An apparatus and method for drying ethanol includes a first reaction
chamber for carrying out the removal of water from wet ethanol, a feed
inlet for introducing the wet ethanol into the reaction chamber, a
product outlet for removing dry ethanol from the reaction chamber, an
optional fuel inlet for introducing a fuel into the reaction chamber, and
a particulate bed, including sorbent particles, that is disposed within
the reaction chamber. In a preferred embodiment, the bed is divided into
first and second zones each provided with different size sorbent
particles. In another preferred embodiment, the bed contains a mixture of
sorbent particles and catalyst particles. The sorbent particles operate
to remove water from the wet ethanol and form hydrated-sorbent particles.
The catalyst particles operate to promote chemical reaction of the fuel,
generating heat that causes removal of water from the hydrated-sorbent
particles and regenerating the sorbent particles.