The steam tube dryer configurations provide higher thermal
efficiencies and more electricity to the grid than the
superheated steam dryer configurations. The superheated
steam dryer in the BIGCCeethanol system reduced the
amount of electricity that could be generated and sent to
the grid because total process steam requirements were
reduced and BIGCC gas compression power requirements
were increased. It appears the primary advantage of superheated
steam drying in the ethanol production process
utilizing BIGCC is the ability to recover and reuse water