The analisys of heat pumps using during the epuration process

The evaluation of application of steam recompression for epuration column heating was carried out in the work. Researches on epuration process were carried out on an industrial brew rectification apparatus of Veselolopansky distillery. During the experiment, column apparatus operating parameters interrelations with the heat pump energy characteristics were analyzed, variants for epuration column operation with a heat pump with different vapor pressure entering the compressor by varying the compression pressure were examined. The experiments carried out allowed to determine the optimum vapor pressure of compression, providing the column operation without the heating steam supply. At a slight overpressure of vapor the optimal compression ratio is 3.4–3.7 kPa, the pressure after the compressor is 352–376 kPa; in the bottom part of column at the atmospheric pressure the optimal compression pressure is 303–325 kPa, the compression ratio is 4.0–4.4. For the low-pressure-regime use the optimum pressure is 252–275 kPa, the degree of compression-stump is 4.9–5.5. Thermodynamic analysis modes of epuration showed that epuration column working with a heat pump has the highest exergy efficiency (32.6%). Use of heat pump saves 1.03–1.15 kg of steam at the rate of 1 liter of ethanol, introduced in the column with supply. Heat pumps can be used to reduce the energy intensity of BRA in obtaining high-quality rectified alcohol.