Alcohol recovery process
First Claim
1. In a distillation method for the production of anhydrous alcohol from a fermented feed wherein the fermented feed is distilled in a first distillation column to obtain an alcohol portion as an overhead, introducing said alcohol portion to at least one additional distillation column, removing as a bottom from said first distillation column a lean mash primarily containing dissolved organic matter, separating said lean mash into a first spent feed and a second spent feed, introducing said first spent feed as a sidestream into an evaporation zone having at least two successively decreasing pressure regions, and removing a concentrated first spent feed from a lower pressure region of said evaporation zone, the improvement comprising:
- (a) separating said fermented feed into a first fermented feed containing dissolved organic matter and a second fermented feed containing insoluble organic matter;
(b) introducing said first fermented feed as a sidestream into said first distillation column and said second fermented feed into a drying zone;
(c) drying said second fermented feed in said drying zone at a pressure greater than the pressure of a lower region of said distillation column;
(d) removing a pressurized vapor stream from said drying zone; and
(e) introducing said pressurized vapor stream as a sidestream into the lower region of said first distillation column.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A process for the production of alcohol from a fermented feed wherein insoluble organic matter is separated prior to entry into a first distillation column. The insoluble organic matter is dried under pressure to produce dried distillers grain and wherein excess vapor is removed from the drying zone to provide heat to the distillation system. The present process also includes removing excess water vapor from the evaporation zone, obtained from supplemental heating supplied by the overhead from said first distillation column, compressing said water vapor, and recycling it to the distillation columns and the evaporation zone.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. In a distillation method for the production of anhydrous alcohol from a fermented feed wherein the fermented feed is distilled in a first distillation column to obtain an alcohol portion as an overhead, introducing said alcohol portion to at least one additional distillation column, removing as a bottom from said first distillation column a lean mash primarily containing dissolved organic matter, separating said lean mash into a first spent feed and a second spent feed, introducing said first spent feed as a sidestream into an evaporation zone having at least two successively decreasing pressure regions, and removing a concentrated first spent feed from a lower pressure region of said evaporation zone, the improvement comprising:
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(a) separating said fermented feed into a first fermented feed containing dissolved organic matter and a second fermented feed containing insoluble organic matter; (b) introducing said first fermented feed as a sidestream into said first distillation column and said second fermented feed into a drying zone; (c) drying said second fermented feed in said drying zone at a pressure greater than the pressure of a lower region of said distillation column; (d) removing a pressurized vapor stream from said drying zone; and (e) introducing said pressurized vapor stream as a sidestream into the lower region of said first distillation column. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification