Amino acid production system with reconfigurable multiple conduits for compatible production of amino acids and method of configuration thereof

Abstract

The amino acid production system may include: a plurality of preheaters that heat a process solution in which an amino acid is mixed, and that are connected to each other by a plurality of pipes; and a plurality of evaporation chambers that evaporate the process solution heated by the plurality of preheaters by heat exchange with a heat source, and that are connected to each other by a plurality of pipes. In this regard, one of the plurality of evaporation chambers may discharge the amino acid concentrate from which water has been removed by evaporation to the outside through a discharge conduit. The discharge conduit may be selectively connected to one of the plurality of evaporation chambers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an amino acid production system with reconfigurable multiple pipelines and a configuration method for compatible production of amino acids. Background Art

[0002] According to productivity and function, manufacturing systems can be divided into dedicated manufacturing systems (DMS), flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) and reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMS). DMS produces a single product and has a fixed device structure. FMS produces multiple products and has a fixed device structure. RMS produces multiple products and has an adjustable device structure.

[0003] The value of functionality increases compared to productivity due to increased market uncertainty caused by the increased frequency of new products, changes in production processes for existing products, fluctuations in product demand and supply, changes in safety and environmental policies, and the development of technology. Therefore, greater value can be created through compatible production with FMS compared to DMS.

[0004] Here, the application of RMS, which can change the device structure according to the type of manufactured products, can improve productivity and manufacturing costs compared to FMS, so value creation can be further increased.

[0005] Specifically, under the trend of promoting the fourth industrial revolution around the world, industries aiming at intelligent manufacturing are constantly trying to integrate RMS's advanced solutions.

[0006] In the chemical and biological industries, attempts have also been made to integrate advanced solutions of RMS.

[0007] According to academic data (A. Adamo et al., On-Demand Continuous-Flow Production of pharmacologicals in a Compact, Reconfigurable System, Science, 352 (2016) 6281), it was reported that drugs such as diphenhydramine, lidocaine, diazepam and fluoxetine were prepared in a small laboratory using a reconfigurable and on-demand continuous type of synthesis, membrane separation, crystallization and formulation complex experimental device.

[0008] In addition, according to academic materials (A.-C.Bedard et al., Reconfigurable system for automated optimization of diverse chemical reactions, Science, 361 (2018) 6408 and patent US11185839B2), it is reported that a plug-and-play, reconfigurable and continuous chemical reaction device for the synthesis of pharmaceutical materials was used on a small laboratory scale to carry out Buchwald-Hartwig amination reaction, Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons (HWE) olefination reaction, reductive amination reaction, Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction, and photoredox reaction.

[0009] In addition, according to academic data (L. Hohmann et al., Continuous Downstream Processing of Amino Acids in a Modular Miniplant, Chem. Eng. Technol. 41 (2018) 1152), it is reported that L-alanine is prepared in a modular mini-plant including a process liquid supply, an evaporator, a crystallizer, and a crystal separator on a small pilot scale.

[0010] Furthermore, according to US Pat. No. 8,594,848 (published on Mar. 20, 2008), a laboratory-scale apparatus system capable of producing variable chemical products is mentioned, which includes a glass material reactor, a glass material conveying device, and a reconfigurable control device.

[0011] However, the above conventional technologies are based on small-scale experiments or pilot plants and have limitations because they have not been scaled up to actual industrial plants. For example, in the case of industrial evaporators for batch chemical production, a multi-effect evaporator including multiple falling film evaporators is generally applied due to economic feasibility. However, the evaporator reported in the conventional modular small plant has a small equipment size, so it cannot replicate such equipment characteristics and operates only as a single evaporator, resulting in low efficiency. Summary of the invention

[0012]

Technical issues

[0013] The present invention provides a reconfigurable amino acid production system and configuration method, which can be reconfigured according to the needs of the amino acid production process by selectively connecting a discharge pipe for discharging amino acid concentrate to the outside to one of a plurality of evaporators for compatible production of amino acids.

[0014]

Technical solution

[0015] In one aspect, an amino acid production system includes: a plurality of preheaters which heat a process liquid in which amino acids are mixed and which are interconnected through a plurality of pipes; and a plurality of evaporators which evaporate the process liquid heated by the plurality of preheaters by heat exchange with a heat source and which are interconnected through a plurality of pipes, wherein one of the plurality of evaporators discharges an amino acid concentrate from which water has been removed by evaporation to the outside through a discharge pipe which is selectively connected to one of the plurality of evaporators.

[0016] The plurality of evaporators may include at least three evaporators, and are sequentially connected in series through a plurality of pipelines.

[0017] When a discharge pipe is connected to the remaining evaporators except for the last evaporator among the plurality of evaporators, the evaporators connected to the discharge pipe may be connected to a reverse pipe into which the process liquid discharged from the last evaporator is introduced.

[0018] The discharge pipe can be connected to the first evaporator to finally discharge the amino acid concentrate, and the multiple pipes connected to the multiple evaporators may include: multiple forward process liquid pipes, which transport the process liquid from the second evaporator to the last evaporator in a forward direction; and reverse process liquid pipes, which transport the process liquid from the last evaporator to the first evaporator in a reverse direction.

[0019] The discharge pipe can be connected to the remaining evaporators except the first evaporator and the last evaporator among the multiple evaporators to finally discharge the amino acid concentrate, and the multiple pipes connected to the multiple evaporators may include: multiple forward process liquid pipes, which transport the process liquid from the first evaporator in a forward direction to the evaporator located before the last evaporator; and reverse process liquid pipes, which transport the process liquid from the last evaporator in a reverse direction to the evaporator connected to the discharge pipe.

[0020] The discharge pipe may be connected to the last evaporator to finally discharge the amino acid concentrate, and the plurality of pipes connected to the plurality of evaporators may include a plurality of forward process liquid pipes that transport the process liquid from the first evaporator to the evaporator located before the last evaporator.

[0021] A plurality of preheaters may be sequentially connected in series through a plurality of pipelines, and the preheated process liquid discharged from the first preheater located at the front end may flow into the first evaporator located at the front end.

[0022] The amino acid production system may further include: a plurality of circulation pumps, wherein the plurality of circulation pumps are respectively connected to the plurality of evaporators and sequentially discharge the process liquid discharged from the plurality of evaporators to the next evaporator through respective pipelines.

[0023] Multiple circulation pumps may also be connected to the piping that circulates the process liquid to the connected evaporators.

[0024] The amino acid production system may further include: a plurality of separators, which are connected to the plurality of evaporators and supply steam exhausted from the plurality of evaporators to the following evaporators and preheaters, wherein the evaporator located at the front end of the plurality of evaporators and the preheater located at the front end of the plurality of preheaters can be supplied with steam introduced from the outside.

[0025] On the other hand, a method for connecting a plurality of pipes in an amino acid production system includes a plurality of multi-effect falling film evaporators connected by the plurality of pipes, the method comprising: sequentially connecting the evaporators in series by the plurality of pipes, and selectively connecting a discharge pipe to one of the evaporators, the discharge pipe discharging an amino acid concentrate from which water is removed by evaporation in the evaporator.

[0026] The method may also include: after the selective connection, when the discharge pipe is connected to an evaporator other than the last evaporator among the evaporators, moving the process liquid mixed with amino acids in a forward direction from the first evaporator to the last evaporator through the connection of the process liquid pipe; and moving the process liquid in a reverse direction from the last evaporator to the evaporator connected to the discharge pipe through the connection of the process liquid pipe.

[0027] The method may further include: connecting a plurality of condensers to each evaporator and an evaporator located behind each evaporator, wherein the plurality of condensers condense vapors discharged from the plurality of evaporators, wherein process liquids discharged from the plurality of condensers may be transported to each evaporator and an evaporator located behind each evaporator through a circulation pipeline.

