Preflash System Heat Recovery and Overheating Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Standard dry mill ethanol facilities face inefficiencies in heat recovery systems, leading to energy waste and potential overheating issues that can cause equipment damage and reduce distillation efficiency.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a preflash processing method that routes warm mash through a heat recovery system to produce cold mash, which is then fermented and routed back through the heat recovery system to produce a warm beer stream, subsequently processed in a baffled flash tank to separate into vapor and liquid, optimizing heat transfer and reducing energy input for distillation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If heat recovery system transfers heat from warm mash to cold beer stream, then heat recovery is improved, but beer stream may become overheated causing equipment damage and reduced distillation efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat recovery efficiencyVSAvoidoverheating damage

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the heat recovery process into two distinct stages: a heat exchanger that transfers heat from warm mash to cold beer stream, and a separate baffled flash tank that receives the warmed beer stream. This segmentation allows the system to achieve maximum heat recovery while preventing overheating by separating the heating function from the flash separation function, thereby resolving the contradiction between heat recovery efficiency and overheating prevention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The baffled flash tank acts as an intermediary device between the heat exchanger and the distillation column. It receives the beer stream that has been heated by the heat exchanger, allows controlled flashing to occur, and then delivers the flashed beer to the distillation column. This intermediary function enables the system to achieve both heat recovery and prevent overheating damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Use of energy by moving object

If heat recovery system maximizes heat transfer, then energy efficiency is improved, but distillation efficiency decreases due to overheating

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy efficiencyVSAvoiddistillation efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the process into a heat exchanger stage and a flash tank stage. The heat exchanger maximizes heat transfer from warm mash to cold beer stream, while the flash tank receives this warmed beer and allows controlled flashing. This segmentation enables the system to achieve both maximum heat recovery and maintain distillation efficiency by preventing the beer from being overheated before distillation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Device complexity

If warm beer stream is routed directly to distillation column, then process simplicity is maintained, but energy input requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocess simplicityVSAvoidenergy input for distillation

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by introducing a baffled flash tank between the heat exchanger and the distillation column. The flash tank performs preliminary flashing of the warm beer stream, separating vapor from liquid before the liquid enters the distillation column. This preliminary action reduces the energy input requirements for the distillation process while adding only moderate complexity to the overall system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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 maximizes heat recovery, reduces energy requirements, and prevents overheating, thereby enhancing overall plant efficiency and minimizing waste heat transfer to cooling systems.

Implementation Method 1

routing the cold beer stream into the heat recovery system, wherein the heat recovery system is configured to transfer heat between the warm mash and the cold beer stream

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Heat Exchanger

Implementation Method 2

routing the warm beer stream to a baffled flash tank, wherein the baffled flash tank is configured to separate the warm beer stream into a first vapor stream and liquid beer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFlash evaporation: Flash Evaporation

Implementation Method 3

routing the liquid beer into a beer distillation column, wherein the beer distillation column is configured to separate the liquid beer into a second vapor stream and solid precipitates

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDistillation: Distillation

Data Source

PatentUS20240229083A9Preflash system and method

Publication Date: 2024.07.11 INTEGROENERGY TECH LLC

AI summary

The disclosure relates to a system and method for preflash processing used in dry mill ethanol facilities, including routing beer to a baffled flash tank, in which the beer is processed and then separated into a vapor stream and liquid beer. Preheating the beer via preflash processing efficiently recovers energy within the system, thereby reducing the need for additional energy input.