DESIGN OF A TWO-BUSHEL PER

DAY CONTINUOU£ ALCOHOL U-N IT

WILLB.M B. ALTSHELER, H. W. MOLLET, E. H. C. BROWN, W. H. STARK and LA. SMITH

Joseph E . Seagram & Sons, Inc., Louisville, Kentucky

A continuous-process alcohol unit has been designed and built which is operate on a complete, continuous
capable of completely processing two bushels of grain to yield five process, with the necessary controls
gallons .of 190° -proof alcohol in 24 hours. This unit is being used to to make· ·it · fully automatic. Such a
study the feasibility of direct, small-scale fuel-alcohol production on the unit at a _c ost ·lpw enough for general
farm. use is _no·t fully deYeloped but the
The continuous-process alcohol unit utilizes rapid cooking, at 340° -F., feasibility of the process has been
of the grain slurry and sulfuric aCid for conversion. The acid thEm is demonstrated. ~ ( 4) The unit described
neutralized with calcium carbonate. The fermentation is continuous; here is a preliminary model, built with
utilizing two successive vessels to give a total fermentation time of several refinements and with addi-
eleven hours. Alcohol (190° proof) is produced in a single column tional co~trol equipment for study of
designed to strip the beer in the lower section (containing perforated · the Process;~ Considerable effort has
plates) and to rectify it in the upper section (built wit!-; b_ubble-cap been made to obtain an attractive
plates). The unit is "fully instrumented and is autom'a tic in operation. lavout, sirice it" served to focus atten-
ti~n on the preblem and has already
been seen by several thousand people.
With this model it has been possible
T HE present trend toward mech- Development of such a · unit has to p-r oduce 5 gat of 95% alcohol from
anization of farm operation has been undertaken by a group who al- -_two bushels of com or other carbohy-
been 'of untold benefit to the farmer ways kept in . mind that it should be drate grain in twenty-four hours.
by i~creasing his production and re- small and portable, sealed' down to Every process is carried out continu-
lieving him of much of the drudgery actual farm needs, and that it· should ously, even cooking and fermentation.
that once was his accepted lot.
~lechanization, however, has not been
an unmixed blessing,· for the farmer
has lost some -of the self-sufficiency
that once made agricultural economy
so stable. For example, time was
when he produced his own power by
feeding his draft animals from farm
crops (incidentally manufacturing his
own fertilizer) ; today he must pay
cash for his fuel while perhaps part
of his pasture land lies idle or he
may have waste and surplus products.
The fermentation industry has
found one answer to this problem in
utilization of recent techniques of al-
cohol production. The farmer can
produce fuel for his tractor frotp. his
own land. This idea is not new, since
agricultural alcohol has for a long
time been used, especially in Euro-
pean countries where fuels are scarce
and expensive. Its practicability to
this point has been .limited to large-
scale production. From the point of
,;ew of the farmer, however, the ideal
means of alcohol manufacture would
be a unit which he could use on his
own farm, processing part of his pro-
duce as he needs it or handling sur-
plus crops for future use. (1) ( 3) FIG. 1. CONTINUOUS PROCESS ALCOHOL UNIT (Fro-nt V;ewl

Vel 43, No. 9 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PROGRESS "Trans. Section '~ Page 46'7
 V

V
V

f'IG. 2 . CO ~TI!-.'"Uti iJS PROCESS ALCOHOL UNIT (Rtar Vi<tt')

\Vhile corn onlv has been used as a reason why other grains or any other starch cquld not be used with slight
source of starch so far. there is no vegetable or fruit containing sugar or alterations in design of equipment.

Outline of Process

T he mashing process is a continu-

ous acid hydrolysis, and makes use of
rapid, high-temperature cooking. (2)
Corn is fed by screw conveyor from
<1. whole-grain bin to a hammer mill
where it is ground so that approxi-
mately 100% passes a 20-mesh
screen. The meal is a ir-conveyed to a
cyclone separator, from which it drop~
into a slurrying vessel where it is
mixed with water . (in the ratio of
about 23 gal. to a bushel), and sul-
furic acid is added to produce 1.25%
concentration by weight. An ~xternal
recirculating pump is u sed for mix-
mg.
A piston pump forces the mash to
V
the pressure cooker, where a jet of
~team at 150 lb-/sq .in. instantly heats V
F IG . 3. SIMPLIFIED PROCESS FLOW D IAGRAM
V

