Apparatus and method for the removal of water from ethanol

Abstract

An apparatus and method for drying ethanol includes a first reaction chamber for carrying out the removal of water from wet ethanol, a feed inlet for introducing the wet ethanol into the reaction chamber, a product outlet for removing dry ethanol from the reaction chamber, an optional fuel inlet for introducing a fuel into the reaction chamber, and a particulate bed, including sorbent particles, that is disposed within the reaction chamber. In a preferred embodiment, the bed is divided into first and second zones each provided with different size sorbent particles. In another preferred embodiment, the bed contains a mixture of sorbent particles and catalyst particles. The sorbent particles operate to remove water from the wet ethanol and form hydrated-sorbent particles. The catalyst particles operate to promote chemical reaction of the fuel, generating heat that causes removal of water from the hydrated-sorbent particles and regenerating the sorbent particles.

1 . An apparatus for drying ethanol comprising:
 a) a first chamber for carrying out the removal of water from wet ethanol;   b) a first feed inlet for introducing said wet ethanol into said first chamber;   c) a first product outlet for removing dry ethanol from said first chamber;   d) a first fuel inlet for introducing a fuel into said first chamber; and   e) a first particulate bed disposed within said first chamber and comprising a mixture of sorbent particles and catalyst particles, wherein in a first phase of operation said sorbent particles remove water from said wet ethanol forming hydrated-sorbent particles, and in a second phase of operation said catalyst particles operate to promote a chemical reaction, thereby heating said hydrated-sorbent particles and removing water from said hydrated-sorbent particles.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  and further comprising a coolant inlet for introducing a coolant into said first chamber, said coolant operating to cool said heated sorbent particles following removal of water from said hydrated-sorbent particles. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said catalyst particles comprise an oxidation catalyst, a water-gas shift catalyst, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein said catalyst particles comprise an oxidation catalyst comprising platinum-activated alumina. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein said catalyst particles comprise a water-gas shift catalyst comprising copper oxide, zinc oxide, or aluminum oxide. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said sorbent particles comprise alumina, silica, or zeolite. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said sorbent particles and said catalyst particles are about the same average size and the same average shape. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said catalyst particles are sorbent particles that have been modified to include catalyst material deposited on the surface of said sorbent particles. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said mixture of sorbent particles and catalyst particles are in a weight ratio of about 10:1 to about 30:1 sorbent:catalyst. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said fuel comprises carbon monoxide. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said coolant comprises ethanol. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said mixture of sorbent particles and catalyst particles in the first chamber comprise a first zone proximate said first feed inlet and a second zone proximate said first product outlet. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein said sorbent particles and said catalyst particles in said first zone have an average particle size larger than the average particle size of said sorbent particles and said catalyst particles in said second zone. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein said sorbent particles and said catalyst particles in said first zone have approximately the same average particle size, and said sorbent particles and said catalyst particles in said second zone have approximately the same average particle size. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein said sorbent particles and said catalyst particles in said first zone have an average particle size of approximately 0.32 cm (0.125 inch) diameter, and said sorbent particles and said catalyst particles in said second zone have an average particle size of approximately 0.16 cm (0.0625 inch) diameter. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second chamber for carrying out the removal of water from wet ethanol;   a second fuel inlet for introducing said wet ethanol into said second chamber;   a second product outlet for removing dry ethanol from said second chamber; and   a second particulate bed disposed within said second chamber and comprising a mixture of sorbent particles and catalyst particles, wherein in said second phase of operation said sorbent particles of remove water from said wet ethanol forming hydrated-sorbent particles, and in said first phase of operation said catalyst particles operate to promote a chemical reaction, thereby heating said hydrated-sorbent particles and removing water from said hydrated-sorbent particles.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1  and further comprising a second chamber and a thermal-transfer chamber, wherein the thermal-transfer chamber is adjacent to both the first chamber and second chambers, and wherein the thermal-transfer chamber has both an inlet port for introducing a cooling or heating material and an outlet port for removing said cooling or heating material. 
     
     
         18 . A process for drying ethanol comprising the steps of:
 a) providing first chamber having a fuel inlet for introducing wet ethanol into the first chamber and a product outlet for removing dry ethanol from said first chamber;   b) providing sorbent particles within said first chamber and catalyst particles within said first chamber, wherein   c) introducing wet ethanol through the feed inlet into the first chamber;   d) adsorbing water from said wet ethanol onto said sorbent particles and forming hydrated-sorbent particles;   e) removing dry ethanol from said first chamber via said product outlet.   
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 18  and further comprising:
 a) heating said hydrated-sorbent particles and thereby causing removal of adsorbed water from said hydrated-sorbent particles and thereby regenerating said sorbent particles; and   b) cooling said heated sorbent particles following removal of said adsorbed water from said hydrated-sorbent particles.   
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 18  wherein said first chamber further comprises a coolant inlet for introducing a coolant into said first chamber, and wherein, said cooling of said heated sorbent particles comprises introducing a coolant into said first chamber. 
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 18  wherein said first chamber further comprises a fuel inlet for introducing a fuel into said first chamber, and said particulate bed disposed within said first chamber further comprises catalyst particles, and wherein:
 said heating of said sorbent particles comprises oxidizing said fuel or reducing said water in the presence of said catalyst, thereby generating heat.   
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 21  wherein said catalyst particles comprise an oxidation catalyst, a water-gas shift catalyst or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 22  wherein said oxidation catalyst comprises platinum-activated alumina. 
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 21  wherein said catalyst is a water-gas shift catalyst comprising a copper oxide, a zinc oxide, or aluminum oxide. 
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 18  wherein said sorbent particles comprise alumina, silica, or zeolite. 
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 18  wherein said sorbent particles and said catalyst particles are present in said particulate bed in a weight ratio of about 10:1 to about 30:1 sorbent:catalyst. 
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 18  wherein said first chamber has a first zone proximate said feed inlet and a second zone proximate said feed outlet, wherein sorbent particles and said catalyst particles in said first zone have an average particle size of approximately 0.32 cm diameter, and said sorbent particles and said catalyst particles in said second zone have an average particle size of approximately 0.16 cm diameter. 
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 21  wherein said fuel comprises carbon monoxide. 
     
     
         29 . The process of  claim 19  wherein said heated sorbent particles are cooled by mixing with liquid ethanol. 
     
     
         30 . The process of  claim 18  and further comprising the steps of:
 heating said hydrated-sorbent particles in said first chamber thereby causing removal of water and thereby regenerating said sorbent particles;   cooling said heated sorbent particles in said first chamber following removal of said water from said hydrated-sorbent particles;   introducing wet ethanol into a second chamber;   adsorbing water from said wet ethanol onto sorbent particles in said second chamber; and   removing dry ethanol from said second chamber.   
     
     
         31 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . The process of  claim 18  and further comprising the step of regenerating said sorbent particles using a TSA process. 
     
     
         35 . The process of  claim 18  and further comprising the step of regenerating said sorbent particles using a PSA process. 
     
     
         36 . The process of  claim 18  and further comprising the step of regenerating said sorbent particles using a combined PSA and TSA process. 
     
     
         37 - 42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the wet ethanol is prepared by a hydration of ethylene. 
     
     
         44 - 45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the dry ethanol product comprises no more than 0.3% water by weight. 
     
     
         47 . The process of  claim 18  wherein the wet ethanol is prepared by a fermentation process or by a process comprising the hydration of ethylene. 
     
     
         48 . The process of  claim 18  wherein the dry ethanol product comprises no more than 0.3% water by weight.