Continuous distiller and distillation process thereof

Abstract

The continuous distiller comprises a fermentation mash pump, a distillation tower, a vinasse pump, a fermentation mash preheater, a distillation tower condenser, a distillation kettle, a distillation kettle condenser, a distillation kettle bottom reflux pump and a PLC automatic control system, and the PLC automatic control system is used for controlling distillation; the fermentation mash pump, the fermentation mash preheater and the distillation tower are sequentially connected through pipelines, the distillation tower condenser is connected with the distillation tower through a pipeline, the distillation tower is connected with the distillation kettle through a pipeline, the distillation kettle is connected with the distillation kettle condenser through a pipeline, and the bottom of the distillation tower is connected with the vinasse pump through a pipeline. And the bottom of the distillation kettle is connected with the distillation tower through a distillation kettle bottom reflux pump. The problems of low automation level, high energy consumption and difficulty in continuous and stable production in the traditional distillation process are solved, the production efficiency is improved, and the energy consumption is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of distiller, in particular to a continuous distiller and a distillation process thereof. Background Art

[0002] A distiller is an instrument used to separate substances by distillation. Currently, most distillation equipment used in the brewing industry utilizes traditional batch distillation. While this method can ensure a certain level of product quality, it requires downtime for cleaning after each distillation, resulting in low production efficiency and high energy consumption. With growing market demand and technological advancements, the development of efficient and energy-efficient continuous distillation units has become a research hotspot within the industry. Such units can significantly increase production and reduce specific energy consumption.

[0003] Among existing technologies, the most common traditional distillation methods include single-shot batch distillation and multi-effect batch distillation. The former typically relies on manual operation to complete the distillation process. This intermittent operation wastes raw materials and energy, and makes it difficult to precisely control key parameters during the distillation process, resulting in fluctuations in product quality. While the latter can improve efficiency to a certain extent, it still requires frequent starts and stops, resulting in significant energy losses. Furthermore, since these devices generally lack intelligent control systems, they rely heavily on manual monitoring during actual operation, increasing overall operating costs.

[0004] The above-mentioned existing technical solutions have the following defects: the existing distillation technology generally has problems such as low degree of automation and long production cycle, especially when facing large-scale production needs, it seems powerless. Therefore, traditional distillation equipment is usually inefficient and cannot achieve continuous distillation, resulting in low production efficiency and high energy consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a continuous distiller and a distillation process thereof, which solves the problems of low automation level, high energy consumption and difficulty in continuous and stable production in traditional distillation processes, improves production efficiency and reduces energy consumption.

[0006] The above-mentioned object of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0007] A continuous distiller comprising a fermentation mash pump, a distillation tower, a lees pump, a fermentation mash preheater, a distillation tower condenser, a distillation pot, a distillation pot condenser, a distillation pot bottom reflux pump, and a PLC automatic control system, wherein the PLC automatic control system is used to control distillation;

[0008] The fermentation mash pump, the fermentation mash preheater and the distillation tower are connected in sequence through pipelines, the distillation tower condenser is connected to the distillation tower through a pipeline, the distillation tower is connected to the still through a pipeline, the still is connected to the still condenser through a pipeline, the bottom of the distillation tower is connected to the lees pump through a pipeline, and the bottom of the still is connected to the distillation tower through the still bottom reflux pump.

[0009] As a further technical solution of the present invention: it also includes a valve-pipeline platform bracket, a variety of valves are installed on the pipeline, and the valves and the pipeline are installed on the valve-pipeline platform bracket.

[0010] As a further technical solution of the present invention: the fermentation mash pump is used to transport the fermentation mash to the distillation tower.

[0011] As a further technical solution of the present invention: the distillation tower is used to control the distillation of the fermentation mash by adjusting the temperature after preheating, and the lees pump is used to discharge the lees from the bottom of the distillation tower.

[0012] As a further technical solution of the present invention: the fermentation mash preheater is used to preheat the fermentation mash to improve the distillation efficiency, and the distillation tower condenser is used to condense the top steam of the distillation tower and recover low-boiling-point substances.

[0013] As a further technical solution of the present invention: the distillation pot is used to further collect and condense steam to improve the distillation purity of the wine, the distillation pot condenser is used to condense the steam discharged from the top of the distillation tower and the distillation pot, and the distillation pot bottom reflux pump is used to reflux the liquid in the distillation pot to the distillation tower to realize circulating distillation.

