BR102015004248A2 - pretreatment of biomass of plant origin by variable orientation pulsed electric field induced electroporation and equipment development - Google Patents

Abstract

pretreatment of plant biomass by pulsed electric field induced electroporation of variable orientation and equipment development biomass cell opening process and equipment for the extraction of plant biomass broths from a small and high manufacturing plant processing capacity designed for the extraction of sugars and / or by-products for the production of first, second and third generation alcohols of biomass of any plant origin; Extract sucrose, fructose and glucose rich broths contained within the plant tissue to provide the base raw material for numerous processing industries such as food, pharmaceutical, beverage, petrochemical, chemical, energy and others, consisting of equipment whose process Cell opening and / or pore creation in the cell membrane surrounding the cells is highly efficient, operates in a rationalized energy manner in accordance with the trinomial: cost - benefit - environment. The patent-pending pulsed electric field induced electroporation technique of biomass of vegetable origin of this patent applies in a simple, effective and safe way the concepts of electrostatics, basic in the field of electromagnetism, in the pretreatment of biomass, aiming at create pores and / or rupture the cell membrane that surrounds the plant tissue providing the solvent to carry sucrose and / or other elements contained within the cell facilitating the predominant leaching and diffusion / osmosis extraction mechanisms in the broth extraction process with rationalization of the resources involved and reduction of the energy spent on the process.

Description

VEGETABLE BIOMASS PRE-TREATMENT BY

PULSING ELECTRIC FIELD-INDUCED ELECTROPORATION OF

VARIABLE GUIDANCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF INVENTION FIELD EQUIPMENT

[01J] The present invention is in the field of equipment, apparatus, devices and processes for the pretreatment of plant-derived biomass by a pulsed electric field induced electroporation technique for the extraction of biomass broths for the production of inputs for sugar generation, first- to third-generation fuel and fuel refineries.

[02] DESCRIPTION OF TECHNICAL STATE

[03] Background of the Invention [04] The extraction of sucrose, fructose and glucose sugar-rich broths contained within the plant tissue of some plants provides the base raw material for numerous processing industries such as food (concentrated sugars and syrups). ); pharmaceuticals (syrups), beverages (soft drinks and juices), petrochemicals (biodegradable polymers and others), chemistry (solvents), energy (hydrated and anhydrous ethanoyl), among others, which makes this practice indispensable for the production of inputs for these processing industries.

[05] The broth extraction process, among other ways, occurs based on the principles of leaching and / or diffusion / osmosis where a solvent, usually water; but may be another vehicle, promotes the dragging of the substance subject to extraction, in most processes sugars. The efficiency of the process is directly linked to the percentage of open cells, which facilitates the contact of the solute with the solvent, or from the internal material to the cell with the extracellular material. To this end, the biomass is subjected to a process prior to the process. extraction, referred to by the processing industries as the "Staging Phase".

[06] Corroborating this approach, the work developed by Claudia Siemer, et al »; "Mass Transport Improvement by PEF - Applications in the area of extraction and distillation, from the German Institute of Food Technologies - Germany, pages 211-232» brings the following introduction: "... Mass transpose! processes in the food industry are mostly based on it diffusion of soiubie Products out of food tissue. The main barrier for diffusion is the biological membrane separating the inner cellular material tone the outside. A rupture of the membrane resuits in an enhanced diffusion rate resulting in a higher yield of the product located in the ceii, Most mettiod · used for disintegration of cellular material are mechanical, Chemical or thermal based treatments. A new promising technique for celebration is the application of pulsed electric fields (PEF). The product is treated with pulses of microseconds at a high electric field strength. The electric filed affects the cell membrane of the biological tissue in order to increase the permeability resulting in pore formation. Pore format facilitates the diffusion process.

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[07] The Preparation Phase widely used for biomass processing {14} from sugarcane cropping to break cells is an essentially mechanical process consisting of the use of metal conveyor belts (15). (16), feed drums (17), Shredders (18), shredder plate (19), levelers (20) and tarpaulin mats (21), as shown in Fig.1. The knives and hammers used in the Chippers and Shredders equipment respectively have a high wear rate when in contact with biomass rich in mineral and vegetable impurities resulting in a high cost of maintenance and unavailability of the processing line for hours until change knives and hammers. The swinging hammers and knives, rotating in solidarity with the rotor, lead to high inertia equipment that requires a large amount of energy for its operation. The preparation of the beet biomass prior to the extraction process is a much simpler process which basically consists of cutting the vegetable into very thin slices. Vegetable biomass such as saccharin sorghum and eucalyptus bark have already been successfully tested using the same method and equipment used in sugar cane processing.

[8] There is still no proper record of either efficient equipment or biomass preparation processes operating in a rationalized energy manner. Few inefficient equipment and processes are known, such as those described in the background item of this patent, which are exaggeratedly expensive, and which are still incomprehensibly used in the preparation of biomass for the sugarcane juice extraction process in Brazil and in the world.

[09] On the other hand, some studies have shown that other possible processes and equipment for biomass preparation by opening a large percentage of plant tissue cells such as sonic waves, arcs, and others should be investigated in greater depth and detail. , related to the trinomial: cost-effective environment replacing the mechanical processes practiced until the present day.

[10] Current costs of acquiring traditional equipment for the biomass preparation process, including its difficult operation and costly maintenance, are known to be excessively high, involving significant and irreversible losses in yield, lubricants and especially unavailability. of uptime for maintenance that regularly requires 3 (4) to 4 (4) months / year and frequent downtime for replacement of the most worn components, knives and hammers.

