A brief outline of the process, along with process flow diagram, is presented below:
Foam Trap (Separator) – To remove occasional foam carryover from fermentation.
CO2 Booster Compressor – maintains fermenter pressure and provides positive pressure for purification and compression.
CO2 Scrubber – provides bulk removal of water-soluble impurities (such as alcohols, ketones, etc.) in an efficient manner using potable water as the scrubbing medium (minimal water consumption).
CO2 Compressor – elevates the CO2 gas pressure to allow for efficient purification, dehydration and liquefaction.
CO2 Aftercooler / Precooler – reduces the gas temperature to condense and remove a significant amount of water contained in the gas. This maximizes downstream equipment performance and efficiency.
CO2 Deodorizer / Dryer – provides final trace removal of impurities (such as organic and sulfur compounds) and water vapor (moisture).
CO2 Liquefaction / Stripping System – converts the CO2 gas to a liquid form by use of refrigeration (i.e.: R22, R404A, NH3, etc.). This allows for convenient storage of the liquid CO2 product and provides for additional purification of the CO2 by the partial removal of non-condensable gases (i.e. O2 and N2) via stripping technology. This technology is designed to provide a guaranteed liquid CO2 purity with regard to non-condensable levels (e.g. <5 ppmv O2). It can also allow for earlier collection from fermentation, which increases the quantity of CO2 recovered
Liquid CO2 Storage Tank – receives and stores the liquid CO2 for reuse or resale.