Today, getting intoxicated drinks at home is much easier for people than just a couple of decades ago. We do not see anything shameful in this, and what a sin there is to hide: many of us have a well-founded interest in the features of such a mysterious process. That is why we decided to dedicate our readers to the "sacrament", knowing which, you can guarantee yourself such a quality of the product, in which the buyers of retail chains will never have confidence.

viktor50 FORUMHOUSE user

One surrogate poisoning, which you can run into in any supermarket, and much more money can be spent on treatment than on the manufacture of an alcohol column.

Distillation and rectification: the essence of the processes and the differences between them

Distillation (distillatio) - translated from Latin - dripping. The physical essence of the process consists in the evaporation of liquids and the subsequent condensation of the resulting vapor (most modern inhabitants understand banal distillation as distillation, and they are right).

Rectification (rectificatio) - translated from Latin - correction. The essence of the process is in the separation of multicomponent liquid mixtures into components. Such sorting is possible due to the different boiling points of different components (light fractions boil at a lower temperature, and heavy fractions at a higher one).

It is possible to isolate a product suitable for consumption from the “ripened” mash by means of banal distillation. But the resulting substance, which is raw alcohol (moonshine), will contain a huge amount of impurities that do not have the best effect on the taste of the drink.

Glevakhovod FORUMHOUSE user

If we simply condense the vapors in the refrigerator (in a cooled coil) using the old-fashioned method, we will get a condensate (distillate) of everything that was in the steam - moonshine (cloudy and with an unpleasant odor).

Therefore, some sooner or later come to the need to use more advanced methods for obtaining alcohol-containing products from home raw materials. It's about rectification.

Petrovich69 FORUMHOUSE user

We all went through the stages of experience and understanding: first you take a distiller (universal and with strengthening), then you buy additional strengthening drawers or a plate column, and only then will you start getting a quality product. And so - one pampering, a waste of time and money, not to mention health.

The creation of a distillation column will justify itself - there will be no need to worry about the presence of toxic compounds in the final product.

Carcinogenic impurities are divided into two types:

1. Light - ethers, acetone, higher alcohols, etc. Light compounds are also called "heads" - perhaps because they have a low boiling point (from 65 ° C) and leave the distillation tank first.
2. Heavy - water, fusel oils, etc. Heavy compounds are called "tails". They leave the boiling substance last (at a higher temperature - from 85 ° C). At the same time, "tails" are also undesirable to use due to the high content of toxic impurities, but they can be used in the process of subsequent distillation.

"Body" is the product, because of which the rectification process, in fact, is started. We are talking about ethyl alcohol.

The boiling point of ethyl alcohol at atmospheric pressure is 760 mm Hg. Art. is 78.39°C. This indicator directly depends on the percentage of ethanol in the solution. It can also decrease or increase in proportion to the change in atmospheric pressure.

If you learn how to properly adjust the operating parameters of the rectifier, then you will always have the opportunity to get the most purified alcohol solution at the output, the strength of which is close to 96%.

Concise Dictionary

Before continuing the study of the topic, consider its basic concepts.

1. An alcohol column (SC) is a device that allows you to obtain ethyl alcohol with a high degree of purification at home. Alcohol columns are of two types: beer columns (BK) and distillation columns (RK). Their fundamental difference lies in the quality of the feedstock intended for distillation. So, the mash column, which is also called the "film", is designed for direct distillation of the mash. There is no special filler (nozzle) in its design, while it has a limited separating ability, which does not allow obtaining a high quality product. A more advanced design has a distillation column (RC), which is also called "packed". Thanks to a special filler (for example, from stainless steel dishcloths), this device allows you to accurately separate the available fractions from each other. Raw alcohol (ordinary moonshine) obtained by distillation is used as a raw material for the distillation column. As practice shows, only a packed column makes it possible to obtain a product with a maximum degree of purification. Therefore, when creating a device for producing ethanol at home, it is necessary to focus on the design of a distillation (rather than a beer) column.
2. Phlegm (condensate) - products that accompany the rectification process and have a higher boiling point, in comparison with the fraction separated at the current time. For example, "body" in relation to "heads" can be considered phlegm. “Tails” (in relation to the “body”) are also phlegm.
3. Distillation cube - the capacity of the rectifier, which contains the distilled raw alcohol.
4. Tsarga - the working part of the distillation column, in which the separation of the initial solution into its constituent fractions takes place.
5. Under-rectified is a product with a high degree of purification, obtained by distillation of the feedstock through an alcohol column.

The word “under-rectified” may not inspire confidence, but in fact, getting an under-rectified is our ultimate goal.

Listo FORUMHOUSE user

From two pastures we make rectified from moonshine - we put the bottom tube, after which we get alcohol for a long time and patiently (under-rectified, more precisely). Its strength is 96 °, and the smell (for sugar mash) is quite normal. We do not clean anything, so the product turns out to be quite worthy. After it, you don’t even feel like drinking industrial vodka (in the morning - like a cucumber).