[0014] The distillation process of a continuous distiller as described above comprises the following steps:

[0015] Step 1: Preheat the distillation column: introduce steam through the base of the column to preheat the entire column to 100°C.

[0016] Step 2, feeding: the fermentation liquid is transported to the fermentation liquid preheater through the fermentation liquid pump, and then enters the distillation tower;

[0017] Step 3: Adjust feed and steam volume: Adjust feed rate and steam volume according to tower top temperature;

[0018] Step 4, condensation and reflux: cooling the overhead vapor through the distillation tower condenser and refluxing the condensed material into the tower;

[0019] Step 5: Take the wine: When the wine taking temperature is reached, adjust the wine taking valve through the liquid phase to send the wine into the distillation pot;

[0020] Step 6, heating the still: When the wine in the still reaches the set level, steam heating is applied to evaporate the wine;

[0021] Step 7: Discharging the wine: Cool the wine through the still condenser and collect the evaporated wine;

[0022] Step 8: Automatic control: Automatically control the discharge of waste liquid at the bottom of the tower and the liquid level in the distillation pot through high and low liquid level sensors to achieve circulating distillation.

[0023] As a further technical solution of the present invention: the distillation process is suitable for the continuous distillation of grain whiskey.

[0024] As a further technical solution of the present invention: the distillation process is suitable for continuous distillation of white orchid.

[0025] As a further technical solution of the present invention: the distillation process is suitable for continuous distillation of optimized purification of liquor and continuous distillation of other distilled liquors.

[0026] In summary, the present invention includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0027] 1. This invention discloses a continuous distiller and distillation process. The continuous distiller can achieve 24-hour continuous distillation. By precisely controlling parameters in each process, it ensures stable product quality, improves work efficiency, and conserves energy. The distillation process is suitable for the continuous distillation of a variety of distilled liquors. Preheating, precise temperature and flow rate control, PLC automation, and high-precision sensor monitoring ensure the stability and efficiency of the production process.

[0028] 2. The present invention significantly improves the continuity and automation level of the distillation process, reduces the need for human intervention, significantly reduces energy consumption, and promotes the realization of energy conservation and emission reduction goals. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 It is the overall structural block diagram of the continuous distiller of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the component symbols in the continuous distiller of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 3 This is a chromatographic analysis report of an 83.0% vol wine sample after distillation of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 4 This is a chromatographic analysis report of a 94.0% vol wine sample after distillation of the present invention.

[0033] Figure numerals: 1. fermentation mash pump; 2. distillation tower; 3. lees pump; 4. fermentation mash preheater; 5. distillation tower condenser; 6. still; 7. still condenser; 8. still bottom reflux pump. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application; it is obvious that the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0035] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "top / bottom," and the like, indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended solely to facilitate the description of this application and simplify the description. They do not indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0036] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "installed," "provided with," "mounted / connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connected" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0037] Example 1:

[0038] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , which is a continuous distiller disclosed in the present invention, including a fermentation mash pump 1, a distillation tower 2, a lees pump 3, a fermentation mash preheater 4, a distillation tower condenser 5, a distillation pot 6, a distillation pot condenser 7, a distillation pot bottom reflux pump 8, and a PLC automatic control system. The PLC automatic control system is used to control the distillation.

[0039] The fermentation mash pump 1, the fermentation mash preheater 4 and the distillation tower 2 are connected in sequence through pipelines, the distillation tower condenser 5 is connected to the distillation tower 2 through a pipeline, the distillation tower 2 is connected to the still 6 through a pipeline, the still 6 is connected to the still condenser 7 through a pipeline, the bottom of the distillation tower 2 is connected to the lees pump 3 through a pipeline, and the bottom of the still 6 is connected to the distillation tower 2 through the still bottom reflux pump 8.

[0040] It also includes a valve pipeline platform support, a variety of valves are installed on the pipeline, and the valves and pipelines are installed on the valve pipeline platform support. Figure 2 , various valves including butterfly valves, ball valves, stop valves, regulating stop valves, check valves, needle valves, these valves are installed Figure 1 The pipeline is also equipped with concentric reducers, eccentric reducers, orifice plates / electromagnetic flowmeters, sight glasses, flame arresters, diaphragm pressure transmitters, metal rotor flowmeters and Y-type filters.

[0041] Mash pump 1 transports mash to distillation tower 2. Distillation tower 2 is used to control the distillation of the mash by adjusting its temperature after preheating. Slag pump 3 discharges slag from the bottom of distillation tower 2. Mash preheater 4 preheats the mash to improve distillation efficiency. Distillation tower condenser 5 condenses the overhead vapor from distillation tower 2 and recovers low-boiling-point substances.

