Fermentative alcohol production

Patent · Tue Nov 16 00:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6611140

Blanch, H W; Cysewski, G R; Maiorella, B L; Wilke, C R

An improved fermentation process is disclosed for producing alcohol which includes the combination of vacuum fermentation and vacuum distillation. Preferably, the vacuum distillation is carried out in two phases. One is a fermentor proper operated at atmospheric pressure and the other is 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).

• Assignee: Dept. of Energy
• Patent Number(s): US 4359533
• OSTI ID: 6611140
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 26 Nov 1980; Other Information: PAT-APPL-210485
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
ETHANOL
PRODUCTION
VACUUM DISTILLATION
VACUUM FERMENTATION
GLUCOSE
YEASTS
ALCOHOLS
ALDEHYDES
BIOCONVERSION
CARBOHYDRATES
DISTILLATION
FERMENTATION
FUNGI
HEXOSES
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
MONOSACCHARIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
SACCHARIDES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
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