[0028] The method may also include: connecting a plurality of preheaters (which heat the process liquid mixed with amino acids) in series through a plurality of pipelines, and connecting the preheater connected to the last position to the first evaporator in the evaporator through a pipeline, wherein the last position is relative to the preheater at the process liquid introduction point, wherein the process liquid heated by the preheater connected to the last position can be transported to the first evaporator.

[0029]

Beneficial Effects

[0030] According to the present invention, in an amino acid production process requiring adjustment of production volume, a discharge pipe for discharging the amino acid concentrate to the outside is selectively connected to one of a plurality of evaporators to be reconfigured, so that energy can be saved compared to a conventional evaporator in which the discharge pipe is fixed.

[0031] Specifically, the energy optimization effect of the reconfiguration of the discharge pipe of the multiple-effect evaporator can be further enhanced by arranging a unit process with relatively low energy efficiency, such as an evaporation crystallization process, at the end of the evaporation process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the structure of an amino acid production system according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0033] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Magnified view of the evaporator.

[0034] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Magnified view of the preheater.

[0035] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the structure of an amino acid production system according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0036] Figure 5 is a diagram showing the structure of an amino acid production system according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0037] Figure 6 is a diagram showing the structure of an amino acid production system according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0038] Figure 7 is a diagram showing the structure of an amino acid production system according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0039] Figure 8 is a graph showing the concentration and solubility of the concentrate of each discharge pipe component according to the experimental example.

[0040] Fig. 9 is a graph showing individual steam efficiency of a multiple-effect evaporator according to an experimental example.

[0041] Fig.10 is a graph showing steam efficiency of an overall process including a subsequent evaporation crystallization process according to an experimental example.

[0042] Fig.11 is a graph showing the concentration and solubility of concentrates of various discharge pipe components according to another experimental example.

[0043] Fig.12is a graph showing individual steam efficiency of a multiple-effect evaporator according to another experimental example.

[0044] Fig.13 is a graph showing steam efficiency of an overall process including a subsequent evaporation crystallization process according to another experimental example.

[0045] Fig.14 is a graph showing the concentration and solubility of concentrates of various discharge pipe components according to another experimental example.

[0046] Fig.15 is a graph showing individual steam efficiency of a multiple-effect evaporator according to another experimental example.

[0047] Fig.16 is a graph showing steam efficiency of an overall process including a subsequent evaporation crystallization process according to another experimental example.

[0048] Fig.17 is a graph showing the solubility of L-lysine, L-methionine, L-threonine, and L-valine in water according to Experimental Examples. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] In the following specific embodiments, only certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention are shown and described by way of example. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the exemplary embodiments described can be modified in various ways, all of which do not depart from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings and descriptions are to be considered illustrative in nature, rather than restrictive. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals represent the same elements.

[0050] In the description, reference numerals and names are attached for the convenience of description, and the devices are not necessarily limited to the reference numerals or names.

[0051] In the description, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word “comprise” and variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements.

[0052] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the structure of an amino acid production system according to an exemplary embodiment, Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of the evaporator, Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of the middle preheater, Figure 4 is a diagram showing the structure of an amino acid production system according to another exemplary embodiment, Figure 5is a diagram showing the structure of an amino acid production system according to another exemplary embodiment, Figure 6 is a diagram showing the structure of an amino acid production system according to another exemplary embodiment, Figure 7 is a diagram showing the structure of an amino acid production system according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0053] refer to Figures 1 to 7 , an amino acid production system 100 is configured using a multi-effect falling film (FF) evaporator (hereinafter collectively referred to as an "evaporator"). Here, the process liquid corresponds to an amino acid mixed solution containing amino acids. According to an exemplary embodiment, the process liquid is an amino acid process liquid, and may include at least one of the following amino acids: L-lysine, L-methionine, L-threonine, L-valine, L-tryptophan, L-histidine, L-arginine, L-isoleucine, L-cysteine, and L-glutamine.

[0054] According to an exemplary embodiment, the amino acid production system 100 forms a thin film using the supplied amino acid mixed solution, and discharges a concentrate containing amino acids at a target concentration through a plurality of evaporation processes in a falling film method.

[0055] At this time, in this specification, the liquid discharged through the intermediate evaporation process is described as a process liquid, and the liquid finally discharged through the discharge pipe is described as an amino acid concentrate.

[0056] The amino acid production system 100 includes multiple evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105, multiple preheaters (PH) 106, 107, 108, 109 and 110, multiple separators 111, 112, 113, 114 and 115, multiple circulation pumps 116, 117, 118, 119 and 120, and a condenser 121.

[0057] The amino acid production system 100 has a structure in which the discharge piping can be changed to reconfigure the process liquid flows of the multiple-effect falling film evaporators 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , and 105 .

[0058] exist Figure 1 In the exemplary embodiment of , the discharge pipe is connected to the last evaporator, the fifth evaporator (#5FF) 105. Figure 4 In the exemplary embodiment of , the exhaust pipe is connected to the fourth evaporator (#4FF) 104. Figure 5 In the exemplary embodiment of , the exhaust pipe is connected to the third evaporator (#3FF) 103. Figure 6 In the exemplary embodiment of , the exhaust pipe is connected to the second evaporator (#2FF) 102. Figure 7In the exemplary embodiment of , the exhaust pipe is connected to the first evaporator (#1FF) 101.

[0059] At this time, the number of evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 and preheaters 106, 107, 108, 109 and 110 is implemented as five, but the number of evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 and preheaters 106, 107, 108, 109 and 110 is not limited to five. However, if there are two evaporators, when the discharge pipe is the second pipe, the flow of the process liquid is a forward flow, and when the discharge pipe is the first pipe, the flow of the process liquid is a reverse flow, so the effect of the present invention cannot be demonstrated. Therefore, preferably, the number of evaporators is at least three.

[0060] The evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 evaporate the amino acid process liquid by falling film heat exchange to discharge an amino acid concentrate.

[0061] refer to Figure 2 , showing the first evaporator (#1FF, Figure 1 The structure of the first evaporator 101 is also applicable to the second evaporator (#2FF) 102, the third evaporator (#3FF) 103, the fourth evaporator (#4FF) 104 and the fifth evaporator (#5FF) 105.

[0062] The evaporator 101 may include a plurality of tubes 101a, a process liquid inlet 101b, a heat source inlet 101c, a condensate outlet 101d, and a process liquid outlet 101e.

[0063] The plurality of tubes 101a receive process liquid from the outside through the process liquid inlet 101b. The plurality of tubes 101a receive steam or vapor from the outside through the heat source inlet 101c. At this time, since the evaporator 101 is Figure 1 The first evaporator in the evaporator 101 thus receives steam. Figure 1 In the case of the second evaporator 102 , the third evaporator 103 , the fourth evaporator 104 , and the fifth evaporator 105 , the plurality of tubes 101 a receive vapor generated by evaporation of the process liquid through the heat source inlet 101 c .

[0064] The condensation heat generated by the condensation of the steam or vapor supplied through the heat source inlet 101c evaporates the process liquid supplied through the plurality of tubes 101a. The steam condensate or the steam condensate is discharged to the outside through the condensate outlet 101d. Most of the process liquid that is not evaporated in the evaporation process is discharged to the process liquid outlet 101e.

