CN102459617A

CN102459617A - System for treatment of biomass to facilitate the production of ethanol

Info

Publication number: CN102459617A
Application number: CN2010800272627A
Authority: CN
Inventors: W.F.麦克唐纳; N.P.施图茨曼; D.C.卡尔森
Original assignee: Poet Research Inc
Current assignee: Poet Research Inc
Priority date: 2009-05-18
Filing date: 2010-05-18
Publication date: 2012-05-16
Anticipated expiration: 2030-05-18
Also published as: WO2010135366A1; BRPI1013041A2; ZA201108496B; MX2011012376A; CL2011002929A1; EP2432889A4; CN102459617B; EP2432889A1; CA2762689A1

Abstract

A method for treating fermented lignocellulosic biomass to be supplied to a distillation system for production of ethanol is provided. The method includes pre- treating lignocellulosic biomass into pre-treated biomass and separating the pre-treated biomass into a liquid component comprising sugars and a solids component comprising cellulose and lignin. The method also includes hydrolysing the solids component of the pre-treated biomass into a hydrolysed biomass comprising sugars and lignin and fermenting the hydrolysed solids component of the pre-treated biomass into a fermentation product comprising ethanol and lignin. The method also includes treating the fermentation product and distilling the treated fermentation product to recover the ethanol. The lignocellulosic biomass comprises cellulose, hemi-cellulose and lignin.

Description

Be used to handle the system of biomass to promote that ethanol is made

Cross reference for related application

The right of priority that No. the 61/179th, 349, the U.S. Provisional Application that is entitled as " distillation of hexose wine with dregs " that the application requires to submit on May 18th, 2009, and incorporate it into this paper for your guidance.

Technical field

The present invention relates in the ethanol manufacturing, be used to handle the system of biomass.The invention still further relates to and be used for before fermentation of biomass being fed to Distallation systm, handling fermentation of biomass to promote the efficient system that makes of alcoholic acid.

Background technology

Ethanol (for example can originate from the cereals raw material; Corn, Chinese sorghum/West Africa Chinese sorghum, barley, wheat, soybean etc.), sugar (for example; From sugarcane, beet etc.) and biomass lignocellulose raw material, timber or other vegetable material of for example switchgrass, corn cob and stalk (for example, from).

Biomass comprise applicable to directly using and acting as a fuel/energy source or be processed into the plant material of the raw material of another kind of biological products (for example, biofuel for example cellulosic ethanol) as being used to of producing at biological refinery (for example ethanol plant).Biomass can comprise, for example, and in corn grain harvesting process or obtainable afterwards corn cob and stalk (for example, stem and leaf), fiber, switchgrass, farm or agriculture residue, wood chip or other timber waste product and other plant material from corn grain.For using or processing biological, from the field, gather in and biomass collection, and transport it into the place of use or processing biological.

In made the conventional ethanol plant of alcoholic acid by corn, ethanol is by the starch manufacturing.Can process corn grain separates the material that contains starch (for example, endosperm) from other material (for example fiber and plumule).To contain the material and the water furnishing slurries of starch and make its liquefaction to promote saccharification and fermentation; Wherein starch is converted into sugar (for example, glucose) in said saccharifying, and in said fermenting process; Through producing and ethanol class (ethanologen) (for example, yeast) sugar is converted into ethanol.The product (for example tunning) of fermentation is a wine with dregs, and this wine with dregs comprises liquid component that contains second alcohol and water (except that other material) and the solids component that contains the particulate matter that do not ferment (except that other material).The liquid component and the solids component of tunning are sent to Distallation systm.In Distallation systm; Tunning is distilled and is dehydrated into; Except that other material; Ethanol with contain moistening solid vinasse (for example, removing the solids component of all alcoholic acid wine with dregs basically), wherein can said vinasse be dried to distiller's dried grain (DDG) and sell as animal food prods.Can also from vinasse, reclaim for example other by product of syrup (with the oil that is included in the syrup).Can the water of in distillation, from tunning, removing be handled in factory, to re-use.

Make in the biological refinery of alcoholic acid by biomass examples such as cellulosic material being configured to, by ligno-cellulosic materials (for example, Mierocrystalline cellulose with or/semicellulose) make ethanol.Prepare biomass, make to obtain the sugar (for example, from cellulosic glucose with from the wood sugar of semicellulose) in the cellulose materials and it is fermented into the tunning that comprises ethanol (except that other material).Afterwards tunning is transported to Distallation systm, reclaims ethanol through distillation and dehydration therein.Other biological products for example xylogen and organic acid also can be used as by product and reclaim.To how preparing and handle form, type and the composition of confirming to depend on (except that other) biomass that is used to generate the alcoholic acid biomass more efficiently.

