Method and apparatus for processing vegetable oils

An oil processing system, comprising:

• a deodorizer having a first deodorizer segment and a second deodorizer segment;
• a first vapor outlet in fluid communication with the first deodorizer segment and positioned to receive a first vapor stream comprising a majority of first volatiles from the first deodorizer segment;
• a second vapor outlet in fluid communication with the second deodorizer segment and positioned to receive a second vapor stream which comprises second volatiles from the second deodorizer segment;
• a first recovery system in fluid communication with the first vapor outlet configured to cool the first vapor stream to condense a first recovered fluid and direct a remaining first byproduct stream through a first byproduct outlet;
• a second recovery system in fluid communication with the second vapor outlet and configured to cool the second vapor stream to condense a second recovered fluid and direct a remaining second byproduct stream through a second byproduct outlet;
• a common byproduct condenser in fluid communication with the first and second byproduct outlets, the byproduct condenser being maintained at a pressure of no greater than 10 mm Hg and configured to condense a substantial fraction of the first and second volatiles remaining in the first and second byproduct streams;
• and
• a common vacuum system in fluid communication with and configured to maintain pressures in the first and second deodorizer segments, the first and second recovery systems, and the common byproduct condenser at a pressure no greater than 10 mm Hg.

An oil processing system, comprising:

• a deodorizer maintained at a pressure of no greater than 10 mm Hg, the deodorizer including a plurality of first vapor outlets through which volatilized impurities and a desirable glyceride fraction may exit;
• a recovery condenser having a condensing chamber maintained at a pressure no greater than 10 mm Hg, a plurality of first vapor inlets in fluid communication with the first vapor outlets, a second vapor outlet through which a glyceride-poor and impurity-rich byproduct vapor stream may exit the condensing chamber, and a recovered fluid outlet through which a glyceride-rich and impurity-poor recovered fluid may exit the condensing chamber;
• a recovered fluid spray system in fluid communication with the recovered fluid outlet, the recovered fluid spray system including a recovery spray head in fluid communication with the condensing chamber and a recirculation pump positioned to deliver a cooling flow of the recovered fluid to the recovery spray head;
• and
• a byproduct condenser having a second vapor inlet and a byproduct condensing chamber maintained at a pressure no greater than 10 mm Hg, the second vapor inlet being in fluid communication with the second vapor outlet and positioned to receive the byproduct vapor stream, the byproduct condensing chamber being configured to condense a substantial fraction of the impurities in the byproduct vapor stream.