FR2553673A2 - Process for distillation of a raw material containing at least one volatile component, for example alcohol, and/or concentrating a liquid to be concentrated, for example grape must or the distillation effluent, and plant for its use. - Google Patents

Abstract

Process and plant for distillation of a raw material containing at least one volatile component and/or concentrating a liquid to be concentrated or the distillation effluent. This process according to a first improvement is characterised in that the independent evaporator 11 is a double-effect evaporator 11, 110. The first effect 11 is preferably fed with live high-pressure steam, preferably through a thermocompressor 90 while the second effect 110 is amalgamated with the evaporator 15 replacing the main condenser of the column 4, 5 in the same evaporator body. According to other improvements the independent evaporator may be a single-effect one with thermocompression or with mechanical compression of its vapour, while the evaporator 8 for replacing the boiler can be combined with a boiler. The invention enables radical energy savings to be achieved, especially in the case of application to the distillation of alcohol and the concentration of the distillation effluent or of a liquid to be concentrated such as a grape must.

Description

 The present invention essentially relates to a process for the distillation of a raw material containing at least one volatile component, for example alcohol and / or concentration of a liquid to be concentrated, for example grape must, or distillation effluent.

In the invention which is the subject of the main patent
N083 02 088, the Applicant has described a process and a multi-purpose distillery plant with concentration of effluent or liquid temperature sensitive including the use of a distillation column of the raw material with formation of a distillate and an effluent as well as a concentration set comprising at least one evaporator.In accordance with this prior invention, the inventive characteristics essentially reside in the replacement of the column boiler by a first evaporator and the replacement of the main condenser of the column by a second evaporator so as to integrate the first and second evaporators in the evaporative complex constituting the concentration set of the liquid to be concentrated, such as grape must or other, or the effluent.

 According to another essential feature: particularly advantageous of the invention which is the subject of the main patent, there is provided a third evaporator independent of the first two evaporators, freely combinable with them. Preferably, this third evaporator comprises a mechanical recompression of its own steam, preferably in a closed circuit.

In accordance with the present invention, the Applicant has now made various improvements to the method and the installation of the main patent which are as follows:
According to a particularly interesting improvement, the independent evaporator is a double-acting evaporator, preferably the first effect is supplied with high-pressure live steam advantageously through a thermocompressor.

 According to another advantageous feature of this first improvement, the second effect of the independent evaporator is combined with the evaporator replacing the main condenser column in the same evaporator body.

 This first improvement avoids the use of the mechanical vapor recompression made according to the main patent on the third evaporator in the case where the electrical or mechanical energy is not available or too expensive or if an investment in centrifugal compressor is too high.

 According to a second improvement of the present invention, the first effect of the independent evaporator is formed by a duplication of the evaporator replacing the boiler, preferably made in the same evaporator body.

 According to yet another improvement made to the invention of the main patent, the boiler replacement evaporator is an evaporator associated with a conventional boiler, the vapors emitted by this evaporator being used at least in part to heat the boiler of the column, this evaporator associated with the boiler being preferably supplied with high-pressure live steam advantageously passing through a thermocompressor.

According to this particular improvement of the present invention, the independent evaporator is preferably simple
effect and thermocompression
According to an alternative embodiment of this improvement of which the evaporator of replacement of the boiler is an evaporator associated with a conventional boiler, the independent evaporator advantageously comprises a recompression of its own steam with a mechanical compressor of reduced power, this independent evaporator being preferably single-acting.

 According to yet another improvement of the present invention, the independent evaporator is the only evaporator thus serving as both main condenser and column boiler and effluent concentration evaporator of the feed column. This vapor evaporator is split into two independent circuits, one of the two steam circuits is fed by the top vapor of the column while the other vapor circuit is fed by. a portion of the fumes emitted by the evaporation of the effluent from the column which are preferably compressed to raise the thermal level, the other part of the compressed fumes being returned to the bottom of the column.

