Production of ethanol
First Claim
1. In the production of ethanol from a substrate containing carbohydrate, the method which comprises the continuous steps of delivering the substrate to a fermentor to provide a fermenting liquor, feeding a flow of said liquor from the fermentor to a separating unit and there separating the liquor into a yeast concentrate flow and a yeast-free flow, recirculating said yeast concentrate flow to the fermentor, feeding said yeast-free flow to a short distillation column and there separating it into a first ethanol-enriched vapor flow and a first liquid bottom flow, treating said first vapor flow to produce ethanol of a desired quality, recirculating a major part of said first liquid bottom flow to the fermentor, feeding a minor residual part of said first liquid bottom flow to a stripping unit, and separating said residual part in the stripping unit into a second ethanol-enriched vapor flow and a second liquid bottom flow, exhausted of ethanol.
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Abstract
A flow of fermenting liquor from a fermentor is separated into a yeast concentrate flow, which is recirculated to the fermentor, and a yeast-free flow which is separated in a simple evaporator unit into a first ethanol-enriched vapor flow and a first liquid bottom flow. The first vapor flow is treated to produce the desired ethanol while a major part of the first liquid bottom flow is recirculated to the fermentor. A minor, residual part of the latter flow is fed to a stripping unit where it is separated into a second ethanol-enriched vapor flow and a second liquid bottom flow exhausted of ethanol.
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Citations
14 Claims
- 1. In the production of ethanol from a substrate containing carbohydrate, the method which comprises the continuous steps of delivering the substrate to a fermentor to provide a fermenting liquor, feeding a flow of said liquor from the fermentor to a separating unit and there separating the liquor into a yeast concentrate flow and a yeast-free flow, recirculating said yeast concentrate flow to the fermentor, feeding said yeast-free flow to a short distillation column and there separating it into a first ethanol-enriched vapor flow and a first liquid bottom flow, treating said first vapor flow to produce ethanol of a desired quality, recirculating a major part of said first liquid bottom flow to the fermentor, feeding a minor residual part of said first liquid bottom flow to a stripping unit, and separating said residual part in the stripping unit into a second ethanol-enriched vapor flow and a second liquid bottom flow, exhausted of ethanol.
Specification