Plant design for the production of fuel-grade ethanol from corn

The world over, research is being done daily to discover alternative sources of fuel that can be used to power engines. Ethanol is one of the alternative sources that is being projected to replace conventional fuel. Ethanol has the advantage of being more environmentally sustainable than oil and can be produced in large quantity from corn, cassava and other carbohydrates. This work is a preliminary plant design for the production of 100,000 metrics tons/year of fuel grade ethanol from corn. After considering several factors, the proposed location for the plant was Auchi, Edo state in Nigeria. Process diagrams, design, mass and energy balances were done using ASPEN HYSYS while estimated project costing was done using ASPEN ICARUS. Design and specifications for every equipment that would be used in a typical production process was done and a safety data sheet was also included in the work.