[0065] At this time, the evaporated vapor is mixed with a part of the droplet-type process liquid and introduced into the separator 111 connected to the evaporator 101. The separator 111 discharges the vapor to the outside through the vapor outlet 111a. The process liquid separated from the vapor is discharged to the outside through the process liquid outlet 111b. The process liquid discharged through the process liquid outlet 111b is combined with the process liquid discharged through the process liquid outlet 101e of the evaporator 101 and introduced into the separator 111. Figure 1 The first circulation pump 116 is provided.

[0066] Here, the configuration of the first separator 111 is also applicable to the second separator 112, the third separator 113, the fourth separator 114 and the fifth separator 115. The configuration of the first circulation pump 116 is also applicable to the second circulation pump 117, the third circulation pump 118, the fourth circulation pump 119 and the fifth circulation pump 120.

[0067] Preheaters 106, 107, 108, 109, and 110 heat the process liquid using steam or vapor as a heat source.

[0068] refer to Figure 3 , showing the first preheater ( Figure 1 The structure of the first preheater 106 is also applicable to Figure 1 The second preheater 107, the third preheater 108, the fourth preheater 109 and the fifth preheater 110.

[0069] The preheater 106 may include a plurality of tubes 106a, a process liquid inlet 106b, a heat source inlet 106c, a condensate outlet 106d, and a process liquid outlet 106e.

[0070] As the process liquid flowing into the plurality of tubes 106a through the process liquid inlet 106b liquefies the steam or vapor supplied as a heat source through the heat source inlet 106c by heat exchange to generate condensation heat, the temperature of the process liquid increases. The process liquid with increased temperature is discharged through the process liquid outlet 106e. In addition, the steam condensate or vapor condensate generated by liquefaction is discharged through the condensate outlet 106d.

[0071] like Figure 2 As shown, separators 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 and 115 are connected to evaporators 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 and 105 , respectively, to separate the vapor generated in the evaporators 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 and 105 from the process liquid.

[0072] The circulation pumps 116, 117, 118, 119, and 120 circulate the process liquid discharged from the evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 and the separators 111, 112, 113, 114, and 115 to the evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105, and simultaneously discharge the process liquid to the following other evaporators 102, 103, 104, and 105. At this time, the circulation pumps 116, 117, 118, 119, and 120 can also be used as pipeline pumps.

[0073] According to an exemplary embodiment, the amino acid production system 100 may be designed to satisfy the five conditions shown in Table 1 below.

[0074] (Table 1)

[0075]

[0076] According to an exemplary embodiment, in amino acid production system 100, except discharge pipe, the basic flow of the remaining process liquid pipeline can be fixed to forward flow, to maximize the energy efficiency caused by preheater 106,107,108,109 and 110, to minimize the number of cases. In forward flow, the energy obtained by process liquid through preheater 106,107,108,109 and 110 can be used for additional evaporation process liquid. At this time, because the steam of additional evaporation is condensed, a circulation structure in which energy is resupplied to process liquid is established, and energy efficiency can be increased. Meanwhile, in reverse flow, the energy obtained by process liquid through preheater 106,107,108,109 and 110 is used for additional evaporation process liquid. However, when the steam of additional evaporation is liquefied, owing to not establishing a circulation structure in which energy is resupplied to process liquid, this does not help to improve energy efficiency.

[0077] According to an exemplary embodiment, the amino acid production system 100 is a system including a forward five-effect falling film evaporator and may be designed to satisfy the five conditions of the above Table 1. At this time, structures of various amino acid production systems 100 having different discharge pipes will be described.

[0078] First, based on Figure 1 The operation of the components and process fluid flows constituting the amino acid production system 100 are described with reference to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0079] Reference Figure 1 The first evaporator (#1FF) 101, the second evaporator (#2FF) 102, the third evaporator (#3FF) 103, the fourth evaporator (#4FF) 104 and the fifth evaporator (#5FF) 105 are connected in sequence through a process liquid pipeline.

[0080] In addition, the fifth preheater (#5PH) 110 through which the process liquid flows is sequentially connected to the fourth preheater (#4PH) 109, the third preheater (#3PH) 108, the second preheater (#2PH) 107 and the first preheater (#1PH) 106 through the process liquid pipeline. The first preheater (#1PH) 106 is connected to the first evaporator 101 through the process liquid pipeline.

[0081] Therefore, in the amino acid production system 100, the fifth preheater (#5PH) 110 for introducing process liquid is connected in sequence through a process liquid pipeline to the fourth preheater (#4PH) 109 → the third preheater (#3PH) 108 → the second preheater (#2PH) 107 → the first preheater (#1PH) 106 → the first evaporator 101 → the second evaporator 102 → the third evaporator 103 → the fourth evaporator 104 → the fifth evaporator 105.

[0082] At this time, separators 111, 112, 113, 114, and 115 are respectively connected to the evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105. The condensation heat, that is, the steam generated by evaporation of the process liquid discharged from each separator 111, 112, 113, 114, 115 is supplied to the preheaters 107, 108, 109, 110 different from the other evaporators 102, 103, 104, 105 behind.

[0083] The first evaporator 101 and the first preheater 106 receive steam from the outside. The first preheater 106 generates condensation heat when the steam is liquefied through a heat exchange process, and the temperature of the process liquid is increased due to the condensation heat. The process liquid with increased temperature is supplied to the first evaporator 101.

[0084] The first evaporator 101 condenses steam supplied from the outside to evaporate the process liquid. In the first evaporator 101, steam condensate generated in the process of evaporating the process liquid is discharged to the outside.

[0085] The first separator (#1 separator) 111 connected to the first evaporator 101 separates the vapor (#1 vapor) evaporated from the process liquid in the first evaporator 101 from the evaporator 101 and supplies the vapor to the second evaporator (#2FF) 102 and the second preheater (#2PH) 107.

[0086] The process liquid discharged from the first evaporator 101 and the process liquid from which the vapor is separated in the first separator (#1 separator) 111 are mixed and introduced into the first circulation pump (#1 circulation pump) 116 connected to the first evaporator 101. A part of the process liquid is circulated to the first evaporator 101, and a part thereof is supplied to the second evaporator (#2FF) 102.

[0087] The second preheater 107 heats the process liquid by condensation heat generated when the vapor (#1 vapor) supplied from the first separator 111 is liquefied. The heated process liquid is supplied to the first preheater 106.

[0088] The second evaporator 102 evaporates the process liquid supplied from the first circulation pump (#1 circulation pump) 116 by condensing the vapor (#1 vapor). In the second evaporator 102, vapor condensate (#1 vapor condensate) generated in the evaporation step of the process liquid is discharged to the outside.

[0089] The second separator (#2 separator) 112 connected to the second evaporator 102 separates the vapor (#2 vapor) generated in the evaporation step of the process liquid in the second evaporator 102 from the first evaporator 101, and supplies the separated vapor to the third evaporator (#3FF) 103 and the third preheater (#3PH) 108.

[0090] The process liquid discharged from the second evaporator 102 and the process liquid from which the vapor is separated by the second separator 112 are mixed and introduced into the second circulation pump (#2 circulation pump) 117 connected to the second evaporator 102. A part of the process liquid circulates to the second evaporator 102, and a part is supplied to the third evaporator (#3FF) 103.

[0091] The third evaporator 103 and the third preheater 108 are supplied with steam (#2 steam) from the second separator 112. In the third preheater 108, when the steam (#2 steam) is liquefied through the heat exchange process, condensation heat is generated, and the temperature of the process liquid is increased due to the condensation heat. The process liquid with increased temperature is supplied to the second preheater 107.

[0092] The third evaporator 103 condenses the vapor (#2 vapor) to evaporate the process liquid. In the third evaporator 103, vapor condensate generated in the process of evaporating the process liquid is discharged to the outside.

