MOBILE DISTILLATION SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A DISTILLED PRODUCT WHILE TRANSPORTING THE SAME

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention generally relates to the field of distillation processes and . more particularly to mobile distillation to isolate a product such as ethanol.

BACKGROUND

Distillation is an old process used to separate a mixture of compounds by increasing temperature or decreasing pressure. Due to differences in volatility, different compounds will evaporate at different temperature-pressure conditions to enable the separation of one compound from another. Many different types of distillable products may be separated from a starting solution.

Ethanol is one example of a distillable product. More particularly, the ethanol production cycle includes the major unit operations of providing a sugar or starch solution and fermenting the sugar or starch solution to produce the major products of ethanol and carbon dioxide as well as numerous by-products depending on the sugar source. By-products often include methanol, higher alcohols, aldehydes and other compounds. The fermented solution may then undergo distillation to isolate ethanol.

Ethanol is a valuable commodity. It is used in alcoholic consumable products as well as in biofuels. Many regions have enacted regulations promoting or requiring the use of ethanol fuels such as E10 and E85 and the prevalence of such biofuels is on the rise.

In addition, ethanol is produced from a variety starch or sugar sources such as corn, sugar beet, sweet sorghum, sugar cane, switch grass, etc., which are more abundant in certain territories and climates. Ethanol itself, however, is demanded in many regions and climates, which necessitates the transportation of the fuel or the source sugar to desired locations. Transportation of many fuels such as oil occurs principally through pipelines, but since ethanol is a more powerful solvent having corrosive properties it is often transported in vehicles such as tankers and trucks.

In the wake of the Kyoto accord and other regional, national and international regulations, it is increasingly important to maximize efficiency in the production, transportation and use of fuels.

In addition, there are some known electrically motorized wheel assemblies such as those described in United States patent Nos. 5,438,228, 5,412,269, 5,355,039 and 5,327,034 (COUTURE et al.), which may also be used to convert mechanical/kinetic energy into electrical energy, for various applications.

Many distillation systems are known in the art and such systems have various disadvantages with regard to energy demand, due to the temperature-pressure conditions necessary for distillation. Various other disadvantages of the known distillation systems are known to a person skilled in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a mobile distillation system and process enabling good efficiency and overcomes at least some of the disadvantages of the prior art.

The present invention provides a mobile distillation system comprising:

- a first carriage having a mobile chassis movable through an environment and a tank provided on the chassis, said tank containing a solution comprising a distillable product and a heater for heating the solution to evaporate the distillable product, said tank having an outlet line through which the evaporated product is fed; - a second carriage mechanically connected to the first carriage and being mobile therewith, the second carriage having a tank with an inlet line in fluid connection with the outlet line of the first carriage for receiving the distilled product into the tank of the second carriage; and

- a kinetic energy converter operatively connected to the mobile distillation system and being transported therewith, the kinetic energy converter converting at least some of the kinetic energy of the moving distillation system into heating energy for the heater to thereby heat the solution.

The mobile distillation system enables the concurrent distillation and transportation of the distilled product, thereby providing at least some efficiency and cost advantages.

Preferably, the distilled product is ethanol and the starting solution is a fermented mixture containing ethanol, by-products of fermentation, water and residual compounds from the sugar-source.

Also preferably, the mobile distillation system's kinetic energy converter functions at conditions during the displacement of the system in order to maximize efficiency. For instance, the kinetic energy converter may be activated when it is desirable to decrease the kinetic energy of the mobile system, such as during breaking, and/or when the mobile distillation system is going downhill as may be the case.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the kinetic energy converter comprises a wheel-generator. Various types of wheel-generators may be used. Preferably, the wheel generator described in United States patent Nos. 5,438,228, 5,412,269, 5,355,039 and/or 5,327,034, is used for the present invention.

In a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mobile distillation system is provided in connection with a train or "locomotive".

In a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mobile distillation system is provided in connection with a barge or another type of large transport naval vessel.

The present invention also provides a process for producing a distilled product while transporting the same, comprising the steps of :

a) providing first and second carriages that are inter-connected and are mobile together; b) providing a solution comprising a distillable product within the first carriage, and during the displacement of the carnages: i) heating the solution within the first carriage to evaporate the distillable product; ii) feeding the distilled product into the second carriage; and iii) converting at least some of the kinetic energy of the moving distillation system into heating energy for the heating step i), to thereby produce the distilled product.

Preferably, the distilled product is ethanol and the starting solution is a fermented mixture containing ethanol, by-products of fermentation, water and residual compounds from the sugar-source.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig 1 is a schematic drawing of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig 2 is a side elevation view partially in cross-section of an embodiment of the wheel- generator, in combination with a rim, a tire and a knuckle-jointed connecting rod, from United States Patent No. 5,438,228.

Fig 3 is a front view partially in cross-section of the embodiment of the wheel-generator shown in Fig 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

There are two preferred embodiments of the mobile distillation system of the present invention.

In the first embodiment, shown in Fig 1, the mobile distillation system is provided in connection with a train 10. The train 10 has a first car 12 (hereafter called a distillation car) including a chassis 14 and a tank 16 fixed thereon. The chassis has wheel assemblies 18 that contact the tracks 20.