The strength of the under-rectified product often falls short of 96%, while it may contain smells of the feedstock. However, the product has a high degree of purification and corresponding quality.

Why RK is better than a distiller

The advantages of a distillation column are based on the design features of this device. RK allows you to consistently and with a high degree of efficiency to separate the "heads" from the "body", and the "body" from the "tails". The principle of its operation is based on the physical effect of heat and mass transfer, which consists in the continuous mixing of ascending vapors and phlegm flowing down.

The process of heat and mass transfer takes place in a special element of the RC, which is called the rectifier pipe. Hot steam takes away from the phlegm those fractions that have a lower boiling point (as a rule, these are alcohols and other easily volatile compounds). At the same time, the phlegm flowing down takes everything from the steam that has a higher boiling point (water, fusel oils, etc.).

In order for the process to proceed more intensively, the distillation side is filled with a special nozzle (filler), which increases the contact area of ​​various fractions. As a result, only the lightest chemical compounds enter the distillate extraction unit at any time.

Glevakhovod FORUMHOUSE user

If the selection is made slowly enough, then at first the distillate will contain the lightest fractions: ethers, acetones, higher alcohols. These are "heads", and you can not drink them. But they go to the windshield washer. Then alcohol will go - the "heart" of the product. Then there will be: fusel, water and other heavy-boiling fractions ("tails"). They contain a large proportion of alcohol. They are collected and added to the mash during the next distillation to squeeze out the remaining alcohol.

With the help of a strengthening column, it is impossible to obtain pure alcohol. The heart, one way or another, will contain impurities. It will not be alcohol, but strong and purified moonshine. The better the column, the stronger and cleaner the moonshine.

As for a conventional distiller: it is almost impossible to achieve a clear separation of fractions with it. But this device can be used to produce raw alcohol, from which later (by distillation through a packed column) a high-quality and purified product can be obtained. It will be much more practical this way, and many users of our portal have long mastered a similar method of obtaining under-rectification.

Glevakhovod

The purpose of my pressure cooker column is somewhat different than the distillation of mash (not the same scale). It is needed to strengthen the distillate during the distillation of gin and sambuca.

Direct distillation of mash with the help of RK is, of course, possible. But this process will be slow, troublesome and constantly threatening to clog the nozzle with boiling mash. In addition, in the case of direct distillation, there is a danger of obtaining an under-rectified product, which will be “enriched” with aldehydes in excess of the norm. That is why, in order to obtain a quality product, it is preferable to resort to a double distillation, using a distiller for the first distillation.

It was theory. We will talk about the design and features of working with this device in the second part of this article, the content of which is based on the recommendations of our users - stay tuned for updates on the portal!

If you already want to get acquainted with the experience of FORUMHOUSE users who have managed to achieve success in creating all kinds of things, you need to visit the corresponding section of our portal. Also take a look at the section - soon they will come in handy for a festive feast, as well as blanks, which our video will tell about.

Distillation column

Industrial distillation columns

Distillation column- an apparatus designed to separate liquid mixtures, the components of which have different boiling points. The classical column is a vertical cylinder with contact devices inside. Rectification (from Latin rectus - direct and facio - I do) is a heat and mass transfer process, as a result of which the condensation of the steam components occurs separately.

Industrial Application

Rectification has been known since the beginning of the 19th century as one of the most important technological processes, mainly in the alcohol and oil industries. Currently, rectification is increasingly used in various areas of chemical technology, where the isolation of components in a pure form is very important (in the production of organic synthesis, isotopes, polymers, semiconductors, and various other high-purity substances). Rectification is a process of repeated evaporation and condensation, during which the initial mixture is separated into 2 or more components, and the vapor phase is saturated with a highly volatile (low-boiling) component(s), and the liquid part of the mixture is saturated with a highly volatile (high-boiling) component(s).

Principle of operation

Simplified process flow diagram for continuous distillation

The initial mixture, heated to the feed temperature t f in the vapor, vapor-liquid or liquid phase, enters the column as feed (G f). The zone into which power is supplied is called the evaporative zone, since the process of evaporation takes place there - a single separation of vapor from liquid.

The vapor rises to the top of the column, cools and condenses in a condenser, and is fed back to the top plate of the column as reflux. Thus, in the upper part of the column (strengthening), vapors move in countercurrent (from bottom to top) and liquid flows down (from top to bottom).

Flowing down the plates, the liquid is enriched with high-boiling components, and the higher the vapor rises to the top of the column, the more enriched with low-boiling components. Thus, the overhead product is enriched in the low-boiling component. The product withdrawn from the top of the column is called the distillate. The part of the distillate condensed in the condenser and returned back to the column is called reflux or reflux. The ratio of the amount of reflux returned to the column and the amount of distillate withdrawn is called the reflux ratio.

