Diseño de un intercambiador de placas Vino-Vinaza, para el ahorro energético en una planta de alcohol etílico.

Abstract

The objective of this project is to improve the efficiency of the Wine-Vinasse heat exchanger in an alcohol distillation plant by redesigning the heat exchange system in order to reduce energy consumption. The need to improve the distillation process is justified to lower operational costs and increase the plant's sustainability. For the development of the project, simulations were conducted in Aspen Plus for the existing shell-and-tube heat exchanger, evaluating its performance under current operating conditions. Subsequently, a new Chevron-type corrugated plate heat exchanger was designed, considering three angle configurations (30°, 45°, and 60°). A comparative analysis of the overall heat transfer coefficient and the heat exchange area was carried out for each configuration. The results showed that the new design increases the wine outlet temperature to 60°C and reduces the steam consumption in the distillation process by nearly 50%. Finally, the plate heat exchanger proposal improves the process efficiency and reduces energy costs, enhancing operational sustainability. Keywords: Thermal efficiency, corrugated plates, Chevron angle, energy savings.