SYSTEM FOR TREATMENT OF BIOMASS TO FACILITATE THE PRODUCTION OF ETHANOL

• US 20120129234A1
• Filed: 11/18/2011
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Poet Research Inc.
• Original Assignee: Poet Research Inc.
• Inventors: McDonald, William F., Carlson, David Charles, Stutzman, Nicholas Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/300,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20120129234A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/165
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/06 Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 substrate containing cellulosic material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

A method for treating fermented lignocellulosic biomass to be supplied to a distillation system for production of ethanol is provided. The method includes pre-treating lignocellulosic biomass into pre-treated biomass and separating the pre-treated biomass into a liquid component comprising sugars and a solids component comprising cellulose and lignin. The method also includes hydrolysing the solids component of the pre-treated biomass into a hydrolysed biomass comprising sugars and lignin and fermenting the hydrolysed solids component of the pre-treated biomass into a fermentation product comprising ethanol and lignin. The method also includes treating the fermentation product and distilling the treated fermentation product to recover the ethanol. The lignocellulosic biomass comprises cellulose, hemi-cellulose and lignin.

Claims

1. A method for treating fermented lignocellulosic biomass to be supplied to a distillation system for production of ethanol comprising:

pre-treating lignocellulosic biomass into pre-treated biomass;

separating the pre-treated biomass into a liquid component comprising sugars and a solids component comprising cellulose and lignin;

hydrolysing the solids component of the pre-treated biomass into a hydrolysed biomass comprising sugars and lignin;

fermenting the hydrolysed solids component of the pre-treated biomass into a fermentation product comprising ethanol and lignin;

treating the fermentation product; and

distilling the treated fermentation product to recover the ethanol;

wherein the lignocellulosic biomass comprises cellulose, hemi-cellulose and lignin.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the treating the fermentation product comprises heating the fermentation product.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the treating the fermentation product further comprises heating the fermentation product to a temperature of approximately 80 to 94 degrees Celsius.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the treating the fermentation product further comprises heating the fermentation product to a temperature of approximately 82 to 90 degrees Celsius.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the treating the fermentation product further comprises heating the fermentation product to a temperature of approximately 84 to 87 degrees Celsius.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising distilling the treated fermentation product.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the distilling is continuously operated for at least 24 hours.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the distilling is continuously operated for at least 48 hours.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the lignocellulosic biomass comprises at least one of corn cobs, corn plant husks, corn plant leaves and corn plant stalks.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the lignocellulosic biomass comprises cellulose at about 30 to 55 percent by weight and hemicellulose at about 20 to 50 percent by weight.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the lignocellulosic biomass (a) comprises corn cobs, corn plant husks, corn plant leaves and corn stalks and (b) comprises cellulose at about 35 to 45 percent by weight and hemicellulose at about 24 to 42 percent by weight.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the lignocellulosic biomass consists essentially of corn cobs, corn plant husks, corn plant leaves and corn stalks.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the lignocellulosic biomass comprises cellulose at about 30 to 55 percent by weight, hemicellulose at about 20 to 50 percent by weight and lignin at about 10 to 25 percent by weight.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the lignocellulosic biomass comprises corn cobs, corn plant husks, corn plant leaves, corn stalks and corn kernel fiber.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the fermentation product comprises a solids component and wherein the solids component comprises at least 25 percent lignin.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the fermentation product comprises a solids component and wherein the treating increases a particle size of the solids component by at least 50 percent.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the fermentation product comprises a solids component and wherein the solids component comprises at least 40 percent lignin.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the liquid component is combined with the hydrolysed solids component prior to fermentation into the fermentation product.

19. A system for treating fermented lignocellulosic biomass, comprising:

a pre-treatment system that creates pre-treated biomass from lignocellulosic biomass;

a separation system that separates the pre-treated biomass into a liquid component comprising sugars and a solids component comprising cellulose and lignin;

a first treatment system that hydrolyses the solids component of the pre-treated biomass into a hydrolysed biomass comprising sugars and lignin;

a fermentation system that ferments the hydrolysed solids component of the pre-treated biomass into a fermentation product comprising ethanol and lignin;

a second treatment system that treats the fermentation product; and

a distillation system that distills the treated fermentation product to recover the ethanol;

wherein the lignocellulosic biomass comprises cellulose, hemi-cellulose and lignin.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the second treatment system heats the fermentation product.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the second treatment system heats the fermentation product to a temperature of approximately 80 to 94 degrees Celsius.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the second treatment system heats the fermentation product to a temperature of approximately 82 to 90 degrees Celsius.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the second treatment system heats the fermentation product to a temperature of approximately 84 to 87 degrees Celsius.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein the distillation system is continuously operated for at least 24 hours.

25. The system of claim 19 wherein the distillation system is continuously operated for at least 48 hours.

26. The system of claim 19 wherein the lignocellulosic biomass comprises at least one of corn cobs, corn plant husks, corn plant leaves and corn plant stalks.

27. The system of claim 19 wherein the lignocellulosic biomass comprises cellulose at about 30 to 55 percent by weight and hemicellulose at about 20 to 50 percent by weight.

28. The system of claim 19 wherein the lignocellulosic biomass (a) comprises corn cobs, corn plant husks, corn plant leaves and corn stalks and (b) comprises cellulose at about 35 to 45 percent by weight and hemicellulose at about 24 to 42 percent by weight.

29. The system of claim 19 wherein the lignocellulosic biomass consists essentially of corn cobs, corn plant husks, corn plant leaves and corn stalks.

30. The system of claim 19 wherein the lignocellulosic biomass comprises cellulose at about 30 to 55 percent by weight, hemicellulose at about 20 to 50 percent by weight and lignin at about 10 to 25 percent by weight.

31. The system of claim 19 wherein the lignocellulosic biomass comprises corn cobs, corn plant husks, corn plant leaves, corn stalks and corn kernel fiber.

32. The system of claim 19 wherein the fermentation product comprises a solids component and wherein the solids component comprises at least 25 percent lignin.

33. The system of claim 19 wherein the fermentation product comprises a solids component and wherein the second treatment system increases a particle size of the solids component by at least 50 percent.

34. The system of claim 19 wherein the fermentation product comprises a solids component and wherein the solids component comprises at least 40 percent lignin.

35. The system of claim 19 wherein the fermentation system ferments the liquid component combined with the hydrolysed solids component.