Method and system for distilling alcohol mixture

Abstract

A method and system for distilling an alcohol mixture is provided. A distillation system for distilling an alcohol mixture comprises: a distillation vessel adapted to contain a liquid alcohol mixture at a reduced pressure; one or more evaporators within the distillation vessel for distilling at least a portion of the liquid alcohol mixture at a liquid alcohol mixture temperature of less than about 65 DEG C, the evaporators being thermodynamically coupled with one or more condenser coils of an external heat pump assembly to extract heat from the condenser coils of the heat pump assembly to provide an alcohol distillate; one or more condensers in the distillation vessel for condensing at least a portion of the alcohol distillate with the one or more condensers in the distillation vessel at a temperature from about 15 DEG C to 25 DEG C to provide a first alcohol condensate, the condensers thermodynamically coupled with the one or more evaporator coils of the heat pump assembly, such that at least a portion of heat released from the condenser is directed back to the one or more evaporator coils of the heat pump assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to methods, systems, or apparatus for manufacturing alcoholic beverages (such as gin or any other spirits), and alcoholic beverage products produced by such methods. In particular, this invention relates to methods for manufacturing alcoholic beverages, including, for example, distilling a mixture containing ethanol in an evaporating apparatus by reducing the pressure within the evaporating apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] Many alcoholic beverages are produced using multi-step processes, which include one or more of the following steps: (1) producing ethanol by fermenting sugars, grains, fruit juices, or other agricultural products; (2) distilling the fermentation products at elevated temperatures to produce ethanol-containing spirits; and (3) aging the ethanol-containing spirits until the beverage has the desired flavor, aroma, and color characteristics. Commercial production of alcohol by distillation has been widely practiced for many years. For example, evaporators or stills have been used for the distillation of mixtures of alcohol and water, where the mixture is heated and steam from the evaporator is passed into a condenser for cooling and condensation. Furthermore, it has been disclosed that London Dry Gin is typically distilled at high alcohol content in column stills under reduced pressure at around 57°C to avoid thermal decomposition and enhance smoothness.

[0003] Such an arrangement requires a heat source, which significantly increases the cost of the apparatus and its operation. Furthermore, distillation involving heating the alcohol mixture (including mild heating) can lead to thermal degradation of the mixture components, resulting in flavor loss in the distilled alcoholic beverage. Safety is also a concern when using high-temperature operation. Additionally, high-temperature distillation can cause leaching of impurities from the walls of the apparatus itself and leakage of flammable vapors. Therefore, there is a desire to find an improved distillation method and system to address some of these problems.

[0004] Any reference to existing methods, apparatus or documents should not be regarded as any evidence or acknowledgment that constitutes or is part of the formation of common general knowledge. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In one aspect, the present invention provides a method for distilling an alcohol mixture, the method comprising:

[0006] Reduce the internal pressure in the distillation vessel containing the liquid alcohol mixture;

[0007] At least a portion of a liquid alcohol mixture is distilled at a temperature below about 65°C by using one or more evaporators in a distillation vessel, said evaporators being thermodynamically coupled to one or more condenser coils of an external heat pump assembly to extract heat from the condenser coils of the heat pump assembly to provide the alcohol distillate.

[0008] At least a portion of the alcohol distillate is condensed in one or more condensers in the distillation vessel at a temperature ranging from about 15°C to 30°C to provide a first alcohol condensate, such that at least a portion of the heat released from the condenser is directed back to one or more evaporator coils of the heat pump assembly.

[0009] In another aspect, a distillation system for distilling an alcohol mixture is provided, the distillation system comprising:

[0010] A distillation vessel adapted to contain a liquid alcohol mixture under reduced pressure;

[0011] One or more evaporators located within a distillation vessel for distilling at least a portion of a liquid alcohol mixture at a temperature below about 65°C, the evaporators being thermodynamically coupled to one or more condenser coils of an external heat pump assembly to extract heat from the condenser coils of the heat pump assembly to provide alcohol distillate;

[0012] One or more condensers located in a distillation vessel are used to condense at least a portion of an alcohol distillate at a temperature from about 15°C to 30°C to provide a first alcohol condensate. The condensers are thermodynamically coupled to one or more evaporator coils of a heat pump assembly such that at least a portion of the heat released from the condensers is directed back to one or more evaporator coils of the heat pump assembly.