[11] In today's equipment used for the preparation of plant biomass for the vegetable juice extraction sector, the mechanisms that involve the opening of plant tissue cells still require very high energy consumption, such as Choppers and Shredders, requiring extremely high drive powers to provide shredding of the raw material with a cell opening efficiency index of not more than 90%.

[12] Focusing on this approach, it is urgent to turn our attention to the generation of possibilities for new processes and equipment for the preparation of biomass of vegetal origin performed by Variable Orientation Pulsed Electric Field Induced Electroporation Technique, as proposed in this paper. patent.

[13] Background of the Invention [14] Several patent documents relating to electroporation applied to the food industry, laboratory scale and / or small scale processing are found in the state of the art; few descriptively approach the context of this patent, including US 6,379,628 B2, US 8,250,974 B2, US 2011/0038992 A1, US 7,691,324 B2, US 6,393,975 B2. US 6,331,321 B1, US 6,231,908 B1. US 6,178,880 B1. US006019031A and US005690978A, [15] US Patent 6,379,628 B2 "Pulsed Electric Field Treatment System ** describes a pulsed electric field application restricted to fluids flowing through small piping smaller than 100mm in order to inactivate or destroy the micro -organisms present in the process of manufacturing food products, innovating by presenting electrodes formed by a wire mesh, disposed internally to a pipe, with characteristics limiting in terms of flow and viscosity of the product to be treated. The biomass of plant origin of the present invention is a totally different procedure from the aforementioned invention not referring above to the state of the art of the present invention.

[16] US patent publication 8,250,974 B2 - “Apparatus for applying oscillating electromagnetic fields, particularly for treating liquid, pasty, semisolid or granular products, and method of use of such apparatus and system incorporating same” describes an apparatus formed by The composition of aluminum electrodes applied externally to a U-shaped tubing where the product to be treated by a pulsating electromagnetic field is pumped through the interior of the tubing made of an isoiant material. asepsis of food products through inactivation of microorganisms in order to still maintain the organoleptic qualities of the food to be treated and although the author claims application to pasty, semi-solid or granular products, the application is restricted to the pumping characteristics of the food. inside the pipe and it becomes totally unfeasible to application in the treatment of biomass of plant origin by electroporation. f! 7] The patent "Process for the electroporation of beet cossettes and device for carrying out this process", registered under the number US 2011/0038992 A1 superficially describes a possible sequence of steps to be applied in the processing of beet where the passage of the raw material to be processed by the electroporation stage is by gravity, but it lacks information about the electrode arrangement in the chamber, where from the figure shown, Fig. 1 shows that it will be a possible bottleneck in the beet processing, carrot and other cited raw materials, in the volumes currently practiced by the industries and worsens due to the expected processing capacity of the new industrial plants.It is a fact that the greater the distance between the electrodes the greater the energy that we must supply for the creation. of a pulsating electric field with the intensity necessary for a partial electroporation of the membrane to occur. different densities and consequent different processing volumes, so process and proposed equipment do not meet existing processing demand. The electroporation process becomes an alternative to traditional existing processes: mechanical; thermal; ultrasound and others, when energy consumption justifies it, but in the present case with the little information available concerning the electroporation chamber in terms of processing capacity versus energy consumption, it is doubtful whether it is applicable to the biomass processing industry.

[18] The patent "Method and reactor for non-thermal decomposition and pasteurisation of organic process materials by electroporation", registered under US 7,691,324 B2 describes a methodology for the application of the electric field electroporation technique applied to the treatment. fruit and other vegetables in place of traditional processes: mechanical; barometric; thermal and other features and optimizes the arrangement of electrodes on a conveyor by innovating by presenting an electric field applied in multiple directions positioned inside a reactor installed on a food processing line with the following dimensions: height 50cm, length 200cm and a width of 100 cm clearly showing the unfeasibility of such application in processes that require large volumes of raw material to be processed, such as sugar beet, sugar cane and other biomass of low density and high fiber content, on an industrial scale.

[19] US Patent Publication 6,393,975 B2, "Treatment apparatus and method for preserving pumpable food products in a pulsed electric field" basically describes the development of two chamber formats for use exclusively in the treatment of foods having the characteristics of can be driven by the action of a flow pump into the chambers and subjected to a uniform electric field. The first proposed configuration consists of a conductive duct-shaped circular cross-section chamber containing two series of radially disposed electrodes along the length of the chamber. The second proposed alternative consists of two flat-plate coplanar electrodes spaced apart so that with the addition of two vertical side plates of non-conductive material, a rectangular duct through which the food will flow will be obtained. will be processed. In both alternatives presented the main concern was to eliminate "sharp corners", ie edges formed by a 90 degree angle, and to provide rounded corners in order to prevent contaminants or residues of processed foods from being trapped in these regions. could result in other types of contamination or various damage to the process. The present patent does not apply to the processing of plant biomass. | 2G | The patent "Process and apparatus for reduction of microorganisms in a conductive medium using iow voltage pulsed electrical energy", registered under US 6,331,321 B1 describes a methodology for the application of the low voltage pulsed electric field electroporation technique applied to the liquid treatment: water, milk, juices and fruits / other vegetables in aqueous media when pumped to reduce microbial activity to levels acceptable to the food industry. This patent is not part of the state of the art Vegetable Biomass Electroporation technique and should not be considered as state of the art as it refers to another product group.

[21] US Patent Publications 6,231,908 B1 "Method and apparatus for preserving food products" and US 6,178,880 B1 "Integrated modular design of a pulsed electrical field treatment chamber" describe two chamber layouts with restricted application to readily pumped products, the first patent describes a chamber in which the pumped product is subjected to a section restriction formed by an insulating material in order to cause a better homogenization / mixing of the product to be treated and the second patent describes a chamber formed by several annular electrodes, not applicable to the processing of low-fiber fiber rich plant biomass.