[0042] The still 6 is used to further collect and condense steam to improve the purity of the wine distillation. The still condenser 7 is used to condense the steam discharged from the top of the distillation tower 2 and the still 6. The still bottom reflux pump 8 is used to reflux the liquid in the still 6 to the distillation tower 2 to realize circulating distillation.

[0043] In this embodiment, the distillation tower 2 is designed to have a diameter of 400 mm and is made of high-temperature and high-pressure resistant materials; the fermentation mash preheater 4 is made of stainless steel to ensure good thermal conductivity; the control system is built based on PLC automatic control technology to ensure precise control of various parameters.

[0044] Working principle: First, preheat the continuous column. Process brewing water enters the column from the upper part of the tower (18th floor). Steam is introduced into the tower base for heating to preheat the entire column. When the top temperature shows 100°C, the brewing water is switched to fermentation liquid; fermentation liquid - fermentation mash pump 1 - fermentation mash preheater 4 - distillation tower 2; adjust the feed rate and the amount of steam entering. When the top temperature reaches the control temperature, the condenser starts to cool with cooling water, and the low-boiling point substances are emptied through the exhaust pipe. The condensed substances are passed through the It flows back into the distillation column through the reflux pipe, and when the wine-taking temperature is reached, wine is taken (liquid phase is used for wine-taking), and the wine-taking regulating valve is adjusted to enter the distillation pot 6; when the wine in the distillation pot 6 reaches the set liquid level, steam is passed to heat the distillation pot 6, and the wine evaporates in the distillation pot 6 - the distillation pot condenser 7 is cooled - the wine is collected at the outlet; the liquid level at the bottom of the tower is automatically controlled by the high and low liquid level sensors to discharge the waste liquid at the bottom of the tower, and the liquid level in the distillation pot 6 is automatically controlled by the height liquid level sensor to flow back into the tower column for circulation and distillation.

[0045] Operation steps and precautions: S1: Before starting, check whether all equipment is in good condition, especially the valve switch status; S2: Turn on the steam source to preheat the entire tower body until the conditions are met; S3: Adjust the appropriate flow rate of fermentation liquid so that it flows smoothly into distillation tower 2; S4: Adjust the inlet pressure according to actual conditions to maintain a constant operating temperature at the top of the tower; S5: Turn on the condensation system in time and keep it in normal operation until the wine is produced; S6: After collecting the finished products, turn off the power and perform daily maintenance work.

[0046] Replaceable parts: The fermentation mash pump 1 can be selected from different models according to actual needs, but must ensure sufficient conveying capacity and corrosion resistance; the condenser can also be selected to be air-cooled or water-cooled according to the on-site environment.

[0047] The 400-diameter column-pot continuous still utilizes an advanced continuous design concept and is equipped with a fully automated PLC control system. By preheating the column and precisely controlling the feed rate and heat input, a stable liquid separation process is achieved, ultimately producing high-quality alcoholic beverages that meet standard requirements. Furthermore, this system effectively avoids the drawbacks of intermittent operation, such as energy waste and increased mechanical wear caused by frequent starts and stops.

[0048] Example 2:

[0049] The present invention also discloses a distillation process of a continuous distiller, comprising the following steps:

[0050] Step 1: Preheat the distillation column: introduce steam through the base of the column to preheat the entire column to 100°C.

[0051] Step 2, feeding: the fermentation liquid is transported to the fermentation liquid preheater through the fermentation liquid pump, and then enters the distillation tower;

[0052] Step 3: Adjust feed and steam volume: Adjust feed rate and steam volume according to tower top temperature;

[0053] Step 4, condensation and reflux: cooling the overhead vapor through the distillation tower condenser and refluxing the condensed material into the tower;

[0054] Step 5: Take the wine: When the wine taking temperature is reached, adjust the wine taking valve through the liquid phase to send the wine into the distillation pot;

[0055] Step 6, heating the still: When the wine in the still reaches the set level, steam heating is applied to evaporate the wine;

[0056] Step 7: Discharging the wine: Cool the wine through the still condenser and collect the evaporated wine;

[0057] Step 8: Automatic control: Automatically control the discharge of waste liquid at the bottom of the tower and the liquid level in the distillation pot through high and low liquid level sensors to achieve circulating distillation.

