CA1131571A - Process for continuous preparation of alcohol through fermentation - Google Patents

Process for continuous preparation of alcohol through fermentation

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Publication number
CA1131571A
CA1131571A CA339,622A CA339622A CA1131571A CA 1131571 A CA1131571 A CA 1131571A CA 339622 A CA339622 A CA 339622A CA 1131571 A CA1131571 A CA 1131571A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
alcohol
fermenter
conduit
fermentation
partial stream
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA339,622A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Hans Muller
Felix Muller
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Process Engineering Co SA
Original Assignee
Process Engineering Co SA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Process Engineering Co SA filed Critical Process Engineering Co SA
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1131571A publication Critical patent/CA1131571A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12PFERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE
    • C12P7/00Preparation of oxygen-containing organic compounds
    • C12P7/02Preparation of oxygen-containing organic compounds containing a hydroxy group
    • C12P7/04Preparation of oxygen-containing organic compounds containing a hydroxy group acyclic
    • C12P7/06Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02EREDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E50/00Technologies for the production of fuel of non-fossil origin
    • Y02E50/10Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

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  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Zoology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Microbiology (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Biotechnology (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Biochemistry (AREA)
  • Bioinformatics & Cheminformatics (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Genetics & Genomics (AREA)
  • Preparation Of Compounds By Using Micro-Organisms (AREA)
  • Apparatus Associated With Microorganisms And Enzymes (AREA)

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A process for continuous preparation of alcohol through fermentation in one or more fermenters under known operating parameters is described, in which a partial stream of mash is continuously removed from the fermenter, freed of alcohol in a vacuum evaporator, and after discharge of an excess amount to reduce poisoning, the remaining yeast cells and mash returned to the fermenter. The vacuum in the evapor-ater is generated through thermocompression and the heat gener-ated in the thermocompressor is used for distillation and rectification of the alcohol generated by the process.

Description

113157~
1 The invention concerns a process for the continuous preparation of alcohol, in particular ethanol, through fermenta-tion in a fermenter.
Processes for production of alcohol through fermentation are generally well known in the art. From G. R. Cysewski and Ch.
R. wilke, Biotechn. Bioeng. 19. 1125-1143 (1977) is also known a process in which ethanol is removed during the fermentation from the fermentor by means of vacuum, through which an increase in the yield of alcohol is achieved through reduction in the inhibition effect which occurs at higher concentrations.
In order to achieve the desired increase in productivity, the process is carried out at a total pressure of 50 mm Hg. Such low pressures, however, have the disadvantage, that they require vacuum-tight, large fermenters. This places disproportionate de-mands on the sealing systems and the container. Through applica-tion of vacuum to the fermentor, the sterility required during the continuous fermentation is no longer guaranteed, as at unsealed lo-cations microorganisms can be introduced into the container.
It is therefore a goal of the invention to provide a process which avoids the disadvantages discussed above and which nonetheless reduces inhibition of the fermentation through increas-ing alcohol concentration.
This object is achieved by the invention through a pro-cess for continuous generation of ethanol through fermentation, which is characterized by removal of a partial stream of the mash from the fermenter during the fermentation in a continuous manner, partial or total separation of ethanol from the mixture, and partial reintroduction of the residual mixture into the fermenter.
~ he fermenter itself can thus be operated under normal pressure or at slightly elevated or reduced pressures. Preferably, " ~

1 `the pressure should lie within about 0.5 bar of atmospheric pressure. m e culture substrate is continuously introduced into the fermenter, and the fermenting occurs at constant temperature.
A partial stream of the mash from the fermenter is removed at a particular location and after complete or partial removal of alcohol is partially reintroduced into the reactor over a circu-lating system. The amount withdrawn for the circulation is as a rule a multiple of the amount of substrate which is introduced.
The amount of material effectively withdrawn, however, corresponds to the amount of freshly added substrate, so that the contents of the fermenter remains constant.
The removal of alcohol from the mash is carried out external to the fermenter in a vacuum evaporator at temperatures between about 18 and 45 C, preferably at the fermentation temper-ature. m e vacuum is generated by means of a thermocompressor, which concentrates and condenses the vapors; the heat liberated thereby is again used for the evaporation. Simultaneously, the thermocompressor generates the required vacuum.
The major portion of the carbon dioxide/carbon acid generated in the process is removed directly from the fermenter.
The rest of the acids still contained in the mash are removed before the thermocompressor.
The separation of yeast cells can follow immediately after the fermenter, i.e., before separation of alcohol. m e separation before the evaporator has the advantage, that the evaporator is less quickly contaminated. A further advantage is that the yeast cells can be immediately reintroduced into the fermPnter at the same temperature thereby increasing the biomass component. Simultaneously by this process the evaporator can be operated at higher temperatures than the fermentation temperature.

