Dual-process solvent and sugar plant dehydration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ethanol production from sugarcane faces challenges in achieving high purity due to the ethanol-water azeotrope, leading to high energy consumption and health risks associated with solvents like cyclohexane, and existing alternatives such as extractive distillation and molecular sieve dehydration have inefficiencies and operational complexities.
Innovation Solution
A dual-process production system that simultaneously produces organic solvents and sugar from sugarcane, utilizing a pre-evaporator system to concentrate juice, followed by vapor recompression and membrane filtration for dehydration, reducing energy consumption and eliminating solvent-related health risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If azeotropic distillation with cyclohexane is used to achieve high-purity ethanol, then ethanol purity is improved, but health risks and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the harmful cyclohexane component from the dehydration process entirely, replacing it with molecular sieve technology that uses adsorption to achieve the same dehydration objective without introducing toxic substances into the system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal-mechanical azeotropic distillation system with a molecular sieve adsorption system, substituting a process that requires high energy input and toxic chemicals with a lower-energy adsorption-based separation mechanism
2Manufacturing precision
If azeotropic distillation with cyclohexane is used to separate ethanol from water, then ethanol concentration is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the energy-intensive thermal distillation process with molecular sieve adsorption, which operates at ambient or near-ambient temperatures, dramatically reducing the energy input required for the dehydration step while maintaining high ethanol concentration output
3Object-affected harmful factors
If extractive distillation is used as an alternative dehydration method, then solvent health risks are reduced, but operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces extractive distillation, which requires complex multi-column systems and solvent recovery operations, with a simpler molecular sieve adsorption system that uses fixed beds of adsorbent material, reducing both equipment and operational complexity while maintaining safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs molecular sieve materials with specific pore structures that selectively adsorb water molecules from the ethanol-water mixture, providing a simple yet effective separation mechanism that avoids the complexity of extractive distillation systems
4Object-affected harmful factors
If molecular sieve dehydration is used to remove water from ethanol, then health risks are reduced, but operational complexity and regeneration requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a regeneration system for the molecular sieves where spent adsorbent is periodically regenerated by heating to drive off adsorbed water, allowing the same molecular sieve material to be reused multiple times, thus reducing waste while managing the regeneration complexity through systematic design
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves efficient production of high-purity ethanol with reduced energy consumption and operational complexity, achieving anhydrous ethanol production with lower steam consumption and minimizing health risks associated with solvent use.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing a pre-evaporator system to concentrate juice
Implementation Method 2
followed by vapor recompression
Implementation Method 3
membrane filtration for dehydration
Data Source
AI summary
Dual-process solvent and sugar production plants are provided in which inputs to the solvent production sub-system are received from the sugar product sub-system, which are both driven and supplied inputs from a shared pre-evaporator system. Improvements to the heat integration and dehydration technologies available for use in the plants are also provided, which may be used for initial construction, retrofit, replacement, or expansion of previous separation sections in the plants.