The invention provides a low-
energy consumption method for preparing
ethanol and co-producing a mixed
solvent through
acetic acid hydrogenation. The method comprises 1,
gas phase hydrogenation, 2, gas-liquid separation, 3,
esterification reaction and 4, product refining: feeding a
liquid product B into a
neutralization reactor, adding an alkaline substance into the reactor, carrying out a
neutralization reaction process, feeding the
neutralization product into a first rectifying
tower, feeding a part of the first rectifying
tower top fraction back to a
gas phase hydrogenation reactor, feeding the first rectifying
tower bottom fraction into a second rectifying tower, feeding a part of the second rectifying tower top fraction back to the
gas phase hydrogenation reactor, collecting a part of the second rectifying tower top fraction as a mixed
solvent, wherein the mixed
solvent comprises
ethanol,
ethyl acetate and water according to an
ethanol-
ethyl acetate mass ratio of 1: 0.05-1.1, has
water content of 1-15wt% and an acidity value of 0-30mg / L and the second rectifying tower bottom fraction contains water, acetate and
butanol, feeding the second rectifying tower bottom fraction into a third rectifying tower, and carrying out separation to obtain a third rectifying tower bottom fraction containing water, acetate and
butanol and a third rectifying tower top fraction containing ethanol and water, wherein the third rectifying tower top fraction has
ethanol content of 85-95wt% and an acidity value of 0-25mg / L. The method can reduce
energy consumption and improve ethanol product quality.