113~71 1 This can be desirable, if one wishes optimally to coordinate the thermal requirements of the evaporation with the compression parameters in the use of thermocompression.
The yeast cells, however, can also be separated out after the evaporator partially or completely and recirculated into the fermenter. In both cases, it is necessary that a portion of the substrate, in which after longer periods offermentation poisons accumulate, be removed.
The invention may be better understood through the schematic flow drawing. The single Figure illustrates a fermen-ter container 1. This is provided with a stirrer 2, which is oper-ated by use of an electromotor 3. In the dome of the fermenter 1 a mechanical foam separator 4 is arranged, which in turn is oper-ated by an electromotor 5. m e foam separator 4 has a connector 6. In the upper portion of the fermenter 1, a conduit 7 is intro-duced via a connector, at the end of which conduit a pump 8 is lo-cated. At about the same height as conduit 7, but on the opposite side, a conduit 9 is joined to a connector. A further connector combines an air conduit 10 with the fermenter 1, w'nich feeds into
2~ an air separator 11. At the end of conduit 9 is a centrifuge 12, with an input conduit 13 for the liquid phase and an output con-duit 14 for the concentrated phase. From conduit 14, conduit 15 branches off. Between conduits 14 and 17 a pump 16 is installed.
A by-pass 18 with the necessary vents not illustrated, is provided to avoid the centrifuge. A pump 19 is installed between the con-duits 13 and 20. The evaporator 21, which preferably is a falling film evaporator, is associated with an input conduit 22 for the heating medium and an output conduit 23, which latter is provided with a pu~p 24. From the evap3rator head a vapor conduit 25 is provided, and from the pot a conduit which leads either directly 113~57~
1 ~back to fermenter 1 or to a centrifuge 27. From the centrifuge 27 runs a conduit 28 by pump 29 to the conduit 7. From conduit 28 branches a further conduit 30 in a canal system not illustrated.
The concentrate conduit 31 runs over a pump 32 and a conduit 33 back into fermenter 1. A thermocompressor 34 is connected with conduit 25 and combined with a heat exchanger 36 by means of con-duit 35. From heat exchanger 36 a product conduit 37 leads to a rectifier column 38. The column 38 has an input conduit 39 for the heating medium and an output conduit 40, which over pump 41 and conduit 42 is joined to conduit 22. A conduit 43 is provided for the rectified alcohol and a conduit 44 for the residual hot water.
In operation, the alcoholic fermentation mixture is in-troduced into fermenter 1. By means of pump 8 and conduit 7, fresh substrate is dosed into the fermenter. m e anaerobic mixture is provided over time with very small amounts of air of about 0.1 -0.2 vvm (volume of air per volume fermenter content per minute), via conduit 10 and the air separator 11 to regenerate the yeast cells.
During the fermentation the stirrer 2 operates, by means of electro-motor 3, to insure a constant mixing of the container content, as the carbon acid gas generated in general is not sufficient for this purpose. The carbon acids are continuously removed by gas exhaust connector 6 of the mechanical foam separator 4, and can be carried off for other uses. A partial stream is continuously removed from the fermenter 1 by means of conduit 9 and as a rule freed of yeast cells in centrifuge 12. The yeast cells are in the greater part carried through conduit 14 by pump 16, conduit 17 and collector con-duit 33 back into fermenter 1. A portion of the yeast, dependent upon the concentration in fermenter 1, is removed by conduit 15 and can be carried further to preparative treatments as feed yeasts.