[22] Following the same line of application as the two previously cited patents, USG06Q19031A - "Continuous flow electrical treatment of flowable food products" and US005690978A - "High voltage pulsed electrical field treatment chambers for preservation of liquid food products", apply the electroporation technique of cells exclusively to liquids that can be pumped due to the geometric design presented for the electrodes, where fluid flows through narrow channels, not applicable to biomass electroporation of plant origin. Again, this patent document as well as others researched by the applicant for this patent deal with processes and methodologies that are not part of the state of the art of pretreatment of plant origin biomass by pulsed electric field induced electroporation of variable orientation.

[23J Advantages of the Invention • The electroporation of biomass of plant origin by biomass application of this proposal simply and effectively applies the concepts of electroporation, widely used in the manipulation of cellular material, promoting inputs and outputs of genetic material into cells, in order to obtain and facilitate the mechanisms of leaching and diffusion / osmosis extraction predominant in the broth extraction process with rationalization of the resources involved and reduction of the energy expended in the process with consequent reductions in equipment operation, maintenance and acquisition costs, increasing production capacity and reducing processing costs per ton of raw material handled.

[24] The traditional processes on the market and applied to the pretreatment of biomass to extract sugarcane juice are strictly mechanical processes that require a large amount of energy and are severely affected by the quality of the raw material in terms of plant and mineral impurities, which depend on the type of soil the crop was generated and the climatic influences. The process and equipment proposed for the pretreatment of biomass of vegetable origin has as main characteristic a high energy efficiency when compared to the traditional processes in use. The. With the advancement of the second and third generation ethanol extraction technique, added the opportunity and need for electricity generation through biomass co-generation, recently called bioelectricity, a high percentage of plant impurities such as straw, leaves and tips , seriously removed from the field and sent to the industry implying an increase of plant impurities in the process. The new biomass to be processed will lead to an increase in the content of mineral impurities and other components such as waxes and other substances with waterproofing characteristics, resulting in a significant increase in the difficulty of extracting the sugars in the vegetable mass when using traditional existing processes such as the diffuser and grinding mills, making them difficult to operate, costly and with consequent reduction in the efficiency of extracting vegetable slopes. Unlike traditional existing processes and equipment used in the processing of sugarcane biomass crop or any other plant origin, the present proposed innovation foresees this change in biomass composition and will work with superior efficiency, low cost and high reliability. 125] The well-known diffuser, one of the traditional equipment for extracting sugar from crops such as sugar beet and sugar cane, uses steam to maintain an internal operating temperature of around 85 degrees Celsius as a facilitating parameter for osmosis processes that is predominantly affected by temperature and time. Under the influence of temperature over a relatively long period of time, over 60 minutes, the pectin in the broth becomes a gel that ends up trapping the existing rich broth and making the extraction of sugars difficult. The proposed invention acting directly on the disruption of the cell membrane surrounding the cells of plant tissue will facilitate the entry of external components and the intracellular component exit, allowing the sucrose to be dragged by the solvent, therefore, it will no longer be necessary to use temperatures and processing time. high in the broth extraction process, bringing as expected benefits the aymenio in the extraction efficiency combined with a reduction in the energy consumption.

[26] The handling of biomass in all its phases, from crop harvesting and subsequent processing in the industry, accumulates it in a cumulative manner, contaminants, fungi, microorganisms, bacteria and wild yeast. These elements in the fermentation phase will reduce process efficiency and compete with industrial yeasts optimized for processing a given Biomass with their maximized yield. The proposed invention could be used in the broth sterilization process while opening the pores in the membrane that lines the plant tissue cell, promoting a greater yield in the fermentation process with reduction of: time, processing cost and chemical inputs.

[27] The existing traditional equipment used for pre-processing sugar cane, mincers and shredders is known to be extremely heavy as a result of the large amount of steel that is used in its construction. The process and equipment proposed for the preparation of vegetable biomass of this patent are small, the result of optimizations in the development of the project, and consequently low consumption of steel in its construction, having as a consequence no need for lifting and transport apparatus, such as as large capacity cranes, for the maintenance and replacement of any components that undergo the natural process of wear during use; Overhead cranes also require warehouses with reinforced large concrete structures, totally unnecessary for the proposed alternative resulting in a lower installation / acquisition cost of a new industrial plant.

[28] Aiming to solve the inconveniences and uncertainties related to the conventional processes practiced until today, mainly for the preparation of biomasses of vegetable origin, mincers and shredders, characterized by the high energy consumption »high cost of operation and maintenance» coupled with the low reliability in the unavailability of the equipment due to mechanical failures, the Biomass Pretreatment process was developed by the Electroporation Technique in this document. {29] The process presented in this proposal stands out as a new technology, still nonexistent, to solve the problem of the growing demand for energy and food supply in the world, because with the increasing population added to global warming and scarcity. Mineral and plant resources, new sources of energy and food are vital for the survival of the human species on the planet.

[30J The new Biomass Preparation process aiming at the extraction of elements contained in the broth of any biomass of vegetable origin of this proposal was designed and developed not only to cover the sugarcane crop but also the processing of other vegetable raw materials. according to climate, geographic region and plant characteristics aiming to complete the extraction plant's working period for all days (366) of the year, using alternative and complementary sugarcane crops such as eucalyptus bark, saccharin sorghum. and the beet among others.

