Low-temperature recovery of ethanol from a biorefinery's scrubber bottoms

IGPC乙醇公司在成功整合最佳可用技术以实现对环境负责和可持续增长方面继续处于领先地位。IGPC现在看到了一个机会，可以在这一记录的基础上再接再厉，回收工艺废水中存在的浪费乙醇。成功将为公司带来更好的利润和环境绩效。然而，回收技术必须能够在通常30摄氏度或更低的低温下从这些流出物中捕获稀乙醇，并能够使用最少的能量进行分离。实现这些要求的一项有前途的技术是直通蒸馏。谢里登学院在这项技术方面拥有专业知识，这使它成为一个合乎逻辑的合作伙伴，以验证该技术的使用是否适用于这一机会。虽然该技术已证明有能力满足这些要求，但Sheridan College和IGPC已经确定，在专门应用于IGPC的废水时，乙醇的可得产量在技术上存在不确定性。在IGPC决定商业实施之前，必须降低这一技术风险。该项目建议使用谢里登学院的直通蒸馏中试装置进行一系列试验，并邀请谢里丹化学和环境工程技术学院的教职员工和学生来确定在这些现实生活中的乙醇工厂条件下乙醇的实际产量。结果将为政府间气候变化委员会的经济评估提供信息，以便决定采用这项技术是否是最佳解决方案。

IGPC Ethanol Inc. continues to be a leader in successfully integrating the best available technologies forenvironmentally-responsible and sustainable growth. IGPC now sees an opportunity to build on that record,and recover the wasted ethanol present in its process effluent. Success would see improved profits andenvironmental performance for the company. However, the recovery technology must be able to capture thedilute ethanol from this effluent at low temperature which is generally 30 degrees Celsius or less, and be able touse a minimal amount of energy to perform the separation.A promising technology to achieve these requirements is Pass-through Distillation. Sheridan College hasexpertise in this technology, making it a logical partner to collaborate with on validating the use of thetechnology for this opportunity. While the technology has demonstrated a capability of meeting thoserequirements, Sheridan College and IGPC have determined that there is technical uncertainty regarding theattainable yields of ethanol when applied specifically to IGPC's effluent. This technical risk must be mitigatedbefore IGPC can decide on the commercial implementation.This project proposes a series of trials using Sheridan College's pass-through distillation pilot unit andengaging Sheridan Chemical and Environmental Engineering Technology faculty and students to determine thepractical yields of ethanol under these real-life ethanol plant conditions. The results will inform an economicassessment by IGPC so that a decision can be made as to whether adopting this technology is the best solution.