-`` 1131571 1 A connector 9' is provided for complete emptying of the fermenter.
The mash freed of yeasts is carried from separator 12 by conduit 13 and pump 19, and conduit 20, into the evaporator 21. In the evaporator, a vapor as azeotrope of alcohol and water is removed under vacuum and conveyed by means of conduit 25 to the termocom-pressor 34. The vapor is concentrated in known manner in thermo-compressor 34. ~he heat generated in the concentration is trans-ferred to the alcohol/water mixture in a heat exchanger 36, which simultaneously serves as condenser, and a heat transfer medium, for example water, is introduced. This circulates over conduit 22, evaporator 21 and after transfer of the heat necessary for evapor-ation of the azeotrope, over conduit 23 and pump 24 back to the heat exchanger 36.
The mixture of alcohol and water is carried over conduit 37 to the rectifier column 38 from the heat exchanger. The heating of the column 38 is carried out by means of heat transfer medium from the heat exchanger 36 by conduit 39, and can be directly returned to evaporator 21 over conduit 40, pump 41, conduit 42 and conduit 22. Through use of centrifuge 12, the residue from the evaporator can be returned for the most part via conduit 7 to the fermenter 1, and only a portion treated by canalization.
In a variant of the process, the centrifuge 12 is by-passed by conduit 18. In this case, the mash together with the yeasts is treated in evaporator 21. The residue of the evaporator is led through centrifuge 27, a portion of the yeasts via conduit 28, and the pump 29, returned to the fermenter, and a portion dis-charged via conduit 30. A part of the liquid phase as well is re-turned to the fermenter via conduit 31, pump 32 and conduit 33, and a portion fed into the canal system by means of conduit 45.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by ap-- ~13~571 1 plying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or spec-ific aspects of this invention.

Claims (8)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. In a process for continuous preparation of ethanol through fermentation in a fermenter, the improvement comprising removing a partial stream of mash from the fermen-ter in a continuous manner; separating yeast cells from said partial stream; partially or completely recirculating the yeast cells to the fermenter; partially or completely re-moving alcohol from said partial stream external to the fermenter; and returning at least a portion of said partial stream to said fermenter.
2. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein said removal of alcohol is effected by evaporation of an alcohol/
water azeotrope at a temperature between about 18 and 45°C.
3. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein the evaporation is carried out in a falling film or falling stream evaporator.
4. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein the fermentation is carried out at a pressure between about 0.5 and 1.5 bar.
5. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein residual CO2 is eliminated prior to thermocompression.
6. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein a thermo-compressor is used to simultaneously generate a vacuum for said elimination of alcohol.
7. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein said removal of alcohol is effected by evaporation of an alcohol/
water azeotrope at a temperature between about 37 and 45°C.
8. A process as defined in claim 1, in which a partial stream of alcohol and of mash free of yeast cells is returned to said fermenter.
CA339,622A 1978-11-13 1979-11-13 Process for continuous preparation of alcohol through fermentation Expired CA1131571A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH1163778 1978-11-13
CH11637/78 1978-11-13

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1131571A true CA1131571A (en) 1982-09-14

Family

ID=4375399

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA339,622A Expired CA1131571A (en) 1978-11-13 1979-11-13 Process for continuous preparation of alcohol through fermentation

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0011334B1 (en)
AT (1) ATE2440T1 (en)
CA (1) CA1131571A (en)
DE (1) DE2964745D1 (en)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2054643B (en) * 1979-07-18 1983-05-05 Rolls Royce Fermentation process for the manufacture of an organic compound
EP0098332A1 (en) * 1982-07-02 1984-01-18 ATELIERS DE CONSTRUCTIONS ELECTRIQUES DE CHARLEROI (ACEC) Société Anonyme Process and apparatus for continuous fermentation and distillation
SE449876B (en) * 1984-12-07 1987-05-25 Nobel Chematur Ab PROCEDURE FOR PRODUCTING ETHANOL WITH AN ADDITIONAL CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATION STEP, PLACED EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER THE PRIMARY DISTILLATION STEP
DE102006049174A1 (en) * 2006-10-18 2008-04-30 Gea Wiegand Gmbh Plant for separating ethanol from fermented mash

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NL11167C (en) * 1921-02-05
US2440925A (en) * 1944-04-27 1948-05-04 Chemprotin Producs Fermenting method
BE472565A (en) * 1946-05-21
NL91278C (en) * 1954-12-30

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0011334B1 (en) 1983-02-09
ATE2440T1 (en) 1983-03-15
EP0011334A1 (en) 1980-05-28
DE2964745D1 (en) 1983-03-17

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