Whisky From Dry Steam
Clayton Thermal Products Limited supplied a steam generator for the first distillery to be built in Wales for over 100 years.
The Welsh Whisky Company have already begun production at their Gwalia Distillery in Penderyn, South Wales and the steam is being used on a new still which is of an advanced, highly efficient a
nd environmentally
friendly design. The steam quality being provided by the Clayton Steam
Generator
for this application is 99.5% dry saturated and can be produced within
five minutes of start up from cold.
Rapid start up and high
quality steam is inherent in the design of the Clayton Steam Generator which is
based in a simple but ingenious concept. Water is pumped through a
heated coil in the generator where steam is produced. The coil contains
only the amount of water which is required to be converted into steam
plus a small excess. From the outlet of the coil the steam/water mixture
is then directed to a high efficiency vortex separator which results in
extremely dry steam. This forced circulation monotube coil principle
also means that the steam generator is small in size and weight and is
fuel-efficient.A feature of the design which adds to fuel efficiency is
the counter flow principle used on Clayton Steam Generators. The water
in the coil flows in the opposite direction to the hot flue gasses. This
means that the cold water enters at the top of the unit where the
exhaust flue gasses are coldest and exits at the bottom where the flue
gas temperature is highest. The efficiency at partial load can actually
be higher than at full load conditions. Alun Evans who is one of the
directors of the Welsh Whisky Company said
“We have been able to blend traditional methods with
the most efficient and up to date technology available to ensure that
the Whisky produced will be of the highest quality possible”.
In addition to the steam generator itself Clayton Thermal Products supplied the water softener and chemical dosing plant as well as the water hotwell and accessories.
All of the equipment was provided as a skid mounted packaged unit. The output is 400 kg/hr and the space requirement is only 1.7 metres by 1.5 metres.
A natural underground water system at the distillery provides water of a
distinctive quality which is the key to superior malt Whisky. For those
who wish to be among the first to taste the new Welsh Whisky the company
will be offering barrels for sale once they are laid down for ageing.
Copyright © 2007