 According to this last improvement, the independent evaporator is double-acting, the vapor supply of the first effect comes from the vapor or recompressed vapor of the second effect, the temperature difference is small between the two effects, preferably of the order 8-200C and more preferably of the order of 10 to 150C.

 According to an advantageous characteristic of this last improvement, the recompressed steams sent at the bottom of the column are again compressed by an auxiliary compressor to raise the thermal level before introduction to the bottom of the column.

 According to this latter improvement, a primary energy saving is obtained with respect to a conventional distillation column and a concentration of evaporative concentration in a five-effect evaporator of 47%, which is remarkable.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the light of the following exeplicative description made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a partial schematic view of an installation according to a first improvement of FIG.
the present invention for the implementation of the corresponding method.In this figure as in the figures
following, we simply schematized the modifications
essential to the installation represented at
Figure 1 of the main patent No. 83 02 088,
FIG. 2 represents an installation according to the present invention according to a second improvement realized in the installation and in the method of the main patent for the implementation of the corresponding method which is the subject of this second improvement.
- Figure 3 represents, in a similar way to the
FIG. 1 or in FIG. 2, the essential parts of an installation according to the present invention subject to a third improvement,
FIG. 4 represents a variant embodiment
of the installation shown in Figure 3 in the
where it is desired to replace thermocompression on
the independent evaporator by a mechanical compression,
and
FIG. 5 again represents an installation
according to a fourth improvement of this
invention constituting the optimal solution in the case of availability of mechanical energy (electrical, KWh) by
the use of mechanical compressors.

With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown
schematically the essential parts of the installation shown in Figure 1 of the main patent N083 02 088
with the same reference numbers. Thus, the distillation column has the same reference numerals 4, 5,
the first evaporator replacement boiler door
the reference number 8, the thermocompressor being represented with the reference index 9. The second
replacement evaporator of the main condenser of the column 4, 5 has the reference number 15 and likewise the third independent evaporator bears the reference number 11. Simply, for simplification of the representation of the evaporators, the oblique line symbolizes the separation between the vapor circuit and the liquid circuit.

 According to the present improvement, the installation shown in FIG. 1 of the main patent is thus modified so as to carry out steam heating of the independent evaporator 11 in the case where the electrical or mechanical energy is not available or too expensive or if a compressor investment is too high.

 For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 1 of the present invention, the independent evaporator is converted into a double-acting independent evaporator, the first effect carrying the reference number 11 and the second effect the reference number 110.

 Advantageously, according to this first improvement, the first effect 11 is fed with high-pressure live steam, for example 15 bar from the pipe 60, usually from the same source as that producing the high pressure steam supply by the line F of the first evaporator 8. Preferably, according to this first improvement, the supply of high-pressure live steam of the first effect 11 of the independent evaporator is carried out through a thermocompressor 90.

 According to a preferred embodiment of this first improvement, the second effect 110 of the independent evaporator is combined with the evaporator 15 replacing the main condenser of the column 4, 5 in the same evaporator body. This is practically always possible because the operating temperature of this second effect 110 is close to that of the operation of the replacement evaporator 15 of the main condenser of the column.

 Each of these evaporators serves, according to the example shown in FIG. 1, to concentrate the effluent from the column and thus the number indicated at the end of the arrows symbolizes to which evaporator is directed, or from which evaporator comes, the effluent in concentration course.

 According to this improvement indicated in FIG. 1, the consumption of steam is naturally increased by about 33% compared to that obtained by direct application of the process and the installation indicated in FIG. 1 of the main patent, but it is avoided. use of mechanical energy, that is to say electrical.This solution is therefore possible in the case where there are vapors and where the electrical or mechanical energy is not available or too expensive or if an investment in compressor centrifuge is too high.

 Referring to Figure 2, there is shown a second improvement constituting an alternative embodiment of the improvement of Figure 1 1 in the direction of the replacement of mechanical energy by thermal energy provided by steam.