[0093] The third separator (#3 separator) 113 connected to the third evaporator 103 separates the vapor (#3 vapor) evaporated from the process liquid in the third evaporator 103 from the evaporator 103 and supplies the vapor to the fourth evaporator (#4FF) 104 and the fourth preheater (#4PH) 109.

[0094] The process liquid discharged from the third evaporator 103 and the process liquid from which the vapor is separated from the third separator (#3 separator) 113 are mixed and introduced into a third circulation pump (#3 circulation pump) 118 connected to the third evaporator 103. A part of the process liquid is circulated to the third evaporator 103, and a part is supplied to the fourth evaporator (#4FF) 104.

[0095] The fourth evaporator 104 and the fourth preheater 109 receive the steam (#3 steam) from the third separator 113. In the fourth preheater 109, when the steam (#3 steam) is liquefied through the heat exchange process, condensation heat is generated, and the temperature of the process liquid is increased due to the condensation heat. The process liquid with increased temperature is supplied to the third preheater 108.

[0096] The fourth evaporator 104 condenses the vapor (#4 vapor) to evaporate the process liquid. In the fourth evaporator 104, the vapor condensate generated in the process of evaporating the process liquid is discharged to the outside.

[0097] The fourth separator (#4 separator) 114 connected to the fourth evaporator 104 separates the vapor (#4 vapor) evaporated from the process liquid in the fourth evaporator 104 from the evaporator 104 and supplies the vapor to the fifth evaporator (#5FF) (105) and the fifth preheater (#5PH) 110.

[0098] The process liquid discharged from the fourth evaporator 104 and the process liquid from which the vapor (#4 vapor) is separated in the fourth separator (#4 separator) 114 are mixed and introduced into the fourth circulation pump 119 connected to the fourth evaporator 104. A part of the process liquid is circulated to the fourth evaporator 104, and a part is supplied to the fifth evaporator (#5FF) 105.

[0099] The fifth evaporator 105 and the fifth preheater 110 are supplied with steam (#5 steam) from the fourth separator 114. In the fifth preheater 110, when the steam (#4 steam) is liquefied through the heat exchange process, condensation heat is generated, and the temperature of the process liquid is increased due to the condensation heat. The process liquid with the increased temperature is supplied to the fourth preheater 109.

[0100] The fifth evaporator 105 condenses the vapor (#4 vapor) and evaporates the process liquid. In the fifth evaporator 105, vapor condensate generated in the process of evaporating the process liquid is discharged to the outside.

[0101] The fifth separator (#5 separator) 115 connected to the fifth evaporator 105 separates vapor (#5 vapor) evaporated from the process liquid in the fifth evaporator 105 from the evaporator 105 and supplies the vapor to the condenser 121 .

[0102] The temperature of the cooling water supplied to the condenser 121 increases due to the condensation heat generated when the steam (#5 steam) is condensed. The cooling water and the condensed water having the increased temperature are discharged to the outside.

[0103] The process liquid discharged from the fifth evaporator 105 and the process liquid from which the vapor (#5 vapor) is separated in the fifth separator (#5 separator) 115 are mixed and introduced into a fifth circulation pump (#5 circulation pump) 120 connected to the fifth evaporator 105. A part of the process liquid circulates to the fifth evaporator 105, and a part is discharged to the outside through a discharge pipe.

[0104] Thus, the steam or vapor supplied to the respective evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 and the respective preheaters 106, 107, 108, 109 and 110 is used as energy for heating and evaporating the process liquid.

[0105] The flow of process liquid is described as follows.

[0106] The process liquid introduced from the outside is first supplied to the fifth preheater (#5PH) 110 through the process liquid pipeline. The process liquid heated by the fifth preheater (#5PH) 110 is discharged to the fourth preheater (#4PH) 109 through the process liquid pipeline. The process liquid heated by the fourth preheater (#4PH) 109 is discharged to the third preheater (#3PH) 108 through the process liquid pipeline. The process liquid heated by the third preheater (#3PH) 108 is discharged to the second preheater (#2PH) 107 through the process liquid pipeline. The process liquid heated by the second preheater (#2PH) 107 is discharged to the first preheater (#1PH) 106 through the process liquid pipeline.

[0107] The process liquid heated by the plurality of preheaters 106, 107, 108, 109 and 111 is supplied to the first evaporator 101 through a process liquid pipeline connected to the first preheater (#1PH) 106. The vapor (#1 vapor) generated by evaporating the process liquid by the first evaporator 101 is supplied to the second evaporator 102 and the second preheater 107 through the first separator (#1 separator) 111.

[0108] The process liquid discharged from the first evaporator 101 and the first separator 111 is discharged to the first circulation pump (#1 circulation pump) 116. The first circulation pump 116 circulates a part of the process liquid to the first evaporator 101 through the process liquid circulation pipe, and supplies a part thereof to the second evaporator 102 through the process liquid pipe.

[0109] The vapor (#2 vapor) generated in the second vaporizer 102 is supplied to the third vaporizer 103 and the third preheater 108 through the second separator 112 .

[0110] The process liquid discharged from the second evaporator 102 and the second separator 112 is discharged to the second circulation pump (#2 circulation pump) 117. The second circulation pump 117 circulates a portion of the process liquid to the second evaporator 102 through the process liquid circulation pipe, and supplies a portion thereof to the third evaporator 103 through the process liquid pipe. The vapor (#3 vapor) generated in the third evaporator 103 is supplied to the fourth evaporator 104 and the fourth preheater 109 through the third separator 113.

[0111] The process liquid discharged from the third evaporator 103 and the third separator 113 is discharged to the third circulation pump (#3 circulation pump) 118. The third circulation pump (#3 circulation pump) 118 circulates a part of the process liquid to the third evaporator 103 through the process liquid circulation pipe, and supplies a part thereof to the fourth evaporator 104 through the process liquid pipe.

[0112] The vapor (#4 vapor) generated in the fourth vaporizer 104 is supplied to the fifth vaporizer 105 and the fifth preheater 110 through the fourth separator (#4 separator) 114 .

[0113] The process liquid discharged from the fourth evaporator 104 and the fourth separator 114 is discharged to the fourth circulation pump (#4 circulation pump) 119. The fourth circulation pump 119 circulates a part of the process liquid to the fourth evaporator 104 through the process liquid circulation pipe, and supplies a part thereof to the fifth evaporator 105 through the process liquid pipe.

[0114] The vapor (#5 vapor) generated in the fifth evaporator 105 is supplied to the condenser 121 through the fifth separator (#5 separator) 115 .

[0115] The process liquid discharged from the fifth evaporator 105 and the fifth separator 115 is discharged to the fifth circulation pump (#5 circulation pump) 120. The fifth circulation pump 120 circulates a part of the process liquid to the fifth evaporator 105 through the process liquid circulation pipe.

[0116] In addition, the fifth circulation pump 120 discharges the amino acid concentrate generated through the multiple evaporation processes to the outside through the discharge pipe.

[0117] Therefore, in Figure 1 In the exemplary embodiment of , the evaporator is formed of a five-effect evaporator, and the discharge pipe is connected to the fifth evaporator 105 .

[0118] Figure 4 An exemplary embodiment has Figure 1 The exemplary embodiment has the same structure as that of the embodiment of FIG. 1 , except that the exhaust pipe is connected to the fourth evaporator 104 .

[0119] At this time, Figure 1Unlike the exemplary embodiment of the embodiment of the present invention, there is a reverse flow of the process liquid. That is, the process liquid discharged from the fifth circulation pump 120 is connected to the fourth evaporator 104 through the process liquid pipeline. The discharge pipeline is connected to the fourth circulation pump 119, and the fourth circulation pump 119 discharges the amino acid concentrate generated by the multi-pass evaporation process to the outside through the discharge pipeline.