[31] Purpose of the invention [32 | It is an object of the present invention to provide plant and process for the preparation of plant biomass of any plant origin, such as; sugar cane or eucalyptus bark or sorghum or beet among others, with the purpose of creating pores and / or breaking the cell membrane that surrounds the plant tissue allowing the solvent to carry sucrose and / or other elements contained within the cell. »In subsequent processes of juice extraction based on the phenomena of leaching and osmosis / diffusion, replacing or complementing the traditional mechanical processes existing and used until today, for example, in the case of sugarcane biomass processing: choppers and defibrators , providing an aseptic treatment of the extracted broth, eliminating bacteria and wild yeast, harmful elements to the fermentation process of the extracted broth implying a greater efficiency of the fermentation process preserving and increasing the productivity of industrial yeast avoiding infections and other process deviations, with reduced energy consumption and increased efficiency and by suppressing energy-intensive later thermal processes, reducing the use of chemicals in broth treatment contributing to self-sustainability and gains in process efficiency, breaking the efficiency barrier in stagnant biomass preparation at rates below 90% in the facility currently in operation and to meet the growing demand for energy in new industrial extraction plants to be installed and to be used by plant-based biomass processing plants such as microdestiers, hawks, sugar factories, distilleries, co-generation plants, biorefineries or similar institutions.

{33J BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[34] The present invention relates to a plant and process for the pretreatment of Biomasses of various plant origins for the purpose of disrupting the cell membrane lining the cells of plant tissue, either in whole or in part, either temporarily or permanently. Creation of pores, allowing the extraction of sugars or other elements contained within the cell, object of processing by industries through the process of osmosis and / or leaching through the use of a solvent, most often water, in this sense Biomass pre-prepared in previous processes with the aim of obtaining homogeneity and density is conducted by a vertical gutter constantly monitored by capacitive sensors indicating the level of plant biomass inside, provided at its lower end with a frequency inverter controlled feed drum under the command of mass flow sensor signals by measuring the flow in real time and making due to the adjustments made according to the programming developed in PLC monitoring, positioned prior to the opening formed between the stator surface and the rotor cavities, the electroporation chambers appearing, adding to the biomass, in this phase, the solvent responsible for the sucrose / component dragging. The object of the extraction filling all the empty spaces of the chambers, more specifically, deals with a biomass pretreatment plant composed of a rotor containing on its external surface several concave and longitudinal cavities that respectively house several properly grounded, rotating electrode lines. with some slack it radiates over a sector of a stator, less than 180 °, containing in its semi-cylindrical and longitudinal surface several lines of electrodes duly connected to a high power electric source, being the biomass conducted between the two surfaces by the rotary motion. motor driven rotor blade / ec reducer controlled by a frequency inverter, the biomass being subjected to a Variable Direction Pulsing Electric Field formed between the electrodes contained in the stator and those housed in the rotor during a nanosecond or microsecond fraction. energized according to a logical sequence that promotes the largest possible cell disruption at the lowest energy cost, according to the instantaneous mass void of the process. The raw material obtained from the sum of the plant biomass and the solvent, called mega, after the electroporation phase, is discharged by rotating the rotor and by the action of gravity on a metal belt conveyor where the taliscas promote the dragging of the mega. upward movement on a perforated mesh bottom with an adequate inclination to drain excess broth from the mega-broth, the broth being captured at the bottom of the conveyor leading to a rotating screen for the screening operation, following which the broth is pumped to the factory for the continuity of the process, and the lower broth mega-mass is led to the pre-existing extraction process in the industrial plants: the traditional ones (Mills and Diffusers) and the innovative Hydrodynamic Extraction process, where all open cells will facilitate the extraction. extraction process capable of processing plant biomass with high production rate coupled with low energy consumption and at a high yield and quality.

[35] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[36] Fig. 1 shows the traditional vegetable biomass broth extraction process, the schematic representation of which describes two distinct and important process phases: Phase 1 represented in the figure by enumeration (1) and called Biomass Preparation Phase is responsible for the opening of cells and exposure of the extraction desire element (sucrose and / or other elements) and following the process Phase 2 represented in the figure by enumerations (2) or (3) or (4) known as the Phase of extraction. Extraction.

[37] Fig. 2 illustrates the graphical representation of the proposed innovative cell opening process inserted prior to the start of Extraction Phase (2) or (3) or (4), comprising equipment listed by (5) with the function of dosing the biomass to be processed, following the process by the electroporation stator / rotor assembly (6) and finally by the excess broth and biomass separator consisting of a metal taiiscus conveyor (7).

[38] Fig. 3 shows in a schematic representation the insertion of the proposed process (8) for opening plant biomass cells positioned following the pre-existing biomass preparation process (9) in industrial plants in operation together with the traditional broth extraction processes (2) or (3) or the innovative Hydrodynamic Extraction process (4).

[39] Fig. 4 illustrates through a graphical representation all the equipment involved in the proposed process of plant biomass electroporation through the use of variable orientation electric field, consisting basically of three equipments showing in detail the flow of biomass between them.

[40] Fig. 5 shows, through a perspective graphical representation, details of the electroporation chamber protection system consisting of isoiant material plates, insulation and miscellaneous arrangements focusing not only on operating principles, but especially on the safety of the operation. (411 Fig. 6 presents, through a perspective graphical representation, the two main components of the Variable Orientation Pulsing Electric Field electroporation system showing details of the rotor (24), stator (11) and the positioning of the grounded electrodes ( 12) arranged in the concave cage (10) under the surface of the rotor and the energized electrodes (13) arranged as shown on the surface of the stator (11), which make up the proposed electroporation system. (42 | Fig. 7 shows a partial graphical representation of the direction of the Variable Orientation Pulsing Electric Field lines starting from the electrodes (13) energized by the source, disposed on the stator, towards the grounded electrodes (12) arranged radially on the rotor (10) according to Fig. 8.