 Thus, with reference to FIG. 2, according to this second improvement of the invention, the independent evaporator is always a double-effect evaporator but the first effect of the independent evaporator is here formed by a doubling of the evaporator 8 replacing the boiler. Preferably, this first effect 120 is made in the same evaporator body as the evaporator 8 for replacing the boiler of the column 4, 5. That is why they are respectively referenced Ia and Ib.

 In a manner similar to that shown in Figure 1, the first effect 120 is fed high pressure live steam through the pipe 60 'advantageously through a thermocompressor 90'. According to this second improvement, it is thus seen that advantageously the effluent exiting at the bottom of the column 4, 5 by the lines C, D simultaneously feeds the evaporator 8 of the boiler replacement and the first effect 120 of the independent evaporator. For this first effect 120 of the independent evaporator, the vapors emitted are partly thermocompressed in the thermocompressor 90 and the remainder is sent to the second effect 11 of the independent evaporator to heat it and serve the complementary concentration of the effluent. It will be noted that in the diagram shown, the effluent leaving the evaporator 8 of the first effect 120 of the independent evaporator is sent to the second effect 11 before being further concentrated in the evaporator 15 to replace the main condenser of the column. The opposite is possible, it is sufficient to play on the operating pressures of the respective evaporators which are usually reduced pressures to improve the evaporation in the evaporator.

 In FIG. 2, as in FIG. 1, the numerical values obtained in the example of application to the treatment of 1000 liters of wine at 100 GL for the production of 95 GL alcohol have been indicated.

 According to this improvement, like that of Figure 1, the steam consumption is about 33% higher than that obtained by applying the method and the installation described in Figure 1 of the main patent and this solution, such as of Figure 17 avoids the use of electrical or mechanical energy that may not be available or too expensive or if it is not desired to make an investment in centrifugal compressor that can be too high.

 It will be observed that according to this second improvement, the two thermocompressors 9, 90 'can in practice be combined into one, preferably to the extent that the operating temperatures are the same in sections 1a and 1b, which is generally the case in the practice.

 In addition, and quite advantageously according to the present invention, the principle of duplication of the evaporator 8 replacement of the boiler of the column can also be applied to the evaporator 15 replacement of the main condenser of the column , to the extent that the design of the latter admits a mixed heating, in two distinct sections, one by the alcoholic vapors exiting through the pipe U at the head of the column, the other by a portion of the vapors from the first effect 120 by the line 115.

 In this advantageous case where the upstream and downstream evaporator bodies of the column 4.5 are thus made in duplex, the installation comprises only two evaporator bodies instead of three, which is particularly advantageous.

 With reference to FIG. 3, according to a third improvement of the present invention, the evaporator 8 for replacing the boiler is an evaporator associated with a conventional boiler 150, the vapors emitted by this G evaporator being used at least in part to heat the boiler 150 of the column. Preferably, according to this improvement of the present invention, this evaporator 8 associated with the boiler 150 is supplied with high-pressure live steam advantageously passing through a thermocompressor 9 in a manner equivalent to that indicated in the main patent.

 According to this improvement, it is then necessary to slightly increase the operating temperature of the evaporator 8 but there is no effect of dilution of the reflux of the effluent reintroduced to the bottom of the column.

On the other hand, according to this improvement, preferably the independent evaporator 11 is a single-effect evaporator which is preferably supplied with high-pressure live steam by a thermocompressor 90 in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 1 of the present invention. invention.

 This improvement thus makes it possible to increase the efficiency of the first evaporator-8 at the level of the preconcentration of the effluent introduced by line D.

 If the rise in operating temperature of the evaporator 8 poses a problem in the behavior of the effluent, for example in the case where it is thermally sensitive, the set of operating temperatures must be lowered by working the column 4, 5 not at atmospheric pressure but under slightly reduced pressure.

 It follows from the foregoing that the amount of water to evaporate at the level of the independent evaporator 11 and reduced the amount condensed at the boiler.

