The distillation is the heart of the system. "Beer" is distilled and the ethanol is extracted from the water up to 190 proof. If anhydrous ethanol is needed, an additional dehydration module consisting of a molecular sieve is available.

Distillation and Master Control

Distillation Modules

The Distillation Module provides the components necessary to separate ethanol and water for the distillation process. The modules will produce high-purity (190 proof) ethanol from input of low purity (20 proof) fermented feedstock. The module consists of the distillation column which does the separation, the boiler, heat exchanger, or steam generator which provides the process heat energy, pumps, valves, piping, electrical wiring and Programmable Logic Controller for process control.

Master Controller Modules

Control systems will consist of custom PLC equipment for process control. Operator control will use a SCADA-type graphical operator interface for controlling and monitoring the PLC-based processes. Detailed system telemetry will be logged to a SQL database for reporting, maintenance and troubleshooting. The operating system is Linux(Ubuntu distribution) with custom Java software for the system automation functions.

Master Backplane Modules

The master backplane module provides a common connection for the distillation and other modules in the system. It interconnects between process modules and the master control module. It interconnects between process modules and process staging tank modules. It provides a dynamic module addition and removal (Plug and Play) capability for maintenance and repair. Each backplane holds five 20GPH distillation modules. The master back plane is 20’ft x 8ft x 8ft.