[43] Fig. 8 shows through a perspective graphical representation details of how the electrodes arranged radially to the rotor are grounded and, through a half-cut, presents details of the proposed grounding system.

[44] Fig. 9 presents, through a perspective graphical representation, details of the arrangement of the source energized electrodes positioned on the semi-cylindrical surface of a stator with geometry similar to an angle bearing.

[45] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[46] Equipment for the Application of the Vegetai Biomass Electroporation Technique [47] Within the field of possible Biomass to be processed, taking as an example the sugarcane sector, the new Industrial Plants recently named "greenfield" are emerging. expansion cycles due to various factors: political, market, global factors, demand, availability of financial resources and others. At each expansion cycle the processing capacity of the plants is increased, as an example in the last cycle, 2006-2008, the processing capacity of a single plant was close to 3 million tons of sugarcane processed per crop in the cycle. previous around 2 million. It is estimated that the individual capacity of the vast majority of new plants to be deployed will be in the range of 3 to 6 million tons of sugarcane processed per crop, and the first plants to be built should have a capacity to process between 3 «4 million tons of sugarcane per crop. Therefore the approach to be adopted in the description of the equipment will take into consideration the presentation of the technical characteristics of the equipment so that it can be applied to the increasing processing demand, not setting or citing values that are directly influenced by the processing capacity. The equipment object of the present invention is described based on the perspective graphical representation according to Figs. 4 and 5 and complementarily by Figs. 6, 7,8 and 9.

[48] Biomass (14) duly pre-prepared in earlier stages (9) for the purpose of obtaining greater density and homogeneity, illustrated graphically in Fig. 3, is discharged by gravity into the upper opening of a vertical rail ( 38), Fig. 4, of rectangular cross-sectional size and suitable for the mass flow to be processed, consisting of 4 sides made of thin sheet metal, preferably made of P410D ferrous stainless steel, with acrylic side windows or glass on two opposite sides, having extremely on the acrylic the application of a sequence of capacitive sensors (39) of DLG SC-5G0 or similar, having at its lower end, opposite to the Biomass feed, a hollow sheet metal closure, where a metal rotor (40) is positioned with a clearance of less than one centimeter between the diameter described by the turning of the blade ends and said concave plate consisting of 3 to 8 small blades, 15 to 30 cm, mounted on two spindle ends made of SAE1045 steel or similar strength, supported by rolling bearings fitted with a suitable lubrication system and driven by a motor-driven drive. inverter-controlled electric drive and gearbox with operating characteristics; rotation (41); potency; dimensions and others, properly sized according to the biomass flow of the industrial plant. Following is a rail in the form of an inclined ramp (42) made of a thin sheet steel, preferably ferritic stainless steel P410D provided with side plates on both sides, also of small thickness and same material, and dimensioned height of. According to the Biomass flow, it has the effect of gravity conducting the Biomass (14) to the entrance of the Electroporador (6) consisting basically of a large rotor, rotating as indicated (22), driven by electric motor / gearbox / frequency inverter, with rotation adjusted and variable according to the biomass flow, controlled by a supervisory system composed of a PLC. programmable logic controller, supported by a metal shaft made of SAE 2340 or similar strength, supported at the ends in two bearings, rolling or sliding (hydrodynamic or hydrostatic), coupled at one end to a geared motor through a flexible rubber coupling nitrile so as not to transmit electrical current to the drive while preserving the electrical / electronic components from possible damage, the outer diameter of the rotor (24) comprising several concave cross-section channels (10) made of an insulating material such as Nylon / PTFE / UHMW and / or similar characteristics, supporting the grounded electrodes (12) disposed along the channels (10) made of corrosion and abrasion resistant conductive material, preferably 316L stainless steel sheets as shown below. graphically in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, and according to Fig. 8 all electrodes grounded the (12) are connected to the rotor main shaft by means of an electrical conductor (25) in the form of a cable or strap or the rotor frame itself, and the main shaft has at its opposite end to the drive a grounding system consisting of by a loop formed by conductor cables or tapes of considerable thickness (26), which connect the shaft to the existing industrial ground (27) fixed by commercially existing cable glands (28), and in permanent contact with the shaft according to the device shown at half-cut in Detail A of Fig. 8, consisting basically of a sheave made of 1045 steel, tempered in the region of contact with the conductor cable (26), concave channel that houses and sustains the grounding cable, having in Inside is a commercially available graphite insert bronze bushing (31) that will properly lubricate and maintain electrical contact between shaft (30) and bushing (31) fixed by metallic interference. to the pulley (29), axially limited by the metal flange (32) fixed to the mainshaft (30) by 3 axial screws (33) with the counterweight (44) consisting of steel or concrete, the element responsible for holding the cable / tape (26) always in contact with the pulley (29). According to Fig. 4 the rotor (24) rotates with adequate clearance from the stator (11) made of insulating material such as Nyion / PTFE / UHMW or other material of similar characteristics, housing the electrodes (13) positively energized by the source and disposed to the of the concave stator surface according to Fig.6 and Fig. 9, made of corrosion and abrasion resistant conductive material, preferably 316L stainless steel sheets of thin thickness as shown in the above figures and fully embedded in the insulating material. to result in a smooth surface with no bumps or depressions. According to the graphical representation of Fig.7 all energized electrodes belonging to the same electrode line, for example: electrodes (13aa, 13ab, 13ac, 13ad, 13ae and 13af) belonging to line 13a, are electrically connected to the same switch of one. switching device and therefore will be energized simultaneously, the same analogy applies to the lines represented by 13b and 13c, and will be energized by fractions of nanoseconds according to a logical sequence that will be defined and controlled by a supervisory system according to the flow rate. biomass mass, optimizing energy consumption and obtaining the highest possible productivity, ie the largest number of open cells with their lowest energy consumption. In order to ensure safe operation, the entire electroporation system formed basically by the stator (11) and rotor (24) is positioned inside a chamber, as shown in Figure 5, where the sides (34, 35, 36 and 37) are made of insulating material such as Nylon / PTFE / UHMW / others and the front part (43) is made of clear acrylic or film reinforced glass to prevent fragmentation as used in automotive dashboards. Following, the raw material processed by the electroporation technique is gravity conveyed to a metal slat conveyor (7) inclined at an appropriate angle to the removal of the excess broth contained in the mulch (47) formed by the junction of the biomass (14) and of the broth (44), consisting of two metal chain lines supporting the taliscas (52), properly spaced for the purpose of conveyor the mega on a perforated bottom extending the length of the conveyor, at an approximate angle of 45 °. larger or smaller according to the industrial plants and their physical limitations, the chains being supported by two driven gears made of steel plates and supported by a metal shaft made of SAE1045 or similar properly supported by bearing bearings provided with lubrication system and retainers. . The two chain lines are driven by two steel plate driven gears with their teeth properly heat treated, positioned at the opposite end near the discharge opening of the Bíomass processed, as shown in Fig. 2, supported by a metal shaft made of SAE1045 or duly supported on rolling bearings provided with lubrication system and seals and driven by an electric motor drive and gear reducer driven and controlled by frequency inverter, equipment similar to those traditionally used in sugarcane biomass processing which It does not require further detail, with the sterile broth (46) draining from the lower opening (48) and the molasses (47) delivered to the broth extraction process by the upper part of the metallic spark conveyor. {49) Vegetai Biomass Electroporation Process By Variable Sense Pulsing Electric Field [50] Biomass (50) from the field upon arrival at the industrial processing plant is driven and worked by various mechanical equipment (9) for the purpose of obtaining high homogeneity and density indices, consequently a more constant operating regime, implying a more efficient process and higher yields, as graphically represented in Fig. 3. The preprocessed raw material (14), as for example, a batch of sugarcane (14), with theoretical process characteristics with 13.55% fiber, 67.75% moisture and 18.88% Brix, defibrated and already presenting an open cell index, is introduced in a vertical rail 38, Fig. 4, provided with a sequence of sensors 39 measuring in real time. the percentage of the vertical chute that is filled, functioning as a feeder lung; The level of the sensors control all equipment that precedes the process of reception and preparation of the raw material, accelerating or delaying the process in a harmonious manner with the extraction process of vegetable biomass broth. The lower end of the vertical rail contains a cylindrical rotor (40), provided with several radial blades, which is driven by a frequency inverter controlled variable speed gearmotor that allows rotor (40) to rotate counterclockwise (41) at proper rotation the mass flow rate to be processed.