The overall energy balance is thus more favorable than in the previous cases, the energy expenditure returns to that resulting from the application of the process and installation that is the subject of Figure 1 of the main patent is between 180 and 185 tonnes equivalent of -4 petroleum per hectolitre of pure alcohol for the same example, with a concentration ratio of the effluent equal to 20 times.

 Referring to Figure 4, there is shown an alternative embodiment of the method and the installation shown in Figure 3 by replacing the thermocompression by a mechanical recompression of steam.

In this case, use is made of a mechanical compressor of reduced power, normally 1.2 KWh compared to the power of 7KWh of the compressor of the independent evaporator mentioned in Figure 1 of the main patent, per hectolitre of pure alcohol produced, selecting the operating temperatures between those of the first and second evaporators 8, 15, respectively.

 The overall energy demand, measured in tonnes of oil equivalent x 10, is in this case the minimum value of 174, representing a saving of 40% compared to the case of the same distillation with uncoupled concentration of effluents. .

 Finally, with reference to FIG. 5, there is shown another improvement of the present invention according to which the independent evaporator of the main patent is now the only evaporator referenced 200 thus serving as both the main condenser and the boiler of the present invention. column 4, 5; and evaporator concentration of the effluent of the column 4.5.However, in this case this single evaporator is modified so that the steam supply is split into two independent circuits 201, 202, one "201" of the two circuits 201, 202 of steam being fed by the top vapors of the column arriving via the pipe U, the other (202) being fed by a portion of the fumes emitted by the evaporation of the effluent of the column which are preferably compressed, preferably by a mechanical compressor 204, so, to raise the thermal level, the other part of the compressed mists being returned by the conduits 206, 208 at the bottom of the column.

 Preferably, the independent evaporator 200 is double-acting I, II, the first effect of steam supply I from the vapor or vapor recompressed second effect il by the pipe 210, the temperature difference is preferably low between both effects I, he, preferably of the order of 8 to 200C and more preferably of the order of 10 to 150C.

 Advantageously, according to this improvement, and in order to further improve the overall energy savings of the installation, the compression of the fumes emitted by the evaporation of the effluent in the second effect II of the evaporator 200, by the compressor 204, are compressed in such a way as to obtain a temperature of the compressed mists intermediate between the operating temperature of the second effect II and the re-injection temperature of the compressed fumes at the bottom of the column. In this case, an auxiliary compression of the steam coming out of the main compression by the compressor 204 is then performed using a low power auxiliary compressor 212.

For example, the compressor 204 has a power of 30KWh and the auxiliary compressor 212 a power of 6 KWH.

Thus in the example shown in FIG. 5 of the treatment of 1000 liters of wine at 10 ° GL, the vapors emitted in the second effect II of the evaporator 200 are at a temperature of 700 ° C. and the mechanical compression by the main compressor 204 raises this temperature at 900C.

This temperature of 900C is therefore the vapor reinjection temperature in the heating circuit of the first effect I of the evaporator 200. The part of the vapors that must be introduced at the bottom of the column must be further thermally raised and this is done by the compressor. auxiliary 212 which brings this temperature to 1050C. Of course, each effect of the evaporator 200 generally works at least for the evaporation circuit of the effluent under reduced pressure, which is preferably not less than half the atmospheric pressure.

 With this improvement, we obtain a relative primary energy saving of 47% compared to a conventional column combined with a five-effect evaporation assembly or a triple effect evaporation assembly with thermocompression, which is still all -that is remarkable.

 In the following comparative table the performances of the conventional solution, of FIG. 1 of the main patent and the improvements forming the object of the present invention are summarized.

 The operating temperature of the second effect II, FIG. 5, is determined by the condensation temparuture of phlegm vapors (generally 79-800 ° C) in the case of alcohol distillation. The evaporation capacity of the second-effect It is therefore greater than that of the first effect I because of the addition of the latent heat of the phlegms which explains the presence of an excess of fog that can be used to heat the column. This surplus corresponds to losses near the energy yielded by the condensation of phlegm.