[0120] Figure 5 An exemplary embodiment has Figure 1 The exemplary embodiment has the same structure as that of the embodiment of the present invention, except that the exhaust pipe is connected to the third evaporator 103.

[0121] At this time, Figure 1 Unlike the exemplary embodiment of the embodiment of the present invention, there is a reverse flow of the process liquid. That is, the process liquid discharged from the fifth circulation pump 120 is connected to the third evaporator 103 through the process liquid pipeline. The discharge pipeline is connected to the third circulation pump 118, and the third circulation pump 118 discharges the amino acid concentrate generated by the multi-pass evaporation process to the outside through the discharge pipeline.

[0122] Figure 6 An exemplary embodiment has Figure 1 The exemplary embodiment has the same structure as that of the embodiment of the present invention, except that the exhaust pipe is connected to the second evaporator 102.

[0123] At this time, Figure 1 Unlike the exemplary embodiment of the embodiment of the present invention, there is a reverse flow of the process liquid. That is, the process liquid discharged from the fifth circulation pump 120 is connected to the second evaporator 102 through the process liquid pipeline. The discharge pipeline is connected to the second circulation pump 117, and the second circulation pump 117 discharges the amino acid concentrate generated by the multi-pass evaporation process to the outside through the discharge pipeline.

[0124] Figure 7 An exemplary embodiment has Figure 1 The exemplary embodiment has the same structure as that of the first evaporator 101, except that the exhaust pipe is connected to the first evaporator 101.

[0125] At this time, Figure 1 Unlike the exemplary embodiment of the embodiment of the present invention, there is a reverse flow of the process liquid. That is, the process liquid discharged from the fifth circulation pump 120 is connected to the first evaporator 101 through the process liquid pipeline. The discharge pipeline is connected to the first circulation pump 116, and the first circulation pump 116 discharges the amino acid concentrate generated by the multi-pass evaporation process to the outside through the discharge pipeline.

[0126] like Figure 1 As shown, except for the case where the amino acid concentrate is discharged from the last evaporator 105, as shown in Figure 4 , 5As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the flow of the process liquid inevitably involves a reverse flow.

[0127] According to the energy balance and heat transfer principle, the temperature of each evaporator 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 in the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 decreases toward the rear end (i.e., from the first evaporator 101 to the fifth evaporator 105). Therefore, the reverse flow of the process liquid from the rear evaporators 102, 103, 104 and 105 to the front evaporators 101, 102, 103 and 104 is inevitably accompanied by an increase in the temperature of the process liquid, which is a loss of energy efficiency. As a result, in the multiple-effect evaporator configuration, as the process liquid is discharged toward the rear end, the energy efficiency can be increased. Therefore, under the condition that the final concentration of the discharged process liquid is the same, it is economically feasible to discharge as much process liquid as possible from the rear end.

[0128] However, in the actual amino acid production process, there are situations where it is economically feasible to discharge as much process liquid as possible from the front end. The most important purpose of operating the evaporator in the amino acid production process is to remove water from the process liquid. Therefore, in order to maximize the productivity of the overall amino acid production process, it is necessary to increase the concentration of the process liquid finally discharged from the evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 as much as possible.

[0129] Furthermore, in general, the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 are the most energy-efficient water removal devices in the entire amino acid production process, while the energy efficiency of the rear evaporation crystallizer device (not shown) connected to the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 is lower than that of the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105. As a result, although the energy efficiency of the multiple-effect evaporator is slightly reduced, it may be more advantageous to increase the concentration of the finally discharged process liquid as high as possible in terms of the energy efficiency of the overall amino acid production process.

[0130] Due to the device structure of the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105, when the concentration of the process liquid to be operated exceeds the solubility, the problem of clogging the heat exchanger due to the precipitation of the amino acid solid may occur. Therefore, the operating condition of the actual process should be that the concentration of the process liquid is less than the solubility, and since the solubility of the amino acid tends to increase at a higher temperature, discharge from the front end can be beneficial to the energy efficiency of the overall process.

[0131] As described above, in the actual operation of the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105, the optimal discharge pipe may vary depending on the type of amino acid and the flow rate of the injected process liquid. Therefore, in a production plant that needs to quickly adjust the type and amount of the produced products according to market demand, it is necessary to change the optimal discharge pipe from time to time according to the situation.

[0132] As in the related art, the multiple effect evaporators 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , and 105 having fixed discharge pipes may not cope with the situation where the optimal discharge pipes vary, and thus may lose the opportunity to produce products with optimal energy efficiency.

[0133] Meanwhile, by implementing to reconfigure the process liquid piping as in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, even if the optimal discharge piping is changed according to the type and amount of products, it is possible to quickly cope with the situation.

[0134] According to an exemplary embodiment, the amino acid production system 100 can produce various amino acid products, such as L-lysine, L-methionine, L-threonine, L-valine, L-tryptophan, L-histidine, L-arginine, L-isoleucine, L-cysteine, L-glutamine, etc.

[0135] Hereinafter, the effects of the present invention are demonstrated through experiments, and various experimental examples are described below.

[0136] Figure 8 is a graph showing the concentration and solubility of the concentrate of each discharge pipe component according to the experimental example, Fig. 9 is a graph showing individual steam efficiency of a multiple-effect evaporator according to an experimental example, Fig.10 is a graph showing steam efficiency of an overall process including a subsequent evaporation crystallization process according to an experimental example.

[0137] exist Figure 8 , 9 In the experimental embodiments of 10 and 10, the evaporation rates of the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 are relatively small compared with the amount of the injected process liquid, so in the configurations of all the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105, the process liquid is not concentrated to the maximum solubility concentration level.

[0138] at this time, Figure 8 The concentration and solubility of each evaporator 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 to which the discharge pipe is connected are shown. Figure 8It can be seen that, since the concentration of the concentrate under all process conditions is lower than the solubility, the same level of maximum concentration can be guaranteed in all configurations of the discharge pipes, i.e., no matter whether the discharge pipe is connected to any one of the fifth evaporator 105, the fourth evaporator 104, the third evaporator 103, the second evaporator 102 and the first evaporator 101.

[0139] Fig. 9 The steam economy (unit mass of water that can be evaporated as unit mass of steam) of each evaporator 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 connected to the discharge pipe is shown. Fig.10 The steam efficiency of the entire process including up to the subsequent evaporation crystallization process is shown.

[0140] like Fig. 9 and 10 As shown, the steam efficiency of each evaporator 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 has the most important influence on the steam efficiency of the overall process. Finally, it can be seen that the structure in which the discharge pipe is connected to the last evaporator, that is, the fifth evaporator 105, is the most advantageous in terms of overall steam efficiency.

[0141] Fig.11 is a graph showing the concentration and solubility of the concentrate for various discharge pipe configurations according to another experimental example, Fig.12 is a graph showing individual steam efficiency of a multiple-effect evaporator according to another experimental example, Fig.13 is a graph showing steam efficiency of an overall process including a subsequent evaporation crystallization process according to another experimental example.

[0142] exist Fig.11 , 12 In the experimental embodiments of and 13, the evaporation rate of the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 is high relative to the amount of injected process liquid, so that the process liquid is concentrated to a high concentration of the solubility level in the configuration of all the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105.

[0143] like Fig.11 As shown, the difference between the concentration and solubility of the process liquid is not large under all process conditions, but the maximum concentration is high in the configuration where the discharge pipe is connected to the front end (ie, the first evaporator 101) where the discharge pipe temperature is the highest.

