Fermentative alcohol production

Patent · Thu Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:864400

Wilke, Charles R ^[1]; Maiorella, Brian L ^[2]; Blanch, Harvey W ^[2]; Cysewski, Gerald R ^[3]

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1. El Cerrito, CA
2. Berkeley, CA
3. Kennewick, WA

An improved fermentation process for producing alcohol which includes the combination of vacuum fermentation and vacuum distillation. Preferably, the vacuum distillation is carried out in two phases, one a fermentor proper operated at atmospheric pressure and a flash phase operated at reduced pressure with recycle of fermentation brew having a reduced alcohol content to the fermentor, using vapor recompression heating of the flash-pot recycle stream to heat the flash-pot or the distillation step, and using "water load balancing" (i.e., the molar ratio of water in the fermentor feed is the same as the molar ratio of water in the distillation overhead).

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by Department of Energy (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4359533
• OSTI ID: 864400
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/435/203/
alcohol
alcohol production
atmospheric
atmospheric pressure
balancing
brew
carried
combination
compression heat
content
distillation
feed
fermentation
fermentation process
fermentative
fermentor
flash
flash-pot
heat
heating
improved
load
load balancing
molar
molar ratio
operated
overhead
phase
phases
preferably
pressure
process
producing
production
proper
ratio
recompression
recycle
recycle stream
reduced
reduced pressure
step
stream
vacuum
vacuum distillation
vapor
water
water load