SYSTEM AND METHODS OF SEPARATING ALCOHOL AND THICKENING DISTILLATION BY-PRODUCTS Russian patent published in 2015 - IPC B01D3/14 

FIELD: chemistry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to systems and a method of separating alcohol, particularly butanol, from fermented material and thickening thin stillage into evaporator syrup. The method includes separating at least part of fermented material in a distillation column, wherein pressure is kept below atmospheric pressure in order to obtain vapour with high alcohol content and still residue with low alcohol content, containing thin stillage; evaporating water from the thin stillage to obtain a first intermediate stillage and first-step vapour using at least two series-connected first-step evaporators; evaporating water from the first intermediate stillage, carried out using heat from the first-step vapour to obtain a second intermediate stillage and second-step vapour using at least two series-connected second-step evaporators; evaporating water from the second intermediate stillage, carried out using heat from the second-step vapour to obtain evaporator syrup using at least one third-step evaporator; using at least part of the last-step vapour generated by the last-step evaporator to obtain heat used to distil the fermented material in the distillation column; and using vapour from the apparatus to provide sufficient heat to evaporate water from the thin stillage in the first-step evaporator.

EFFECT: improved power saving.

38 cl, 16 tbl, 6 ex