[0058] The distillation process is suitable for the continuous distillation of grain whiskey, the distillation process is suitable for the continuous distillation of brandy, the distillation process is suitable for the continuous distillation of optimized purification of liquor and the continuous distillation of other distilled liquors. In this embodiment, after the continuous distillation of grain whiskey using the distillation process, the sample was subjected to chromatographic analysis, and the analysis results are as follows: Figure 3 As shown in Figure 4, according to the chromatographic analysis results, it can be seen that the quality of the wine sample product distilled by the distillation process of the present invention is stable.

[0059] The present invention is based on the following principles: A continuous distiller and distillation process are disclosed. The continuous distiller is capable of 24-hour continuous distillation. By precisely controlling parameters in each process, it ensures stable product quality, improves efficiency, and conserves energy. The distillation process is suitable for the continuous distillation of a variety of distilled liquors. Preheating, precise temperature and flow rate control, PLC automation, and high-precision sensor monitoring ensure the stability and efficiency of the production process.

[0060] The embodiments of this specific implementation method are all preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, any equivalent changes made based on the structure, shape, and principle of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A continuous distiller, characterized in that The system comprises a fermentation mash pump (1), a distillation tower (2), a lees pump (3), a fermentation mash preheater (4), a distillation tower condenser (5), a still (6), a still condenser (7), a still bottom reflux pump (8), and a PLC automatic control system, wherein the PLC automatic control system is used to control distillation; The fermentation mash pump (1), the fermentation mash preheater (4) and the distillation tower (2) are connected in sequence through pipelines, the distillation tower condenser (5) is connected to the distillation tower (2) through a pipeline, the distillation tower (2) is connected to the still (6) through a pipeline, the still (6) is connected to the still condenser (7) through a pipeline, the bottom of the distillation tower (2) is connected to the lees pump (3) through a pipeline, and the bottom of the still (6) is connected to the distillation tower (2) through the still bottom reflux pump (8).

2. A continuous distiller according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a valve pipeline platform bracket, a variety of valves are installed on the pipeline, and the valves and the pipeline are installed on the valve pipeline platform bracket.

3. A continuous distiller according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fermented beer pump (1) is used to transport the fermented beer to the distillation column (2).

4. A continuous distiller according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distillation tower (2) is used to control the distillation of the fermented mash by adjusting the temperature after preheating, and the lees pump (3) is used to discharge the lees from the bottom of the distillation tower (2).

5. A continuous distiller according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fermentation mash preheater (4) is used to preheat the fermentation mash to improve the distillation efficiency, and the distillation tower condenser (5) is used to condense the top steam of the distillation tower (2) and recover low-boiling-point substances.

6. A continuous distiller according to claim 1, characterized in that, The still (6) is used to further collect and condense steam to improve the purity of the wine distillation. The still condenser (7) is used to condense the steam discharged from the top of the distillation tower (2) and the still (6). The still bottom reflux pump (8) is used to reflux the liquid in the still (6) to the distillation tower (2) to achieve circulating distillation.

7. The distillation process of a continuous distiller according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step 1: Preheat the distillation column: introduce steam through the base of the column to preheat the entire column to 100°C. Step 2, feeding: the fermentation liquid is transported to the fermentation liquid preheater through the fermentation liquid pump, and then enters the distillation tower; Step 3: Adjust feed and steam volume: Adjust feed rate and steam volume according to tower top temperature; Step 4, condensation and reflux: cooling the overhead vapor through the distillation tower condenser and refluxing the condensed material into the tower; Step 5: Take the wine: When the wine taking temperature is reached, adjust the wine taking valve through the liquid phase to send the wine into the distillation pot; Step 6, heating the still: When the wine in the still reaches the set level, steam heating is applied to evaporate the wine; Step 7: Discharging the wine: Cool the wine through the still condenser and collect the evaporated wine; Step 8: Automatic control: Automatically control the discharge of waste liquid at the bottom of the tower and the liquid level in the distillation pot through high and low liquid level sensors to achieve circulating distillation.

8. The distillation process of a continuous distiller according to claim 7, characterized in that: The distillation process is suitable for the continuous distillation of grain whisky.

9. The distillation process of a continuous distiller according to claim 7, characterized in that: The distillation process is suitable for the continuous distillation of white orchid.

10. The distillation process of a continuous distiller according to claim 7, characterized in that: The distillation process is suitable for continuous distillation of optimized purification of liquor and continuous distillation of other distilled liquors.

Images