[0144] according to Fig.12, when the discharge pipe is connected to the rear evaporator (i.e., the fifth evaporator 105), the steam efficiency of the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 is the highest. However, in this case, due to the increase in inefficient energy use of the rear evaporation and crystallization process with relatively low steam efficiency, the contribution rate of the rear evaporation and crystallization is more dominant, and since the discharge pipe is connected to the overall rear evaporators 102, 103, 104, and 105, the overall steam efficiency is reduced. Therefore, as Fig.13 As shown, it can be seen that when the discharge pipe is connected to the front evaporators 101, 102, 103 and 104, especially the first evaporator 101 located in the front, the total steam efficiency is the highest.

[0145] Fig.14 is a graph showing the concentration and solubility of the concentrate of each discharge pipe component according to another experimental example, Fig.15 is a graph showing individual steam efficiency of a multiple-effect evaporator according to another experimental example, Fig.16 is a graph showing steam efficiency of an overall process including a subsequent evaporation crystallization process according to another experimental example.

[0146] Fig.14 , 15 The experimental examples of 101 and 16 show a situation in which the evaporation rates of the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 are relatively moderate compared to the amount of the injected process liquid, so that the process liquid is highly concentrated to the solubility level only in the configurations of some of the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105.

[0147] refer to Fig.14 , in the configuration where the discharge pipe is connected to the third evaporator 103, the fourth evaporator 104, and the fifth evaporator 105, the concentration of the process liquid in the discharge pipe is concentrated to the solubility level. In addition, it can be seen that in the configuration where the discharge pipe is connected to the first evaporator 101 and the second evaporator 102, the concentration of the process liquid in the discharge pipe is lower than the solubility and is not highly concentrated. In particular, in the configuration where the discharge pipe is connected to the first evaporator 101, the second evaporator 102, and the third evaporator 103, the concentrations are similar, and the maximum concentration is obtained at this time.

[0148] Reference Fig.15 , when the discharge pipe is connected to the last evaporator (ie, the fifth evaporator 105), the single steam efficiency is the highest. However, considering the contribution rate of the subsequent evaporation crystallization process, it has a relatively low steam efficiency, such as Fig.16As shown, it can be seen that, in the configuration in which the discharge pipe is connected to the first evaporator 101, the second evaporator 102, and the third evaporator 103, the steam efficiency is the highest in the configuration in which the discharge pipe is connected to the third evaporator 103, and is the best in the total steam efficiency. However, since the relative evaporation contribution and steam efficiency of the two fine processes vary according to the material and energy balance of the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 and the evaporation crystallizer, the optimal position of the discharge pipe configuration may vary, but the overall trend remains the same.

[0149] like Figures 8 to 16 As shown, in the experimental embodiment used to verify the effect of the present invention, Figures 1 to 7 Five evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 are used in the same manner. An industrial multi-effect falling film evaporator is directly manufactured and prepared, wherein the heat exchange area of ​​the falling film heat exchanger of each evaporator 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 is 10m 2 The heat exchange area of ​​the preheaters 106, 107, 108, 109 and 110 of each evaporator 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 is 1m 2 The minimum flow rate of the injected process liquid is 2 tons / hour, and the maximum flow rate of the injected process liquid is 5 tons / hour.

[0150] At this time, the evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 are manufactured to Figure 1 , 4 , 5, 6 and 7 as shown in the discharge piping.

[0151] A sufficient number of forced circulation concentrating crystallizers with a steam efficiency of 1.5 are placed behind the multiple-effect falling film evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 and a crystallization process is carried out.

[0152] Four amino acids, including L-lysine, L-methionine, L-threonine, and L-valine, were prepared for actual process testing. For each amino acid, a commercial product having a purity of 98% or more was used.

[0153] At this point, the solubility of each amino acid product was measured by the following steps (a) to (g):

[0154] (a) Fill a 2L glass jacketed reactor connected to a constant temperature circulating water bath with 1L of distilled water,

[0155] (b) adjusting the temperature of the thermostatic circulating water bath to adjust the internal temperature of the glass jacketed reactor to the temperature to be measured,

[0156] (c) preparing an amino acid powder slurry by introducing the amino acid powder to be measured into a glass jacketed reactor until it no longer dissolves,

[0157] (d) stirring the prepared slurry for 24 hours, then stopping the stirring and stabilizing the slurry for 2 hours,

[0158] (e) about 5 g of sea sand was placed in a ceramic container, placed in a forced circulation oven at 105° C. for 3 hours to remove residual moisture, and then placed in a vacuum desiccator containing silica gel for 1 hour to cool to room temperature,

[0159] (f) collecting the clear supernatant from the glass jacketed reactor of step (d), placing it into the ceramic container of step (e), and quantifying [the mass of the solution] by using the difference in weight before and after placement, and

[0160] (g) placing the container in step (f) in a forced circulation oven at 105°C for 3 hours to remove residual moisture, placing it in a vacuum desiccator containing silica gel for 1 hour to cool to room temperature, and quantifying the amount of water removed by using the weight difference, and using it to convert the solubility of the amino acid to be measured.

[0161] At this time, the solubility of the amino acid was calculated as a mass fraction by Equation 1.

[0162] [Equation 1]

[0163] Solubility of amino acid = (mass of solution - mass of water removed) / mass of solution

[0164] Thus, the solubility of four amino acids, L-lysine, L-methionine, L-threonine and L-valine, measured by steps (a) to (g) is shown in Fig.17 middle.

[0165] Fig.17 1 is a graph showing the solubility of L-lysine, L-methionine, L-threonine and L-valine in water according to an experimental example. When the multiple-effect falling film evaporator is operated, the solubility of each amino acid is used as a maximum concentration indicating reference corresponding to the temperature conditions of each evaporator to prevent clogging of the falling film heat exchangers of the evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105.

[0166] By applying the above-mentioned experimental conditions, experiments were conducted through one comparative example and four embodiments.

[0167] A comparative example corresponds to an L-lysine production process example in which the reconfigurable multiple-effect falling film evaporators 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , and 105 do not contribute to the improvement of the overall process steam efficiency.

[0168] In a comparative example, for the test, an aqueous L-lysine solution with a mass fraction of 0.2 was prepared, and the temperature of the aqueous solution was maintained at 50° C. during the experiment. The experiment was conducted by dividing the flow rate of the injected process liquid into 2, 3, 4, and 5 tons / hour, and by separating the cases where the discharge pipe is connected to the first evaporator 101, the second evaporator 102, the third evaporator 103, the fourth evaporator 104, and the fifth evaporator 105.

[0169] Due to the properties of L-lysine, the same amount (equivalent) of hydrochloric acid as that of lysine should be added for crystallization, so the same equivalent of hydrochloric acid was continuously added to the process liquid discharged from the multiple-effect falling film evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105. Thereafter, the concentration of the crystal slurry discharged from the forced circulation evaporation crystallizer was fixed at 0.6 based on the mass fraction of L-lysine. After each experiment was stabilized for more than 10 hours, the concentration of the process liquid discharged from the multiple-effect falling film evaporator and the steam efficiency of the overall process were observed, and the results are shown in Table 2.

[0170] Table 2 shows the flow rate of the process liquid injected in the L-lysine production process, the discharge concentration of the multiple-effect falling film evaporator, and the overall steam efficiency according to the configuration in which the discharge pipe is differently connected to each evaporator.

