Bioethanol production optimization: a thermodynamic analysis

Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 2008 Mar;148(1-3):141-9. doi: 10.1007/s12010-008-8132-4. Epub 2008 Jan 29.

Abstract

In this work, the phase equilibrium of binary mixtures for bioethanol production by continuous extractive process was studied. The process is composed of four interlinked units: fermentor, centrifuge, cell treatment unit, and flash vessel (ethanol-congener separation unit). A proposal for modeling the vapor-liquid equilibrium in binary mixtures found in the flash vessel has been considered. This approach uses the Predictive Soave-Redlich-Kwong equation of state, with original and modified molecular parameters. The congeners considered were acetic acid, acetaldehyde, furfural, methanol, and 1-pentanol. The results show that the introduction of new molecular parameters r and q in the UNIFAC model gives more accurate predictions for the concentration of the congener in the gas phase for binary and ternary systems.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bioreactors / microbiology*
  • Cell Culture Techniques / methods*
  • Computer Simulation
  • Ethanol / metabolism*
  • Models, Biological*
  • Quality Control
  • Thermodynamics
  • Yeasts / metabolism*

Substances

  • Ethanol