US 4,428,799 AGranted

Production of concentrated alcohol and distillery slop

AssigneeResources Conservation, Inc.

InventorFerris C. Standiford

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Abstract

Concentrated alcohol and distillery slop are produced from fermented beer with a reduced amount of energy by use of a multiple effect distillery slop evaporator in which evaporator vapors from one or more effects are used to strip alcohol from the fermented liquor before they are returned as heat source for the next succeeding effect, and by using vents from the partial condensation of these vapors in an evaporator effect as the principal heat and alcohol source for the rectification system. Condensed vapors from the vented evaporators and the bottom stream from the rectifier are stripped of their remaining alcohol content in a condensate stripper. The overhead stream from the condensate stripper can also be used as a heat source for an evaporator effect before being fed to the rectification system as a source of heat and alcohol.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A process for producing concentrated alcohol and distillery slop from fermented beer with a reduced amount of energy comprising:

(a) feeding said beer to a beer still;
(b) feeding a portion of a vapor mixture, derived from step (e) hereinbelow, to said still;
(c) withdrawing an alcohol-rich vapor as the overhead from said still;
(d) withdrawing an alcohol-poor distillery slop as the bottom stream from said still;
(e) passing said slop from said still to a multiple effect evaporator to concentrate said slop by evaporating a water and alcohol vapor mixture therefrom;
(f) passing said vapor from said overhead of said still to one of the effects of said evaporator into indirect heat exchange contact with said slop to condense a portion of said vapor and form a condensate;
(g) passing said condensate from said one effect of said evaporator to a condensate stripper and withdrawing an alchol-rich stream as the overhead from said stripper and an alcohol-poor stream as the bottom stream from said stripper;
(h) feeding a portion of said vapor mixture derived from step (e) hereinabove to said stripper;
(i) passing the uncondensed vapor from said one effect of said evaporator to a rectifier to supply substantially all the sensible heat of said vapor to said rectifier and withdrawing concentrated alcohol as the overhead from said rectifier and an alcohol-containing mixture as the bottom stream from said rectifier;
(j) passing said alcohol-containing mixture from said rectifier to said stripper for admixture with said condensate from said one effect of said evaporator;
and
(k) withdrawing said concentrated slop from the last effect of said evaporator.

9 more elements

A system comprising elements designed, dimensioned and arranged for producing concentrated alcohol and distillery slop from fermented beer with a reduced amount of energy including:

(a) a beer still;
(b) means for feeding said beer to said still;
(c) means for feeding a portion of a vapor mixture, withdrawn from evaporating means (f) hereinbelow, to said still;
(d) means for withdrawing an alcohol-rich vapor as the overhead from said still;
(e) means for withdrawing an alcohol-poor distillery slop as the bottom stream from said still;
(f) multiple effect evaporator means for concentrating said slop by evaporating a water and alcohol vapor mixture therefrom;
(g) means for passing said slop from said still to said evaporator means;
(h) means for passing said vapor from said overhead of said still to one of the effects of said evaporator means into indirect heat exchange contact with said slop to condense a portion of said vapor and form a condensate;
(i) condensate stripper means for separating said condensate into an alcohol-rich overhead stream and an alcohol-poor bottom stream;
(j) means for passing said condensate from said one effect of said evaporator means to said condensate stripper means;
(k) means for feeding a portion of said vapor mixture withdrawn from said evaporator means to said stripper means;
(l) rectifier means for separating uncondensed vapor from said evaporator means into a concentrated alcohol overhead stream and an alcohol-containing mixture as a bottom stream;
(m) means for passing the uncondensed vapor from said one effect of said evaporator means to said rectifier means;
(n) means for passing said alcohol-containing mixture from said rectifier means to said stripper means for admixture with said condensate from said one effect of said evaporator means;
and
(o) means for withdrawing said concentrated slop from the last effect of said evaporator means.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/442,178Filed 16 Nov 1982 · continuation in part
Priority: 12 Nov 1980
Granted: 31 Jan 1984
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B01D 3/001
Distillation or related exchange processes in which liquids are contacted with gaseous media, e.g. stripping: processes specially adapted for…
B01D 1/12
Evaporators with vertical tubes: and forced circulation
B01D 1/26
Evaporating: multiple-effect evaporating
B01D 1/2812
Special features relating to the vapour to be compressed: the vapour is coming from different sources

Family

Serial206,170Parent of this division · filed 12 Nov 1980
Serial331,205Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 16 Dec 1981
US 4,381,220 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 4,328,074 AParent of this division
US 4,428,799 AThis patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.