An integrated process for total bioethanol production and zero CO2 emission

• Grant number: 08/57873-8
• Support Opportunities: Program for Research on Bioenergy (BIOEN) - Thematic Grants
• Start date: January 01, 2010
• End date: September 30, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Agreement: CNPq - Pronex
• Principal Investigator: Rubens Maciel Filho
• Grantee: Rubens Maciel Filho
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Química (FEQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Pesquisadores principais: Aline Carvalho da Costa ; Carlos Eduardo Vaz Rossell ; Dejanira de Franceschi de Angelis ; Francisco Maugeri Filho ; Maria Isabel Rodrigues ; Maria Regina Wolf Maciel
• Associated research grant(s): 13/02475-6 - 35th symposium on biotechnology for fuels and chemicals, AR.EXT; 13/03812-6 - 35th Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals, AR.EXT
• Associated scholarship(s): 14/01135-0 - Second generation bioethanol production in intensified bioreactors from improved Scheffersomyces stipitis by induced evolution, BP.PD; 13/26290-5 - Optimization of lactic acid production from sugar cane, BP.DD; 13/18113-6 - Inhibition kinects of cellobiose enzymatic hydrolysis, BP.IC; + associated scholarships 13/05369-2 - Kinetics of acid hydrolysis of the liquid stream of hydrothermal Pretreament, BP.MS; 12/23223-2 - Development of optimized enzyme cocktails for hydrolysis of sugar cane bagasse, BP.MS; 12/24581-0 - Evolution of T. harzianum strains and performance in submerged bioreactor for the biosynthesis of cellulase for second generation ethanol production, BP.MS; 12/19271-1 - Mathematical modelling of cellulolitic enzymes production by filamentous fungi in submerse fermentation, BP.MS; 12/24326-0 - Modeling and control processes for first and second generation ethanol production applying neural networks, BP.DR; 12/17501-0 - Strategies of separation and purification of the lactic acid produced by fermentation, BP.DD; 11/19396-6 - Simulation and evaluation of sugarcane biorefineries for the production of bioethanol and its derivatives (alcoholchemistry route), BP.PD; 11/02743-5 - Mathematical modelling and optimization of the sugarcane bagasse hydrolysis process in fed-batch mode, BP.DR; 10/09065-0 - Simulation and optimization of an integrated process for bioethanol production of first, second and third generation, BP.PD; 09/13598-6 - DISTILLATION COLUMN ESTUDY OF HIGH EFFICIENCY:HIGEE, BP.MS; 09/13600-0 - DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A SOFTWARE SENSOR FOR ON-LINE MONITORING OF BIOPROCESSES, BP.MS; 07/07281-4 - Alternative designs of multitubular fixed bed catalytic reactors for production of ethene from ethanol dehydration, BP.PD - associated scholarships

Abstract

Increasing oil prices and global concern about climate change motivate the investigation of more efficient means of bioethanol production. An integrated process is proposed in this Thematic Project, aiming to maximize the productivity of bioethanol from sugarcane molasses, bagasse and straw, which give rise to, respectively, first and second generation bioethanol. The Greenhouse Gas carbon dioxide, produced in this two ethanol generations processes, is proposed to be used in the production of a third generation of ethanol, which comes both from algal/bagass biomass and catalytic transformation or biological fermentation of synthesis gas. This challenging integrated process has the major appeal of not emitting carbon dioxide and makes the best of the carbon-containing material for producing ethanol, turning it, when technically and economically feasible, a milestone for improving Brazilian bioethanol competitiveness. The specific objectives of this project look for ways of turning this integrated process into a technically and economically feasible one, investigating new technologies for each part of processes, covering first, second and third generation aiming anhydrous low bioethanol production. In this way, it will be studied alternative fermentation processes (extractive units), eco-efficient pretreatments as a part of an integrated bioethanol from sugarcane bagasse and straw, development of high-performing enzyme formulations and process techniques of both enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation, coupled with the development of suitable yeast to ferment sugarcane biomass carbohydrates. In addition, the possibility of microalgae consuming CO2 from alcoholic fermentation, constituting energy generation cycle with environment protection and production of bioethanol through the synthesis gas, which is obtained from biomass will be investigated. Besides that, multiple effect operation of the distillation columns of the process will be studied in order to reduce steam consumption on reboilers and compared to alternative strategies, including the hybrid ones. The study of alternative entrainers (ionic liquids and hyperbranched polymers) for the extractive distillation process for anhydrous bioethanol production will be carried out. Process modeling and simulation, either of single units or for the large scale plant will be used as a tool for process evaluation and decision taking. Process optimization will be considered to extract the best yield of each routes so that quantitative discrimination will be possible. In any case, methodologies that may be necessary whenever a re-estimation of parameters is required and among other tools software sensors based on Artificial Neural Network will be developed to infer concentrations of biomass, bioethanol and substrate from secondary measurements, such as pH, turbidity and CO2 flow rate. The global processes evaluation will make use of the experimental data collected in the experiments, industrial data and information and together with process simulation trough commercial simulators and tailor made softwares. All the routes will be evaluated in the optimal conditions achieved by a set of suitable optimization algorithms including the deterministic and stochastic based ones. (AU)

Scientific publications

(16)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DIAS, MARINA O. S.; JUNQUEIRA, TASSIA L.; CAVALETT, OTAVIO; CUNHA, MARCELO P.; JESUS, CHARLES D. F.; MANTELATTO, PAULO E.; ROSSELL, CARLOS E. V.; MACIEL FILHO, RUBENS; BONOMI, ANTONIO. Cogeneration in integrated first and second generation ethanol from sugarcane. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH & DESIGN, v. 91, n. 8, SI, p. 1411-1417, AUG 2013. (08/57873-8, 11/19396-6)

DIAS, MARINA O. S.; JUNQUEIRA, TASSIA L.; CAVALETT, OTAVIO; PAVANELLO, LUCAS G.; CUNHA, MARCELO P.; JESUS, CHARLES D. F.; MACIEL FILHO, RUBENS; BONOMI, ANTONIO. Biorefineries for the production of first and second generation ethanol and electricity from sugarcane. APPLIED ENERGY, v. 109, n. SI, p. 72-78, SEP 2013. (08/57873-8, 11/19396-6)

DE JESUS, SERGIO S.; MACIEL FILHO, RUBENS. Potential of algal biofuel production in a hybrid photobioreactor. Chemical Engineering Science, v. 171, p. 282-292, NOV 2 2017. (08/57873-8, 10/04903-7, 10/03764-3)

BUSSAMRA, BIANCA CONSORTI; FREITAS, SINDELIA; DA COSTA, ALINE CARVALHO. Improvement on sugar cane bagasse hydrolysis using enzymatic mixture designed cocktail. Bioresource Technology, v. 187, p. 173-181, JUL 2015. (08/57873-8, 10/08089-2, 12/23223-2)

JAIMES FIGUEROA, JAIVER EFREN; RODRIGUES, MARIA ISABEL; WOLF MACIEL, MARIA REGINA. Sequential strategy of experimental design I: Optimization of extractive distillation process of ethanol-water using [bmim][N(CN)(2)] as entrainer. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND PROCESSING, v. 93, p. 56-60, JUL 2015. (08/57873-8)

DE JESUS, SERGIO S.; MOREIRA NETO, JOAO; SANTANA, ALINE; MACIEL FILHO, RUBENS. Influence of impeller type on hydrodynamics and gas-liquid mass-transfer in stirred airlift bioreactor. AICHE JOURNAL, v. 61, n. 10, p. 3159-3171, OCT 2015. (08/57873-8, 10/04903-7, 10/03764-3)

MARIANO, ADRIANO PINTO; DIAS, MARINA O. S.; JUNQUEIRA, TASSIA L.; CUNHA, MARCELO P.; BONOMI, ANTONIO; MACIEL FILHO, RUBENS. Utilization of pentoses from sugarcane biomass: Techno-economics of biogas vs. butanol production. Bioresource Technology, v. 142, p. 390-399, AUG 2013. (08/57873-8)

