Biomass conversion to alcohol using ultrasonic energy
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- applying ultrasonic energy to a liquid medium processing stream in a cellulose-to-ethanol production process, wherein the liquid medium processing stream contains switch grass comprised of cellulose surrounded by a protective sheath of hemicellulose and lignin, wherein the ultrasonic energy is applied at one or more locations prior to fermentation, or before and after fermentation, with one or more high-powered transducers, each generating at least 3 kW of power and operating at a frequency of at least 17 kHz, wherein the power and frequency of the ultrasonic energy are sufficient to produce cavitational forces in the processing stream at an intensity and duration which causes at least a portion of the lignin to be loosened or removed from the cellulose, allowing an increased amount of cellulose to be hydrolyzed into one or more individual component sugars, wherein conversion of the one or more individual component sugars to one or more fermented individual component sugars during fermentation is increased; and
distilling and dehydrating the one or more fermented individual component sugars to produce ethanol and residuals, wherein ethanol yield is increased by applying the ultrasonic energy.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method comprising applying ultrasonic energy to a biomass to alcohol production process is provided. In one embodiment the alcohol production process is an ethanol production process. In one embodiment, the biomass to alcohol process employs ultrasonic energy as the only means of pretreatment. In one embodiment, the biomass to alcohol process additionally employs a concentrated acid hydrolysis pretreatment. In one embodiment, the biomass to alcohol process additionally employs any conventional pretreatment, such as a hydrothermal or chemical pretreatment, followed by an enzymatic hydrolysis step or a simultaneous enzymatic hydrolysis and saccharification step. In one embodiment, the conventional pretreatment is selected from the group consisting of dilute acid hydrolysis, high pressure hot water-based methods, i.e., hydrothermal treatments such as steam explosion and aqueous hot water extraction, reactor systems (e.g., batch, continuous flow, counter-flow, flow-through, and the like), ammonia explosion, ammonia recycled percolation (ARP), lime treatment and a pH-based process.
70 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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applying ultrasonic energy to a liquid medium processing stream in a cellulose-to-ethanol production process, wherein the liquid medium processing stream contains switch grass comprised of cellulose surrounded by a protective sheath of hemicellulose and lignin, wherein the ultrasonic energy is applied at one or more locations prior to fermentation, or before and after fermentation, with one or more high-powered transducers, each generating at least 3 kW of power and operating at a frequency of at least 17 kHz, wherein the power and frequency of the ultrasonic energy are sufficient to produce cavitational forces in the processing stream at an intensity and duration which causes at least a portion of the lignin to be loosened or removed from the cellulose, allowing an increased amount of cellulose to be hydrolyzed into one or more individual component sugars, wherein conversion of the one or more individual component sugars to one or more fermented individual component sugars during fermentation is increased; and distilling and dehydrating the one or more fermented individual component sugars to produce ethanol and residuals, wherein ethanol yield is increased by applying the ultrasonic energy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification