Performance analysis of an immobilized yeast packed-bed reactor for ethanol fermentation

The performance of an immobilized packed-bed bioreactor for continuous ethanol fermentation was evaluated. Immobilized yeasts were prepared by entrapment in calcium alginate gel. An axial dispersed plug flow model incorporating the effects of substrate and product inhibition on fermentation kinetics was developed. The model equations were solved by the method of orthogonal collocation and the suitability of the reactor model to predict the conversions obtained in this biocatalytic reaction system was assessed.     

Continuous ethanol fermentation using immobilized yeast in a fluidized bed reactor

Continuous ethanol fermentation of glucose using fluidized bed technology was studied. Saccharomyces cerevisiae were immobilized and retained on porous microcarriers. Over two-thirds of the total reactor yeast cell mass was immobilized. Ethanol productivity was examined as dilution rate was varied, keeping all other experimental parameters constant. Ethanol yield remained high at an average of 0.36 g ethanol g^?1 glucose (71% of theoretical yield) as the dilution rate was increased stepwise from 0.04 h^?1 to 0.14 h^?1. At a dilution rate of 0.15 h^?1, the ethanol yield steeply declined to 0.22 g ethanol g^?1 glucose (44% of theoretical yield). The low maximum percentage of theoretical yield is primarily due to an extended mean cell residence time, and possibly due to the inhibitory effect of a high dissolved carbon dioxide concentration, enhanced by the probable intermittent levels of low pH in the reactor. Constant ethanol production was possible at a high glucose loading rate of 840 g dm^?3 day^?1 (attained at a dilution rate of 0.14 h^?1). Although the highest average ethanol concentration (97.14 g dm^?3) occurred at the initial dilution rate of 0.04 h^?1, the peak average ethanol production rate (2.87 g (g yeast)^?1 day^?1) was reached at a greater dilution rate of 0.11 ^h-1. Thus, the optimal dilution rate was determined to be between 0.11 h^?1 and 0.14 h^?1. Ethanol inhibition on yeast cells was absent in the reactor at average bulk-liquid ethanol concentrations as high as 97.14 g dm^?3. In addition, zero-order kinetics on ethanol production and glucose utilization was evident.     

Experimental, kinetic and 2-D reactor modeling for simulation of the production of hydrogen by the catalytic reforming of concentrated crude ethanol (CRCCE) over a Ni-based commercial catalyst in a packed-bed tubular reactor

Mechanistic kinetic models were formulated based on Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson and Eley-Rideal approaches to describe the kinetics of hydrogen production by the catalytic reforming of concentrated crude ethanol over a Ni-based commercial catalyst at atmospheric pressure, temperature range of 673-863 K, ratio of weight of catalyst to the molar rate of crude ethanol 3472-34722 kg cat s/kmol crude in a stainless steel packed bed tubular microreactor. One of the models yielded an excellent degree of correlation, and was selected for the simulation of the reforming process which used a pseudo-homogeneous numerical model consisting of coupled material and energy balance equations with reaction. The model was solved using finite elements method without neglecting the axial dispersion term. The crude ethanol conversion predicted by the model was in good agreement with the experimental data (AAD%=4.28). Also, the predicted concentration and temperature profiles for the process in the radial direction indicate that the assumption of plug flow isothermal behavior is justified within certain reactor configurations. However, the axial dispersion term still contributed to the results, and thus, cannot be neglected.     

Continuous ethanol production from carob pod extract by immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a packed-bed reactor

The continuous production of ethanol from carob pod extract by immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a packed-bed reactor has been investigated. At a substrate concentration of 150 g dm^?3, maximum ethanol productivity of 16 g dm^?3 h^?1 was obtained at D = 0·4 h^?1 with 62·3% of theoretical yield and 83·6% sugars′ utilization. At a dilution rate of 0·1 h^?1, optimal ethanol productivity was achieved in the pH range 3·5–5·5, temperature range 30–35·C and initial sugar concentration of 200 g dm^?3. Maximum ethanol productivity of 24·5 g dm^?3 h^?1 was obtained at D = 0·5 h^?1 with 58·8% of theoretical yield and 85% sugars′ utilization when non-sterilized carob pod extract containing 200 g dm^?3 total sugars was used as feed material. The bioreactor system was operated at a constant dilution rate of 0·5 h^?1 for 30 days without loss of the original immobilized yeast activity. In this case, the average ethanol productivity, ethanol yield (% of theoretical) and sugars′ utilization were 25 g dm^?3 h^?1, 58·8% and 85·5%, respectively.     

Optimal feed temperature for an immobilized enzyme packed-bed reactor

Optimal feed temperature was determined for a nonisothermal immobilized enzymatic reaction with enzyme deactivation in a packed-bed reactor. The optimal feed temperature was obtained by maximizing the average substrate conversion over a given reaction period. Simulation showed the optimal feed temperature to be strongly dependent on the flow dispersion, the reaction activation energy, the corresponding enzyme inactivation energy and the heat of reaction. It was also observed that in a plug flow reactor the enzyme reaction generally exhibited a lower optimal feed temperature and higher substrate conversion than in a continuously stirred tank reactor.     

