Seasonal temperature changes can affect ethanol plant performance in very different ways, particularly for facilities operating near their maximum capacity.
In a new article for Ethanol Producer Magazine, Andrew Cancilla, Process Engineer with RCM Thermal Kinetics, examines how summer heat and winter cold affect distillation, dehydration and evaporation (DD&E) systems, and what those changes can reveal about plant performance.
During hot and humid conditions, higher cooling-water temperatures can reduce the available temperature driving force in condensers, affecting heat rejection and vacuum performance. For plants operating near their capacity limits, performance issues that emerge during the hottest days of the year can help identify where heat-transfer margins are becoming constrained.
Winter can present the opposite challenge. Cooling systems designed for demanding summer conditions may provide substantially more cooling than the process requires as cooling-water temperatures fall. In some DD&E configurations, that can result in significantly subcooled reflux, increasing energy requirements, and reducing separation efficiency.
Andrew also explores how plant configuration affects these seasonal impacts and discusses operational approaches that can help manage winter conditions while preserving the heat-transfer capacity needed during summer operation.
The broader lesson: seasonal extremes can provide useful insight into equipment margins, process efficiency and potential future bottlenecks. Understanding how a DD&E system responds as conditions change can help operators make better-informed decisions around performance, energy consumption and future capacity.
Read the full article, “Understanding Seasonal Impacts on Ethanol DD&E Systems,” in the November 2026 issue of Ethanol Producer Magazine.