Simulação e otimização do processo de destilação para a produção de etanol hidratado

Abstract

With the growth in sales of flex vehicles, increase in oil prices and growing concern for the environment, hydrated ethanol, produced from sugarcane, has been gaining space as an alternative to replace the use of fossil fuels. in order to analyze and improve the process, the study of the distillation stage to obtain this biofuel is commonly carried out using computer simulators.Using three columns and seven components present in the fermented wine, this work aimed to simulate the distillation process for the production of hydrated ethanol fuel using the Aspen PLUS® simulation software. Initially, the process was simulated using referrers, obtaining a product with an alcohol content of 94.5 ºINPM, a value adequate to the required quality parameters. By means of graphs of mass concentration, temperature and relative volatility, it was possible to analyze the behavior of the process and the influence of the congeners on the rectification column. Based on sensitivity analyzes, an optimum reflux ratio of 4.5 was chose for the rectification column and process steam consumption equal to 2.2 kg / L. The influence of the type of heat source was also verified, through the simulation of the process using direct injection. Therefore, there was a 12% reduction in steam consumption and an increase in mass flow rates of 19.42% and 15.3% for vinasse and phlegmaça, respectively.