Pace 468 ''Trous. S ectioh" CHEMI CAL ENGINEERING PROGRESS September I9f7
1t to .>'IU - .t< •tte cootcer aseu 1s a
1
10,. D tube in w_~ich mash is held
for six minutes. Iidh!s cooking step
the starch is Solubilized and then con-
...--en:ed by the acid to glucose for sub-
sequent fermentation. The acid is
neutralized by a calcium carbonate ~
slurry. The mash is then cooled by F
M
water in a heat e.'<:changer to the fer- ::0
mentation temperature of 88-90° F.,
and is discharged into the fermenter
through a spring-loaded relief valve.
This unit utilizes a continuous fer-
mentation process carried out in two
\·essels, a primary and a secondary
fermenter. Each vessel has an agi-
tator, and the· primary fermenter has
~'OOling coils for precise temperature
~..--ontrol. The working capacity of the
primary fermenter is 27 gal., which
allows an eight-hour fermentation
time. This time, plus a three-hour
holding time in the secondary fer-
"'l
menter, permits acid-hydrolyzed mash Q
to he completely fermented; a longer
~
period \vould be necessary with malt-
~
CD
mnverted mash. The yeast popula- ;: ·
Lion is self-perpetuating and only re- -i -j

quires inoculation when the process 2 s

"'l
is start,~d. The normal yeast concen- -o ....
~

tratiot;t_ is 100 million cells . per ml. ~ ~

t::l
::;,
Ferinehtation temperature is main- ~ tC. .....
>
tained at 88-90° F. by· water circu- 0
::1
lated through the coils, and the pH >-
11:
ranMs from 4-1- ·to 4.6. The level in 0
"..
the ,.primary fermenter is kept con: 0
stant by an overflow duct to the sec- 0
z
~
ondary fermenter. The latter also ::1
serves as a beer well from which 0
t:"
beer is pumped to the still. \Vhen CD
-<
;he mash enters the fermentation CD
~
~
system, it has a concentration of one :::
bushel of grain in 40 gal., and a beer
is produced with about 5% by weight ~
0
of alcohol. z
Distillation is performed in the al- >
;D
cohol unit by a 3"-D column, the -<.
lower section of which serves as a
s~ripping section and the upper sec-
tt~:m as a rectifying column. The strip-
ping operation is performed by 20
periorated plates; 26 bubble-cap
plates rectify the alcohol. Steam at
2 lb./sq.in. gage is sparged into the
base of the column for boiling. Vapors
(laSs from the head of the column to a
1
\~ater- cooled condenser. A portion
ot this condensate is returned to the
column as reflux and the remainder is
sent to the product tanks.

Construction
Since the construction of· a com-
pl~t~ chemical-processing unit on a
rnauature scale presents some unique
I
problems. it might be interesting to '
I

Vot 43. No. 9 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PROGRESS '"Trons. Section"

J
 tt;r_ial not only Jx:n::::, or.nplete visi-
bthty of the content.:. ~r-:t "-hfJ reduces
corrosion difficultit.'..
Grain and calcic~:. carLrmate 5<.1 •
tling in and · blockira~ the ~man 1ine1
J~ding to t~e piMfJn V.Jmp caused
dtffic~lty. Thts_was (1\"tra:nne by using
centr_tfugal. pumps t(, recirculate the
~lurne~ th~ough tUIIC;, leading to the
munedtate mlets of t~e pist•m pumps,
then through_- return lme;., '''the slurry
vessels, Thts syst<:m al:;.-, provides -·
~.deqmite agitation in thcst: vessels. · ···
A triple P~oportion<:crs ·pump is -.
used for pumpmg mash to the cooker
for injecting calcium carh,mate slurn:
~nto the cooked ~ash , and fur pumP-
mg beer to the sttll. This is a piston-
typ<; pump with adjustable stroke.
Spnng-loaded ball-check valves are
. used on this pump to handle the thick
slurries. ·
The cooker tuhc and mash cooler
are of copper, ciH1sen to resist the
FIG . 5. D ETAIL OF COXTIKOOUS PROCESS ALCOHOL Ul\IT SHOWING WHOLE corrosive effect of dilute suHuric acid ,
GRAIN· BIN, GRAil\ FEEDER AND MIJ.,L Steam is admitted through a per~ V
forated nozzle, placed coaxially wiih V
the cooker at its . inlet. Tl')e mash
<:ool~r is a simple hc~ix formed of
disc~ss ~riefly the selection and fab- eel-lent blower to car ry the ground· 20 ft . . of ~"in.' COJ;pcr _iubitig, 'with
rication of .some mthe equipment. grain up to the slurry vessel. The out~ water outstde the. tube. · ·
The mill is a Raymond hammer going. air from the cyclone-separator _ The distillation ·column and con-
mill turning more than 9 .000 rev./ i::. exhausted to the atmosphere ' den_s~r are made of-copper. They are
min." This was chosen as the most through a cloth dust-collector. destgned along convciltional ' lines.
compact mill obtainable for its capac- The slurry vessel, acid, and calcium scaled· down. ·'
ity. At the high operating speed, the carbonate tanks. and the fe rmenters The continuous-process alcohol unit
rotor and hammers serve as an ex- a re all made of Pyrex glass. This ma- has its own specia1Jy designed steam
V
generator. operating bv electric
power. It is rated at 17.25 lb. of "-'
steam/ hr. at 150 lh.jsq.in. pressure .__,
with 100% feed-water make-up. The ....;
steam is generated in a steel drum
by four immersion heaters rated at '-../