Advantageously in the ethanol manufacturing, be provided for handling the system of biomass.Further advantageously be provided for before biomass being fed to Distallation systm, handling the system of biomass.

Summary of the invention

The present invention relates to handle the method for waiting to be fed to the lignocellulose biomass that is used to make the alcoholic acid fermentation in the Distallation systm.This method comprises the lignocellulose biomass pre-treatment is become pretreated biomass, and pretreated biomass are separated into the liquid component that comprises sugar and comprise Mierocrystalline cellulose and the solids component of xylogen.This method comprises that also the solids component with pretreated biomass is hydrolyzed to the hydrolyzing biomass that comprises sugar and xylogen, and the hydrolysis solids component of pretreated biomass is fermented into the tunning that comprises ethanol and xylogen.This method also comprises the processing tunning, and the tunning that distillation is handled is to reclaim ethanol.Lignocellulose biomass comprises Mierocrystalline cellulose, semicellulose and xylogen.

The invention still further relates to the system of the lignocellulose biomass that is used to handle fermentation.This system comprise by lignocellulose biomass produce pretreated biomass pretreatment system and with pretreated biomass separate into comprise sugar liquid component and comprise Mierocrystalline cellulose and the separation system of the solids component of xylogen.This system comprises also that the solids component with pretreated biomass is hydrolyzed into first treatment system of the hydrolyzing biomass that comprises sugar and xylogen and the hydrolysis solids component of pretreated biomass is fermented into the fermentation system of the tunning that comprises ethanol and xylogen.In addition, this system comprises that second treatment system of handling tunning and the tunning that distills processing are to reclaim the alcoholic acid Distallation systm.According to some embodiments, second treatment system heating tunning.

Description of drawings

Figure 1A is the skeleton view that comprises the biological refinery of cellulosic ethanol manufacturing facility.

Figure 1B is the skeleton view that comprises the biological refinery of cellulosic ethanol manufacturing facility and corn class ethanol manufacturing facility.

Fig. 2 is the synoptic diagram of system that is used for reception and the preparation of biomass for the cellulosic ethanol manufacturing facility.

Fig. 3 is the schematic block diagram that is used for being made by biomass the alcoholic acid system.

Fig. 4 A, 4B and 4C are the schematic block diagrams that is used for handling and process the system of the composition that the ethanol that comes free biomass makes.

Fig. 5 A is the schematic block diagram of the preparation, pre-treatment and the isolating equipment that are used for biomass.

Fig. 5 B is used for the skeleton view of equipment of pre-treatment and separating biomass.

Fig. 6 A and 6B are the synoptic diagram that is used for being made by biomass the technical process of alcoholic acid system.

Fig. 7 A and 7B are the schematic block diagrams according to the treatment system of illustrative embodiments.

Fig. 8 is the schematic block diagram according to the treatment system of illustrative embodiments.

Fig. 9 A is the skeleton view of distillation tower.

Fig. 9 B is the synoptic diagram of distillation tower.

Figure 10 is the synoptic diagram of sieve plate.

Figure 11 illustrates distilling tray and the figure that handles the effect of distilling working time.

Figure 12 illustrates the figure of processing to the effect of the granularity of tunning.

Figure 13 A, 13B and 13C are the graphicrepresentation of the typical operational conditions of treatment system.

Table 1A and 1B list the composition from the biomass of the lignocellulosic plants material of milpa that comprises according to illustrative embodiments and representative embodiments.

Table 2A and 2B list the composition according to the liquid component of the pretreated biomass of illustrative embodiments and representative embodiments.

Table 3A and 3B list the composition according to the solids component of the pretreated biomass of illustrative embodiments and representative embodiments.

Table 4A and 4B list the average composition of tunning.

Embodiment

With reference to Figure 1A, illustrate and be configured to make the biological refinery 100 of alcoholic acid by biomass.

