4. Equipment List and Engineering Specifications
This section fixes the final equipment concept for the facility. The selected specifications are suitable for procurement, vendor quotes, and website display. Equivalent vendor packages are acceptable provided they meet the minimum requirements.
4.1 Final equipment list
D-101 Distillation Still
Primary service vessel for botanical charge, vapor generation, and aroma release.
E-101 Condenser
Primary service vessel for botanical charge, vapor generation, and aroma release.
S-101 Oil Separator / Florentine
Separates trace lavender essential oil from the condensed hydrosol stream.
TK-101 Hydrosol Collection Tank
Receives hydrosol product prior to polishing filtration and packaging.
P-101 / F-101 Transfer and Filtration
Moves hydrosol from collection to final packaging and removes suspended fines.
UT-101 Electric Heating Package
Provides the final electric heating duty selected for startup operation.
5. Utilities, Instrumentation, and Control Philosophy
5.1 Electrical utility
Because electric heating is the selected basis, the plant should be installed where three-phase power is available or can be provided economically. A startup load in the range of roughly 20 to 30 kW is realistic once heating, pumps, controls, lights, and packaging accessories are included. Electrical design should include local disconnects, lockout points, overload protection, and clear emergency isolation.
5.2 Water utility
The process requires two water qualities: process water used for hydrosol production, and cooling water used by the condenser. Process water should be clean, low-odor, and consistent. Softened or otherwise treated utility water is recommended for any steam generator or heated utility package to reduce scale and maintenance.
5.3 Instrumentation
5.4 Control philosophy
Operators will load the batch, start heating, confirm condenser service, stop the batch when quality and volume targets are achieved, and collect product.
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Heating must stay off, unless cooling water is available for the condenser. A permissive based on cooling-water flow or pressure is highly recommended. High-temperature and low-water trips are mandatory on the electric heating package.
Product transfer to final storage or filling is manual or semi-automatic at this scale. Full automation is not required for commercial success at 100 L/day, but data logging for batch numbers, feed lot, start times, stop times, and finished volumes should be standard practice.
5.5 Recommended valves and fittings
Triple clamp hygienic fittings, sanitary ball valves, food-grade gaskets, and drainable piping runs are recommended throughout the product side of the system. Utility-side fittings may be industrial threaded or flanged connections where appropriate, but product-contact pathways should remain easy to inspect.
6. Facility Layout, Sanitary Zoning, and Quality Design
6.1 Layout concept
A small light-industrial suite of roughly 40 to 60 m2 is sufficient for the 100 L/day facility. The recommended arrangement involves a raw-material receipt and staging area, distillation area, condensation and collection area, filtration/filling bench, finished product storage, and sanitation station.
6.2 Suggested area program
6.3 Hygienic zoning
Raw materials and finished goods should not cross unnecessarily. Botanical waste should be directed away from the filling area. Finished hydrosol should move into closed tanks or immediately to filling in order to preserve aroma and reduce risks of contamination.
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Flooring should be washable, non-porous, and sloped appropriately where wet cleaning is practiced. Wall finishes should be easy to wipe. Adequate room ventilation is required to keep the plant comfortable and to avoid heat or humidity buildup.
6.4 Quality design features
Closed collection path after condensation, sanitary product tank, hygienic pump and fittings, filtration before packaging, documented cleaning procedure, lot-based traceability, and retention sampling for each batch.
6.5 Packaging concept
At 100 L/day, packaging may be done semi-automatically into amber bottles, white-label bulk jugs, or intermediate storage tanks. The final packaging format does not change the core process design, but it does affect filling speed, shelf-life presentation, and warehouse space.