System for management of yeast to facilitate the production of ethanol
First Claim
1. A method of propagating ethanologen for use in the production of ethanol from biomass comprising the steps of:
- providing a medium for propagation of ethanologen;
supplying a first cell mass of ethanologen to the medium;
supplying xylose to the medium as a carbon source for cell mass growth of the ethanologen;
maintaining the medium comprising the first cell mass of ethanologen at a pH of between about 5.0 and 6.0 and at a temperature of between about 26 and about 37 degrees Celsius so that the first cell mass of ethanologen is propagated into a second cell mass of ethanologen, under aerobic conditions with an airflow of at least 1.0 volumes of air per volume of medium per minute;
and wherein the second cell mass of ethanologen is larger than the first cell mass of ethanologen.
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Abstract
A system and method for managing an ethanologen for use in biorefinery is disclosed. The method for propagating ethanologen for use in the production of a fermentation product from biomass omprises the steps of providing a medium for propagation of ethanologen and supplying a first cell mass of ethanologen to the medium. A first cell mass of ethanologen is propagated into a larger second cell mass of ethanologen. The system for propagating ethanologen for use in the production of a fermentation product from biomass comprises a first stage comprising a first vessel configured to maintain a medium comprising ethanologen and a second stage comprising a second vessel configured to maintain a medium supplied from the first stage.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. A method of propagating ethanologen for use in the production of ethanol from biomass comprising the steps of:
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providing a medium for propagation of ethanologen; supplying a first cell mass of ethanologen to the medium; supplying xylose to the medium as a carbon source for cell mass growth of the ethanologen; maintaining the medium comprising the first cell mass of ethanologen at a pH of between about 5.0 and 6.0 and at a temperature of between about 26 and about 37 degrees Celsius so that the first cell mass of ethanologen is propagated into a second cell mass of ethanologen, under aerobic conditions with an airflow of at least 1.0 volumes of air per volume of medium per minute; and wherein the second cell mass of ethanologen is larger than the first cell mass of ethanologen. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of propagating ethanologen for use in the production of ethanol from biomass comprising the steps of:
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providing a medium for propagation of ethanologen; supplying a first cell mass of ethanologen to the medium; providing an agent to the medium; providing a component obtained from the biomass to the medium as a carbon source for the ethanologen; maintaining the medium comprising the first cell mass of ethanologen at a pH of between about 5.0 and 6.0 and at a temperature of between about 26 and about 37 degrees Celsius so that the first cell mass of ethanologen is propagated into a second cell mass of ethanologen, wherein the medium comprising the ethanologen is aerated with an airflow of at least 1.0 volumes of air per volume of medium per minute; wherein the second cell mass of ethanologen is larger than the first cell mass of ethanologen; wherein the biomass comprises lignocellulosic material; wherein the lignocellulosic material comprises at least one of corn cobs, corn plant husks, corn plant leaves and corn plant stalks; wherein the component is obtained from the lignocellulosic material; wherein the component comprises pentose; wherein pentose comprises the carbon source for the ethanologen; and wherein the ethanologen comprises yeast cells capable of fermenting pentose into ethanol. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A system for propagating ethanologen for use in the production of ethanol from biomass in a fermentation system comprising:
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a first stage comprising a first vessel configured to maintain a medium comprising ethanologen; a second stage comprising a second vessel configured to maintain a medium supplied from the first stage; a source of xylose to be provided to the medium as a carbon source for ethanologen in the first stage; a source of xylose to be provided to the medium as a carbon source for the ethanologen in the second stage; wherein the ethanologen has a first cell mass when supplied to the first stage and the ethanologen has a second cell mass when supplied from the first stage to the second stage and the ethanologen has a third cell mass when supplied from the second stage; wherein the medium in the first vessel is maintained at a pH of between about 5.0 and 6.0 and at a temperature of between about 26 and about 37 degrees Celsius with an airflow of at least 1.0 volumes of air per volume of medium per minute so that ethanologen can be propagated into the second cell mass; wherein the medium in the second vessel is maintained at a pH of between about 5.0 and 6.0 and at a temperature of between about 26 and about 37 degrees Celsius with an airflow of at least 1.0 volumes of air per volume of medium per minute so that ethanologen can be propagated into the third cell mass; wherein the second cell mass is at least 200 times larger than the first cell mass; wherein the third cell mass is at least 20 times larger than the second cell mass. - View Dependent Claims (48)
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49. A method of propagating ethanologen for use in the production of ethanol from biomass comprising the steps of:
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providing a medium for propagation of ethanologen; supplying a first cell mass of ethanologen having a first cell mass to the medium; supplying xylose to the medium as a carbon source for the ethanologen; maintaining the medium comprising the first cell mass of ethanologen at a pH of between about 5.0 and 6.0 and at a temperature of between about 26 and about 37 degrees Celsius under aerobic conditions so that the first cell mass of ethanologen is propagated into a second cell mass of ethanologen, under aerobic conditions comprises a supply of air of at least 1.0 liters per liter of medium per minute so that xylose is used for cell growth instead of production of ethanol; and wherein the second cell mass of ethanologen is larger than the first cell mass of ethanologen. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification