SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES FOR CELLULOSIC ETHANOL PRODUCTION

• US 20090181440A1
• Filed: 04/07/2009
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stephen L. Rush
• Original Assignee: Stephen L. Rush
• Inventors: Rush, Stephen L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,662,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/165
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/026 for compression ignition
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 substrate containing cellulosic material
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/649 Biodiesel, i.e. fatty acid alkyl esters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

A cellulosic ethanol production system. Implementations may include a feed stage that may produce a raw cellulose stream from a waste cellulose stream and an algae cellulose stream. A hydrolysis stage may produce a hydrolyzed cellulose stream. A liquefaction stage may produce a formed sugars stream and one or more liquefaction byproduct streams. A fermentation stage may react the formed sugars stream with a yeast feed in at least one fermenter to produce a raw ethanol stream. A separation stage may separate ethanol from the raw ethanol stream and to produce a fuel ethanol stream. An algae generation stage may include at least one algae bioreactor and may react the one or more liquefaction byproduct streams with algae in the at least one algae bioreactor to produce an algae stream. A biodiesel production stage may produce a biodiesel stream and the algae cellulose stream.

Claims

1. An integrated cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel production system comprising:

a feed stage configured to receive a waste cellulose stream and an algae cellulose stream and to produce a raw cellulose stream;

a hydrolysis stage coupled with the feed stage and configured to hydrolyze the raw cellulose stream to produce a hydrolyzed cellulose stream;

a liquefaction stage coupled with the hydrolysis stage and configured to liquefy the hydrolyzed cellulose stream to produce a formed sugars stream and one or more liquefaction byproduct streams;

a fermentation stage coupled with the liquefaction stage and configured to react the formed sugars stream with a yeast feed in at least one fermenter to produce a raw ethanol stream;

a separation stage coupled with the fermentation stage and configured to separate ethanol from the raw ethanol stream and to produce a fuel ethanol stream;

an algae generation stage comprising at least one algae bioreactor and configured to react the one or more liquefaction byproduct streams with algae in the at least one algae bioreactor to produce an algae stream; and

a biodiesel production stage coupled with the algae generation stage and configured to produce a biodiesel stream and the algae cellulose stream.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrolysis stage further comprises one or more hydrolysis inputs and the one or more hydrolysis inputs comprise one or more compounds configured to:

reduce the concentration of auxin in the raw cellulose stream;

assist in dehydrogenation of the raw cellulose stream;

modify the pH of the raw cellulose stream;

or

any combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more compounds is one of capsaicin, quercetin, genestine, ethanol, and any combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more compounds is one or more enzymes selected from the group consisting of dehydrogenase, formate, alcohol dehydrogenase E, cytosol, excrements of cephalopods or ocean mammals, and any combination thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more liquefaction byproduct streams includes xylitol.

6. An integrated cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel production system comprising:

a feed stage comprising a feed operation, the feed operation comprising a grinding operation and a mixing operation, the grinding operation configured to produce a waste cellulose stream and the mixing operation configured to receive the waste cellulose stream and an algae cellulose stream and to produce a raw cellulose stream;

a hydrolysis stage coupled with the feed stage comprising a hydrolysis operation, the hydrolysis operation configured to react the raw cellulose stream with one or more organisms comprised in one or more hydrolysis inputs to produce a hydrolyzed cellulose stream, a hydrolysis CO₂ stream, and a hydrolysis ethanol stream;

a liquefaction stage coupled with the hydrolysis stage and comprising a heated sugar formation operation, a organism separation operation, and a liquefaction operation, the heated sugar formation operation and liquefaction operation configured to liquefy the hydrolyzed cellulose stream to produce a sugars stream and the organism separation operation configured to produce a recycled organism stream;

a sugars separation stage coupled with the liquefaction stage and comprising a sugar separation operation configured to produce a xylitol stream and a separated sugars stream from the sugars stream;

a fermentation stage coupled with the sugars separation stage and comprising a fermentation operation, the fermentation operation configured to react the separated sugars stream with a yeast feed in at least one fermenter to produce a raw ethanol stream and a fermentation CO₂ stream;

a separation stage coupled with the fermentation stage and comprising a separation operation, the separation operation configured to separate ethanol from the raw ethanol stream to produce a fuel ethanol stream and a waste cellulose stream;

an algae generation stage comprising an algae generation operation, the algae generation operation comprising at least one algae bioreactor, the algae generation operation configured to react the hydrolysis CO₂ stream, the fermentation CO₂ stream, an atmospheric CO₂ stream, and the xylitol stream with algae in the at least one algae bioreactor to produce an algae stream; and

a biodiesel production stage coupled with the algae generation stage, the biodiesel production stage comprising a biodiesel reaction operation and an algae drying operation, the biodiesel reaction operation configured to produce a biodiesel stream and an algae waste stream, and the algae drying operation configured to receive the algae waste stream and to produce the algae cellulose feed.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more organisms is selected from the group consisting of a fungus, a yeast, a bacterium, a protozoan, and any combination thereof.

8. The process of claim 6, wherein the one or more organisms is selected from the group consisting of Piromyces sp. E2, Neocallimastix sp. L2, Mixotricha paradoxa, Spirochaeta endosymbiotes, Escherichia coli, and Escherichia coli BL21.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the hydrolysis stage further comprises one or more hydrolysis inputs comprising one or more compounds configured to:

reduce the concentration of auxin in the raw cellulose stream;

assist in dehydrogenation of the raw cellulose stream;

modify the pH of the raw cellulose stream;

regulate the activity of the one or more organisms;

or

any combination thereof.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more compounds is one of capsaicin, quercetin, genestine, ethanol, and any combination thereof.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more compounds is one or more enzymes selected from the group consisting of dehydrogenase, formate, alcohol dehydrogenase E, cytosol, excrements of cephalopods or ocean mammals, and any combination thereof.

12. The process of claim 6, wherein the sugars separation operation is configured to chromatographically separate xylitol in the sugars stream to produce the xylitol stream and the separated sugars stream.