The tank 16 of the distillation car 12 is filled with a solution 22, which is preferably the result of a fermented mixture of sugars or starch. Preferably, the fermentation process is conducted prior to the mobile distillation process and the fermented solution is provided in the distillation car 12. The solution 22 thus contains water and fermentation products including ethanol. The distillation car 12 is also provided with heaters 24, which may be electric heating rods immersed within the solution 22. The electric heating rods may be similar to those used in some hot water tank systems. Of course, other types, designs and arrangements of heaters may be employed.

In Fig 1 , the distillation tank 16 is illustrated as having a substantially horizontal shape in cross-section. However, the shape of the distillation tank will be designed in accordance with distillation practice and may include a variety of plates (not shown) and/or packings (not shown) and would have the desired height-tc-diameter proportion as required for optimal distillation. It should also be noted that there may be a plurality of distillation tanks in series, depending on the tank designs and the desired purity of the ethanol final product.

The distillation tank also has an outlet line 26 through which the distilled ethanol is permitted to flow. It should be noted in this regard that distillation of the solution 22 will have a number of other by-products, which were the result of the fermentation or derived from the plant-

source of the sucrose. Such by-products may be expelled or stored as desired. For instance, there may be a sludge trap 28 (also called "cleaning trap") located at the bottom of the distillation car 12. The cleaning traps 28 can be opened to remove left over residues. Heavy by-products may remain in the first distillation car 12 but may be distilled as well to be stored in separate cars.

There may also be a stocking tank 29 for supplying and regulating the amount of solution 22 in the distillation tank 16. There are preferably pumps (not shown) provided for feeding the solutions from tank to tank. The supply of solution 22 as well as the distillation process in general is controlled by a control system (not shown).

There is also a second car 30 (hereafter called "storage car") for storing the distilled ethanol. The outlet line 26 of the distillation car 12 is fed into the inlet 32 of the storage car 30. There may be many storage cars 30,30", 30" on the train, and they may be interconnected with various pipes to transport the ethanol and/or by-products.

The locomotive engine is shown as character 33 in Fig 1. The train may be powered by electricity, coal or another power source known in the art.

Trains are massive vehicles that usually travel long distances and therefore have excellent potential for maximizing kinetic energy withdrawal for powering the mobile distillation. Preferably, there are a plurality of kinetic energy converters and a plurality of train cars for storing the starting solution and the separated ethanol for instance. In this embodiment, the preferred kinetic energy converters are the wheel-generators which are adapted to contact the ground or connect to the train wheel axis, to convert the rotational energy into electric energy for heating.

In the second embodiment, which is not illustrated, the mobile distillation system is provided in connection with a barge-type vessel. The barge embodiment presents the advantages that the large bodies of water in which they navigate are themselves in flux and present additional kinetic energy. In this embodiment, the kinetic energy converters may be wheel-generators provided with peripheral paddles. Alternatively, the wheel-generators may be adapted to the engine shafts of the barge's propellers, to operate at desirable conditions.

It should also be noted that the mobile distillation system may be adapted to a number of mobile vehicles.

The preferred kinetic energy converter 34 is shown schematically in Fig 1 as being operatively connected to the train wheel assemblies. Preferably, the converter is a wheel- generator.

A preferred embodiment of the wheel-generator 34 is described in United States patent No. 5,438,228 and is shown in Fig 2. The wheel-generator 34 may be used as a motorized wheel assembly. The wheel-generator is provided with a converting system 36.

Referring to Fig 3, the converting system 36 includes a microprocessor unit 38, a DC/AC converter having power electronics 40 fixedly mounted within the hollow portions 42, input terminals 44 for receiving the input electrical current brought by means of the conductors and output terminals 46 for delivering the variable AC electrical current. The converting system is reversible and in the context of the present invention the assembly is used as a generator. The frequency of the variable AC current relates to the rotation speed of the rotor 34. The phase angle of the variable AC current determines whether the assembly will operate as a motor or as a generator, and the amplitude of the variable AC current relates to the torque. A more elaborate description of this embodiment of the wheel-generator can be found in United States Patent No. 5,438,228.

The variable AC current resulting from the rotation of the wheel is used for the electrical heating rods shown in Fig 1 , to heat the solution 22.

It should be noted that various other converter designs may be used.

It should also be understood that the wheel-generator 34 may be adapted for use on a barge, where the rotation would be related to the movement of the barge in relation to its water environment.

Another aspect of the present invention is a process for producing a distilled product while transporting the same. This process includes the steps of :

a) providing first and second carriages that are inter-connected and are mobile together; b) providing a solution comprising a distillable product within the first carriage, and during the displacement of the carriages: i) heating the solution within the first carriage to evaporate the distillable product; ii) feeding the distilled product into the second carriage; and

iii) converting at least some of the kinetic energy of the moving distillation system into heating energy for the heating step i).

Thus, the distilled product may be produced while transporting it with its starting solution. The 5 process may be batch or continuous. As noted above, the distilled product is preferably ethanol.

It should be understood that ethanol is not the only distillable product that may be used in connection with various embodiments of the present invention. A variety of petrochemical 10 compounds are separated from one another by distillation processes, and such processes may be performed with the mobile distillation system. There may be some preferred distillable products to be distilled using the present invention, due to their high volatility in relation to the other components of the starting solution for instance, or their low weight and corresponding transportability. 15

Distillation is a costly unit operation in the production of ethanol and the present invention aims to defray some of those costs while also coupling distillation and transportation to further decrease costs.

20 Of course, the embodiments illustrated and described herein may be modified without departing from what has actually been invented, and the drawings are provided as examples of the invention and its preferred elements.