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US 4,678,543 AGranted
Apparatus for producing ethanol
AssigneeHuftung Fried Krupp Gesellschaft mit beschrankter
InventorsHeinz Houben, Hans U. Petzoldt, Joachim Stegemann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus is provided for simultaneously producing various forms of alcohol, including ethanol, which can likewise be withdrawn from the apparatus simultaneously. To this end, successive columns in the individual processing stages, each of which includes distillation, rectification, purification and dehydration are connected in parallel for product flow but in series for energy flow and conservation.
Claims32
Apparatus for the production of ethanol comprising:
- (a) first means defining a first fluid flow path and including a first distillation unit having no reflux means and having a first distillation inlet for an alcohol-containing substance, and a first distillation outlet for an alcohol-enriched product, said first means further including a first rectifying unit separate from said first distillation unit and having a first reflux means, a first rectifying inlet connected with said first distillation outlet, and a first rectifying outlet for an alcohol-rich product;
- (b) second means defining a second fluid flow path and including a second distillation unit having no reflux means and having a second distillation inlet for an alcohol-containing substance, and a second distillation outlet for an alcohol-enriched product, said second means further including a second rectifying unit separate from said second distillation unit and having a second reflux means, a second rectifying inlet connected with said second distillation outlet, and a second rectifying outlet for an alcohol-rich product, said second distillation unit and said second rectifying unit each being distinct from said first units;
- (c) third means for admitting a first quantity of an alcohol-containing substance into and conveying the first quantity along said first fluid path, and for admitting a second quantity of an alcohol-containing substance into and conveying the second quantity along said second fluid path;
- (d) fourth means for admitting process heat into one of said fluid paths at a single location thereof, said heat admitting means constituting the sole source of process heat for said apparatus;
- and
- (e) fifth means for effecting transfer of the process heat between said first and second fluid paths to thereby define a third flow path for at least one portion of the process heat, said third flow path passing through said units in succession in the order of said first distillation unit, said second distillation unit, said first rectifying unit and said second rectifying unit.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.