Method and apparatus for ethanol production
US9446326B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 28, 2014 |
| Grant date | Sep 20, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 28, 2035 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P20/50
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
An integrated bioethanol production and evaporation process and system produce reduces high quality ethanol and concentrated stillage. The process and system provide a significant energy savings over conventional bioethanol production and evaporation systems by using the energy (“vapor”) that drives the distillation process to also drive a multiple effect evaporator, preferably a multiple effect TASTE™ evaporator to “flash” or vaporize alcohol from the distillate. Additional energy savings are provided by passing fermented material through one or more pre-heaters of the multiple effect evaporator to increase the temperature of the fermented material prior to its distillation. The system preferably includes a pre-flash evaporator upstream of an alcohol recovery assembly in the direction of vapor flow and a multi-effect post-flash evaporator downstream of the alcohol recovery assembly.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.