To create an ascending vapor flow in the bottom (lower, stripping) part of the distillation column, a part of the bottom liquid is sent to a heat exchanger, the resulting vapors are fed back under the bottom plate of the column.

Thus, 2 streams are created in the cube of the column: 1 stream - liquid flowing down from the top (from the feeding zone + irrigation) 2 stream - vapors rising from the bottom of the column.

The bottom liquid, flowing down the plates, is enriched with a high-boiling component, and the vapors are enriched with a low-boiling component.

(I. A. Aleksandrov Rectification and absorption apparatuses, Chemistry, Moscow, 1971)

In case the overclocked product consists of two components, the final products are the distillate leaving the top of the column and the bottoms (the less volatile component in liquid form flowing from the bottom of the column). The situation becomes more complicated if it is necessary to separate a mixture consisting of a large number of fractions. In this case, devices similar to those shown in the picture are used.

Varieties

Distillation plants according to the principle of operation are divided into periodic and continuous. In continuous units, the crude mixture to be separated enters the column and the separation products are continuously removed from it. In batch units, the mixture to be separated is loaded into the still at the same time, and rectification is carried out until products of a given final composition are obtained.

Constructions

Industrial distillation columns can reach 80 meters in height and over 6.0 meters in diameter. In distillation columns, plates are used as contact devices, which gave the name to the chemical term, and packings. The packing filling the column can be metal, ceramic, glass and other elements of various shapes. Condensation occurs on the developed surface of these elements.

According to a number of normal diameters, column apparatuses are manufactured with diameters: 0.4 m 0.6 m 0.8 m 1.0 m 1.2 m 1.4 m 1.6 m 1.8 m 2.0 m 2.2 m 2 .4 m 2.6 m 2.8 m 3.0 m 3.2 m 3.4 m 3.6 m 3.8 m 4.0 m 4.5 m 5.0 m 5.5 m 6.0 m 6.4 m 7.0 m 8.0 m

Literature

I. A. Aleksandrov Rectification and absorption apparatuses, Chemistry, Moscow, 1971

Distillation
Theory	Raoult's law Dalton's law Konovalov's laws Theoretical plate Partial pressure
In industry	Distillation column
In the laboratory	Rotary evaporator
Varieties	Dry distillation Vacuum distillation Steam distillation

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See what the "Distillation column" is in other dictionaries:

distillation column- [GOST 16332 70] Subject column equipment ...

distillation column- rektifikavimo kolona statusas T sritis chemija apibrėžtis Kolona, ​​kurioje vyksta rektifikavimas. atitikmenys: engl. rectifying column distillation column … Chemijos terminų aiskinamasis žodynas

distillation column- rektifikavimo kolona statusas T sritis Energetika apibrėžtis Aparatas, perskiriantis nevienodą virimo temperatūrą turinčių skysčių mišinius. Dažniausiai vartojama nuolatinio veikimo lėkštinė rektifikacinė kolona – cilindras, kurio viduje… … Aiškinamasis šiluminės ir branduolinės technikos terminų žodynas

distillation column- distillation plant in the form of a vertical hollow cylinder, inside of which there are plates with devices for liquid evaporation and vapor condensation; See also: Extraction column Distillation column... Encyclopedic Dictionary of Metallurgy

distillation column- alcohol column ... Dictionary of chemical synonyms I

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Experienced moonshiners are familiar with many types of moonshine stills, but above all of them they put a distillation column. Yes, it is difficult to make it yourself and also difficult to use at home, but what prevents you from buying an industrial-made column? Fortunately, there are a lot of different models of distillation columns on the market.

But one purchase is not enough to get a good product. The moonshiner must know how the distillation column is arranged and the principles of its operation. This article will help you find out.

Distillation refers to the process distillation of the fermented mixture into volatile components, which then condense and turn into moonshine. This process is inherently primitive. Water boils at 100 ° C, and alcohol begins to evaporate at 78 ° C. It is enough to heat the mash, but not bring it to a boil, so that the alcohol begins to evaporate. After that, it condenses in the form of moonshine. The resulting product can be distilled again to get even stronger moonshine.

It is noteworthy that in primitive distillation apparatuses, the first 100 ml of moonshine have the greatest strength. However, in addition to the high alcohol content in this liquid, there are a lot of harmful substances:

• volatile acids.
• Efirov.
• Aldehydes.

For this reason, experienced moonshiners pour out the first milliliters of rectifying alcohol or use it as a means of ignition. Drinking this solution is very dangerous for health..

The first 100 g of distillate obtained at home is called the head.

During the rectification of alcohol in the distillation cube, the concentration of alcohol vapors gradually decreases when heated. It is possible to determine the level of reduction of alcohol vapors by the temperature of the alcohol column. Don't wait until it gets too hot. Then from the alembic water will start to evaporate.

At the final stage of rectification, another unusable part of the alcohol appears. We are talking about tailings containing methanol and fusel oils. You can recognize the tail by its unpleasant smell. It appears when the strength of moonshine at the outlet of the distillation column drops to 40%. Tails do not have to be poured out. They can be redone.

Types of distillation

This process is of 2 types:

• Simple.
• Fractional.

With a simple distillation, the heads and tails are not cut off. Remaining after rectification in the distillation cube, mash is usually called stillage, less often still residue. The resulting product is a distillate. In such a product, the percentage of alcohol usually does not exceed 30%. The amount of harmful impurities in such moonshine significantly exceeds the norm. Therefore, he demands.

Fractional distillation It is called so because the product coming out of the moonshine is divided into 3 parts:

1. Head.
2. Heart.
3. Tail.

The first and third parts are cut off. There remains the second part, suitable for use. Its strength can range from 50 to 70%. The quality of this product is relatively high.

Distillation and rectification are the same thing. But when using a full-fledged distillation column, the output is not distillate, but ethyl alcohol.

Distillation column for moonshine still allows you to separate the mash alcohol into its constituent parts and get a pure product without the smell inherent in fusel oils, acetone and methanol.

Thanks to the rectifier, a moonshiner can make tinctures and other alcoholic drinks at home with his own hands, which are not inferior in quality to those sold in stores.

Naturally, a distillation column can be used as a simple distiller to obtain ordinary moonshine.

The main difference between distillation from rectification lies in the characteristics of the final product. The rectifier allows you to get pure alcohol, but it needs raw alcohol. The latter can only be obtained by distilling mash in a moonshine still. That is, the rectifier and moonshine should be used together.

It should also be understood that from the moonshine still a product is obtained that has the taste and smell of the feedstock, the distillation column produces alcohol with a neutral taste and smell.

The principle of operation of the distillation column

distillation column diagram can be found on the Internet. According to her, the rectifier consists of the following parts:

• Evaporation cube in which raw materials are stored and heated.
• A column inside which heat and mass transfer processes take place due to a special packing.
• Dephlegmator.
• Distillate selection unit in the distillation column.

To understand the device of a distillation column, you need to understand the principle of operation of each of its elements.

This is a container for storing and heating mash or distillate. When heated, the cubic liquid evaporates and slowly rises up the column. In the upper part of the rectifier, the liquid is separated into separate fractions.

Often the cube is the base of the column. It can be heated on both gas and electric stoves. In some models of the cube, a heating element is used - a heating element.

In the manufacture of alcohol in the distillation cube, the mash is initially distilled. So you can get raw alcohol, which is necessary for subsequent rectification.

A cube made in an industrial environment must have a built-in thermometer that allows you to control the temperature of the mash. As a rule, the raw material in the cube is first heated to 70 ° C and only after that the cooling liquid is fed into the column.

Tsarga

This is the center of the column., in which the processes of heat and mass transfer take place.

Her work is as follows:

• Braga in the cube begins to evaporate and rises up the column, in the upper part of which a refrigerator is installed.
• The dephlegmator provides condensation of alcohol vapors.
• The resulting distillate after condensation descends down the alcohol column.
• As it descends, the distillate collides with steam. Heat and mass transfer occurs, as a result of which the most evaporated part of the fraction rises to the upper part of the column.
• It condenses and goes into the selection channel.

A reinforcing column may consist of several tsargs. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the fact that with an increase in the height of the column, the processes of heat and mass transfer become more active. This allows you to get more rectified alcohol at the output.

There is a variation of this device called tornado. It differs from a conventional rectifier in that its walls are heated. This approach causes the phlegm to evaporate directly from the walls until it comes into contact with the refrigerator. This allows you to speed up the rectification process and get a cleaner product.

Distillation nozzle

It consists of 2 parts:

Modern distillation columns are often equipped with automatic distillation control units. This device allows, according to a given program to separate the tail and food parts. As a result, the moonshiner may not sit around the moonshine all the time and do the selection with his own hands. The device, thanks to the BUR, will do everything by itself.

Is it possible to make a full-fledged distillation column with your own hands?

You can make a moonshine still with a distillation column at home. But is it worth it? The cost savings will be negligible. In addition, due to the fact that it is difficult to maintain all the necessary parameters at home, one may encounter flooding of the home apparatus during the production of rectified alcohol.

This happens due to non-compliance with the geometric parameters of the device, as a result of which the maximum steam velocity is exceeded. This leads to fluid accumulation. in the central part of the column, as a result of which heat and mass transfer processes stop. The pressure inside the tsarga is growing. The moonshiner begins to hear gurgling inside the machine.

To this problem, in addition to design flaws, the following reasons can lead:

• Excessive heating of the moonshine.
• Overflow of the alembic.
• Clogging of the bottom of the reinforcing column.
• Distillation under conditions of low atmospheric pressure.