[0013] In one embodiment, a first heat exchange arrangement is provided between the condenser coil of the heat pump assembly and the evaporator of the distillation vessel, such that the evaporator extracts heat from the first heat exchange arrangement to perform the distillation.

[0014] In one embodiment, a heat recovery arrangement is provided between one or more condensers of the distillation vessel and the evaporator coil of the heat pump assembly for recovering heat from the one or more condensers and directing the recovered heat to the evaporator coil of the heat pump assembly.

[0015] In one embodiment, the heat recovery arrangement is thermodynamically coupled to one or more additional heat sources.

[0016] In one embodiment, the heat recovery arrangement is thermodynamically coupled to a cryogenic thermal energy storage module to optionally extract heat from the thermal energy storage module to direct the heat to the evaporator coil of the heat pump assembly.

[0017] In one embodiment, the heat recovery arrangement is configured to recover heat from a vacuum pump operatively coupled to the distillation vessel.

[0018] In one embodiment, the vacuum pump is thermodynamically coupled to the thermal energy storage module to transfer heat from the vacuum pump to the thermal energy storage module.

[0019] In one embodiment, the heat recovery arrangement is configured to recover heat from the walls of the distillation vessel.

[0020] In one embodiment, the system further includes a high-temperature thermal energy storage module that is thermodynamically coupled to the condenser coil of the heat pump assembly to extract excess heat from the condenser coil of the heat pump assembly.

[0021] In one embodiment, at least the heat pump assembly is powered by one or more renewable energy sources.

[0022] In another aspect, a method for distilling an alcohol mixture is provided, the method comprising:

[0023] Reduce the internal pressure in the distillation vessel containing the liquid alcohol mixture;

[0024] At least a portion of a liquid alcohol mixture is distilled at a temperature below about 65°C using one or more evaporators, wherein the evaporators are thermodynamically coupled to a vapor compressor via a refrigerant to heat the refrigerant, resulting in a heated gaseous refrigerant.

[0025] An expansion valve is provided to receive the heat-depleted refrigerant and expand the heat-depleted refrigerant to further reduce the temperature of the refrigerant and form a cooled liquid refrigerant.

[0026] At least a portion of the alcohol distillate is condensed in one or more condensers in a distillation vessel at a temperature from about 15°C to 30°C to provide a first alcohol condensate, such that the cooled refrigerant from the outlet of the expansion valve is thermodynamically coupled to the one or more condensers.

[0027] Liquid refrigerant from the one or more condensers is circulated through the one or more evaporators to change the liquid refrigerant phase to gas, and then returned to the vapor compressor, so that the refrigerant flows in a closed loop between the compressor, the one or more evaporators, the expansion valve, and the one or more condensers.

[0028] In another aspect, a distillation system for distilling alcohol mixtures is provided, the distillation system comprising:

[0029] A distillation vessel adapted to contain a liquid alcohol mixture under reduced pressure;

[0030] One or more evaporators located within a distillation vessel are used to distill at least a portion of a liquid alcohol mixture at a temperature below about 65°C. The evaporators are thermodynamically coupled to a vapor compressor via a refrigerant to extract heat from the refrigerant, resulting in a heat-depleted gaseous refrigerant to provide an alcohol distillate.

[0031] An expansion valve is used to receive heat-depleted refrigerant and expand the heat-depleted refrigerant to further reduce the temperature of the refrigerant and form a cooled liquid refrigerant.

[0032] One or more condensers located in a distillation vessel are used to condense at least a portion of an alcohol distillate at a temperature from about 15°C to 30°C to provide a first alcohol condensate, said condenser being thermodynamically coupled to the output of an expansion valve.

[0033] The refrigerant flows in a closed loop between the compressor, the one or more evaporators, the expansion valve, and the one or more condensers. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Preferred features, embodiments, and variations of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which provides sufficient information for those skilled in the art to implement the invention. The detailed description should not be construed as limiting the scope of the foregoing summary in any way. The detailed description will be presented with reference to the following figures:

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a method and system 1000 for distilling an alcohol mixture according to a first embodiment.

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram that roughly illustrates the auxiliary heat recovery arrangement.