According to illustrative embodiments, biological refinery 100 is configured to for example make ethanol from the biomass of vegetable material (for example, corn cob and the corn straw) form of milpa by lignocellulosic material.For example the lignocellulosic material from the ligno-cellulosic materials of milpa comprises Mierocrystalline cellulose (therefrom can obtain C6 sugar, for example glucose) and/or semicellulose (therefrom can obtain C5 sugar, for example wood sugar and pectinose).

Shown in Figure 1A, biological refinery comprises and transports and prepare biomass it is fed to the zone in the cellulosic ethanol manufacturing facility.This cellulosic ethanol manufacturing facility comprise be used for preparing 102, pre-treatment 104 with biomass processes is become to be applicable to the equipment of biomass 106 that is fermented into the processing of tunning at fermentation system.This facility comprises Distallation systm 108, and tunning distills therein and is dehydrated into ethanol.Shown in Figure 1A, biological refinery can also comprise scrap handling system 110 (be shown as and comprise anaerobic digester and producer).According to other optional embodiment; The scrap handling system can comprise that other is configured to handle, process and retrieves the equipment from the composition of cellulosic ethanol manufacturing process, for example solid/waste product fuel boiler, anaerobic digester, aerobic sigestion device or other biological chemistry or reaction apparatus.

Shown in Figure 1B; According to an illustrative embodiments, biological refinery 112 can comprise the cellulosic ethanol manufacturing facility 114 (its composition by ligno-cellulosic materials and milpa is made ethanol) that is seated in corn class ethanol manufacturing facility 116 (it makes ethanol by the starch that is included in the corn grain endosperm composition).Shown in Figure 1B; Through two ethanol manufacturing facilities are set together; Can share some factory system, for example, be used for system, energy/fuel-energy generation systems, factory management and system and other system of alcoholic acid dehydration, storage, sex change and transportation.(for example, through classification) obtainable zein fiber (composition of corn grain) in corn class ethanol manufacturing facility can be used as raw material and is supplied in the cellulosic ethanol manufacturing facility when preparing corn grain and be used to grind.From the fuel or the energy source of cellulosic ethanol manufacturing facility, for example methane or xylogen can be used for supply of power one or two in the facility that is seated in together.According to other optional embodiment, biological refinery (for example, the cellulosic ethanol manufacturing facility) can be set together with the factory or the facility of other type, for example power station, scrap handling facility, timber mill, paper plant or add the facility of industrial and agricultural products.

With reference to figure 2, the system 200 that is used to prepare be transported to the biomass of biological refinery is shown.This biomass preparation system can comprise the equipment that is used for reception/unloading biomass, cleaning (for example, removing impurity), mill (for example, grind, dwindle or multiviscosisty) and be used for the transportation of processing at the factory place and transport equipment.According to an illustrative embodiments, can the biomass of corn cob and stalk form be transported to biological refinery and store 202 (for example, with bundle, heap or case etc.) and manage to use at the facility place.According to a preferred implementation, biomass can comprise the corn cob with corn straw and other material of at least 20～30% (by weight).According to other illustrative embodiments, the preparation system 204 of biological refinery can be configured to prepare any one (for example, vegetable material) in polytype biomass, is used for managing and be processed into ethanol and other biological products everywhere in factory.

With reference to figure 3, the synoptic diagram of cellulosic ethanol manufacturing facility 300 is shown.According to a preferred implementation, preparation and cleaning comprise the biomass from the vegetable material of milpa at the preparation system place.After preparing, biomass and water are mixed into slurries, and it is carried out pre-treatment at pretreatment system 302 places.In pretreatment system 302, decomposing biomass (for example, through hydrolysis) separates 304 one-tenth liquid components (stream that for example, comprises C5 sugar) and solids component (for example, comprise cellulosic stream, therefrom can obtain C6 sugar) to impel.Contain the liquid component (C5 stream) of C5 sugar and contain the sugared solids component (C6 stream) of C6 and can in treatment system 306 (when can be when suitable), handle and in fermentation system 308, ferment.To be fed to from the tunning of fermentation system 308 and reclaim in the alcoholic acid Distallation systm 310.

Shown in Fig. 3 and 4A, the composition that can handle or process the removal of handling from C5 stream reclaims by product, for example organic acid, furfural and xylogen.Can with from C5 stream and one of C6 stream or both handle with make by biomass in the alcoholic acid process that (or in distillation time) remove become divisional processing be processed into biological products or fuel (xylogen or the methane that remnants/removals material produces that for example are used for solid fuel fired boiler) or recovery through handle for example acid and xylogen at anaerobic digester with use or re-use.

