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Water Use in Bioethanol Production: Vijay Singh

Water is a key input and output in bioethanol production. Process water is used for activities like CO2 scrubbing and yeast fermentation, while non-process water is used for cooling towers and boilers. A typical dry grind ethanol plant requires 4 gallons of water to produce 1 gallon of ethanol, with 60-70% of this water used in cooling towers. While ethanol production requires water, its usage is lower than other industrial processes like producing sugar, rubber, or gasoline. New technologies may further reduce the water needs of bioethanol facilities.

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Muhammad Wildan
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49 views15 pages

Water Use in Bioethanol Production: Vijay Singh

Water is a key input and output in bioethanol production. Process water is used for activities like CO2 scrubbing and yeast fermentation, while non-process water is used for cooling towers and boilers. A typical dry grind ethanol plant requires 4 gallons of water to produce 1 gallon of ethanol, with 60-70% of this water used in cooling towers. While ethanol production requires water, its usage is lower than other industrial processes like producing sugar, rubber, or gasoline. New technologies may further reduce the water needs of bioethanol facilities.

Uploaded by

Muhammad Wildan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Water Use in Bioethanol Production

Vijay Singh
Associate Professor
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Universityy of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
p g

Illinois Water Conference 2008


Champaign, IL
October 8-9, 2008

Types
yp of Water
W
Process Water
CO2 Scrubber
Yeast tanks

Non-Process Water
Cooling Tower
Boiler (RO water)

Input and Output: Water Balance


Emissions

Inputs

Ethanol Plant

Effluent

Products

Input and Output: Water Balance


Water Vapour

Eh l
Ethanol

C
Corn
Water

Ethanol Plant

DDGS
CO2

Effluent

Water Routing in Dry Grind Ethanol Plant


Plant
Feed

Boiler Makeup

Reverse Osmosis

Deaerator
RO
P d t
Product
Tank

RO Reject
MM/GS
Filters

Process RO
Storage Tank
Boiler
Cooling Tower

Process
Non RO

Boiler BD

Dry Grind
Process

Steam

Cooling
Tower BD

P
Process
Out
O

Softner Regen
Plant
Output

Water Routing in Dry Grind Ethanol Plant


Plant
Feed

Boiler Makeup

Reverse Osmosis

Deaerator
RO
P d t
Product
Tank

RO Reject
MM/GS
Filters

Process RO
Storage Tank

Evaporation and Drift

Boiler

Cooling Tower
Process
Non RO

Boiler BD

Dry Grind
Process

Steam

Cooling
Tower BD

P
Process
Out
O

Softner Regen
Plant
Output

Cooling Tower
Circulation rate is set by process
design
Evaporation and drift is
determined by heat load,
circulation rate and design of tower
Blowdown is calculated by cycles
of concentration (permit
requirements)
Makeup is sum of evaporation and
drift and blowdown.

Evaporation and Drift

Recirculation
Rate

Cooling Tower

Cooling
Tower BD

RO/Boiler
Boiler Makeup

Steam load and condensate


r t rn is ddetermined
return
t rmin d b
by
process design
Boiler blowdown is
determined by
b the water
ater
chemistry
RO reject is determined by
RO design

Reverse Osmosis

Deaerator
RO Reject

RO
P d t
Product
Tank

Softner
Regen

Boiler

Boiler BD

Dry Grind
Process

Steam

Process Water
Alpha
Al
h
Amylase

Water
Steam
Corn

Flash

Slurry
Milling

Ethanol
Storage

200
Proof
Ethanol

Clean
Water
Yeast
Yeast
P
Prop.

Liquefaction
Jet Cooker

Thin Stillage
Recycle

Heat
Exchanger

Glucoamylase

Mash
CO2

Steam

Mole Sieves
190
Proof
Ethanol

Saccharification &
Fermentation

Dryer
CO2 Scrubber

Steam
Dryer Recycle

Syrup
Thin
g
Stillage

Cooling

DDGS

Beer

Whole
Stillage

Evaporator

Centrifuge
Wet
Grains

Distillation System

Input and Output: Water Balance


Water Vapour

Eh l
Ethanol

C
Corn
Water

Ethanol Plant

DDGS
CO2

Effluent

Water Use
W
U in Other Industries
d
Water used to produce
p
1 can of fruit = 9.3 gallons
1 lb of sugar = 14 gallons
1 lb of synthetic rubber = 55 gallons
1 gallon of paint = 13 gallons
1 lb of cotton = 101 gallons
1 Sunday newspaper = 150 gallons
1 gallon of gasoline = 2 to 22.55 gallons

Source: USGC/USEPA

Sodium and its Effect on Fermentation

Source: Alcohol Textbook,


Ingledew, 2003

Fermentation Profile
120

18.0
100

100

99

16.0
88

14.0

80

12 0
12.0

70

10.0

60

8.0
6.0

40

36
29
22
15
10

4.0
2.0
0.0

20

Gl cose (%w/v)
Glucose
(% / )

10

20

30

40

SSF (hr)

50

60

70

% Eth
hanol Prod
duced

Ethanol Cooncentratiion (% v/v)


E

20.0

Conventional Dry Grind Process


Corn

Grinding (Hammermill)
Water
Mash
Blending
Alpha-Amylase
Liquefaction

CO2

Overhead product
(Recycled back)

Ethanol

Dehydration column
Yeast &
Gl
Glucoamylase
l
Thi
Thin
Centrifuge
Saccharification &
Stillage
Stripping/
Fermentation
Rectifying column
Syrup
Wet Grains

DDGS

Evaporator

Conclusions

Conventional dryy grind


g
ethanol production
p
requires
q

4 gallons water/gallon of ethanol


60-70% of this water is for cooling towers

Water use in dry grind ethanol plants is small compared to other


industrial processes
New technologies can further reduce water requirement in dry
grind ethanol process

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