Fractional condensation processes, apparatuses and systems
AssigneeJoule Unlimited Technologies, Inc.
InventorsYizu Zhu, Johan van Walsem
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Abstract
The present invention provides fractional condensation apparatuses, systems and methods that can recover volatile products from highly diluted liquid and vapor feed mixtures with high purity and recovery yield, both in batch and continuous distillation, while being also designed to achieve low-cost and efficient recovery processes. Single apparatuses and columns can be connected to each other to expand or shrink the column length for desired separation. The apparatuses, systems and methods can be applied to separate mixtures with both narrow and wide boiling point ranges.
Claims11
A process for recovering ethanol from a feed mixture comprising:
- (a) introducing the feed mixture into a fractional condensation apparatus;
- (b) fractionally condensing the feed mixture in the fractional condensation apparatus to form a first condensed fluid and a first vapor, the feed mixture having a temperature between about 30° C. and about 60° C. before fractional condensing;
- (c) condensing the first vapor in a top condenser to form a second condensed fluid and a second vapor, the top condenser having a temperature between about 6° C. and about 11° C.;
- and
- (d) condensing the second vapor in a product condenser to form a cold product stream, the product condenser having a temperature that is below the temperature of the top condenser;
- wherein the feed mixture contains between about 1 mol % and about 5 mol % of ethanol, at least about 5 mol % water, and at least about 90 mol % gases selected independently from the group consisting of N2, O2 and CO2, or mixtures thereof;
- whereby a concentration of ethanol in the cold product stream of at least about 80 wt % and a recovery of at least about 60 wt % is obtained.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.