Browsing by Author "Van der Merwe, Abraham Blignault"

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    Evaluation of different process designs for biobutanol production from sugarcane molasses
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2010-03) Van der Merwe, Abraham Blignault; Knoetze, J. H.; Gorgens, Johann F.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Process Engineering.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Recently, improved technologies have been developed for the biobutanol fermentation process: higher butanol concentrations and productivities are achieved during fermentation, and separation and purification techniques are less energy intensive. This may result in an economically viable process when compared to the petrochemical pathway for butanol production. The objective of this study is to develop process models to compare different possible process designs for biobutanol production from sugarcane molasses. Some of the best improved strains, which include Clostridium acetobutylicum PCSIR-10 and Clostridium beijerinckii BA101, produce total solvent concentrations of up to 24 g/L. Among the novel technologies for fermentation and downstream processing, fedbatch fermentation with in situ product recovery by gas-stripping, followed by either liquid-liquid extraction or adsorption, appears to be the most promising techniques for current industrial application. Incorporating these technologies into a biorefinery concept will contribute toward the development of an economically viable process. In this study three process routes are developed. The first two process routes incorporate well established industrial technologies: Process Route 1 consist of batch fermentation and steam stripping distillation, while in Process Route 2, some of the distillation columns is replaced with a liquid-liquid extraction column. The third process route incorporates fed-batch fermentation and gas-stripping, an unproven technology on industrial scale. Process modelling in ASPEN PLUS® and economic analyses in ASPEN Icarus® are performed to determine the economic feasibility of these biobutanol production process designs. Process Route 3 proved to be the only profitable design in current economic conditions. For the latter process, the first order estimate of the total project capital cost is $187 345 000.00 (IRR: 35.96%). Improved fermentation strains currently available are not sufficient to attain a profitable process design without implementation of advanced processing techniques. Gas stripping is shown to be the single most effective process step (of those evaluated in this study) which can be employed on an industrial scale to improve process economics of biobutanol production.