To avoid these problems, it is better to buy a distillation apparatus than to do it yourself.

Attention, only TODAY!

2.2. The device and operation of distillation columns,

Rectification of simple and complex mixtures is carried out in batch or continuous columns.

Batch columns are used in low-capacity plants where a large number of fractions must be collected and the separation must be high. The classical scheme of such an installation is shown in Fig. 4. The raw material enters the distillation cube 1 to a height of about 2/3 of its diameter, where it is heated with deaf steam. In the first period of operation of the distillation unit, the most volatile component of the mixture, for example, the benzene head, is selected, then, by increasing the distillation temperature, components with a higher boiling point (benzene, toluene, etc.). The highest-boiling components of the mixture remain in the cube, forming a VAT residue. At the end of the rectification process, this residue is cooled and pumped out. The cube is again filled with raw materials and rectification is resumed. The frequency of the process is due to the greater heat consumption and lower plant productivity. Further in the figure: 2 - distillation column, 3 - condenser-refrigerator, 4 - accumulator, 5 - refrigerator, 6 - pumps.

The installation of continuous action is devoid of many of these disadvantages. A schematic diagram of such an installation is shown in Fig.5. The raw material through the heat exchanger 1 enters the heater 2 and then to different levels of the distillation column 3. The lower fractions are heated in the boiler 4 and discharged back into the distillation column. In this case, the heaviest part is removed from the boiler to the bottom of the column and together with the liquid sediment for further processing of heavy fractions. And the light fractions from above into the condenser-refrigerator 5, and then from the accumulator 6, partly back to the column for irrigation, and partly - to further processing of light fractions.

Depending on the number of products obtained, simple and complex distillation columns are distinguished. In the first, two products are obtained during rectification, for example, gasoline and semi-fuel oil. The latter are designed to produce three or more products. They are simple columns connected in series, each of which separates the mixture entering it into two components.

Each simple column has a stripper and a concentration section. The stripping or stripping section is located below the input of raw materials. The plate on which the raw material for separation is fed is called the feed plate. The target product of the stripping section is a liquid residue. The concentration or strengthening section is located above the food plate. The target product of this section are rectified vapors. For normal operation of the distillation column, it is necessary to supply irrigation to the top of the concentration section of the column and introduce heat (through the boiler) or live water vapor into the stripping section.

Depending on the internal device that provides contact between the ascending vapors and the descending liquid (reflux), distillation columns are divided into packed, tray, rotary, etc. Depending on the pressure, they are divided into high pressure distillation columns, atmospheric and vacuum. The former are used in the processes of stabilization of oil and gasoline, gas fractionation in cracking and hydrogenation units. Atmospheric and vacuum distillation columns are mainly used in the distillation of oils, residual oil products and distillers.

For uniform distribution of vapors and liquids in packed columns - 1 (Fig. 6.), balls, prisms, pyramids, cylinders made of various materials (usually pressed coal dust) with an outer diameter of 6 to 70 mm and a ratio of surface area to volume from 500. The nozzle is placed in bulk on special plates - 4 with holes for the passage of vapor and draining phlegm - 3. The purpose of using the nozzle is to increase the contact area of ​​phlegm and vapor for mutual enrichment. For the correct operation of the packed column, it is very important that the flowing reflux and vapors are uniformly distributed over the entire cross section of the column. This is favored by the homogeneity of the packing body, the highest possible velocity of the upward vapor flow, evenly distributed packing layers, and the strict verticality of the column. In practice, the initially achieved uniform distribution of vapors and phlegm is violated, since the vapor tends to push the liquid to the walls of the column and move through the center of the packing. In this regard, the packing is divided into several layers, and the plates on which the packing is placed have a special design that makes it possible to again evenly redistribute the flows after each packing layer. The efficiency of using packed columns is very high, but there are also inconveniences: the packing has to be periodically removed from the column in order to clean it from resinous particles covering the packing over time and worsening its wettability, in addition, the use of packed columns puts forward a very strict requirement to withstand a certain vapor pressure and the amount of incoming reflux . In the case of a drop in vapor pressure in the column, the reflux runoff accelerates and the area of ​​contact between vapor and liquid decreases sharply. If the vapor pressure is exceeded, the flow of phlegm slows down, which leads to its accumulation in the upper layers of the packing and vapor locking in the lower part of the column (“flooding” of the column). This leads to an even greater increase in steam pressure in the lower part of the column, and, at a critical moment, a breakthrough of steam through the phlegm to the top of the column. The consequence of the "flooding" of the column is also a sharp decrease in the area of ​​contact between vapor and liquid.

