Huppmann CO2 recovery plants are the result of many years' experience and continuous development, based on comprehensive know-how relating to brewing technology and refrigeration engineering. Designed for the respective cast wort quantity, brew cycle and original gravity we offer our customers tailor-made solutions, which are soon of great benefit for the brewery due to their low investment and operating costs.
CO2 recovery - compact purity
Due to extract degradation, alcohol, yeast and also a considerable amount of fermentation carbon dioxide are produced during the fermentation process. At the same time, CO2 with a very high degree of purity is indispensable for the production process in a modern brewery. With our CO2 recovery plants we offer systems which meet all requirements of efficient carbon dioxide treatment: maximum purity with lowest O2 content and maximum yield.
In several steps the fermentation carbon dioxide is purified thoroughly, so that it complies even with the strict demands of the brewing industry. From the fermentation tanks the CO2 is first led to the foam separator. In this stage, the foam entrained from the fermentation tanks is separated. Through a low-pressure gas storage balloon the gas flows into the gas scrubber, where it is cleaned by counterflow of water. In the gas scrubber water-soluble impurities and aerosols are absorbed from the carbon dioxide.
Made up in steps
After the CO2 compressor the drying unit of the CO2 recovery plant is installed. It consists of two adsorption tanks filled with drying agent. In order to remove the residual moisture from the gas, the carbon dioxide flows through one tank while the other tank is regenerated. In the gas purifier, installed after the drying unit and also consisting of two vessels, substances influencing odour and taste are removed.
With identical plant design, the only difference between the purifier and the dryer is the filling with activated carbon. In the next phase the CO2 is liquefied in a shell and tube heat exchanger and inert gases like O2 and N2 are removed. All stages of purification in a Huppmann CO2 recovery plant will be precisely adjusted to the specific requirements of a brewery, taking into consideration technological and financial aspects. By compression and condensation the storage volume is reduced to such an extent that temporary storage of even very large quantities of carbon dioxide requires little space.
The first step of volume reduction is a two-stage compression. With a dry-running piston compressor the fermentation carbon dioxide is compressed to one sixteenth of the original gas volume. The compressed gas is liquefied in the condenser and then collected in a storage tank. Thus, the brewer can collect the carbon dioxide produced during fermentation over several days and can then use it for the production process as required. As an option we offer to equip our CO2 recovery plant with a stripping system in order to meet highest requirements in terms of CO2 purity.
From the beer for the beer
This hits the nail on the head when we talk about the application of our CO2 recovery plants. The fully automatic systems carefully treat the CO2 produced during fermentation. The purified CO2 complies with all requirements for food and can thus be used for beer production again. Outside purchasing of carbon dioxide is not necessary. In addition to this contribution to cost reduction, recovery units also contribute to the quality assurance in the brewery, as the beer only comes into contact with carbon dioxide produced by the brewery itself.