RCM Technologies says it has used precision engineering and process optimisation to more than double output in a legacy ethanol plant in the US Midwest.
The company’s division, RCM Thermal Kinetics, announced it had completed a high-impact revamp of the plant’s Distillation, Dehydration & Evaporation (DD&E) system, increasing capacity from 40 million gallons per year (MMGPY) to 105 MMGPY—a more than 250% increase over the original design.
“Our senior engineer, Roy Viteri, utilized precision engineering techniques drawn from his extensive petroleum industry background,” said Christopher J. Brown, Founder of Thermal Kinetics. “Instead of replacing major equipment, we applied surgical upgrades and advanced system design methods that unlocked hidden capacity in the plant’s existing footprint.”
Despite previous upgrades that had increased the plant to 85 MMGPY, operational ceilings—including tower pressure losses, undersized pumps, hydraulic constraints, and carryover from the Beer Column—prevented further growth. Using the NEXT Engineering Platform, RCM-TK launched a comprehensive, data-driven revamp. Engineers conducted extensive field surveys to validate piping, equipment, and control system performance, building a detailed digital process model to identify bottlenecks and hydraulic limitations.
Targeted engineering interventions followed, including custom distillation trays, advanced packing, expanded heat transfer surfaces, a new vaporiser, and improved pump and motor capacity, all designed to maximise throughput and improve separation efficiency.
Viteri said: “This project demonstrates what is possible when advanced process design meets real-world constraints. It opens the door for existing plants to dramatically increase output, reduce cost per gallon, and strengthen their competitive position in the renewable fuels market.”
The project was executed efficiently, with five months of pre-shutdown planning followed by a five-day shutdown during which all upgrades were installed without welding in the towers. The result was a high-capacity, optimised plant with improved ethanol proof, reduced carryover, and maximum utilisation of the DD&E system, all achieved without replacing major equipment.
Scott Yenzer, General Manager, Industrial Markets, added: “As the first completed NEXT project, this installation validates the program’s potential. Thermal Kinetics currently has several NEXT projects underway, further evidence of the program’s rapid adoption and the company’s continued leadership in ethanol plant innovation.”
The project exemplifies current trends in industrial automation and Industry 4.0, showing how field intelligence, validated simulation, and targeted engineering can modernise legacy facilities, improve operational performance, and reduce capital risk.