[0171] (Table 2)

[0172]

[0173]

[0174] According to Table 2, it can be seen that when the flow rate of the injected process liquid is the same, no matter which of the evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 the discharge pipe is connected to, the discharge concentration is constant. This is because, compared with the amount of the injected process liquid, the evaporation rate of the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 is relatively small, so that the process liquid is not highly concentrated to the equilibrium solubility level. Therefore, when the discharge pipe is connected to the fifth evaporator 105, the total steam efficiency is always optimal regardless of the flow rate of the injected process liquid. When this type of amino acid product is produced alone, there is no need to change the configuration of the evaporator to which the discharge pipe is connected, and there is no loss of energy efficiency even if the device is installed by fixing the configuration of the discharge pipe connected to the fifth evaporator 105.

[0175] Next, various production processes are described in which the reconfigurable multiple-effect falling film evaporators 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , and 105 can contribute to improving overall process steam efficiency.

[0176] First, Example 1 shows the production process of L-methionine.

[0177] For the test, an aqueous solution of L-methionine with a mass fraction of 0.05 was prepared, and the temperature of the aqueous solution was maintained at 50°C during the experiment. The experiment was conducted by dividing the flow rate of the injected process liquid into 2, 3, 4 and 5 tons / hour. The experiment was conducted by connecting the first evaporator 101, the second evaporator 102, the third evaporator 103, the fourth evaporator 104 and the fifth evaporator 105 to the discharge pipe. Thereafter, the concentration of the crystal slurry discharged from the forced circulation evaporation crystallizer was fixed at 0.25 based on the mass fraction of L-methionine. After each experiment was stabilized for more than 10 hours, the concentration of the process liquid discharged from the multi-effect falling film evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 and the steam efficiency of the overall process were observed, and the results are shown in Table 3.

[0178] Table 3 shows the flow rate of injected process liquid, the discharge concentration of the multiple-effect falling film evaporator, and the total steam efficiency in the L-methionine production process according to the configuration in which different evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 are connected to the discharge pipe.

[0179] (Table 3)

[0180]

[0181] As can be seen from Table 3, when the flow rate of the injected process liquid is 2 tons / hour, the discharge concentrations of the evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 show an increasing trend. This is because the evaporation rates of the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 are relatively high compared to the amount of the injected process liquid, so that the process liquid is concentrated to a high concentration at the solubility level. In this case, the optimal discharge pipe can be connected to the evaporators 101, 102, 103, and 104 except the fifth evaporator 105. Therefore, when the flow rate of the injected process liquid is 2 tons / hour, the overall steam efficiency is optimal when the discharge pipe is connected to the first evaporator 101.

[0182] When the flow rate of the injected process liquid is 3 tons / hour, the same degree of concentration is shown based on the mass fraction of L-methionine being 0.095 when the discharge pipe is connected to the first evaporator 101, the second evaporator 102, the third evaporator 103, and the fourth evaporator 104. However, in the configuration in which the discharge pipe is connected to the fifth evaporator 105, the concentration may reach a mass fraction of 0.89. Therefore, when the flow rate of the injected process liquid is 3 tons / hour, the overall steam efficiency is optimal when the discharge pipe is connected to the fourth evaporator 104.

[0183] When the flow rate of the injected process liquid is 4 tons / hour and 5 tons / hour, it can be seen that the discharge concentration is constant no matter which of the evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 the discharge pipe is connected to. This is because the evaporation rates of the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 are relatively small compared to the amount of the injected process liquid, so that the process liquid is not concentrated to a high concentration of the solubility level. Therefore, when the flow rate of the injected process liquid is 4 tons / hour and 5 tons / hour, the configuration in which the discharge pipe is connected to the fifth evaporator 105 is optimal in terms of overall steam efficiency.

[0184] In conclusion, when producing L-methionine, when the flow rate of the injected process liquid is adjusted for production control, the optimal configuration of the discharge pipe may change, and thus energy efficiency can be improved by installing a reconfigurable multiple-effect falling film evaporator.

[0185] The second example shows a production process of L-threonine.

[0186] For the test, an aqueous solution of L-threonine with a mass fraction of 0.10 was prepared, and the temperature of the aqueous solution was maintained at 50°C during the experiment.

[0187] The experiment was conducted by dividing the flow rate of the injected process liquid into 2, 3, 4 and 5 tons / hour, and by dividing the configuration in which the discharge pipe was connected to the first evaporator 101, the second evaporator 102, the third evaporator 103, the fourth evaporator 104 and the fifth evaporator 105. Thereafter, the concentration of the crystal slurry discharged from the forced circulation evaporation crystallizer was fixed at 0.60 based on the L-threonine mass fraction. After each experiment was stabilized for more than 10 hours, the concentration of the process liquid discharged from the multi-effect falling film evaporator and the steam efficiency of the overall process were observed, and the results are shown in Table 4.

[0188] Table 4 shows the flow rate of the process liquid injected in the L-threonine production process and the discharge concentration and the total steam efficiency for each of the evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 connected to the discharge pipe.

[0189] (Table 4)

[0190]

[0191] It can be seen from Table 4 that when the flow rate of the injected process liquid is 2 tons / hour, the discharge concentrations of the evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 show an increasing trend. This is because the evaporation rates of the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 are relatively high compared to the amount of the injected process liquid, so that the process liquid is concentrated to a high concentration at the solubility level.

[0192] When the flow rate of the injected process liquid is 2 tons / hour, when the discharge pipe is connected to the first evaporator 101, the overall steam efficiency is optimal.

[0193] When the flow rate of the injected process liquid is 3 tons / hour, in the configuration in which the discharge pipe is connected to the first evaporator 101, the second evaporator 102, and the third evaporator 103, the same degree of concentration is shown based on the mass fraction of L-threonine of 0.166. At the same time, in the configuration of the fourth evaporator 104 and the fifth evaporator 105, a concentration of 0.166 or less based on the mass fraction of L-threonine is possible. Therefore, when the flow rate of the injected process liquid is 3 tons / hour, when the discharge pipe is connected to the third evaporator 103, the overall steam efficiency is optimal.

[0194] When the flow rate of the injected process liquid is 4 tons / hour and 5 tons / hour, it can be seen that no matter which of the evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 the discharge pipe is connected to, the discharge concentration is constant, because the evaporation rate of the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 is relatively small compared to the amount of the injected process liquid, so that the process liquid is not concentrated to a high concentration at the solubility level. Therefore, when the flow rate of the injected process liquid is 4 tons / hour and 5 tons / hour, the configuration in which the discharge pipe is connected to the evaporator 105 is optimal in terms of total steam efficiency. In summary, when L-threonine is produced, when the flow rate of the injected process liquid is adjusted for production control, the optimal configuration of the discharge pipe may change, and thus energy efficiency can be improved by installing a reconfigurable multiple-effect falling film evaporator.

[0195] The third example shows a production process of L-valine.

[0196] For the test, an aqueous solution of L-valine with a mass fraction of 0.05 was prepared, and the temperature of the aqueous solution was maintained at 50°C during the experiment.

[0197] The experiment was conducted by dividing the flow rate of the injected process liquid into 2, 3, 4 and 5 tons / hour, and by dividing the configuration in which the discharge pipe was connected to the first evaporator 101, the second evaporator 102, the third evaporator 103, the fourth evaporator 104 and the fifth evaporator 105. Thereafter, the concentration of the crystal slurry discharged from the forced circulation evaporation crystallizer was fixed at 0.35 based on the mass fraction of L-valine. After each experiment was stabilized for more than 10 hours, the concentration of the process liquid discharged from the multi-effect falling film evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 and the steam efficiency of the overall process were observed, and the results are shown in Table 5.

[0198] Table 5 shows the flow rate of the process liquid injected, the discharge concentration, and the total steam efficiency in the L-valine production process according to the configuration in which the evaporator is connected to the discharge pipe.

