A design of a distillation column to produce an alcoholic beverage based on Blueberries

Abstract

In various industries, the fruit is utilized to produce derivative products such as beverages, vitamin C masks, jam, ice cream, pastries, among others. This highlights an area that has not been thoroughly explored: its use as a raw material, once fermented, to produce a distilled beverage with a strong presence of antioxidant properties. Various mathematical calculations were performed to obtain a column capable of distilling the fermented product at a maximum temperature of 98 ^{\circ}\mathrm{C} without damaging the antioxidant compounds present in blueberries. Therefore, calculations were made for the number of stages required in the distillation column, the column diameter, the distance between stages, and the simulation of the distillation process for the fermented blueberry must. Therefore, a novel mechanical design of the distillation column was carried out using the rigorous FenskeUnderwood-Gilliland methodology. Additionally, electronic, and electrical equipment were carefully selected to ensure a robust system capable of withstanding unfavourable climates and environments. The designed system was validated through a temperature-induced mechanical stress analysis using ANSYS R2 2022, followed by numerical simulation. With this innovative mechanical design and temperature control system, a production ratio of 1:7 was achieved compared to the initial batch of 50 L of blueberry must for a blueberry-derived alcoholic beverage with a 40% alcohol content and the presence of antioxidants concentration such as resveratrol.