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A bioethanol process development unit: initial operating experiences and results with a corn fiber feedstock.
Daniel J Schell1, Cynthia J Riley, Nancy Dowe
1National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), National Bioenergy Center, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401, USA. dan_schell@nrel.gov
Bioresource Technology
|November 1, 2003
Summary
Corn fiber shows promise as a low-cost feedstock for bioethanol production. Initial pilot plant trials generated valuable data but faced challenges like bacterial contamination.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Renewable Energy
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Growing interest in bioethanol as an alternative fuel.
- Need for cost-effective lignocellulosic feedstocks for commercialization.
Purpose of the Study:
- Evaluate corn fiber as a feedstock in a bioethanol pilot plant.
- Test integrated equipment operations and gather performance data.
- Assess pretreatment and fermentation processes for corn fiber.
Main Methods:
- Feedstock handling and dilute sulfuric-acid hydrolysis for pretreatment.
- Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) using cellulase enzyme.
- Operation of the US Department of Energy (DOE)/National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) bioethanol pilot plant.
Main Results:
- Gained operational experience during two pilot plant runs (10 and 15 days).
- Generated preliminary data on corn fiber pretreatment and fermentation.
- Identified significant operational problems, including bacterial contamination during fermentation.
Conclusions:
- Corn fiber is a viable feedstock for bioethanol production.
- Pilot plant operations provided essential data for process optimization.
- Bacterial contamination requires mitigation strategies for successful industrial-scale production.