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Mitsui Engineering to Use Zeolite Membrane for Dehydration Systems in Ethanol Plants
11 July 2007
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| The BNRI membrane assembly. Click to enlarge. |
Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. will use a zeolite membrane developed by Mitsui & Co. subsidiary Bussan Nanotech Research Institute Inc. (BNRI) in dehydration systems for bioethanol plants.
Dehydration systems are used in the production of ethanol to remove water from the output. The most common method of removing water involves adding heat, but this increases energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.
The BNRI filter concentrates the ethanol by allowing only water to pass through the membrane, thereby helping to reduce process fuel consumption by around 10% compared to other methods. Mitsui and Mitsui Engineering will sell the systems in major ethanol producing countries such as Brazil and the US.
Zeolites are well known materials used as absorbents, catalysts or ion exchangers. However, the large-scale production of zeolite membranes without defects had proven elusive, according to BNRI. BNRI claims to have developed such zeolite membranes.
The membrane consists of a 3-D mesh-like structure where silicon oxide and aluminum oxide covalently share oxygen atoms. Its mesh “eyes” stack regular array of tiny pores in 3-D space. Those pores form channels at 0.4 to 0.8 nm width.
The membrane is supported on a ceramic tube. Water from the water-ethanol mix passes through the filter and into the tube. The ethanol flows out through a separate channel.
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July 11, 2007 in Ethanol | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
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Comments
This could be a major development for starch ethanol if cellulosic doesn't progress. I've seen estimates that 80% of the external energy input (via gas or coal) is needed just for distillation. It should improve the energy return substantially if the zeolites are reliable.
Posted by: Aussie | Jul 12, 2007 6:24:30 AM
That should read 20% of the energy at the ethanol distillery is needed for dehydration.
http://greyfalcon.net/biofuels
This is an improvement, but "10%" of only the energy used at the plant.
Over the whole production process thats hardly anything on it's EROI.
Posted by: GreyFlcn | Jul 17, 2007 10:11:36 AM
Would anyoone be so kind as to point me to an URL of a company which is making and selling a zeolite filter which removes water from ethanol?
Thanks,
Jim
jimmiller5417@yahoo.com
Posted by: Jim Miller | Oct 30, 2007 7:49:25 PM
