Brief outline & problem areas :
India’s “Essential Oil Industry” annually produces more or less 32,000 MT of different “Natural Essential Oils” (e.g. Oils of MINTS, LEMONGRASS, CITRONELLA, PALMAROSA, PATCHOULI, MARIGOLD, VETIVER, SANDALWOOD, AGARWOOD etc.) mostly by use of direct fired type “Field Distillation Units (FDUs)" and “live Steam Distillation Plants (LSDPs)” etc. The Industry also loses an estimated 9,000 – 10,000 MT of valuable “essential oils” (worth several billions of rupees) every year as a “PROCESS LOSS” due to one or more inherent (inborn) drawbacks in many models of FDUs & LSDPs etc. Other problem areas with most of these FDUs and LSDPs are : (i) huge consumptions of fuel, man-hours and steam per batch of distillation – operation; (ii) length of distillation period per batch are exceptionally high; (iii) batch to batch inconsistency in terms of oil yeilds & oil qualities; (iv) short life-span of low-cost conventional FDUs & LSDPs; (v) lacking in eco-friendly operations etc. and all the above factors together, like a silent killer, leads to high “cost of distillation” per MT of respective raw-materials, high “production cost” of respective oil per kg and impaired marketability & competitivity and so on.

Who are the major victims :
(i) Rural Farmers and Entrepreneurs at the grass-root level.
(ii) The country as a whole.

Feasible Solution :
During mid-eighties of last century, all above drawbacks & inadequacies of conventional FDUs & LSDPs have had been faced and carefully studied and finally, could be solved effectively by tedious R & D efforts to result in an optimized DISTILLATION-SYSTEM, designated here as the “Modern Distillation Plant (MDP)”. In the MDP-system , an “improved process” of distillation has been optimally synchronized with a “suitable device” (in different batch capacities of same distillation efficiency depending on the size of the PLANTATION or availability of aromatic raw-materials). The MDP-system has been optimally designed, PATENTED in India, verified by qualified personnel and also been industrially commissioned in a MODEL-FORM in North 24-Parganas of West Bengal, India, where all important theoretical and industrial aspects have been taken into consideration and effectively implemented.

Essential Components of MDP-system :
1) Furnace, non-IBR steam generator, stacks – 1set.
2) M.S. or S.S. made distillation vessel or still – 1 or 2 with 3 or 6 false bottoms (2- vessels would help to uninterruptedly conduct distillation – batches one after another even for round the clock).
3) Condenser – 1 (S.S. made)
4) Water-oil seperator – 1 (S.S. made)
5) Digested crop lifting arrangement – 1 set
6) Cooling tower – 1 (optional)

(All are scientifically engineered with superior material for prolonged life and hassle-free safe operations under optimum conditions of distillation for optimum reproducible results)

Salient Features of MDP-system :
(i) A conventional LSDP in the INDUSTRY and a MDP-system would look alike in componental composition and/or orientations; but the MDP-system is much superior in PERFORMANCE & PRECISIONS to the other models in the INDUSTRY. (ii) It effectively distills of different aromatic raw-materials within a CROP-SPECIFIC and deserving “Optimum Range of Distillation Period (ORDP)” per batch and thus saves about 40% to 80% of “Distillation-time” than the conventional-MODELS. A few examples are as follows :

Raw-material	ORDP/batch (in a MDP)	Diatillation time in conventional MODELS
Menthol mint	51-69 minutes	180 - 360 minutes
LEMONGRASS	65-85 minutes	240-360 minutes
CITRONELLA	105-135 minutes	210-480 minutes
PATCHOULI etc.	160-250 minutes etc.	480-1440 minutes etc.

(iii) 90% - 100% distillation efficiency (based on OPERATOR’S SKILL) with different available fuels (like LDO, gas, coal, firewood) including exhausted & dried spent-herbs. (iv) About 36% to 68% of steam savings. (v) Lowest depreciation – cost. (vi) Realisation of involved BLOCK CAPITAL by the same year or so with planned capacity utilisation. (vii) Pre-calculated INPUTS result in Pre-estimated (desired) superior quality yields at lowest cost in a time-bound manner. (viii) A centrally installed single MDP-system takes up the work-load of multiple numbers of FDUs & LSDPs per unit time for a group of Entrepreneurs and is suitable for multiple aromatic raw-materials and so on.

Conclusion : An optimized MDP-system is a ready to use tool of today and future for profitable, quality conscious and globally competitive “Essential oil production units” and is an essential substitute of conventional FDUs & LSDPs etc.