MARIANO, ADRIANO PINTO; DIAS, MARINA O. S.; JUNQUEIRA, TASSIA L.; CUNHA, MARCELO P.; BONOMI, ANTONIO; MACIEL FILHO, RUBENS. Butanol production in a first-generation Brazilian sugarcane biorefinery: Technical aspects and economics of greenfield projects. Bioresource Technology, v. 135, p. 316-323, MAY 2013. (08/57873-8)

TOVAR, LAURA PLAZAS; RIVERA, ELMER CCOPA; MARIANO, ADRIANO PINTO; WOLF MACIEL, MARIA REGINA; MACIEL FILHO, RUBENS. Prediction of overall glucose yield in hydrolysis of pretreated sugarcane bagasse using a single artificial neural network: good insight for process development. JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, v. 93, n. 4, p. 1031-1043, APR 2018. (08/57873-8, 16/01785-0, 12/10857-3)

KLEIN, BRUNO COLLING; BASTOS, REINALDO GASPAR; FILHO, RUBENS MACIEL; MACIEL, MARIA REGINA WOLF. Effect of light, CO2 and nitrate concentration on Chlorella vulgaris growth and composition in a flat-plate photobioreactor. Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering, v. 38, n. 2, APR 2021. (08/57873-8)

DIAS, MARINA O. S.; JUNQUEIRA, TASSIA L.; CAVALETT, OTAVIO; PAVANELLO, LUCAS G.; CUNHA, MARCELO P.; JESUS, CHARLES D. F.; MACIEL FILHO, RUBENS; BONOMI, ANTONIO. Biorefineries for the production of first and second generation ethanol and electricity from sugarcane. APPLIED ENERGY, v. 109, p. 7-pg., 2013-09-01. (11/19396-6, 08/57873-8)

DE SOUZA DIAS, MARINA OLIVEIRA; MACIEL FILHO, RUBENS; MANTELATTO, PAULO EDUARDO; CAVALETT, OTAVIO; VAZ ROSSELL, CARLOS EDUARDO; BONOMI, ANTONIO; LIMA VERDE LEAL, MANOEL REGIS. Sugarcane processing for ethanol and sugar in Brazil. ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT, v. 15, p. 35-51, JUL 2015. (11/51902-9, 10/17139-3, 08/57873-8)

DE JESUS, SERGIO S.; SANTANA, ALINE; PONCE, GUSTAVO H. S. F.; MACIEL FILHO, RUBENS. Potential use of vegetable waste for biofuel production. JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, v. 92, n. 1, p. 90-99, JAN 2017. (08/57873-8, 10/04903-7, 10/03764-3)

SANTOS, SAMANTHA CHRISTINE; DE SOUSA, AMANDA SILVA; DIONISIO, SUZANE RODRIGUES; TRAMONTINA, ROBSON; RULLER, ROBERTO; SQUINA, FABIO MARCIO; ROSSELL, CARLOS EDUARDO VAZ; DA COSTA, ALINE CARVALHO; IENCZAK, JACIANE LUTZ. Bioethanol production by recycled Scheffersomyces stipitis in sequential batch fermentations with high cell density using xylose and glucose mixture. Bioresource Technology, v. 219, p. 319-329, NOV 2016. (14/01135-0, 08/57873-8)

DE JESUS, SERGIO S.; NETO, JOAO MOREIRA; MACIEL FILHO, RUBENS. Hydrodynamics and mass transfer in bubble column, conventional airlift, stirred airlift and stirred tank bioreactors, using viscous fluid: A comparative study. Biochemical Engineering Journal, v. 118, p. 70-81, FEB 15 2017. (08/57873-8, 10/04903-7, 10/03764-3)

DIAS, MARINA O. S.; JUNQUEIRA, TASSIA L.; CAVALETT, OTAVIO; CUNHA, MARCELO P.; JESUS, CHARLES D. F.; MANTELATTO, PAULO E.; ROSSELL, CARLOS E. V.; MACIEL FILHO, RUBENS; BONOMI, ANTONIO. Cogeneration in integrated first and second generation ethanol from sugarcane. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH & DESIGN, v. 91, n. 8, p. 7-pg., 2013-08-01. (11/19396-6, 08/57873-8)

Filed patent(s) as a result of this research project