GAB Neumann has successfully commissioned a new multistage steam jet vacuum pump for the generation of 2 mbar vacuum

GAB Neumann has successfully commissioned a new four-stage steam jet vacuum pump at the DSM Nutritional Products plant in Sisseln, Switzerland. It replaces a stainless-steel steam jet vacuum pump that was suffering high repair and maintenance costs due to corrosion-induced problems. The problems were caused by chlorides in process exhaust gases, which lead to the formation of highly corrosive acid when the motive steam condenses.

For DSM Nutritional Products, the generation of a stable vacuum level is the key to the efficient separation of substances during the production of vitamin A. The production plant in Sisseln is of great significance for DSM's vitamins business. The expectations with regard to the equipment used in the plant and its availability are consequently high.

With the new corrosion-resistant graphite steam jet vacuum pump, higher reliability and significantly lower maintenance costs are expected.  Shortly after commissioning, the vacuum system already exceeds DSM's expectations. With the vacuum-pump capacity now available, the product is preserved thanks to lower operating temperatures, thus increasing product quality and output. In addition, the start-up time for the separation columns can be significantly shortened, which further increases the productivity of the DSM plant.

The new vacuum system was entirely tailor-made by GAB Neumann to precisely meet DSM's specific requirements. The system includes multiple individual steam jet pumps that are connected in series in order to generate the deep vacuum. A unique annular-groove surface condenser partitioned in several chambers condenses the motive steam flows after each individual pump stage. This compact design allowed costs and space requirements to be reduced. All components in contact with the product, the four steam ejectors and the surface condenser are made of GAB GPX1 material, a phenolic resin-impregnated graphite with outstanding corrosion resistance to chlorinated compounds, chlorides and hydrochloric acid, among others.

Plant erection and commissioning were carried out by GAB Neumann's team within the scope of a planned plant shutdown exactly within the scheduled time frame in only three days. Further information can be found on our website at https://www.gab-neumann.com/vacuumgeneration.