Thermally Integrated Alcohol Distillation for Fermentation Broth
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in fermentation processes is the high energy consumption and capital investment required for extracting highly diluted alcohols, such as isopropanol and butanol, from fermentation must, which affects the economic viability of these processes.
Innovation Solution
A process involving a series of distillation columns with thermal integration, where the condenser of the isopropanol-butanol column heats the reboiler of the butanol column, reducing the need for steam heating and optimizing operating conditions to achieve energy savings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If conventional distillation columns are used for extracting alcohols from fermentation must, then separation efficiency is maintained, but energy consumption and capital investment are high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the condenser of one distillation column with the reboiler of another distillation column, creating a thermally integrated system where heat is exchanged between columns. This combination allows the condensing vapor from one column to directly heat the reboiler of another column, reducing external steam requirements and lowering energy consumption while maintaining separation efficiency through optimized thermal coupling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes operating parameters including pressure and temperature profiles across the integrated distillation system. By adjusting these parameters, the system achieves improved thermal efficiency and energy recovery between columns, reducing the overall energy input required while maintaining the necessary separation performance for alcohol extraction from fermentation must.
2Use of energy by moving object
If distillation columns are integrated thermally, then energy consumption is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the condenser and reboiler units into a single integrated heat exchange system, where the condenser of one column serves as the reboiler of another. This merging eliminates the need for separate external steam supply systems and reduces the number of independent thermal units, thereby lowering energy consumption while the integrated design actually simplifies the overall device structure compared to conventional separate systems.
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 significantly reduces energy consumption and capital investment by integrating the condenser and reboiler of the distillation columns, achieving energy savings of over 60% in cooling and 28% in heating, while maintaining separation efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a heat transfer is performed from the water-isopropanol azeotrope stream entering the condenser of the isopropanol-butanol distillation column, to the stream entering the reboiler of the butanol column
Implementation Method 2
a distillative separation performed by at least one distillation column referred to as isopropanol-butanol column, intended for separating said initial mixture or a mixture deriving from said initial mixture into a water-isopropanol azeotrope stream at the top and into a water-butanol azeotrope stream at the bottom
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a process for extracting alcohols from an initial mixture (1) comprising alcohols in aqueous phase, with:a distillative separation by an isopropanol-butanol distillation column (III) equipped at the top with a condenser (c3), intended for separating said mixture into a water-isopropanol azeotrope stream (6) at the top and into a water-butanol azeotrope stream (7) at the bottom,a distillative separation intended for separating the water-butanol azeotrope stream into water and butanol, by a hetero-azeotropic distillation system comprising at least one water-recovering water column (IV) and at least one butanol (9)-recovering butanol column (V) equipped with a reboiler (r5),such that a heat transfer is performed from the top water-isopropanol azeotrope stream (6) entering the condenser of the isopropanol-butanol distillation column (III), to the stream entering the reboiler of the butanol column (V).