[0037] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a method and system 2000 for distilling an alcohol mixture according to a second embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0038] Distillation is a known process for purifying substances, involving evaporating the substance, condensing the vapor, and collecting the purified substance as a condensate. It is an important method for purifying liquids. Distillation is useful, for example, for separating mixtures of components with different boiling points. Several distillation techniques for binary and / or multi-component mixtures are known and practiced in the art. Vacuum distillation is sometimes referred to as “molecular” or “short-path” distillation. The advantages of the pressure-reducing distillation of alcohol mixtures of the present invention are, among other things, improved quality of the alcohol condensate and / or efficiency of distillation, especially when high-boiling-point alcohol mixtures and / or heat-sensitive components are present.

[0039] Known distillation methods in the art utilize temperatures in the range of 50-60°C. By distilling alcohol mixtures under reduced pressure according to the present invention, the required temperature can be lower than that required for conventional distillation at ambient pressure (e.g., atmospheric pressure), which is typically 80-90°C. The present invention also provides a more energy-efficient vacuum or pressure-reducing distillation method.

[0040] refer to Figure 1 The distillation system 1000 includes one or more vacuum distillation vessels, typically designated by 100. The following description refers to a single vacuum vessel 100. However, it should be understood that multiple vacuum vessels 100 can be used in conjunction with the methods and systems currently described.

[0041] The vacuum vessel 100 includes an evaporator 110 and a condenser 120. The evaporator 110 evaporates a portion of the alcohol mixture, and the resulting alcohol distillate is cooled and condensed in the condenser 120 for recovery as alcohol condensate. The evaporator 110 may include a vessel or equivalent container or tank, such as a distillation vessel. The evaporator 110 intended for use in this invention can be any type of apparatus known to those skilled in the art for evaporating liquids, such as the well-known pot still for distillation processes involving whiskey and gin. Other non-limiting evaporator apparatus may also include column stills, solar stills, reflux stills, coffee stills, ampoules, swivel stills, etc.

[0042] In one embodiment, the evaporator has double walls to better accommodate large volumes of fluid alcohol mixtures at reduced pressure. The double-walled enclosure (1) serves as insulation to retain heat, whereas other distillation vessels are uninsulated and waste heat. Without insulation, the process cannot be properly controlled because environmental conditions (i.e., season, diurnal temperature range, and even opening the door to the distillation chamber on cold days) result in varying reflux rates and altered flavor. (2) The double-walled enclosure also serves as a water jacket for heating and / or cooling the vessel.

[0043] In another embodiment, the evaporation apparatus 110 includes a heating mantle. In another embodiment, at least a portion of the wall of the evaporation apparatus comprises a transparent glass vessel. In another embodiment, the material of the evaporation apparatus may include polyurethane.

[0044] In one embodiment, the evaporation apparatus 110 further includes means for supplying it with a starting alcohol mixture and determining its level, thereby contributing to having a desired amount of alcohol mixture in the evaporation apparatus throughout the process. For example, an inlet port, such as a conduit, is provided; and a leveling device, such as a level gauge, is provided for detecting the fluid level therein. The evaporation apparatus 110 operates under a pressure environment reduced relative to atmospheric pressure, for example, generated by a vacuum pump. Therefore, in another embodiment, means for isolating the atmosphere in the distillation vessel from, for example, the atmosphere in the inlet port. This can be any such device known in the art, including valves, check valves, one-way valves, removable caps, etc.

[0045] In one embodiment, at least one outlet, such as a drain, is provided from the distillation vessel 100. In another embodiment, the outlet is located at or near the bottom of the distillation vessel. The outlet is typically closed with devices known in the art for doing so, such as valves, check valves, one-way valves, removable caps, etc. The outlet is closed such that, for example, an alcohol mixture can be retained in the distillation vessel and / or a reduced pressure can be maintained within the distillation vessel, but it can be opened, for example, for cleaning, maintenance, removal of residual alcohol mixtures, solids, sediment, sludge, etc. Connections (e.g., conduits) are in fluid communication with the evaporation apparatus and guide the alcohol distillate from the evaporation apparatus to a condensation apparatus, such as a condenser assembly.