2 kw. each. One heater functions as ~

long as there is current to the boiler

'--"
while each of the others is controlled
by a separate relay actuated by the V
boiler pressure. These are s~t at V
2-Jb. i_nterv~ls s_o that the desired pres-
sure IS mamtamed over widely flue-·
tuating demands. The boiler is fed v
hy a reciprocating pump whose oper- \.....;

ation is controlled hy the boiler level: '-'

the water is used to make or break ...._.,
a control circuit through a set of_
probes. The feed water is treated.·'
l•y passing over phosphate hriq~ett6. V
The gross operating wei~ht of the ..._,
portable alcohol unit is ahout the
\.....1
same as that of a small a\ttomobile.
Since the housing had to be compara- "--"
tively rigid, attractive, and as light as
possible to maintain portability, it
V
FIG. 6. DETAIL OF CONTI:l\UOUS PROCESS ALCOHOL UNIT SHOWING PISTON P UMP presented some difficulties in design.
AND A(fTOMATI CALL Y CONTROLLED \"AL\"ES \Velded, high-strength alu111inum al- V

'-"

:-r

I
 FIG. 7. DETAirJ,. _OF CONTI:-<"UOUS PROCESS ALCOHOT~ UNIT SHOWIXG SECTION OF TUE CONTROL P ANEL

loy was chosen as the structural ma- and mash and carbonate piston pumps ar~ kept constant by overflows, and
teriaL and the frame was designed begin operation. Steam flow to the variations in mashing rate do no more
using standard angles a~q. square- cooker- is controlled by an adjustment than affect slightly the fermentation
section tubing. Sheets, of polystyrene on a pressure-reducing valve in the time. Steam is admitted at the base
resin were used for shrou~i~g. line. When the beer reaches a lower of the still through a pressure-reduc-
operating level in the ferme~te~; a ing valve which is controlled by the
pair of contacts is shorted which -starts base pressure in the still. The tem-
Control and ·Instrumentation
the agitatQ~- The secondary~ fer- ·{Jerature at the top of the column
The requirement that the. portable menter agitator operates in the-. sam.e controls the ratio of product drawn
~lcohol unit be practically ~utomatic manner. vVhen the proper leve~ ·. i!' · to reflux so as to maintain 190° -proof
an operation . necess-i tate'd . ·a rather reached in the secondary fer~enter, product. Thus when for any reason
.ela!>orate control systemi:·When the beer is fed to the s till through a piston the proof of the overhead drops, the
~ntt is started: the contrQis operate pump. Admission of steam to the s~ill ·.apor temperature rises. This rise
tn ~e - following sequenc~: When the begins when a lower control .level is actuates a Minneapolis-Honeywell
~atn starter circuit is closed. current reached in the secondary fermenter. temperature control, operating on a
~ su~lied to the heatin~g -elements of During normal operation the sy-s - "Modutrol" motor, which in turn is
0
e botler.
-
When the boiler
.
reaches tem operates from two primary con- directly coupled to a needle valve.
. cfraung pressure, a c.o~tact switch trol variables-the rate at which mash This valve regulates the amount of
oses and water flows • to the g rain is pumped to the cooker, and the product withdrawn and closes until a
~1u~- ves_seL Start and regulation of proof of the overhead from the ·still. high enough reflux ratio is reached
e sclfunc acid flow is done manually The addition of water to the slurry to bring the proof back to the desired
at pnsent. W_hen the. ·liquid in the vessel is controlled to hold a constant level. The -mash cooler and primary
:C'tam slurry vessel reaches the lower level, regardless of the rate of mash- fermenter cooling coils contain sim-
O[>er;ui_q g level, the mill, mill feeder, . mg. The levels in the two fermenters ilar systems to regulate the flow of

