New industrial heat pump applications to ethanol production. Phase 1 final report.

摘要

An energy cost reduction study of the Midwest Grain Products, Atchison, Kansas Beverage grade alcohol (from grain) and speciality starch plant has been completed. The objective was to find out effective energy cost reduction projects and to develop a coherent strategy for realizing the savings. There are many possible options for reducing energy cost. To facilitate a fair comparison of the options, Pinch Technology was used to identify appropriate heat recovery, heat pumping and cogeneration options. Of particular interest were the opportunities for utilizing heat pumps, for energy cost reduction or other profit increasing uses. Therefore, where a heat pumping scheme was identified, its merits relative to other potential projects was carefully evaluated to ensure that the heat pump was technically and economically sound. It is felt that the results obtained in this study are applicable to other alcohol plants, due to the similarity of processes throughout the industry. This study and others indicate that reductions in thermal energy consumption of 10--30% can be expected through increased heat recovery. Additional energy cost reductions can be achieved through the use of MVR evaporators and other heat pump systems. 16 figs., 3 tabs.