Modelagem e simulação dos processos de destilação para produção do etanol hidratado com aquecimento direto e indireto.

Abstract

The present study investigates the effect of direct and indirect heating on the amount of waste generated in the distillation process for the production of hydrated alcohol. The distillation process, in the sugar and alcohol industry, is carried out by two sessions: distillation and rectification. In them the heating is done from the steam, directly or indirectly. Direct heating is characterized by the use of the heating vapor in direct contact with the product to be heated and the indirect heating is characterized by the indirect contact between the heating vapor and the product to be heated. And to represent this process, two systems one with direct heating and the other one with indirect heating were created through the computer simulation through the referents at the base of the column. The results obtained showed that the conduction of the heating directly promoted an increase in vinasse and phlegmae generation. The indirect heating was more efficient due to its reduction of the residues generated in the distillation process in 16.62% of vinasse and 20.49% of phlegmaça, in addition to a 20,21% reduction in the quantity of water in the vinasse and 32,73 % Of the amount of water in the phlegma. Considering the growth trend of the ethanol industry and its waste generation, which represents billions of liters per year, and its main provisions in Brazil are through fertigation, leading to incorrect disposal practices of this waste in the environment. Therefore, it is possible by changing the type of heating for indirect contact to reduce the amount of this liquid effluent and its impact on the environment.