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US 10,870,084 B2Granted
Water-alcohol separation system and water-alcohol separation method for producing alcohol
AssigneeMitsubishi Chemical Corporation
InventorsHideto Hidaka, Yohei Sato
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Abstract
The invention provides a water-alcohol separation system and a method for water-alcohol separation for producing a high purity alcohol while achieving energy saving as the whole process. Namely, a water-alcohol separation system including plural separation membrane modules connected in series, a vacuum apparatus for reducing a pressure at a permeated side of each of the separation membrane modules, and a condenser for condensing a vapor that has passed through a membrane, in which plural independent vacuum systems reduce the pressure at the permeated side of the membrane of the separation membrane modules.
Claims12
A water-alcohol separation system comprising:
- a plurality of separation membrane modules connected in series,
- a vacuum apparatus for reducing the pressure at a permeated side of a membrane of one or more of the separation membrane modules, and
- a condenser for condensing a vapor that has passed through the membrane of the one or more of the separation membrane modules,
- wherein all of the separation membrane modules are modules for a pervaporation (PV) method or all of the separation membrane modules are modules a vapor-permeation (VP) method,
- wherein a plurality of independent vacuum systems which have at least two vacuum apparatuses and condensers reduce the pressure at the permeated side of the membrane of the one or more of the separation membrane modules,
- wherein the plurality of the independent vacuum systems comprise at least a first vacuum system and a second vacuum system;
- the first vacuum system is provided with a first condenser, and the second vacuum system is provided with a second condenser;
- and a temperature T1 of a coolant retained by the first condenser is higher than a temperature T2 of a coolant retained by the second condenser,
- wherein T1 is 0° C. or more, and T2 is 35° C. or less, and
- wherein a pressure P1 at a vacuum side of a membrane of a separation membrane module placed most downstream in a first membrane module unit depressurized by the first vacuum system is higher than a pressure P2 at a vacuum side of a membrane of a separation membrane module placed most downstream in a second membrane module unit depressurized by the second vacuum system.
7 more elements
A method for water-alcohol separation comprising:
- a step of introducing a water-alcohol mixture into a plurality of separation membrane modules connected in series;
- and a separation step of separating water and an alcohol from each other by controlling a plurality of the separation membrane modules connected in series by a plurality of independent vacuum systems;
- wherein all of the separation membrane modules are modules for a pervaporation (PV) method or all of the separation membrane modules are modules for a vapor-permeation (VP) method,
- wherein the plurality of the independent vacuum systems comprise at least a first vacuum system and a second vacuum system;
- the first vacuum system is provided with a first condenser, and the second vacuum system is provided with a second condenser;
- wherein the separation step comprises:
- a first separation step of separating the water-alcohol mixture by reducing a pressure of a separation membrane module placed most downstream in a first membrane module unit by the first vacuum system to a pressure P1, wherein the first vacuum system depressurizes a permeated side of the first membrane module unit,
- a first condensation step of condensing a vapor that has passed through a membrane of the separation membrane module placed most downstream in the first membrane module unit and is obtained from the first separation step;
- a second separation step of separating the water-alcohol mixture after the first separation step by reducing a pressure of a separation membrane module placed most downstream in a second membrane module unit by the second vacuum system to a pressure P2, wherein the second vacuum system depressurizes a permeated side of the second membrane module unit;
- a second condensation step of condensing a vapor that has passed through a membrane of the separation membrane module placed most downstream in the second membrane module unit and is obtained from the second separation step;
- wherein P1 is higher than P2;
- wherein a temperature T1 of a coolant retained by the first condenser is higher than a temperature T2 of a coolant retained by the second condenser, and
- wherein T1 is 0° C. or more, and T2 is 35° C. or less.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.