[51] Properly metered feedstock (14) is gravity driven through a ramp (42) sloping to the entrance of a stator (11), described by a geometrically shaped semi-cylinder cavity similar to an angle bearing, where the electrode lines (13) are positively housed by the electrical source »Fig. 9, where with adequate stator surface clearance a rotor (24) rotates counterclockwise, the surface being of the rotor formed by several concave and longitudinal channels of isoating material, according to Fig.4, Fig. 6 and Fig.8, where each channel supports a sequence of several grounded electrodes (12) arranged in a line, at this time the raw material (14) driven by the action of gravity together with the insertion of rich broth (44), Fig. 4 'begin to fill in the geometric shape described between a rotor section (24) consisting of a channel and the stator surface ( 11), where the rich broth or solve used in the extraction process returns to fill all voids between the defibrated biomass and the described surface avoiding the formation of air pockets harmful to the equipment and safe operation, at this time it is called mega (45) to the new state of the raw material constituted by a predominance of the percentage of broth over the percentage of biomass, and with the rotation of the rotor the mega is positioned over a region suitable for energization of the electrodes disposed in the stator (11), as graphically represented. by the electric field lines arranged in Fig. 7 »where the grounded electrode line (12a) composed of the grounded electrodes (12aa, 12ab, 12ac, 12ad and 12ae) contained in the rotor (24) receive the electric field lines coming from the lines. electrodes (13a, 13b and 13c) composed respectively of the energized electrodes (13aa, 13ab, 13ac, 13ad, 13ae and 13af) and (13ba, 13bb, 13bc, 13bd and 13be) and (13ca, 13cb, 13cc, 13cd, 13ce and 13cf) contained in stator (11), individually energized in sequence (13a); (13b); (13c) by nanosecond or millisecond fractions sized according to rotor spin and mass flow rate to be treated. At this moment on the action of the electric field and the potential difference existing between the cell and the environment, a process of formation of pores in the membrane that covers the vegetal tissue begins taking intense contact between the intracellular material and the extracellular material, that is, the contact between solute and solvent. In the case of sugarcane biomass values of electric field intensity of 2-5 kV / cm and a number of 8-10 pulses applied lead to an energy expenditure of less than 2.4-17 kJ / fkg of processed sugarcane. ] and a time of 10 minutes in which the pores remain open (lower end of the range) or the total destruction of the membrane lining the plant tissue cell (upper end of the range). Depending on the intensity of the applied electric field, the application time and the number of pulses, the pores will be kept open more or less and the conductivity of the medium can be used as a process control factor, where with instant reading, through of properly positioned sensors, a supervisor system alters the process parameters according to a computer program developed specifically for the control of this process. The cycle repeats with the rotor spinning filling a new empty channel with biomass and broth at one end of the stator, and at the opposite end the mega powder already properly treated by the electroporation process is discharged by rotating the rotor over a metal conveyor.