[0046] In one embodiment, the condensing device 120 may have a condensing chamber or one or more condensers for receiving, cooling, and condensing alcohol distillates to form alcohol condensate. The condensing device 120 is in fluid communication with a connector. In another embodiment, the condensing device is positioned close to the evaporating device 110, thereby minimizing the possibility of condensation in the connector and promoting efficient operation. The condensing device 120 may include one or more condensing chambers in fluid communication via bridging elements (e.g., pipes). In other embodiments, one or more condensing members are the sites within the condensing chamber where alcohol distillates are condensed into alcohol concentrate. The condensing members may take the form of multiple cooling tubes (more than 100), through which a cold fluid circulates to cool the vapor to below the condensation temperature. Other condensing members may include guides, plates or coils, any combination thereof, or any other structure known to those skilled in the art. Methods for achieving the desired temperature of the condensing members are discussed below.

[0047] In one embodiment, at least one outlet is provided from each condenser chamber. Since the condensing unit 120 operates at reduced pressure, in another embodiment, a device is provided for isolating the atmosphere in each condenser chamber from, for example, the atmosphere at its outlet. This can be any such device known in the art, including valves, check valves, one-way valves, removable caps, etc. In another embodiment, the alcohol condensate is discharged from the condenser chamber by gravity. In another embodiment, the outlet may be connected to an auxiliary device, such as a product pump for removing the alcohol condensate from the condensing unit. In yet another embodiment, multiple pot stills or containers may be connected in series, such that the outlet of the evaporator of the first container is connected in series with the next container in the sequence, and the outlet of the last container is then connected to the condenser.

[0048] System 1000 also includes a heat pump assembly 200, which is thermodynamically coupled to the various components of the distillation vessel or vacuum vessel 100, as described in the preceding sections. The heat pump uses technology similar to that found in refrigerators or air conditioners. It extracts heat from sources such as ambient air, nearby water sources, or waste heat from a factory. The heat pump assembly 200 then amplifies and transfers the heat to where it is needed. Because most of the heat is transferred rather than generated, heat pumps are far more efficient than conventional heating technologies such as boilers or electric heaters, and their operating costs can be much lower. The energy output in the form of heat is typically several times greater than the energy required to drive the heat pump, which is usually in the form of electricity.

[0049] Specifically, the evaporator 110 from the distillation vessel 100 is thermodynamically coupled to one or more condenser coils 220 of the heat pump assembly 200. In the currently described embodiment, the heat required for the evaporator 110 to evaporate the alcohol mixture in a temperature range of 40°C to 65°C is extracted from the heat released by the condenser coils 220 of the heat pump assembly 200. A heat exchange arrangement 310, such as, but not limited to, a working fluid pipe (the working fluid may be water or any other suitable fluid that transports heat at a temperature of, for example, 75°C), is provided to transfer the heat generated by the condenser coils 220 to the evaporator 110 of the vacuum distillation vessel 100 for evaporation at an operating temperature of 50°C to 65°C under reduced pressure conditions. The heat recovery arrangement 310 may also be thermodynamically coupled to a high-temperature thermal energy storage module 420 to store or recover any excess heat from the condenser coils 220 that is not required for the evaporation carried out in the evaporator 110.

[0050] Similarly, a heat recovery arrangement 320 is provided between the condenser 120 of the distillation vessel 100 and the evaporator coil 210 of the heat pump assembly 200 for recovering heat from the condenser and guiding the recovered heat to the evaporator coil of the heat pump assembly 200. The heat recovery arrangement 320 may also include a working fluid in a pipe for recovering heat and guiding it back to the evaporator coil 210 of the heat pump assembly 200.

[0051] like Figure 1 The heat pump 200 shown is preferably a high-temperature heat pump, which is rated to heat water or other working fluids from ambient temperature to a temperature of about 75°C.

[0052] The integration of the heat pump assembly 200 (specifically, by thermodynamically coupling the condenser coil 220 and evaporator coil 210 of the heat pump assembly to the evaporator unit 110 and condenser unit 120, respectively, to form a closed loop) makes the distillation system more efficient by utilizing and circulating heat in the process.

[0053] The heat recovery arrangement 320 can also be connected to the cryogenic thermal energy storage module 410. In some embodiments, the thermal energy storage module can be in the form of a water tank, which can be used to store heat and exchange heat with the heat recovery arrangement 320. The cryogenic storage module 410 also connects to waste heat dissipated by the vacuum pump or by the vacuum distillation vessel 100 or other methods. Figure 2 The heat released from the walls of the fermenter shown is thermodynamically coupled.

