Improving Energetic Performance and Water Usage in an Industrial Ethanol Distillery

In this paper, a case study based on an industrial process of ethanol distillation was undertaken. It was aimed to improve the energy and water usage in the process. Pinch Analysis concepts were used to propose a new heat exchanger network and a study was undertaken to the water reuse. The minimization of wastewater is achieved through the exploitation of recycle and reuse opportunities by process modifications. Through these studies, a new streams circuit was obtained, which resulted in a lower consumption of steam and in a reduction in the volume of water collecting of 12 m3 to 1 m3 per tons of crushed sugar cane. Process changes and economical viability were presented. Two kinds of equipment were studied, cooling towers and aspersion tanks.