5) 5257,50 3088,23
4 Freeze Drying (P-7) 81,64 66,8580
TOTAL 9561,3 5622,778

Thus, it can be known that the total steam required in the production process is 5622,778
kW. Hence, to provide the requirement, the steam that match and use in the processes is
saturated steam with the temperature of 152o C and pressure up to 12,681 bar gauge.

5.2.1 Steam Equipment and Description

As discussed before, steam is needed in several process such as drying, fermentation,

and storage . The Steam needed will be generated by using stream generator, or usually it called
Steam Boiler. Steam Boiler needed to produces steam. The heat may be derived from the
combustion of fuel such as coal, petroleum fuel oil, diesel, and other sources. In this
mycoprotein production plant, one steam generator is enough because there is a steam
generator that can provide steam requirement, which is approximately 20 tonnes per hour.

The steam generator/boiler chosen for this process is the one that uses diesel as its
energy source. The choice is based on the need of steam that has to be fulfilled and because
diesel is more eco-friendly than using coal as the energy source.

Figure ... Steam Boiler

(Source : china-steamboiler, 2019)

The chosen steam generator is manufactured in China. This boiler model is series WNS-
20. This product has protective functions of overtemperature, overpressure, water shortage,
leakage detection and flameout, ensuring safe and reliable operation. Double pressure gauge,
water level gauge, safety valve, double assurance, escort for the safe operation of boiler, and
high quality control. The specification of this steam generator are provided on the table below.

Table ... Specification of Steam Generator

Steam Generator Characteristic Specification

Steam Capacity 20.000 kg/hour
Steam Pressure ≤16 bar
Thermal Efficiency >92%
Design Fuel Diesel
 Steam Temperature ≤204o C
(Source : china-steamboiler, 2019)

5.2 Air Requirement

The air is required for this plant in various processes, such as in fermentors, both seed
and airlift fermentors. The supply of the air came from blower. Air is taken from surrounding
with a blower then the air is flowed through the equipment. The air used in process is calculated
and after that will get the air requirement for the utility.

Table ... Air used in process

Equipment Amount of Rate (kg/batch)
Blower P-3 (Flow to Seed Fermentation) 40542,01101
Blower P-10 (Flow to Airlift Fermentation) 9890,20291
TOTAL 50432,21392

Based on process, one batch equals 129,95 hours.

𝟓𝟎𝟒𝟑𝟐, 𝟐𝟏𝟑𝟗𝟐 𝑘𝑔
= 388,089
129,95 ℎ

Therefore, the total air used per hour is 388,089 kg/h.

5.2.1 Blower Equipment and Description

Due to the lack of need to increase or decrease the pressure of air supply, the equipment
needed is only in terms of blower. Based on air supply needs, equipment is screened and
selected for their ability to suit the air utility supply capacity. In this plant two air blower
units are used, one to accomodate air for seed fermentor and another for airlift fermentor.
One blower for seed fermentors need rate of air at least 340,6337 m3/h and another one for
airlift fermentor need rate of air at least 83,097 m3/h.

In this mycoprotein production plant, air is used to aerate the fermenters, both seed and
production fermenters. The air will be transported into the fermenters using compressor
and will be filtered first to sterilize the air. The culture condition itself is aerobic. Thus,
requiring oxygen as reactant in the growth and product formation metabolism of the fungi
Fusarium venenatum.
 Figure .. Centrifugal Blower 1
(Source : eccentrifugalfans, 2019)

Table ... Specification of Air Blower for Seed Fermentor

(Source : eccentrifugalfans, 2019)

Figure .. Centrifugal Blower 2
(Source : eccentrifugalfans, 2019)
 Table ... Specification of Air Blower for Airlift Fermentor

(Source : eccentrifugalfans, 2019)

5.3 Fuel Requirement

To keep the plant working everyday with no break, it needs non-stop electrical supply.
The main source of this plant is PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (Persero). But in the
running process of this plant, it is possible if PT PLN could not supply energy to the
NAG plant due to some specific problem. So, to keep the plant running, it needs other
electricity supply such as generator. Generator used needs to meet the specification of
electricity needed. From the generator specification calculation of the fuel needed to
generate electricity from generator can be made.

Figure ... Generator Cat 3612 (60 HZ)

(Source : www.cat.com)

Table ... Generator Specifications

 Name Cat Diesel Generator 3612
Power 3300-4000 kW
Fuel type Diesel