乙醇发酵反应器的研究进展

主要介绍了气升式反应器、固定化细胞反应器及膜生物反应器在乙醇发酵生产酒精的应用,讨论了各反应器的优缺点,探讨了其工业化应用的可能性,最后分析了各反应器设计的发展方向。     

Alcoholic fermentation by immobilised yeast cells

Ethanol production by yeast cells immobilised in carrageenan gel beads and operated in a continuous tubular reactor reached 15 g dm^?3 h^?1 with a glucose feed of 165 g dm^?3; a glucose residence period of 4.6 h was noted. The minimal cell loading to obtain uniform particles was 10⁴ colony-forming units per g of gel, although particles achieved a content of 10⁸ CFU g^?1 independent of the initial cell concentration. Scanning electron and phase contrast microscopy confirmed that growth inside the gel beads was probably limited by substrate diffusion through the denser outer layer observed.     

环流反应器中固定化酵母乙醇连续发酵研究

制备了一种重化固定化酵母颗粒，可有效防止发酵过程中固定化颗粒上浮，用于气升式内环流反应器，可与器内流体形成良好循环。同时在气升式内环流反应器内对固定化酵母乙醇连续发酵过程进行了研究，得到发酵最优控制条件。通过与其它发酵器对比发现，内环流反应器用于固定化酵母乙醇发酵过程，可大大提高乙醇产率。     

Modeling of vanillin production in a structured bubble column reactor

Vanillin is an important flavour. Semi-synthetic vanillin can be produced by the oxidation of lignin. Experimental studies leading to vanillin production in a batch reactor and a structured bubble column reactor (SBCR) lead us to the conclusion that the SBCR could have non-idealities such as dispersion. The radial and axial liquid-phase dispersion within the packed criss-crossing sandwich structures of Mellapak-750Y had been studied. A 2D model accounting for axial and radial velocities and dispersion was formulated and solved. The model predictions were compared with that of an experimental residence time distribution curve. The axial dispersion coefficient of the liquid phase is of the same order of magnitude as the radial dispersion coefficient. The reaction kinetics available in literature is adopted for the present study. Model for the SBCR was formulated and simulated using commercial modeling software. Simulation experiments were conducted in a SBCR. The effect of the following parameters on the yield of vanillin is studied: lignin concentration, lignin molecular weight, oxygen partial pressure and reaction temperature. It can be said that lignin molecular weight is a crucial parameter in vanillin production.     

Reactors for ethanol production using immobilised yeast cells

Ethanol production by immobilised yeast cells in packed-bed column reactors was significantly affected by the hold-up of CO₂ produced during the fermentation. Compartmentalisation of the reactor minimises CO₂ hold-up and prevents flotation of immobilised cell beads during operation and bead rupture during shut-down conditions. In a reactor of dimensions 2·2 × 60 cm, a rate of ethanol production of 5·11 g h^?1 at a dilution rate of 1·27 h^?1 was achieved, when 18% (w/v) glucose solution was fed at the bottom at pH 5·5 and temperature 33–35°C. In larger reactors of sizes 4 ×; 40 cm and 8 × 80 cm the rates of ethanol production and CO₂ hold-ups were 5·11 and 5·37 g h^?1 and 48·66% and 40·66% and 40·79% of the void volume at dilution rates of 1·27 h^?1 and 1·67 h¹, respectively. The CO₂ hold-ups in column reactors (4 × 40 cm) held in inclined (43° from horizontal) or horizontal positions were 41·33% and 46·67% of the void volume, respectively. Double and triple series reactors (each of dimensions 2·2 × 60 cm) showed better performance than a single verticle reactor (2·2 × 60 cm).     

Facilitated mass transfer in a packed-bed immobilized-cell reactor by using an organic solvent as substrate reservoir

The production of propene oxide from propene and oxygen by non-growing cells entrapped in calcium alginate was used to study the behaviour of a packed-bed immobilized-cell reactor operated with an organic solvent as the substrate reservoir. As a result of the high solubility of propene in the solvent used, n-hexadecane, oxygen was considered to be the limiting substrate. Dilution of the biocatalyst bed with small glass particles appeared necessary to attain a high liquid/solid contacting efficiency between the hydrophilic gel particles and the hydrophobic solvent. The bed dilution had the advantage of avoiding bed compaction and reducing pressure drops. The use of an organic solvent as the transport medium prevented oxygen depletion along the length of the packed-bed reactor. This eliminated the need for a separate gas phase in the bioreactor. A mathematical reactor model was developed to describe the combined effects of contacting pattern and external and internal diffusion limitations on the instrinsic kinetics of the immobilized cells. Experiments with the packed-bed immobilized-cell reactor were performed using an aqueous solution or n-hexadecane as the reaction medium. Predicted oxygen conversions compared favourably to the observed values without the need for fitting factors.     