In tray columns 1 (Fig. 7), in order to increase the area of ​​contact between steam and reflux flows, a large number of plates of a special design are used instead of packing. The phlegm flows from plate to plate through the downcomers 3, and the baffles 4 maintain a constant level of the liquid layer on the plate. This level allows you to keep the edges of the caps 2 immersed in reflux at all times. The partitions allow only the excess of incoming phlegm to drain to the next plate. The principle of operation of the tray column is the mutual enrichment of vapors and reflux due to the passage of vapor under pressure from the bottom up through the reflux layer on each plate. Due to the fact that steam passes phlegm in the form of tiny bubbles, the contact area between steam and liquid is very high.

Plate designs are varied. Mesh, lattice, cascade, valve, injection and combined plates are used. The design of the trays is chosen based on specific technological requirements (the degree of clarity of fraction separation, the requirement for work intensity, the need to change the internal structure of the column, the frequency of preventive and repair work, etc.)

In some oil refining processes (for example, processing with associated separation of water (vapors), processing with preliminary separation of the heaviest oil fractions), rotary columns 1 (Fig. 8) with high productivity are used. The plates of such a column are conical shields with an inclination angle of 40°, with alternating plates fixed to the walls of the column - 2 and plates fixed to the central rotating shaft - 3. Thus, rotating plates alternate with fixed ones. The rotation of the plates comes from the drive - 4 at a speed of 240 rpm. The phlegm descends from above 5 along the fixed plate and at the center overflows onto the underlying rotating plate. Under the influence of centrifugal force, the phlegm moves up the rotating plate to its periphery and, in the form of a continuous annular film, passes to the walls of the column body and further to the underlying plate. Then the process is repeated. Vapors move through the phlegm in countercurrent. In addition, a large amount of phlegm is constantly in suspension, which leads to a high volatility of the phlegm itself. The distance between the plates is only 8 - 10 mm, which allows you to build a very compact column with a high (over 85%) efficiency. Heated raw materials are introduced into the column, the required temperature of which is maintained by a heater - 6. This design is very convenient to use, practically does not require repair and maintenance, is durable and not so sensitive to changes in temperature and pressure of the initial components.

Calculation of the amount of costs necessary for the implementation of this project in production. Assess the change in the cost of products obtained in the shop for primary oil refining and bitumen production. Two furnaces were installed in the workshop: for heating oil P-1 and for heating fuel oil and steam P-3; after reconstruction, a furnace should be installed that will completely replace both furnaces P-1 and P-3. Furnace performance by...

The quality of raw materials can be used gasoline (to produce liquefied gas); kerosene-solar fractions and vacuum distillates (for the production of gasoline, jet and diesel fuels); residual products of oil refining (to produce gasoline and jet and diesel fuel); gacha and paraffins (to obtain high-index oils); sour oils, sour and sour fuel oils (for...

The processes of separating oil into fractions, when its potential is used in terms of the range, quantity and quality of the products and intermediates obtained - oil distillation; the secondary ones include the processes of destructive oil refining and purification of oil products, designed to change its chemical composition by thermal and catalytic effects. With these methods...

The distillation column was developed almost 200 years ago and throughout its history has regularly served people to obtain purified liquids of various types.

The main purpose of such an installation is industrial production (oil refining, chemical industry, petrochemistry, brewing, etc.).
In everyday life, small devices are actively used by lovers of high-quality moonshine. Purchased or homemade columns allow you to get almost pure alcohol at home.

How this device works will be discussed in detail in this article.

A distillation apparatus of a column type or simply a distillation column is a vertically mounted cylinder, inside which liquids are purified using various devices and assemblies.

Important! The purification mechanism is based on the rectification process, i.e. separation of multicomponent mixtures as a result of thermal and mass exchange of contacting vapor and liquid flows.

Any liquid of heterogeneous composition is a mixture of several components.

So moonshine is a mixture of ethyl and other alcohols, esters, aldehydes, fusel oils and other substances:

1. Each component has its own boiling point and specific gravity.
2. According to the latter indicator, the distribution into light and heavy fractions is made.
3. When heated to the boiling point, the liquid turns into vapor, which is also characterized by a different specific gravity, which determines their volatility.
4. Liquids with a low boiling point (low-boiling point) give off a highly volatile vapour, while high-boiling components give off a non-volatile vapour.

The rectification process is based on the opposite direction of steam and liquid flows (phlegm resulting from steam condensation), as can be seen in the diagram.

The vapor rises and the liquid rolls down. These natural flows in a vertical cylinder are in contact with each other, which, according to the laws of physics, is accompanied by thermal and mass exchange, which tends to balance the system.

• Steam, rising through the pipe, is enriched with volatile components, losing heavier, less volatile ingredients, which dissolve and condense in a less heated liquid and rush down with it.
• With a sufficient height of the cylinder, only one, the most volatile vapor, should reach the top.
• Here it can be artificially condensed, turning it into a homogeneous liquid.
• The liquid flowing into the lower part is again heated, and a new rectification cycle starts.

Thus, the multiplicity of the process is ensured, which, in the end, makes it possible to purify the entire liquid to the maximum, separating the lightest fraction. In oil it is gasoline, in moonshine it is ethyl alcohol.

Principle of operation

A distillation column allows you to implement the process of distillation in practice. Structurally, it is a cylinder in which a cube is located, where liquid is supplied and where it is heated, and a dephlegmator, where liquid condensate (phlegm) is formed.

In addition, contact elements are provided to ensure the process of condensation, collection of liquid and re-evaporation.

The distillation column works as follows:

1. The cube is filled with feedstock (approximately 2/3 of the volume) and heated to the boiling point of the liquid.
2. Evaporation rises, and, having met with a reflux condenser, it partially condenses, turning into phlegm, which flows down along the walls of the cylinder.
3. This process, as steam rises through the cylinder, occurs several times, with the heaviest fractions condensing first. The lightest fraction reaches the top of the column.
4. During the operation of the plant, steam, phlegm, feedstock and a purified end product are simultaneously in its cylinder. Vapors and phlegm create mutually opposite flows.
5. In the initial period (before the stabilization of the process), it is recommended not to select the final product, which enriches the phlegm and accelerates the achievement of the equilibrium mode of heat and mass transfer.

Reference! The efficiency of the column can be expressed as a reflux number, i.e. the ratio of the volume of phlegm to the amount of the discharged finished product.

For stable operation of the plant, this indicator is maintained at level 3, which provides for a turnover of no more than 25% of the purified liquid.

The phlegm, having dropped down, again heats up to a boil. Another portion of steam rises, starting a new cycle.

If moonshine is cleaned, then the heaviest components (fusel oils) settle at the very bottom of the column from the very beginning of the process.

Lighter fractions (methyl alcohol, ethers, aldehydes) are distributed along the pipe. They gradually flow down while balancing the temperature for 9-12 minutes. The total duration of the cube heating is 25-55 minutes.

The difference between distillation and rectification of alcohol

The most common methods for purifying liquids are distillation And rectification. These technologies are similar in many ways, which sometimes causes a combination of concepts, which is completely wrong.

Fundamental differences in the mechanism of the process lead to the fact that the final product during rectification has a much deeper purification and high quality compared to distillation.

The fact is that during distillation, even a non-boiling liquid partially evaporates, which means, in any case, a certain amount of different fractions ends up in the purified liquid. In order to achieve good quality, up to 6-7 procedures are required.

Rectification provides a clean, homogeneous product in one pass. When cleaning moonshine, this effect significantly affects the strength:

1. So with one distillation distillation, it does not exceed 35-40%, with two - up to 50-55%, three - up to 70%.
2. Fortress 90-95% (alcohol) is achieved after at least 5 distillations.
3. The distillation column allows you to get almost pure alcohol in one cycle. In addition, the distillation preserves the taste and smell of the feedstock.

The distillation method also has certain positive aspects:

• Even numerous distillations, subject to the technology, allow losing no more than 20-22% of the liquid.
• Losses in distillation plants are much higher - they can reach 32-35%.
• The simplicity of the technology should also be noted. Rectification requires much more complex and expensive equipment.

Watch a video in which an experienced moonshiner compares the processes of distillation and rectification and gives advice on choosing an apparatus for distilling moonshine:

Important characteristics of the column

The general principle of designing modern distillation columns remains unchanged. The goal of plant improvement is to increase productivity, cleaning depth, yield and stability of the quality of the final product.

The solution of the tasks set is achieved by movement in several directions.

Dimensions and materials

To comply with all technological regimes, it is important to have the maximum possible height of the working cylinder, as well as its optimal combination with the diameter.

Differ in size:

1. industrial,
2. household installations.

Miniature devices are needed for home conditions.

Their height is in the range of 1.2-1.6 m. With smaller sizes, it is impossible to achieve a qualitative separation of fractions. The pipe diameter can be from 3-5 cm to 0.3-0.5 m.

Important! The best material for the manufacture of the column is stainless alloys approved for use in the food industry. They do not emit harmful substances under any aggressive influences.

heating system

When organizing the heating of a cube with raw materials, 2 factors are important:

• enough power
• the possibility of smooth adjustment.

The gas source of energy is difficult to regulate, and therefore electric heating elements (heaters) are more often used. Normal power is set from such a calculation of 4 kW per cube of 50 liters.

Performance

It is directly related to the power of the heating elements and the dimensions of the column. The faster the flows move through the pipe, the higher the productivity.

In addition, it increases when using continuous technology, for which special devices are provided for the supply of raw materials and the timely removal of the finished product.

Cleaning quality

It depends on the number of simultaneous condensation processes in one pass of the cylinder, which is determined by the number of corresponding contact elements.

INin good installations, at least 7-8 such zones are installed.