According to a preferred implementation, biomass comprise the vegetable material from milpa, for example corn cob, bract and leaf and stem (for example, the first half of stem or 3/4ths ones) at least; The composition of (for example, after the initial preparation of biomass comprises the removal of any impurity at least) vegetable material (for example, Mierocrystalline cellulose, semicellulose and xylogen) is roughly shown in table 1A and 1B.According to a preferred implementation, vegetable material comprises corn cob, bract/leaf and stem; For example, vegetable material can comprise that (by weight) is up to 100% core, the stem or any from multiple other combination of core, bract/leaf and the stem of milpa of bract/leaf, about 50% core and bract/leaf of about 50%, about 30% core and bract/leaf of about 50% and about 20% up to 100%.Referring to table 1A.According to other optional embodiment, the lignocellulosic plants material can comprise fiber from corn grain (for example, in the combination of some and other vegetable material).Table 1B provides scope typical and expection, thinks that its representative comprises the composition from the biomass of the ligno-cellulosic materials of milpa.According to illustrative embodiments; The lignocellulosic plants material of biomass (from milpa, for example corn cob, milpa bract, milpa leaf and corn stem) comprises the semicellulose of the Mierocrystalline cellulose of (by weight) about 30 to 50 weight %, about 20 to 50 weight % and the xylogen of about 10 to 25 weight %; According to one especially preferred embodiment; The lignocellulosic plants material of biomass (for example, from milpa core, bract/leaf and stem portion) comprises the semicellulose of the Mierocrystalline cellulose of (by weight) about 35 to 45 weight %, about 24 to 42 weight % and the xylogen of about 12 to 20 weight %.According to one especially preferred embodiment, the pre-treatment output of biomass comprises liquid component that (by weight) be no less than 1.0% wood sugar and comprises that (by weight) is no less than the solids component of 45% Mierocrystalline cellulose (therefrom can obtain glucose).

Fig. 5 A and 5B illustrate according to illustrative embodiments be used to prepare, pre-treatment and the equipment that separates lignocellulose biomass 500.As shown in, prepare biomass in the runner milling 502 (for example, runner milling or other suitable device or shredder).The pre-treatment 504 of the biomass of preparing is carried out in reactor drum (or a cover reactor drum), and said reactor drum provides the biomass and the acid/water of the preparation of predetermined concentration (or pH) and other operational conditions.Shown in Fig. 5 B; Can be in whizzer 506 pretreated biomass be separated into liquid component (mainly comprising the C5 stream with some solid liquid) and solids component (comprise that liquid and for example xylogen and cellulosic solid C6 flow, through further processing from wherein obtaining glucose).

According to a preferred implementation, in pretreatment system, in the biomass of preparing, use acid with the decomposition that impels biomass to separate into liquid component (C5 stream, therefrom recyclable fermentable C5 sugar) and solids component (C6 stream, it is sugared therefrom can to obtain fermentable C6).According to a preferred implementation; Can be (for example in the operational conditions of confirming; The supply of acid concentration, pH, temperature, time, pressure, solid loading, flow rate, process water or stream etc.) under acid is administered to the biomass in the reactor drum, and can with biomass in reactor drum stirring to promote the decomposition of biomass.According to illustrative embodiments, can for example sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, acetic acid etc. (or acid preparation/mixture) be applied in the biomass with acid.According to one especially preferred embodiment, in pre-treatment, sulfuric acid is applied in the biomass.

Liquid component (C5 stream) comprises water, can obtain to be used for being fermented into alcoholic acid dissolving sugar (for example wood sugar, pectinose and glucose), acid and other solvable composition that reclaims from semicellulose.(table 2B provides scope typical and expection, thinks that its representative comprises the composition from the biomass of the ligno-cellulosic materials of milpa.) according to an illustrative embodiments, liquid component can comprise about 5～7% solid (for example, suspension/residual solid, the for example semicellulose of partly hydrolysed, Mierocrystalline cellulose and xylogen).According to one especially preferred embodiment, liquid component comprises at least 2～4% wood sugar (by weight); According to other illustrative embodiments, liquid component comprises and is no less than 1～2% wood sugar (by weight).Table 2A and 2B list the composition of the liquid component of the pretreated biomass (coming to show freely the biomass of the preparation shown in 1A and the 1B) according to illustrative embodiments and representative embodiments.

