AN INNOVATIVE PROJECT INVOLVING AN APPROPRIATE HYBRID DISTILLATION SYSTEM FOR SMALL-SCALE ETHANOL FUEL PRODUCTION

A yield increase in the distillation step reveals a promising way to guarantee technical and economic feasibility for small-scale ethanol production (SSEP), up to 30 L . h-1. The objective of this study is to assess a differentiated distiller, a hybrid composition involving a Vigreux column and a packing (Raschig rings) column in the stripping and rectifying sections, respectively. To evaluate the distiller, seven tests were performed in a continuous operation system. The feed and vaporization rates were varied so that their influence on the operational performance of the distiller could be measured. Specifically, the ethanol concentration in the distillate and bottom products, the operational capacity, and the energy factor were measured. The results prove the technical feasibility of the hybrid distiller, and the application of the hybrid distiller in small-scale distilleries is promising. To improve the distillation step, construction of a pilot-scale column is recommended.