This disclosure describes energy efficient process to distill a process stream in a production facility. A process uses multiple effect evaporators, ranging from one evaporator to eight evaporators in each effect. The process arrangement shows an example of four effect evaporators, with a zero-effect evaporator having a single evaporator, a first-effect evaporator having a set of three evaporators, a second-effect evaporator having a set of three evaporators, and a third-effect evaporator having a set of evaporators to create condensed distillers solubles.

A distillation and dehydration system is provided that produces an anhydrous organic solvent. The provided system includes vapor recompression (e.g., a mechanical or thermal vapor recompression unit) to recover heat from a rectification-distillation section (e.g., a rectifier/stripper column). The addition of vapor recompression enables further heat recovery within a stream by increasing the condensation temperature and pressure of that stream and later using its latent heat by condensing it.

The present invention relates to methods and systems for remediating one or more impurities (e.g., diacetyl) that are present in manufacturing an alcohol (e.g., ethanol) from cellulosic biomass. The methods and systems include reacting the one or more impurities with at least one treatment compound (e.g., an oxidizing agent, an alkali compound, or a mixture thereof) to form a reaction product that can be separated from the alcohol.

Methods may include obtaining ketones and glycols from a fermentation process, the method including: collecting an off-gas and/or a fermented broth from the fermenter, wherein the off-gas comprises a ketone, and wherein the fermented broth comprises one or more of glycol or ketone; and performing at least one of: transferring the off-gas from the fermenter to a ketone recuperation module; or transferring the fermented broth to a fluid separating module; and isolating one or more of: the ketone from the off-gas; and the glycol from the fermented broth.

A distillation column and tray assembly is disclosed herein. The distillation column includes a removable inner tray assembly with adjustable downcomer tubes. The removable tray assembly enables the user to selectively change distillation plates when so removed. When removed, a distiller or brewer may adjust the downcomer tubes to change the fluid level on the distillation plates, or bypass certain distillation plates completely. Certain embodiments of the invention include a feature of an O-ring recessed around a perimeter of the plates permitting a tight seal and reducing manufacturing costs.

A process of isolating 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BDO) from a fermentation broth includes separating a liquid fraction enriched in 1,4-BDO from a solid fraction comprising cells, removing water from said liquid fraction, removing salts from said liquid fraction, and purifying 1,4-BDO. A process for producing 1,4-BDO includes culturing a 1,4-BDO-producing microorganism in a fermentor for a sufficient period of time to produce 1,4-BDO. The 1,4-BDO-producing microorganism includes a microorganism having a 1,4-BDO pathway having one or more exogenous genes encoding a 1,4-BDO pathway enzyme and/or one or more gene disruptions. The process for producing 1,4-BDO further includes isolating 1,4-BDO.

Improvements in biological conversion processes and associated apparatuses are disclosed for the generation of useful end products such as ethanol, through metabolic pathways of C1-fixing bacteria that utilize, as a nutrient, a C1-carbon source from a C1-containing substrate such as an industrial waste gas. Particular aspects of the disclosure relate to the downstream recovery of ethanol and/or isopropanol from bleed and permeate streams and more particularly to performing such recovery with improved efficiency that can advantageously reduce capital (e.g., equipment) and/or operating (e.g., utility) costs.

The disclosure relates to a method for fermentation integrated with separation and purification of acetone, butanol, and ethanol (ABE) or butanol alone, comprising the following steps: 1) obtaining ABE by fermentation using an acetone-butanol-producing bacterium or obtaining butanol using a butanol-producing bacterium; 2) using a vapor-stripping-vapor-permeation method (briefly VSVP) for online separation and purification of ABE or purifying butanol from the fermentation broth; wherein the VSVP method comprises the following steps: introducing a gas bubble into the fermentation broth comprising active cells for fermentation to vaporize ABE or Butanol; subjecting the gas along with the vaporized ABE or Butanol to a membrane separation unit to pass through the membrane; recovering ABE or Butanol, or subjecting ABE or Butanol to a next separation device. By using the disclosed method, production, separation, and purification efficiency of ABE or butanol are improved with saved energy consumption and without increasing equipment investment.

The present invention belongs to the technology field of microbial fermentation of the sugar-containing raw materials for producing fuel ethanol. It specifically relates to a continuous separation device and process for producing fuel ethanol. The device is continuous distillation device, and is improvement of the distillation device in the prior art. The present invention utilizes a continuous ethanol separation process, which can make full use of fermentable sugar of the sweet sorghum straw (or sugar cane, sugar beet), increase ethanol yield, change the traditional mode of production, truly realize continuous ethanol separation process; and the waste materials produced in the procedure of distillation can be used either as fuel, or as animal feed, and this not only saves the cost, but also is greatly significant in environmental protection.

The present disclosure provides processes and systems for heat integration in ethanol production. In one embodiment, a feed mixture is distilled with one or more distillation units to remove at least a portion of the water, and form a distillation unit bottom stream, a vaporous overhead stream, and a fusel oil stream. Molecular sieve units are regenerated by vacuum or a combination of vacuum and optionally a portion of the product stream to form one or more regenerate streams. A feed tank is configured to receive at least one selected from a condensed portion of the regenerate streams and a portion of a vaporous depressure stream, to form a feed stream. The energy contained in the depressure vapor is recovered by the depressure vapor contacting the feed tank and heating up at least one stream forwarded into the feed tank.