[0054] refer to Figure 3 An alternative embodiment of the distillation system 2000 is shown. The main difference is that the heat pump arrangement 200 (described in the foregoing embodiment) has been replaced by a vapor compression device 200A. The same reference numerals denote the same features described in the foregoing sections. The condenser and evaporator of the heat pump 200 are completely eliminated. The vapor compression device 200A directly heats the existing evaporator 110 and cools the existing condenser 120, which are part of the distillation unit 100. System 2000 operates in principle in the same manner as the foregoing system 1000, except that the evaporator 110 and condenser 120 are directly heated and cooled by the refrigerant of the vapor compression system 200A.

[0055] The vapor compression system includes a vapor compressor interconnected with evaporator 110 and condenser 120 to form a closed loop. The compressor compresses refrigerant vapor, causing the vapor's pressure and temperature to rise, and then directs it to evaporator 110 within the loop, which helps raise the temperature of the alcohol mixture for the distillation process. Unlike the previous embodiment (in which water was used), a refrigerant is used in this embodiment. The heated refrigerant vapor loses heat in evaporator 110 as it raises the temperature of the alcohol beverage mixture.

[0056] An expansion valve is located between the evaporator 110 and the condenser 120. The refrigerant circulates through the expansion valve after losing heat, which causes the refrigerant temperature to drop as it expands via the expansion valve, also releasing heat. The refrigerant is then redirected back to the compressor for another compression cycle. In some respects, the vapor compression system 200A also functions as a heat pump when considering the inline evaporator 110 and inline condenser 120, as well as the expansion valve and refrigerant.

[0057] The advantages of the distillation system 2000 include, but are not limited to, increased efficiency due to the elimination of losses from two heat exchangers (condenser and evaporator). It has been found that employing a vapor compression system results in an increase in heat recovery rate (from 60%) to 80%, while electricity input (from 40%) decreases to approximately 25%. These gains are due to the lower temperatures that the vapor compression system (VCS) needs to reach, which is reflected in a much higher COP (coefficient of performance) of the VCS, as the VCS operates at lower temperatures due to direct coupling. For every kilowatt of electricity input to the VCS, the heat output will increase significantly. The COP of a heat pump is approximately 2 (2 units of heat output for every 1 unit of electrical energy used). This VCS increases it to approximately 3.5 (3.5 units output for every 1 unit of input). For larger installations, high-performance refrigerants such as ammonia can be used, thereby increasing the COP to over 6.

[0058] The use of VCS not only reduces energy consumption but also balances cooling demands. For continuous daily operation, the cooling tanks in an HP system gradually heat up as heat is added to the system (from electricity), eventually requiring some heat dissipation to lower their temperature to the range needed by the condenser and fermenter. In a VCS, natural cooling losses are sufficient, or in very heavily operated systems, some cooling equal to the input energy after the losses may be required.

[0059] In the evaporator, the refrigerant is forced to change from liquid to gas by the expansion valve and the suction action of the compressor.

[0060] In addition, the heat pump assembly 200 can be powered by conventional or renewable energy.

[0061] To comply with regulations, this invention has been described in language that is more or less specific to structural or methodological features. The term "comprising" and its variations, such as "including" and "consisting of," are used in an inclusive sense throughout the specification and do not exclude any additional features.

[0062] It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown or described herein, as the methods described herein include preferred forms for implementing the invention.

[0063] Therefore, the present invention is protected in any form or with any modification within the appropriate scope of the appended claims as can be properly interpreted by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A method for distilling an alcohol mixture, the method comprising: Reduce the internal pressure in the distillation vessel containing the liquid alcohol mixture; At least a portion of the liquid alcohol mixture is distilled at a temperature below about 65°C using one or more evaporators in the distillation vessel, wherein the evaporators are thermodynamically coupled to one or more condenser coils of an external heat pump assembly to extract heat from the condenser coils of the heat pump assembly to provide the alcohol distillate. At least a portion of the alcohol distillate is condensed in one or more condensers in the distillation vessel at a temperature from about 15°C to 30°C to provide a first alcohol condensate, such that at least a portion of the heat released from the condenser is directed back to one or more evaporator coils of the heat pump assembly.

