Continuous Crystallization Cascade for Monosaccharide Production
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing crystalline monosaccharides, such as allulose, are discontinuous and inefficient, leading to time-consuming and uneconomic industrial production, with challenges in controlling crystal growth and achieving high yields in large-scale continuous processes.
Innovation Solution
A continuous method involving a cascade of pre-crystallizers and a main crystallizer, where crystallization magma is continuously formed and supplied to the main crystallizer, allowing for controlled crystal growth and high-yield production through evaporation and cooling crystallization, enabling precise manipulation of crystal size and distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If discontinuous crystallization method is used, then crystal growth control is simplified, but production efficiency is low and setup time is high
Solution Approach 1:
The crystallization process is divided into multiple stages with different functions: pre-crystallizers (for nucleation and initial crystal formation) and a main crystallizer (for continuous crystal growth). This segmentation allows each unit to operate optimally for its specific purpose, enabling continuous high-efficiency production while maintaining controlled crystal growth through staged processing
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous operation by constantly supplying concentrated monosaccharide solution to the pre-crystallizers and continuously transferring crystal suspension from pre-crystallizers to the main crystallizer. This continuous flow eliminates setup times between batches while maintaining controlled crystal growth conditions throughout the process
2Quantity of substance
If high concentration of crystallization magma is used, then yield increases, but crystal growth control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the crystallization system maintain different magma concentrations optimized for their specific function: pre-crystallizers operate with controlled lower concentrations to facilitate nucleation and initial crystal formation, while the main crystallizer receives continuous supply of concentrated solution to maintain high yield without compromising crystal growth control through localized optimization
3Productivity
If continuous crystallization is implemented, then production efficiency increases, but sufficient crystallization magma must be continuously available
Solution Approach 1:
Concentrated monosaccharide solution is continuously supplied to pre-crystallizers where initial crystal formation occurs before transfer to the main crystallizer. This preliminary crystallization action ensures that sufficient crystallization magma is continuously generated and available for the main crystallization process, enabling sustained high-efficiency production
4Ease of operation
If crystal size is reduced for better flow behavior, then suspension workability improves, but separation efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically controls crystal size through staged processing: pre-crystallizers produce smaller initial crystals that improve suspension flowability, while the main crystallizer allows continued growth to optimize separation efficiency. The dynamic balance between crystal size for flowability and size for separation is achieved through continuous processing and controlled residence time in each stage
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables continuous, efficient, and economic production of crystalline monosaccharides with controlled crystal growth, reducing setup times, increasing throughput, and minimizing instrumentation costs, while ensuring high yields and precise particle size distribution.
Implementation Method 1
in the at least one pre-crystallizer of the first stage, a solution is seeded with monosaccharide by means of monosaccharide seed crystals in order to obtain a pre-crystallization magma, and a mass of crystallization magma for the downstream stage is formed from the pre-crystallization magma by means of cooling crystallization and/or evaporation crystallization
Implementation Method 2
a mass of crystallization magma for the downstream stage is formed from the pre-crystallization magma by means of cooling crystallization and/or evaporation crystallization
Implementation Method 3
In order to prevent spontaneous crystal formation, seed crystals or a crystallization magma containing seed crystals are added for initiating the crystallization process of a crystal-free concentrated solution containing sugar
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a continuous method for obtaining a crystalline monosaccharide, comprising: continuous crystallization of the monosaccharide in a main crystallizer (10), wherein crystallization by evaporation and/or crystallization by cooling is carried out continuously on a crystal suspension in the main crystallizer in order to allow crystals of the monosaccharide to grow in the crystal suspension; separation of crystals of the monosaccharide out of the crystal suspension to obtain crystalline monosaccharide; continuous formation of a mass of crystallization magma for the main crystallizer (10) in a cascade, wherein the cascade comprises at least one first stage (13) and a final stage (15) connected in series and each stage comprises at least one pre-crystallizer (13A, 15A), wherein, in the at least one pre-crystallizer (13A) of the first stage (13), a solution is seeded with monosaccharide by means of monosaccharide seed crystals in order to obtain a pre-crystallization magma, and a mass of crystallization magma for the downstream stage (14, 15) is formed from the pre-crystallization magma by means of crystallization by cooling and/or crystallization by evaporation, and wherein a solution containing monosaccharide and a mass of crystallization magma from the upstream stage is supplied to the at least one pre-crystallizer (15A, 15B, 15C) of the final stage (15) to obtain a pre-crystallization magma, and in the at least one pre-crystallizer (15A, 15B, 15C) of the final stage (15) a mass of crystallization magma for the main crystallizer (10) is formed from the pre-crystallisation magma by means of crystallization by cooling and/or crystallization by evaporation; the continuous supply of a solution containing the monosaccharide and a mass of crystallization magma from the at least one pre-crystallizer (15A, 15B, 15C) of the final stage (15) of the cascade to the main crystallizer (10) to provide the crystal suspension.