Application of heteropoly acid catalyst in an inert polymer membrane catalytic reactor in ethanol dehydration

The ethanol dehydration reaction was carried out in an inert membrane catalytic reactor. 12-Tungstophosporic acid as a catalyst and polysulfone as an inert membrane were used in this study. Ethanol conversion and ethylene selectivity were remarkably enhanced in comparison with those in a fixed-bed reactor under the same reaction condition.     

A computational method for determination of the mass-transfer coefficient in packed-bed immobilized enzyme reactors

A computational method was developed that determined the mass-transfer coefficient k_L or the volumetric mass-transfer coefficient k_La in packed-bed immobilized enzyme (IME) reactors. To study the performance of this method, two experimental systems were considered where an enzyme was immobilized on a non-porous support surface (surface-IME system) or within a porous support (pore-IME system). The values of k_L and k_La determined in these packed-bed IME reactor systems were successfully expressed in terms of the substrate concentration at the reactor inlet and the liquid flow rate. Furthermore, the correlations obtained for k_L and k_La were used to calculate the unconverted fractions of substrate at the reactor outlet. Comparison showed that the calculated results were in satisfactory agreement with the experimental values.     

Phenylacetylene hydrogenation in a three-phase catalytic packed-bed reactor: experiments and model

A mathematical model was developed for the cocurrent operation of a three-phase catalytic packed-bed reactor under both trickling- and pulsing-flow regimes. The local fluctuations of liquid-solid mass transfer, liquid flow rate, and liquid holdup in unsteady pulsing-flow were simulated as periodic square-wave functions. The transport properties employed in the model were obtained using published correlations, while expressions for the intrinsic reaction kinetics were taken from our previous work. The model results were found to be in good agreement with experimental data obtained from a laboratory-scale reactor, and verified the advantage of pulsing-flow operation over trickling-flow.     

The economics of ethanol production by extractive fermentation

Extractive fermentation is a processing strategy in which reaction and recovery occur simultaneously in a fermentation vessel through the use of a water-immiscible solvent which selectively removes an inhibitory product. We have developed an ethanol extractive fermentation process incorporating continuous operation, the ability to ferment concentrated feedstocks, and greatly reduced energy and water use. This article provides a detailed economic assessment of this process relative to current technology for an annual capacity of 100 million litres of ethanol. Extractive fermentation provides significant economic advantages for both grass roots and retrofitted plants. Producing anhydrous ethanol without distillation is a prospect.     

Modeling of a packed-bed electrochemical reactor for producing glyoxylic acid from oxalic acid

A two-dimensional reactor model was established for a packed-bed electrochemical reactor with cooled cathode (PERCC) for producing glyoxylic acid from oxalic acid based on the system's reaction kinetics, mass conservation equation, and the equation of charge conservation in terms of solution-cathode potential to describe the distributions of glyoxylic acid concentration and electrolyte potential in the cathode compartment of the PERCC. The equation for a circulating mixer was also presented to account for the accumulation of glyoxylic acid in the catholyte of a batch electroreduction process. Using the orthogonal collocation approach, the partial differential equations of the model could be converted into sets of algebraic equations and be numerically solved. The effects of operating temperature, conductivity of catholyte, operating cathode potential, and volumetric flow rate of the catholyte on the current efficiency and concentration of glyoxylic acid were simulated and discussed, with emphasis on the current densities generated from main and side reactions. The model was used in a batch operation process and a continuous operation process, with the predicted results being generally in good agreement with the experimental data for both the cases.     

固定化酵母乙醇萃取发酵研究

以十二烷醇为萃取剂，对固定化酵母乙醇萃取发酵进行了研究。探讨了萃取剂对酵母细胞的毒性，以及萃取剂用量、搅拌转速、基质浓度等因素与乙醇萃取发酵的关系，并测定了萃取过程中乙醇的分配系数。为固定化酵母乙醇发酵与溶剂萃取耦合新工艺的开发研究提供了资料。     

Methanol oxidative dehydrogenation in a catalytic packed-bed membrane reactor: experiments and model

Methanol oxidative dehydrogenation to formaldehyde over a Fe-Mo oxide catalyst was studied experimentally in three reactor configurations: the conventional fixed-bed reactor (FBR) and the packed-bed membrane reactor (PBMR), with either methanol (PBMR-M) or oxygen (PBMR-O) as the permeating component. The kinetics of methanol and formaldehyde partial oxidation reactions were determined independently from FBR experiments. A steady state plug-flow PBMR model, utilizing these kinetics and no adjustable parameters, fit the experiments accurately. It is shown experimentally and in accordance with the model that for given overall feed conditions, the reactor performance for methanol conversion and formaldehyde yield is in the order PBMR-M < FBR < PBMR-O.