Breaking the Cost Barrier for Bio-ethanol: Reactive Adsorption of Fermentation Broth

The objective of this research project is to develop an ethanol recovery system using reactive adsorption technology that eliminates the highly energy intensive distillation process and substantially reduces cost of ethanol production. During the first quarter of 2009, activities focused on evaluating alternative system designs to determine the key barriers to cost reduction. Evaluations of the performance of the conventional distillation columns employed for the recovery of ethanol from fermentation broth was completed. In this study, data was gathered from the literature relating to the precise composition of the fermentation broths encountered in conventional corn-based fermentations, fermentation of sorghum grain, and fermentation of cellulose. Using this data, the energy associated with each of the subsequent separation steps was evaluated (including the beer column, the rectifying column, and the adsorption units).

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Program Information: Advanced Research, Biobased Research

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $70000.00
• Sponsor Organizations:

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  Department of Transportation
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Johnson, Shawn

• Performing Organizations:

  Kansas State University

  Manhattan, KS  United States  66506
• Start Date: 20070701
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20091231
• Source Data: RiP Project 31323

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Adsorption; Costs; Distillation; Ethanol; Fermentation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Barriers (Challenges); Energy recovery systems
• Subject Areas: Energy; Finance; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01572238
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Department of Transportation
• Files: RIP
• Created Date: Aug 4 2015 1:01AM