l'ol u. No. 9 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PROGRESS "Trans. S ection" Page 471

cooling water so that desired tem- m Chicago in September, 1946, and unit; and tr.~ !..!i·: .: -·. ;!J;:. ~ · . ,r..-, . vi
peratures are maintained. A Brown in the flood of inquiries that have Joscph E. Seagra.n~ .\: S~.a:- . •~c .. who
twelve-point strip recorder is used to since been received. It is presented, developed the ideas undcriymg pro-
check temperatures throughout the not as the final answer. to .the great duction of pO\•:er alcohol in a small,
unit and rotameters indicate flows at fuel question, but as one solution to continuous unit: H. C. Blankmcyer,
critical points. a knotty international problem which Dr. P . J. Kolachov, G. V\7• Packow-
V
will become more critical each year. ski,]. R. Stuetz, E. D. Unger, H. F.
Willkie.
Conclusions
Acknowledgment
The continuous-process unit for Literature Cited
production of agricultural alcohol has Acknowledgment is here made of
been operated for extended periods the assistance of the following men 1. Kolachov, P. J., Trans. Am. Assoc. of
of time and its perfonnance has, in in developing the continuous-process Cereal Chem., 11, No. 3, 14-23 .
(1944). '-'
general, conformed to design specifi- alcohol unit:
cations. It is, however, still in an E. T. Eiker, formerly of the re- 2. Unger, E. D., Willkie, H. F., and V
experimental stage and some details search department of Joseph E . Blankmeyer, H. C., Trans. Am. Inst.
of the control system require revision Seagram & Sons, Inc., now with Chem. Engrs.,- 40, 421-3 (1944).
io make the unit completely automatic the Fleischmann Distilling Co., 3. Willkie, H . F., and Kolachov, P. J~
in every respect. Peekskill, N. Y., for some of the "Food {or Thought," Indiana Farm
Tremendous national and interna- initial design of the unit; Garner T . Bureau, Inc., lndianapolis, Ind.
(1942).
tional interest has · been shown in the Willey, with the Girdler Corp.,
unit both in its initial demonstration Louisville, Ky., for the design and 4. Anonymous. Chem. lnd. 59, 650-1
construction of the steam generating (1946).
at the National Chemical Exposition

Discussion

Alan T. Thomas (Brown-For- V

man Distillers Corp., Louisville, V
Ky.) ; You say this yeast is self-
perpetuating?
W. B. Altsheler: Yes, the yeast
is self-perpetuating.
A. T. Thomas: What precautions
V
do you take to prevent contamination
with acid-forming bacteria?
W. B. Altsheler: These are en-
dosed fermenters, and since, in tlus V
process, acid conversion is being used
4\. completely sterilized mash is pos-
sible. The mash, itself, is sterile, and
avoidance of the use of malt prevents
the introduction of contamination
that would result from that conver-
sion agent.
Chairman Reed: What would be
the attitude of the government with
respect to these small .units, from the
control standpoint? V
W . B. Altsheler: Well, of course.
the concern here is mainly with the
technical side of it ; the legal angle is
still to be straightened out.
Member: Would you be willing
to state what the approximate cost
of a unit would be, and the cost of
production?
W. B. Altsheler: I would hesi- V
tate to say, because this unit, as joo
can see, involves some rather expen-
sive equipment. Rather thafl make a
FIG. 8 . DETAIL OF CONTINUOUS PROCESS A.L<JOHOL UNIT SHOWING CONTROL
guess, I'm afraid I'd have to pass
PANEL FOR STEAM GENERATOR that question at this time.

"Trans. Seclionu CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PROGRESS September ltel