2. A distillation system for distilling a mixture of alcohols, the distillation system comprising: A distillation vessel adapted to contain a liquid alcohol mixture under reduced pressure; One or more evaporators located within the distillation vessel are used to distill at least a portion of the liquid alcohol mixture at a temperature below about 65°C. The evaporators are thermodynamically coupled to one or more condenser coils of an external heat pump assembly to extract heat from the condenser coils of the heat pump assembly to provide alcohol distillate. One or more condensers located in the distillation vessel are used to condense at least a portion of the alcohol distillate at a temperature from about 15°C to 30°C to provide a first alcohol condensate. The condensers are thermodynamically coupled to one or more evaporator coils of the heat pump assembly, such that at least a portion of the heat released from the condensers is directed back to one or more evaporator coils of the heat pump assembly.

3. The method according to claim 1 or the system according to claim 2, wherein, A first heat exchange arrangement is provided between the condenser coil of the heat pump assembly and the evaporator of the distillation vessel, such that the evaporator extracts heat from the first heat exchange arrangement to perform the distillation.

4. The method according to claim 1 or the system according to claim 2, wherein, A heat recovery arrangement is provided between the one or more condensers of the distillation vessel and the evaporator coil of the heat pump assembly for recovering heat from the one or more condensers and directing the recovered heat to the evaporator coil of the heat pump assembly.

5. The method or system according to claim 4, wherein, The heat recovery arrangement is thermodynamically coupled to one or more additional heat sources.

6. The method or system according to claim 5, wherein, The heat recovery arrangement is thermodynamically coupled to the cryogenic thermal energy storage module to optionally extract heat from the thermal energy storage module to direct the heat to the evaporator coil of the heat pump assembly.

7. The method or system according to claim 4, wherein, The heat recovery arrangement is configured to recover heat from a vacuum pump operatively connected to the distillation vessel.

8. The method or system according to claim 7, wherein, The vacuum pump is thermodynamically coupled to the thermal energy storage module to transfer heat from the vacuum pump to the thermal energy storage module.

9. The method or system according to any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein, The heat recovery arrangement is configured to recover heat from the walls of the distillation vessel.

10. The method or system according to any one of the preceding claims further includes a high-temperature thermal energy storage module, the high-temperature thermal energy storage module being thermodynamically coupled to the condenser coil of the heat pump assembly to extract excess heat from the condenser coil of the heat pump assembly.

11. The method or system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, At least the heat pump assembly is powered by one or more renewable energy sources.

12. A method for distilling an alcohol mixture, the method comprising: Reduce the internal pressure in the distillation vessel containing the liquid alcohol mixture; At least a portion of the liquid alcohol mixture is distilled at a temperature below about 65°C using one or more evaporators, wherein the evaporators are thermodynamically coupled to a vapor compressor via a refrigerant to heat the refrigerant, resulting in a heated gaseous refrigerant to provide the alcohol distillate. An expansion valve is provided to receive the heat-depleted refrigerant and expand the heat-depleted refrigerant to further reduce the temperature of the refrigerant and form a cooled liquid refrigerant. At least a portion of the alcohol distillate is condensed in one or more condensers in the distillation vessel at a temperature from about 15°C to 30°C to provide a first alcohol condensate, such that the cooled refrigerant from the outlet of the expansion valve is thermodynamically coupled to the one or more condensers. Liquid refrigerant from the one or more condensers is circulated through the one or more evaporators to change the liquid refrigerant to a gaseous phase, and then returned to the vapor compressor, so that the refrigerant flows in a closed loop between the vapor compressor, the one or more evaporators, the expansion valve, and the one or more condensers.

13. A distillation system for distilling a mixture of alcohols, the distillation system comprising: A distillation vessel adapted to contain a liquid alcohol mixture under reduced pressure; One or more evaporators located within the distillation vessel are used to distill at least a portion of the liquid alcohol mixture at a temperature below about 65°C. The evaporators are thermodynamically coupled to a vapor compressor via a refrigerant to extract heat from the refrigerant, resulting in a heat-depleted gaseous refrigerant to provide an alcohol distillate. An expansion valve is used to receive the heat-depleted refrigerant and expand it to further reduce the temperature of the refrigerant and form a cooled liquid refrigerant. One or more condensers located in the distillation vessel are used to condense at least a portion of the alcohol distillate at a temperature from about 15°C to 30°C to provide a first alcohol condensate, the condensers being thermodynamically coupled to the output of the expansion valve; The refrigerant flows in a closed loop between the vapor compressor, the one or more evaporators, the expansion valve, and the one or more condensers.

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