Granular Adsorbent Bioethanol Dehydration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bioethanol dehydration technologies face challenges with high energy consumption and equipment complexity, particularly due to the settling of small adsorbent particles and the complexity of adsorbent regeneration in liquid pulp, which worsens operational conditions and requires additional monitoring and cleaning.
Innovation Solution
The proposed method employs a semi-dry congruent dehydration process using active granule form adsorbent, which is moistened with an over-azeotropic alcohol solution and fed into a rectification and adsorption block, allowing simultaneous water adsorption and rectification with a downwards moving adsorbent layer, enabling efficient water separation and regeneration of adsorbent for reuse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If powdered adsorbent is fed into the rectifying column to be mixed with reflux and adsorb water, then water removal efficiency is improved, but small adsorbent particles settle on horizontal surfaces of plates requiring additional monitoring and cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical form of the adsorbent from powdered to granulated, and introduces a liquid carrier medium to transport the granules through the column. This parameter change prevents particle settling on horizontal surfaces while maintaining water removal efficiency, as the liquid-carrier mixture flows smoothly through the column without deposition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a liquid carrier as an intermediary substance that transports the granulated adsorbent through the rectifying column. This intermediary medium allows the adsorbent to be conveyed without direct contact with horizontal plate surfaces, preventing settling and eliminating the need for additional monitoring and cleaning operations.
2Productivity
If continuous flow of powdered adsorbent is used in liquid pulp form, then water adsorption is enhanced, but the complexity of regeneration process of the adsorbent increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the adsorbent form from powder to granules, which are easier to separate from the liquid carrier and regenerate. The granulated form with liquid carrier allows for simpler regeneration operations compared to processing powdered adsorbent in liquid pulp, reducing the overall complexity of the regeneration process while maintaining adsorption effectiveness.
3Manufacturing precision
If traditional rectification columns with plates are used, then alcohol concentration is improved, but equipment complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the plate structure from the rectification column, replacing it with a simplified design that uses a liquid carrier medium to facilitate mass transfer. This extraction of the complex plate component reduces equipment construction complexity while maintaining the ability to achieve high alcohol concentration through the adsorption-action of the granulated adsorbent.
4Duration of action of stationary object
If adsorbent is continuously regenerated in liquid pulp, then adsorbent reusability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the regeneration approach from continuous processing in liquid pulp to periodic regeneration of granulated adsorbent. This parameter change reduces energy consumption by eliminating the need for continuous heating and processing, while maintaining adsorbent reusability through periodic regeneration cycles that are more energy-efficient.
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
This approach reduces energy consumption by up to 80%, simplifies equipment design, and improves operational safety by separating water from adsorbent granules, reducing the need for additional monitoring and cleaning, and enhancing the efficiency of alcohol concentration from 0% to 100% in a column without plates.
Implementation Method 1
water adsorption in pouring or downwards moving moist adsorbent layer
Implementation Method 2
rectification of fermented mash distillate
Implementation Method 3
The water is being separated from used (spent) granules by evaporating it at the granules recovery block
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
The invention relates to the alcohol industry, in particular, to the methods of bioethanol dehydration. A method for bioethanol dehydration and device for its realization are offered. The proposed method includes fermented mash distillate rectification and simultaneous water adsorption in the pouring or downwards moving moistened adsorbent layer by feeding stream of fermented mash distillate vapour and stream of adsorbent into a rectification and adsorption block (1), as well as the discharge of the spent adsorbent from the block (1) and the regeneration of the adsorbent at the adsorbent recovery block (2) for its reuse in the bioethanol dehydration. An active granular adsorbent is used as the adsorbent, which, being fed into the rectification and adsorption block (1) is being moistened with an over-azeotropic concentration of the dehydration process' intermediate product's alcohol solution and, afterwards, the interaction of the moistened adsorbent with the alcohol vapour to be dehydrated being fed at the middle part of the block (1), is being ensured, wherein the bound water is being separated from the spent adsorbent granules by evaporation at the granules recovery block (2); an over-azeotropic concentration alcohol solution required for moistening the adsorbent granules, is being discharged from the zone of the rectification and adsorption block (1), where the intermediate liquid alcohol concentration is ranging from 97.5 to 98.5% vol., by filtering the intermediate liquid from the wet adsorbent granules.