COMPARATIVE TABLE OF TOTAL PRIMARY ENERGIES between various uses (Values reported at 1 hectolitre of pure alcohol)

DISTILLATION <SEP> ENERGY <SEP> THERMAL <SEP> EQUIVALENT <SEP> ENERGY <SEP> EQUIVALENT <SEP> ENERGY <SEP> ECONOMY <SEP> ENERGY
<tb><SEP> + <SEP> Steam <SEP> (kg) <SEP> ENERGY <SEP> MECAN <SEP> IQUE <SEP> ENERGY <SEP> PRIMARY <SEP> PRIMARY <SEP> FIG.
<Tb>

<SEP> PRIMARY <SEP> PRIMARY <SEP> TOTAL <SEP> N
<tb> COMCENTRATION <SEP> Column <SEP> Evaporation <SEP> (PET <SEP> x <SEP> 10-4) <SEP> (KWh) <SEP> (PET <SEP> x <SEP> 10-4) <SEP>(SEP>SEP> x <SEP> 10-4) <SEP> TEMPx10-4) <SEP> RELATIVE
<tb> Traditional <SEP> column <SEP> 220 <SEP> 185 <SEP> 290 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 290 <SEP> by <SEP> report <SEP> to <SEP> oette <SEP > + <SEP> evap. <SEP> T / E <SEP> with <SEP> first <SEP> solution
<tb> T / C <SEP> (or5effects)
<tb> Coupling <SEP> column <SEP> 1
<tb> with <SEP> D / E <SEP> to <SEP> T / C <SEP> 230 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 164 <SEP> 7 <SEP> 17 <SEP> 181 <SEP> 109 <SEP > 37 <SEP>% <SEP> Brevat
<tb> + <SEP> finisher <SEP> RMB <SEP> 8302088
<tb> Coupling <SEP> column <SEP> 1
<tb> + <SEP> finisher <SEP> 230 <SEP> 75 <SEP> 218 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 218 <SEP> 72 <SEP> 25 <SEP>% <SEP> Inven
D / E <SEP> to <SEP> T / C <SEP> tion
<tb> Coupling <SEP> column <SEP> 2
<tb> preconc. <SEP> duplex <SEP> 230 <SEP> 75 <SEP> 218 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 218 <SEP> 72 <SEP> 25 <SEP>% <SEP> Inven
D / E <SEP> to <SEP> T / C <SEP> tion
<tb> Column + boiler <SEP> 3
<tb> + <SEP> finisher <SEP> 240 <SEP> 17 <SEP> 183 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 183 <SEP> 107 <SEP> 37 <SEP>% <SEP> Inven
S / E <SEP> to <SEP> T / C <SEP> tion
<tb> Conlonne + boiler <SEP> 4
<tb> + <SEP> finisher <SEP> RMS <SEP> 240 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 171 <SEP> 1,2 <SEP> 3 <SEP> 174 <SEP> 116 <SEP> 40 <SEP>% <SEP> Inven
<SEP> tion
<tb> Column <SEP> 5
<tb> + <SEP> D / E <SEP> to <SEP> RMB <SEP> 40 <SEP> 50 <SEP> 64 <SEP> 36 <SEP> 90 <SEP> 154 <SEP> 136 <SEP> 47 <SEP>% <SEP> Inven
<SEP> tion
<tb> Data <SEP> from <SEP> basis <SEP>: <SEP> work <SEP> from <SEP> 1,000 <SEP> liters <SEP> from <SEP> wine <SEP> to <SEP> 10 <SEP > GL <SEP> S / E <SEP> Simple <SEP> effect
<tb> production <SEP> of alcohol <SEP> at <SEP> 95 GL <SEP> - <SEP> Rate <SEP> of <SEP> concentration <SEP> D / E <SEP> Double <SEP> affet
<tb><SEP> of <SEP> vinasse <SEP> = <SEP> 20 <SEP> X <SEP> T / E <SEP> Triple <SEP> effect
<tb> Steam <SEP> Hp <SEP> to <SEP> 15 <SEP> bars <SEP> - <SEP> 1 <SEP> TEP <SEP> = <SEP> 4.000 <SEP> KWS <SEP> = <SEP > 14 <SEP> tons <SEP> of <SEP> steam <SEP> T / C <SEP> Thermo-compression
<tb><SEP> RMB <SEP> Mechanical <SEP> Recompression
<Tb>