[52] The entire electroporation system consisting primarily of stator and rotor are inserted into a chamber, as shown in Fig. 5, made of material with electrical insulation characteristics, preferably Nylon, or other material of similar characteristic and low cost, with The main objective is to provide safe operation of the equipment while protecting human and material resources. The camera has in its front part (43) a slanted closure manufactured in transparent material, preferably made of reinforced glass similar to those used in motor vehicles, and may be acrylic or other material of suitable characteristics, with the main purpose of allowing the monitoring of the operation. equipment, which will also be done remotely by a monitoring camera system.

[53] The gravity (49) when falling by gravity onto a belt conveyor (7) is driven by the upward movement of the belt (52) onto a perforated web, as the conveyor is tilted, where removal of the belt occurs. excess treated broth (46) that is drained by the perforated mesh positioned under the taliscas, and collected by the lower closure (51) of the conveyor and removed by a spout (48) at the bottom of the equipment and the low moisture content ( 47) is conducted to the juice extraction process at the upper end of the metallic conveyor and the rich juice to the manufacturing process, in the case of sugarcane biomass, to the sugar and / or ethane manufacturing process according to industrial plant.

[54] Depending on the biomass to be processed and the operating parameters of the electroporation system: Field strength; number of pulses; pulse duration; The distance between the electrodes and others, the pores formed in the membrane that covers the cell tissue may remain open for 10 minutes or more, facilitating the following phases of the process and in some cases the rupture may be permanent causing the membrane destruction, a factor economically determined by extraction process as a function of the biomass to be processed and the extraction target product according to the industrial plant.

[55] The biomass (47) conducted to the juice extraction process, in the case of sugarcane biomass to the equipment Moendas (2) or Diffuser (3) or Hydrodynamic Extractor (4), Fig.2, according to characteristics The plant will have an open cell index of over 99%, resulting in benefits to the extraction process such as energy gains, increased efficiency, reduced processing time, lower costs of equipment operation, maintenance and acquisition, but will mainly change the way these equipments are being used today, except for the Hydrodynamic Puller.

[56] The mills (2) have as their operating characteristic the use of mechanical pressure to provide the opening of plant tissue cells, where biomass is led to a reduction in volume, the volume formed by the opening between the mills rolls, basically two lower rollers, one upper roller, and one pressure roller. In the current configurations of the industrial plants in operation a sequence of 5 to 6 mills in line is used, predominantly 6 mills, obtaining an extraction index close to 98.0 -98.5%. Additionally, a solvent is used in the case of sugarcane biomass in hot water, with the main objective of dragging the sucrose in the biomass by a leaching / washing process completed with a broth recircution. By combining the proposed electroporation process with the conventional extraction process, the cells will be open and no more than 6 grinds will be required to perform the same task. A significant reduction in this number is expected, leading to significant gains in operating costs. increasing the profit margin and making the biofuels industry more competitive with fossil fuels.

[57] The Diffuser (3) operates on the basic principle of completing cell opening using the effect of temperature, range 75-85 ° C, for an average processing time of 60 minutes plus a broth recircution in 14 stages, using the use of a solvent, in this case hot water, plus steam injection to heat the biomass, promoting a leaching process added to diffusion / osmosis. By combining the proposed electroporation process with the conventional extraction process used by the Diffuser, the cells will be open and the use of high operating temperatures and consequent steam injection combined with the high time and excessive number of processing stages will no longer be necessary. The same task is expected with a significant reduction in energy consumption combined with gains in operating, maintenance and process costs, increasing the profit margin and making the biofuel industry more competitive.

Claims (25)

1- Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment »of a small plant with high processing capacity, characterized by the fact that it is designed to allow the pretreatment of biomass for extraction. sugars and / or by-products for the production of first, second and third generation biomass alcohols of any plant origin. 2. Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment, from a small plant with high processing capacity, according to claim 1, characterized in that it can be used as a unit by the small producer. and / or batteries, by the large producer, allowing the expansion of the productive capacity in modules, diluting investments and keeping up with the world demand, to allow the extraction of sugars and / or byproducts destined to obtain first, second and third generation alcohols. varied vegetable biomass. Process of electroporation of the membrane that surrounds the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment of a plant according to claims 1 and 2, characterized by the possibility of its small size and high processing capacity, and by be constructed and assembled in units or batteries in economical quantity to meet the demand of claim 1, general and specific regional plant species and locations. Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment of a manufacturing plant according to claims 1 to 3, characterized by its small size and high processing capacity, and cost-weight- installation, which enables space saving, assembly, operation, maintenance and unitary or collective management. Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment of a plant according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it has a similar component of the equipment as its operating principle. to a stator, geometrically similar to a half bushing, supported by an angle bearing, made entirely or coated with insulating material such as PTFE / UHMW / Nylon or other material of similar characteristic. Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment of a plant according to claim 5, characterized in that the stator houses several longitudinally dimensioned electrodes arranged radially to the semicircle. and suitable according to the biomass flow to be processed. Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment of a manufacturing plant according to claims 5 and 6, characterized in that the electrodes disposed on the stator are made of conductive metal material in the form of plates or discs, preferably made of stainless steel, fixed to the stator surface by any type of fixation, and geometrically tracking the stator curvature resulting in a single smooth surface without projections or depressions. Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment of a plant according to claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the electrodes of the same longitudinal line are all interconnected with each other or no, and necessarily be connected to a power source and energized by it according to a criterion of operation and formation of the electric field lines. Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment, of a manufacturing plant, according to claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it has as its operating principle a rotor with a clearance suitable for the stator, made partly of insulating material, supported by a metal shaft supported by bearings, coupled to a drive consisting of a frequency inverter controlled gearmotor via an elastic coupling of nitrile rubber or similar of nonconductive characteristics. Process of electroporation of the membrane surrounding the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment of a manufacturing plant, according to claim 9, characterized in that it has, only on the rotor surface, longitudinal channels, radially disposed to the rotor shaft, similar to the concave grooves, where a sequence of grounded electrodes are housed, individually connected by an electrical conductor to the rotor shaft. Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment of a manufacturing plant, according to claims 9 and 10, characterized in that the electrodes disposed on the rotor are made of conductive metallic material in the shape of plates or discs, preferably of stainless steel, fixed to the surface of the concave channels radially disposed to the rotor by any type of attachment, and geometrically following the curvature of the channels resulting in a single smooth surface without projections or depressions. 12- Process of electroporation of the membrane that surrounds the vegetal tissue of the biomass of vegetal origin. and equipment of a manufacturing plant according to claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the electrodes disposed on the rotor are all individually connected by means of a conductor cable to the rotating shaft supporting the rotor, or by the proper design of the mechanical design. be used on the structure itself that supports the rotor on the pivoting shaft to perform grounding. Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment of a manufacturing plant according to claims 9 to 12, characterized in that it applies to the rotor shaft a grounding system composed of a pulley-like metal pulley with a concave channel, positioned at one end of the rotor shaft, opposite the drive, containing inside it a bronze bushing impregnated with graphite inserts, material with excellent conductor and lubricant characteristics, in permanent contact with the surface of the rotor shaft and immobile in relation to the ground. Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment of a manufacturing plant, according to claim 13, characterized in that the pulley is immobile in relation to a reference in the ground by virtue of having A wire rope or other conductive material in the form of a loop, duly connected to an industrial grounding system at one end, and held in constant friction / contact with the pulley channel in a concave channel. opposite end through a counterweight system. Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment of a manufacturing plant according to claims 1 to 14, characterized by the operating regime of the electroporation equipment in which the electroporation chambers are formed by the geometry of the concave profile longitudinal channels, radially existing on the rotor surface, and delimited by the stator surface, being created and extinguished by rotating the rotor to an adequate stator surface clearance. Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment of a plant according to claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the electroporation chambers are filled with biomass and simultaneously by the addition of solvent, in the case of sugarcane cultivation by the rich broth extracted in the broth extraction process, in equipment such as: Grinders, Diffusers and Hydrodynamic Extractor, being that the juice volume is sufficient and adequate to fill all voids avoiding air bubbles, consequently making the electroporation process more efficient and safer. Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment of a manufacturing plant according to claim 16, characterized in that it further promotes a process of asepsis / sterilization of the broth and / or solvent. by pulsed electric field of variable direction eliminated spores and / or bacteria and / or wild yeast and / or microorganisms harmful to processes in later stages of manufacturing / processing promoting energy gains and increased yield in later processes such as fermentation of broth. Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment, of a plant, according to claims 1 to 17, characterized by the fact that the raw material called mega, resulting from the composition of biomass with a large volume of rich broth and / or solvent at the end of the electroporation process will be discharged by gravity into a metal chain conveyor with slopes at an angle of greater than 40 degrees to remove excess broth at the lower end. before driving the mega to the broth extraction process at its upper end. Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment of a manufacturing plant, according to claim 18, characterized in that the rich broth treated and / or solvent by the electroporation process is collected at the plant. lower end of the metal conveyor, through a spout, under the effect of gravity, and the dragging motion of the mega by the taliscas on a perforated screen positioned on a steep inclined plane and collected by the lower closure of the conveyor. Membrane electroporation process involving plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment of a manufacturing plant according to claims 18 and 19, characterized by the alternative of excluding the metal taliscus conveyor or other interface equipment between the electroporation system and the extraction equipment in order to previously separate the excess solvent used in the electroporation process. Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment of a manufacturing plant, according to claims 1 to 20, characterized by the fact that it processes the biomass in a fluldized state called mega-bean with implications. lower power consumption in the process and reduced wear rate with consequent increase in equipment and component life. Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment of a manufacturing plant according to claims 1 to 21, characterized by the fact that it presents an innovative alternative for the opening of tissue cells vegetables from the biomass and the sterilization / asepsis of the rich broth extracted through an environmentally friendly, self-sustainable and environmentally friendly process reducing the energy consumption in the processes and the consumption of chemical inputs in the subsequent processes of broth treatment. Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment of a manufacturing plant, according to claims 1 to 22, characterized by the fact that it has equipment and process capable of operating 366 days / year without need for maintenance downtime and capable of processing high production rate plant biomass coupled with low energy consumption and high performance and quality, thus ensuring operation focused on process and equipment reliability, reducing the risk of unavailability to zero equipment due to breakage or mechanical failure of the components. Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment of a manufacturing plant, according to claims 1 to 23, characterized in that the recirculating broth (solvent) contains or not water in its composition. depending on the characteristics of the plant biomass to be processed. 25- Membrane electroporation process involving the plant tissue of plant biomass and equipment of a factory, according to claims 1 to 24, characterized by the fact that it has an innovative process parameter monitoring system: voltage , current, conductivity, pulse frequency, energy consumed and other parameters such as ph and conductivity in order to guarantee the organoleptic qualities of the product and the low energy consumption combined with process efficiency through a specific supervised feedback system.