Some Parametric Factors Influencing Cottage Ethanol Plant

Abstract

Abstract: A cottage ethanol plant was designed, constructed and tested in major effect to make reasonable contribution in the current drive for renewable energy. The plant consists of a stoker chamber, fermentation vessel, two-stage distillation column, a condenser and the ethanol receptacle. The conditioned feedstock, freshly harvested cassava, was feed into the fermentation vessel, allowed 48 h fermentation with enzymes and yeast added. The ethanol was distilled and allowed to pass through a condenser and finally the ethanol was collected. The ethanol unit prototype was evaluated using tests on three varieties of cassava. The degree of recovery of the distilled sample ranged from 18.28 % ethanol for 3-5 mm Cassava chips to 62.03% ethanol by volume for sieved cassava liquor on one hand, and ranged from 49.37% of ethanol for a packing size of 3-6 mm to 62.81% of ethanol for a packing size of 8-10 mm. Mean values of some tests parameters were also determined. These parameters as quantitatively analysed using ANOVA, showed high significant difference (p<0.01) for the conditioned samples effect on volume of sample, percentage ethanol, density and refractive index, but was just significant (p<0.05) for the effect of variety of feedstock on density and percentage ethanol while having no significant effect on the volume of sample and refractive index. With the change in the design figuration of the condenser, the ANOVA result showed high significant (p<0.01) effect on volume of sample, significant (p<0.05) effect on percentage ethanol, density and refractive index. The varieties however, showed no significant effect on density