Claims (12)

R E V E N D I C A T IO N S  1.Procedure of distillation of a raw material containing at least one volatile component, for example alcohol, and / or concentration of a liquid to be concentrated, for example grape must; or distillation effluent, comprising the use of a distillation column of said raw material with formation of a distillate and an effluent, as well as a concentration set comprising at least one evaporator, the boiler the column being replaced by a first evaporator and the main condenser of the column being replaced by a second evaporator so as to integrate said first and second evaporators in the evaporative complex constituting the concentration set of the liquid to be concentrated or of the effluent; with the preferred presence of a third evaporator independent of the first two, freely combinable with them, according to at least claim 1 of the main patent, characterized in that the independent evaporator is a double-acting evaporator.  2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the first effect is supplied with high-pressure live steam, preferably through a thermo-compressor.  3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second effect is grouped together with the evaporator replacing the main condenser of the column in the same evaporator body  4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the first effect of the independent evaporator is formed by a resolution of the evaporator replacing the boiler, preferably made in the same evaporator body.  5. Method according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that the second effect of the independent evaporator is formed by a resolution of the evaporator replacing the main condenser of the column, preferably made in the same evaporator body.  6. Method according to at least claim 1 of the main patent or any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the evaporator replacement of the boiler is an evaporator associated with a conventional boiler, the vapors emitted by this evaporator being partly used for heating the boiler of the column; this evaporator associated with the boiler being preferably supplied with high-pressure live steam advantageously passing through a thermo-compressor.  7. Method according to at least claim 1 of the main patent and according to the preceding claim 6, characterized in that the independent evaporator is only thermocompression effect.  8. Process according to claim 6, characterized in that the independent evaporator comprises a recompression of its own steam with mechanical compression of reduced power; this independent evaporator is preferably a single effect.  9. Method according to at least claim 1 of the main patent, characterized in that the independent evaporator is the only evaporator thus serving as both main condenser and boiler of the column, and evaporator concentration of the effluent from the column the steam supply of this evaporator is split into two independent circuits, one of the two steam circuits is fed by the vapors of the top of the column, the other is fed by a part of the vapors emitted by the evaporation of the effluent from the column which are preferably compressed to raise the thermal level, the other part of the compressed mists being returned to the bottom of the column.  10. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that the independent evaporator is double-acting, the steam supply of the first effect comes in part from the vapor or recompressed vapor of the second effect, the temperature difference is kept low between the two effects preferably of the order of 8 to 200C, and more preferably of the order of 10 to 150C.  11. The method of claim 10, characterized in that the vapors or recompressed vapors sent at the bottom of the column are again compressed by an auxiliary compressor to further increase the thermal level before introduction to the bottom of the column.  12. Distillation plant of a raw material containing at least one volatile component, for example alcohol and / or concentration of a liquid to be concentrated, for example grape must, or distillation effluent, comprising a distillation column of the raw material with formation of a distillate and an effluent, and a concentration assembly comprising at least one evaporator, a first evaporator of replacement of the boiler of the column and a second evaporator of replacement of the condenser main column, said first and second evaporators being integrated into the evaporative complex constituting the concentration set of the liquid to be concentrated or the effluent; the evaporative complex advantageously comprising a third evaporator independent of the first two but freely combinable with them, characterized in that the independent evaporator; the first evaporator of replacement of the boiler of the column and the second evaporator of replacement of the main condenser of the column are made or combined with each other as indicated according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 11.