[0199] (Table 5)

[0200]

[0201]

[0202] As can be seen from Table 5, when the flow rate of the injected process liquid is 2 tons / hour, the discharge concentrations of the evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 show an increasing trend. This is because the evaporation rates of the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 are relatively high compared to the amount of the injected process liquid, so that the process liquid is concentrated to a high concentration at the solubility level. When the flow rate of the injected process liquid is 2 tons / hour, the overall steam efficiency is optimal when the discharge pipe is connected to the first evaporator 101.

[0203] When the flow rate of the injected process liquid is 3 tons / hour, in the configuration in which the discharge pipe is connected to the first evaporator 101, the second evaporator 102, and the third evaporator 103, the mass fraction based on L-valine is 0.080, showing the same degree of concentration, in the configuration in which the discharge pipe is connected to the fourth evaporator 104 and the fifth evaporator 105, a concentration of 0.080 or less based on the mass fraction of L-valine is possible. This is because the evaporation rate of the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 is relatively large compared to the amount of process liquid injected in the configuration in which the discharge pipe is connected only to the fourth evaporator 104 and the fifth evaporator 105, so that the process liquid is concentrated to a high concentration of the solubility level. Therefore, when the flow rate of the injected process liquid is 3 tons / hour, the total steam efficiency is optimal when the third evaporator 103 is connected to the discharge pipe.

[0204] When the flow rate of the injected process liquid was 4 tons / hour, in the configuration in which the discharge pipe was connected to the first evaporator 101, the second evaporator 102, the third evaporator 103, and the fourth evaporator 104, the same degree of concentration was shown based on the mass fraction of L-valine of 0.075, and in the configuration in which the discharge pipe was connected to the fifth evaporator 105, a concentration of 0.075 or less based on the mass fraction of L-valine was possible.

[0205] When the flow rate of the injected process liquid is 4 tons / hour, when the discharge pipe is connected to the fourth evaporator 104, the overall steam efficiency is optimal.

[0206] When the flow rate of the injected process liquid is 5 tons / hour, it can be seen that the discharge concentration is constant no matter which of the evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 the discharge pipe is connected to. This is because the evaporation rates of the multiple-effect evaporators 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 are relatively small compared to the amount of the injected process liquid, so that the process liquid is not concentrated to a high concentration at the solubility level. Therefore, when the flow rate of the injected process liquid is 5 tons / hour, the configuration in which the discharge pipe is connected to the fifth evaporator 105 is optimal in terms of overall steam efficiency.

[0207] In conclusion, when producing L-valine, when the flow rate of the injected process liquid is adjusted for production control, the optimal discharge piping configuration may change, and thus energy efficiency may be improved by installing a reconfigurable multiple-effect falling film evaporator.

[0208] According to the above description, when L-lysine, L-methionine, L-threonine and L-valine are interchangeably produced under the conditions of Comparative Example 1, Example 1, Example 2 and Example 3 in the same plant, the optimal configuration of the discharge pipe may be variously changed according to the flow rate of the injected process liquid and the type of amino acid to be produced. In the case of such amino acid compatible production, it can be seen that even if the optimal discharge pipe for L-lysine is fixed to the fifth evaporator 105, in order to produce other amino acids, the configuration of the discharge pipe should be changed, so when the reconfigurable multi-effect falling film evaporator is installed, it helps to improve the steam efficiency of the overall process.

[0209] While the present invention has been described in conjunction with what are presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An amino acid production system, comprising: a plurality of preheaters that heat a process liquid having amino acids mixed therein and are interconnected by a plurality of pipelines; and a plurality of evaporators which evaporate the process liquid heated by the plurality of preheaters by heat exchange with a heat source and are connected to each other by a plurality of pipes, wherein one of the plurality of evaporators discharges the amino acid concentrate from which water has been removed by evaporation to the outside through a discharge pipe, and The discharge conduit is selectively connected to one of the plurality of evaporators.

2. The amino acid production system according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of evaporators include at least three evaporators, and are sequentially connected in series through a plurality of pipelines.

3. The amino acid production system according to claim 2, wherein: When a discharge pipe is connected to the remaining evaporators except the last evaporator among the plurality of evaporators, the evaporators connected to the discharge pipe are connected to a reverse pipe, and the process liquid discharged from the last evaporator is introduced into the reverse pipe.

4. The amino acid production system according to claim 3, wherein: The discharge pipe is connected to the first evaporator to finally discharge the amino acid concentrate, and The plurality of pipes connected to the plurality of evaporators include: a plurality of forward process liquid conduits that convey process liquid from the second evaporator to the last evaporator in a forward direction, and A plurality of reverse process liquid conduits convey process liquid from the last evaporator to the first evaporator in a reverse direction.

5. The amino acid production system according to claim 3, wherein: The discharge pipe is connected to the remaining evaporators except the first evaporator and the last evaporator among the plurality of evaporators to finally discharge the amino acid concentrate, and The plurality of pipes connected to the plurality of evaporators include: a plurality of forward process liquid conduits that convey process liquid from the first evaporator in a forward direction to an evaporator located before the last evaporator; and A reverse process liquid conduit conveys process liquid from the last evaporator in a reverse direction to an evaporator connected to the discharge conduit.

6. The amino acid production system according to claim 3, wherein: The discharge pipe is connected to the last evaporator to finally discharge the amino acid concentrate, and The plurality of conduits connected to the plurality of evaporators include a plurality of forward process liquid conduits that deliver process liquid from a first evaporator to an evaporator located before the last evaporator.

7. The amino acid production system according to claim 3, wherein: A plurality of preheaters are connected in series in sequence through a plurality of pipelines, and The preheated process liquid discharged from the first preheater located at the front end flows into the first evaporator located at the front end.

8. The amino acid production system according to claim 3, further comprising: A plurality of circulation pumps are respectively connected to the plurality of evaporators and sequentially discharge the process liquid discharged from the plurality of evaporators to the next evaporator through respective pipelines.

9. The amino acid production system according to claim 8, wherein: The plurality of circulation pumps are also connected to pipes that circulate process liquid to the connected evaporators.

10. The amino acid production system according to claim 3, further comprising: a plurality of separators connected to the plurality of evaporators and supplying the vapor exhausted from the plurality of evaporators to the following evaporators and a preheater, The evaporator located at the front end among the plurality of evaporators and the preheater located at the front end among the plurality of preheaters are supplied with steam introduced from the outside.

11. A method for connecting a plurality of pipelines in an amino acid production system, the amino acid production system comprising a plurality of multi-effect falling film evaporators connected by the plurality of pipelines, the method comprising: The evaporators are connected in series through a plurality of pipes, and A discharge pipe is selectively connected to one of the evaporators, the discharge pipe discharging the amino acid concentrate from which water is removed by evaporation in the evaporator.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: After the selective connection, when the discharge pipe is connected to the evaporators other than the last evaporator among the evaporators, the process liquid mixed with the amino acid is moved in a forward direction from the first evaporator to the last evaporator through the connection of the process liquid pipe; as well as The connection through the process liquid conduit moves process liquid in the reverse direction from the last evaporator to the evaporator connected to the discharge conduit.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: connecting a plurality of condensers to the respective evaporators and an evaporator located behind the respective evaporators, the plurality of condensers condensing vapor exhausted from the plurality of evaporators, The process liquid discharged from the plurality of condensers is transported to each evaporator and an evaporator located after each evaporator through a circulation pipeline.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: A plurality of preheaters are connected in series through a plurality of pipelines, the plurality of preheaters heating the process liquid mixed with the amino acid, and a preheater connected to a last position relative to the preheater at a process liquid introduction point is connected to the first evaporator among the evaporators through a pipeline, The process liquid heated by the preheater connected to the last position is sent to the first evaporator.

Images