Fortalecimiento de los procesos de elaboración de alcohol etílico de origen agrícola en ASOEMPRAC mediante el análisis de operaciones unitarias y productos de consumo para contribuir en el desarrollo tecnológico del cantón Pangua : Simulación de una columna de destilación para la rectificación de arcohol artesanal de ASOEMPRAC. 60 páginas. Quito : EPN.

Abstract

This study is the simulation of a distillation column to rectify artisanal alcohol using Aspen Hysys software. The main goal is to size and optimize this equipment to purify ethanol through the rigorous application of thermodynamic and phase equilibrium models. Initially, Aspen Hysys computational tools were used to determine the thermodynamic method which best represents the liquid-vapor equilibrium of the ethanol-water system under a wide range of operating conditions. The correct selection of the thermodynamic method this allows to obtain better data in the results in the simulation. Next, the shortcut model of the distillation column was parameterized by defining feed conditions, composition, and basic equipment specifications. The shortcut approach allows estimate of the preliminary column characteristics. These estimates were then refined through rigorous steady-state simulations of the detailed column model. This approach made possible to determine the optimum column design, including number of theoretical stages, feed tray location, operating conditions, and mechanical specifications. Finally, the distilled product from the rectification tower was compared with the quality requirements of the Ecuadorian technical standards for alcoholic beverages, the simulations showed that it is possible to reach the concentrations indicated by the quality standards for alcoholic beverages by applying the distillation process.