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US 4,842,693 AGranted
Apparatus for removing water from ethanol
AssigneeThe Distillers Company PLC
InventorAlfred G. Wheldon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for removing water from a liquid mixture of water and ethanol contacts it with liquid carbon dioxide so that the ethanol is preferentially transferred into solution, dries the solution using an adsorbent, and then recovers dry ethanol by distilling off the carbon dioxide. This process is particularly energy efficient especially when it includes a fermentation process to generate the ethanol and uses the carbon dioxide generated during the fermentation as the source of liquid carbon dioxide. In this case the method and apparatus provide an additional product of dry carbon dioxide.
Claims12
A plant for removing water from a mixture containing water and ethanol comprising:
- an extraction column, said extraction column having a first inlet for a mixture containing ethanol and water, a second inlet for liquid carbon dioxide, said second inlet being located below said first inlet, a first outlet for a stripped raffinate mixture, said first outlet being located below said second inlet, and a second outlet for a solution of ethanol and liquid carbon dioxide, said second outlet being located above said first inlet;
- a dryer, said dryer including an adsorbent material and having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet being connected to said second outlet of said extraction column;
- a first heat exchange means, said first heat exchange means having a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet and a vapour outlet;
- a second heat exchange means, said second heat exchange means having a vapour inlet and a liquid outlet;
- a tailing column, said tailing column having a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, a vapour inlet and a vapour outlet, said vapour outlet from said tailing column being coupled with said vapour inlet of said second heat exchange means, said liquid outlet of said tailing column being connected to said liquid inlet of said first heating exchange means, said vapour outlet of said first heat exchange means being connected to said vapour inlet of said tailing column and said outlet of said dryer being connected to said liquid inlet of said tailing column;
- means connecting said liquid outlet of said second heat exchange means and said second inlet of said extraction column;
- and,
- a distillation column, said distillation column having a top and bottom, a liquid inlet, a vapour outlet at said top and a liquid outlet at said bottom, said liquid outlet of said first heat exchange means being connected to said liquid inlet of said distillation column.
5 more elements
A plant for removing water from a mixture containing water and ethanol comprising:
- an extraction column, said extraction column having a first inlet for a mixture containing ethanol and water, a second inlet for liquid carbon dioxide, said second inlet being located below said first inlet, a first outlet for a stripped raffinate mixture, said first outlet being located below said second inlet, and a second outlet, for a solution of ethanol and liquid carbon dioxide, said second outlet being located above said first inlet;
- first heat exchange means, said first heat exchange means having a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet and a vapour outlet;
- second heat exchange means, said second heat exchange means having a vapour inlet and a liquid outlet;
- a tailing column, said tailing column having a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, a vapour inlet and a vapour outlet, said vapour outlet from said tailing column being coupled with said vapour inlet of said second heat exchange means, said liquid outlet of said tailing column being connected to said liquid inlet of said first heat exchange means, said vapour outlet of said first heat exchange means being connected to said vapour inlet of said tailing column and said second outlet of said liquid-liquid extraction column being connected to said liquid inlet of said tailing column;
- means connected between said liquid outlet of said second heat exchange means and said second inlet of said liquid-liquid contaction column;
- a dryer, said dryer including an adsorbent material and having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet of said dryer being connected to said liquid outlet of said first heat exchange means;
- and
- a distillation column, said distillation column having a top and a bottom, a liquid inlet, a vapour outlet at said top and a liquid outlet at said bottom, said liquid inlet of said distillation column being connected to said outlet of said dryer.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.