Congener removal in ethanol production may be provided by fermenting a feedstock in a fermentation vessel, yielding a fermentation product including an organic solvent and water, and inert fermentation gases; distilling the fermentation product in a distillation column yielding a first solvent enriched stream; dehydrating the first solvent enriched stream yielding a second solvent enriched stream having a greater concentration of the organic solvent than the first solvent enriched stream and a water enriched solution; and sparging the water enriched solution with the inert fermentation gases in a sparging tank yielding a sparged solution and a vapor including volatile species present in the water enriched solution separated out from the sparged solution.
A potting material as for use in membrane separation modules maybe provided consisting of a tin alloy having a melting point of from 210 to 230°C, wherein the tin alloy consists, on a metals basis, of: from 95 to 97 wt.%; and from 3 to 5 wt.% of the combination of Silver (Ag) with at least one of Nickel (Ni), Copper (Cu), or Germanium (Ge).
Dual-process solvent and sugar production plants are provided in which inputs to the solvent production sub-system are received from the sugar product sub-system, which are both driven and supplied inputs from a shared pre-evaporator system. Improvements to the heat integration and dehydration technologies available for use in the plants are also provided, which may be used for initial construction, retrofit, replacement, or expansion of previous separation sections in the plants.
An organic solvent production system and method are provided in which permeate and/or retentate streams are collected from a set of membranes or other purification devices via one or more headers to direct the streams to various downstream systems for further processing and/or heat recovery against colder streams.
A distillation and dehydration system (100) is provided that produces an anhydrous organic solvent. The provided system includes vapor recompression (e.g., a mechanical or thermal vapor recompression unit; 120a-c) to recover heat from a rectification-distillation section (e.g., a rectifier/stripper column; 108, 110). The addition of vapor recompression (120a-c) enables further heat recovery within a stream by increasing the condensation temperature and pressure of that stream and later using its latent heat by condensing it.
The present disclosure provides for organic solvent production via distillation and dehydration by: directing portions of a feed stream to a first and second distillation columns operating at a different pressures from each other, wherein the organic solvent is preferably an alcohol and more preferably ethanol; generating, in the first distillation column, a vaporous first overhead stream; directing the vaporous first overhead stream directly to a rectification system; generating, in the second distillation column, a vaporous second overhead stream; forming a condensed second overhead stream from the vaporous second overhead stream; directing, at least a portion of the condensed second overhead stream to the rectification system; generating, via the rectification system, a third overhead stream; directing at least a portion of the third overhead stream to a separation system; and generating, in the separation system, an enriched solvent stream.
The present disclosure provides for organic solvent production via distillation and dehydration by: directing portions of a feed stream to a first and second distillation columns operating at a different pressures from each other, wherein the organic solvent is preferably an alcohol and more preferably ethanol; generating, in the first distillation column, a vaporous first overhead stream; directing the vaporous first overhead stream directly to a rectification system; generating, in the second distillation column, a vaporous second overhead stream; forming a condensed second overhead stream from the vaporous second overhead stream; directing, at least a portion of the condensed second overhead stream to the rectification system; generating, via the rectification system, a third overhead stream; directing at least a portion of the third overhead stream to a separation system; and generating, in the separation system, an enriched solvent stream.
The present disclosure provides high-grade ethanol production systems and methods that increase energy efficiency as compared to typical systems and methods by minimizing undesired acetal formation. The provided ethanol production method may include a low boilers removal distillation column and/or a stripper column constructed to simultaneously remove at least a portion of the acetaldehyde and at least a portion of the acetal from a feed stream in the presence of water. In some aspects, a low boilers removal process may be followed by a water removal process, which may be followed by a high boilers removal process. Acidity (e.g., carbon dioxide) may also be removed from a feed stream prior to or during the low boilers removal process. By minimizing acetal production, the provided method minimizes the amount of energy that is required to remove acetal when producing high-grade ethanol.
The present disclosure provides processes and systems for ethanol production. In one embodiment, a first beer column receives a first portion of a feed mixture including ethanol and water to form a first beer column bottom stream and a first beer column vaporous overhead stream. A beer column receives a second portion of the feed mixture. A first portion of the first beer column bottom stream is forwarded to a first beer column reboiler. A second portion of the first beer column bottom stream is forwarded to a plurality of evaporators. A condensed portion of the first beer column vaporous overhead stream is forwarded to a stripper column. The stripper column forms a feed stream, which is contacted with a separation system, thereby forming a permeate and a retentate. The permeate is forwarded directly to at least one selected from the first beer column and the stripper column.
The present disclosure provides processes and systems for ethanol production. In one embodiment, a first beer column receives a first portion of a feed mixture including ethanol and water to form a first beer column bottom stream and a first beer column vaporous overhead stream. A beer column receives a second portion of the feed mixture. A first portion of the first beer column bottom stream is forwarded to a first beer column reboiler. A second portion of the first beer column bottom stream is forwarded to a plurality of evaporators. A condensed portion of the first beer column vaporous overhead stream is forwarded to a stripper column. The stripper column forms a feed stream, which is contacted with a separation system, thereby forming a permeate and a retentate. The permeate is forwarded directly to at least one selected from the first beer column and the stripper column.
The present invention relates to a method for modifying and cross-linking polybenzimidazoles, PBI. The polybenzimidazole reacts with a compound, which has a halogen and a double bond functionality and which comprises a halogen and an organic group to form modified polymers by means of a nucleophilic substitution of the amine proton of the benzimidazole functionality in a solution, and a functional group is connected via each resulting free double bond and/or the polymers that are thus modified are cross-linked.
The invention relates to a method for modifying and crosslinking polybenzimidazole, PBI. The polybenzimidazole reacts with a compound, which has a halogen and a double-bond functionality and which comprises a halogen and an organic group, into modified polymers by means of a nucleophilic substitution of the amine proton of the benzimidazole functionality in a solution, and a functional group is connected via each resulting free double bond and/or the polymers that are thus modified are crosslinked.
In a method for sealing a membrane module, a seal (4) or a sealing mass is introduced between a head plate (3) holding a tube bundle (2) and a mounting ring (10) holding the head plate (3). Alternatively, a sealing mass containing quartz sand is proposed for sealing cracks in the head plate.
The invention relates to a method for sealing a membrane module. In said method, a seal (4) or sealing mass is introduced between a head plate (3) that holds a tube bundle (2) and an assembly ring (10) that holds the head plate (3). Alternatively, a sealing mass containing silica sand for sealing cracks in the head plate is disclosed.
The invention relates to a device for producing ethanol, wherein the mash is supplied to a distillation column. The invention is characterized in that the distillate (28) of the one distillation column (27) is supplied to at least two filter devices (30, 31) that interact in a cascade (29), the permeates (32, 33) of the filter devices (30, 31) being reintroduced into the distillation column (27) and the retentate (35) of the last filter device (31) being removed as the final product ethanol.
Disclosed is a fuel cell comprising an electrolyte between two spaced-apart electrodes. A gel is arranged between the electrodes as an electrolyte or as an electrolyte support. For obtaining said gel, silicon dioxide (SiO2) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4) are mixed at a weight ratio ranging between 2:98 and 8:92, the mixture is vigorously stirred, and the stirred mixture is dried.
The invention relates to a top plate (4), fixing the end of a tube bundle (1) with a number of, in particular, porous tubes (2) with a membrane in sealing manner, wherein the top plate (4) is made from a metal or a metal alloy with a melting point lower than the lowest failure temperature for a tube material and/or the membrane.
B01D 53/22 - Separation of gases or vapoursRecovering vapours of volatile solvents from gasesChemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases or aerosols by diffusion
The invention relates to a top plate (4), fixing the end of a tube bundle (1) with a number of, in particular, porous tubes (2) with a membrane in sealing manner, wherein the top plate (4) is made from a metal or a metal alloy with a melting point lower than the lowest failure temperature for a tube material and/or the membrane.
B01D 53/22 - Separation of gases or vapoursRecovering vapours of volatile solvents from gasesChemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases or aerosols by diffusion
Disclosed is a membrane module for separating material, especially by means of cross-flow filtration. Said membrane module comprises a housing (1) and at least one replaceable, self-supporting filter cartridge which is disposed therein and is provided with semi-permeable hollow fiber membranes (2) that are preferably placed in a longitudinal direction and are embedded in a potting compound at the ends thereof. The inventive module is characterized in that both pottings (3, 4) are equipped with final caps, particularly with sleeve-shaped front rings (7, 8) while the filter cartridge encompasses a fixture (12, 13) for attaching the final caps or front rings to the pottings.
B01D 53/22 - Separation of gases or vapoursRecovering vapours of volatile solvents from gasesChemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases or aerosols by diffusion
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