Process control

Thermometers are installed in all areas to ensure the necessary control. To maintain a stable regime, an automatic system is mounted.

Pressure

The distillation process will proceed normally while maintaining a stable internal pressure in the range of 725-785 mm Hg.

At the same time, increased pressure is provided in the lower part, where heavy fractions accumulate, and the minimum pressure is provided at the top, where light steam is directed.

In industrial installations, a vacuum can generally be created at the top of the column, but it is most rational to maintain normal atmospheric pressure.

When operating distillation columns, it should be taken into account that the process proceeds most actively when the conditions are stabilized and the temperatures of the oncoming flows are equal.

The speed of mode stabilization is considered one of the most important indicators of a high-quality, modern installation.

Contact devices (plates and nozzles)

The contact elements in the distillation column are involved in the formation of the balance of liquid and vapor, as well as in the concentration of vapor.

Each such element limits a certain zone in which a kind of distillation cycle takes place - evaporation and subsequent condensation of a separate fraction, while often the vapor crosses this boundary and moves upward, involving volatile components in its flow.

In any such zone, a certain equilibrium is established.

Reference! The main effect is provided by increasing the area of ​​phase contacts, which activates heat and mass exchange.

The main contact elements are:

1. theoretical plate. In fact, this is a formed equilibrium zone without installing an additional part. To obtain a well-purified alcoholic beverage, from 24 to 32 such zones are organized.
2. Physical plate. This is a real dish-shaped part in which the liquid layer accumulates. Steam is forced to pass through it, which is manifested by numerous bubbles. This option provides a fairly large contact area. To obtain high-grade, pure alcohol in a column, it is necessary to install up to 45-55 physical plates.
3. Nozzles. These contact elements are mainly designed to ensure the steam condensation process. They are much less than plates, resist the steam flow. Several varieties can be used in columns - ring, mesh, spiral. In home-made devices, a “sieve” is often placed - a disk with numerous holes. One of the best materials for nozzles is copper. You can use copper alloys or aluminum.

Disc contact elements are mounted mainly in industrial columns with a large height and sufficient diameter for their installation.

In household appliances (purchased and homemade), priority is given to nozzles that can be fixed in a pipe with a diameter of 4-5 cm.

How to achieve the best result?

When operating a distillation column, certain measures must be observed to ensure its normal operation and obtaining a high-quality final product.

Particular attention should be paid to activities in the following areas.

Elimination of “flooding” of the installation

This "disease" is associated with slowing down and stopping the flow of phlegm, which leads to its accumulation in the cylinder and blocking the steam flow. As a result of “flooding” inside the column, pressure rises, loud gurgling and noise appear.

The phenomenon can be provoked by such reasons:

1. Exceeding the permissible speed of the steam flow, which may be caused by excessive heating of the liquid in the cube;
2. Excessive filling of the cube with feedstock or blockages in the lower zone of the pipe;
3. Too little pressure in the lower part of the column, which is typical for high mountain conditions;
4. An increase in voltage in the supply network, which causes an unplanned increase in the power of the heating element;
5. Violations in design or technology.

The installation of automatic control and regulation of the process helps to avoid this unpleasant phenomenon. Particular attention is paid to heating the raw materials and filling the cube.

Timely removal of the finished product and settling heavy fractions

In the first case, the technique is simple - at the initial stage (until the temperature and pressure stabilize), only a quarter of the volatile vapors condense with the final product and are removed outside, and then its maximum volume is removed.

The appearance of a precipitate from heavy fractions is more difficult to detect. You have to focus on the smell and color of the liquid at the very bottom of the column.

Proper preparation of the installation for start-up

Before starting distillation, it is necessary to check the condition of the apparatus, first of all, the tightness of the column. To check, the output of the finished product is blocked and cold water is pumped.

Only after making sure that the installation is tight, you can start pouring raw materials and heating the cube.

One should not expect miracles from the household apparatus and the replacement of the moonshine still. The minimum strength of the initial liquid must be at least 30%, otherwise the output will not be a product that is close to pure alcohol in strength.

Important! Do not pour mash into the cube that has not undergone primary distillation.

When making the installation with your own hands, you must not allow the loss of thermal energy through the column body. It is especially important to protect the lower part, i.e. zone to the first dephlegmator.

• Styrofoam,
• penoizol,
• modern foil insulation.

Distillation columns allow you to deeply purify liquids or separate a light fraction. In industrial conditions, they find applications in many industries, incl. with their help, oil refining is provided, high-quality alcohol is produced.

At home, such installations are suitable for obtaining very strong, high-quality alcoholic beverages from moonshine. When used correctly, they are completely safe and effective.

Video review

In home brewing, the role of a distillation column is great - with its help you can get pure, high-quality and safe alcohol. Unfortunately, this apparatus is rather complicated.

The video will help to understand the design and principle of operation of the apparatus for distilling moonshine: