RECTIFIED ALCOHOL PRODUCTION PROCESS Russian patent published in 2001 - IPC

FIELD: alcohol production. SUBSTANCE: process involves production of rectified alcohol by extracting the latter out of mash while transferring ethanol and associated impurities into mash distillate, liberation of mash distillate from head and intermediate impurities including fusel oil components in epuration column utilizing hydroselection, rectification of epurate in alcohol-concentration column, from which fusel oil fractions, fusel alcohol, and non-pasteurized alcohol are drawn off, and distillation of head and intermediate impurities. Mash rectification processes are carried out at low pressure in epuration, alcohol-concentration, methanol, and first-distillation columns and, at elevated pressure, in mash-rectification, extractive, and second- distillation columns. Mash-rectification, extractive, and second- distillation columns are heated by live steam. Steam leaving mash- rectification column is utilized for heating epuration and methanol columns. Steam leaving second-distillation column is utilized for heating first-distillation column and steam from extractive column is utilized for heating alcohol-concentration column and finally heating mash preheated by steam from alcohol-concentration column and from extractive column. Extraction of alcohol out of mash is conducted in extractive section of mash-rectification column. Mash distillate vapours are strengthened in strengthening section of rectifier. Mash distillate is additionally purified by removing fraction of head impurities from condenser of the same column, fusel oil from vapor phase from extractive-section middle-zone plates, and fusel oil from liquid phase from strengthening-section lower- zone plates, after which mash is withdrawn from liquid phase from top plates of mash-rectification column. Fractions from carbon dioxide- separator condensers, from mash-rectification and epuration columns, from alcohol-traps of impure cuts, and also fusel alcohol from mash- rectification and alcohol-concentration columns are fed into the first- distillation column, from whose condenser, head fraction concentrate is tapped off, whereas still liquid along with fusel oil fractions from mash- rectification and alcohol-concentration columns and wash water from fusel oil washer are conveyed to lower feed plate of the second-distillation column. Fractions from condensers of the alcohol-concentration and methanol columns are conveyed to upper feed plate of the same column. Head fraction concentrate from the second-distillation column condenser and fusel oil from vapor phase of the 5-11th lower plates of the same column are drawn off. From liquid phase of lower plates of strengthening section of the second-distillation column, concentrate of propyl alcohols is discharged and, from its middle zone, ethanol fraction is tapped off and recycled into mash. EFFECT: improved alcohol quality at lower power consumption. 1 dwg, 2 tbl, 2 ex