초록 ▼

An ethanol-producing plant and a method is provided for producing ethanol from sugars, starches, or cellulose. Some ethanol-producing plants consume more thermal energy than they produce. The present invention solves the efficiency problem by utilizing an internal combustion engine with high-efficie

An ethanol-producing plant and a method is provided for producing ethanol from sugars, starches, or cellulose. Some ethanol-producing plants consume more thermal energy than they produce. The present invention solves the efficiency problem by utilizing an internal combustion engine with high-efficiency mechanical drives for providing the mechanical power requirements of the ethanol-producing plant and by utilizing the thermal energy of engine coolant and exhaust to provide some, or all, of the thermal energy requirements of the ethanol-producing plant. The method includes electrically loading the internal combustion engine to increase the thermal losses of the engine to equal the thermal energy requirements of the steps of the ethanol-producing process.

대표청구항 ▼

A method for producing alcohol, which method comprises: (a) providing a mixture of a fermentable material and water; (b) controlling the temperature of said mixture of fermentable material and water to ferment said fermentable material into alcohol and thereby produce a mixture of alcohol and water;

A method for producing alcohol, which method comprises: (a) providing a mixture of a fermentable material and water; (b) controlling the temperature of said mixture of fermentable material and water to ferment said fermentable material into alcohol and thereby produce a mixture of alcohol and water; (c) supplying thermal energy to said mixture of alcohol and water to distill said alcohol; (d) providing an internal combustion engine of the type that adds thermal energy to a liquid coolant as said coolant flows through cooling passages of said engine; (e) providing a liquid coolant; (f) directing said liquid coolant through said cooling passages, whereby the thermal energy of said coolant is increased; (g) utilizing thermal energy of exhaust gases of said internal combustion engine to increase the thermal energy of said coolant; (h) utilizing the thermal energy of said coolant for said supplying step (c); and (i) loading the mechanical output of said internal combustion engine to increase the thermal energy of said engine.