Solids component (C6 stream) comprises the solid of water, acid and for example Mierocrystalline cellulose and xylogen, wherein from said Mierocrystalline cellulose can obtain sugar for example glucose be used to be fermented into ethanol.(table 3B provides scope typical and expection, thinks that its representative comprises the composition from the biomass of the ligno-cellulosic materials of milpa.) according to an illustrative embodiments, solids component can comprise about 10～40% solid (by weight) (after separating); According to one especially preferred embodiment, solids component comprises about 20～30% solid (by weight).According to a preferred implementation, the solid in the solids component comprises and is no less than 30% Mierocrystalline cellulose, and this solids component can also comprise other dissolving sugar (for example, glucose and wood sugar).Table 3A and 3B list the composition of the solids component of the pretreated biomass (coming to show freely the biomass of the preparation shown in 1A and the 1B) according to illustrative embodiments and representative embodiments.

In preprocessing process, the formation of the composition that harsh (severity) of operational conditions (for example pH, temperature and time) possibly cause suppressing to ferment.For example, under some conditions, the dehydration of C5 sugar (for example wood sugar or pectinose) possibly cause the formation of furfural.For example, when discharging in the decomposition course of the semicellulose of acetate in pre-treatment, also possibly form acetic acid.If can join in the biomass of preparation to promote pretreated sulfuric acid not to be removed or to neutralize, also possibly suppress fermentation.According to an illustrative embodiments,, can reduce or control the formation of suppressor factor through regulating pretreatment condition (for example pH, temperature and time); According to other illustrative embodiments, the composition of pretreated biomass can further be handled to remove or to reduce the level of suppressor factor (or other material of not expecting).

According to an illustrative embodiments; Can be through (for example with the biomass of preparing and water and acid; Sulfuric acid) mix the slurries form the acid (by weight) that comprises about 10～30% the solid that comes authigenic material (by weight) and about 0.8～1.3%, biomass are carried out pre-treatment.The temperature of slurries kept about 3 to 15 minutes in about 130 to 185 degrees centigrade.According to an embodiment, in the reactor drum of closure, in reaction process, can increase under about per square inch 100 to 120 pounds pressure and carry out pre-treatment from normal atmosphere.

With reference to figure 6A and 6B, pre-treatment with separate after, C5 stream and C6 flow point are not processed; As shown in; C5 stream and C6 stream can (in the treatment system of separating 610,612) be processed respectively in 614 (the C5/C6 fermentations shown in Fig. 6 A) of fermenting altogether before; Or (in the treatment system of separating 610,612) process respectively, comprises fermentation respectively (C5 that the separates fermentation shown in Fig. 6 B ferments 616,618 with C6).

(for example suppress effective composition that ferments for removing; Furfural, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), sulfuric acid and acetic acid) and maybe be from the residual lignin (or other material) of C5 sugar composition fermentation; Can carry out the processing of the C5 stream of biomass; Make sugar (for example, wood sugar, pectinose and for example other sugar of glucose) can be used for fermentation.Can also concentrate the efficient (for example, being used for distillatory alcoholic acid titre) that the C5 sugar in the C5 stream ferments with improvement with improvement.

The processing that can carry out the C6 stream (solids component) of biomass makes C6 sugar can be used for fermentation.According to a preferred implementation, can be hydrolyzed (for example enzymic hydrolysis) is to obtain the C6 sugar in the Mierocrystalline cellulose; For removing other the non-fermentable composition (perhaps for removing composition for example acid residues or the effectively acid of fermentation of inhibition) in xylogen and the C6 stream, can also handle.

According to the illustrative embodiments shown in Fig. 6 A; At pre-treatment and after separating; C5 stream and C6 flow can separate treatment; After processing, merging (for example, as slurries) afterwards is used for fermenting 614 altogether to produce the C5/C6 tunning by obtainable sugar (for example, wood sugar and glucose) at fermentation system; Can C5/C6 tunning (handling after 620, handling 620 if exist) be fed to and be used to reclaim ethanol (for example, through distillation and dehydration) in the Distallation systm 622.According to the illustrative embodiments shown in Fig. 6 B, C5 stream and C6 stream can through ferment 616,618 and distill 624,626 (handling 628, after 630, handling 628,630) if exist separately separate machined with manufacturing ethanol.According to any preferred implementation, in fermentation system, use suitable fermenting organism body (producing and ethanol class); The selection of producing and ethanol class can for example be present in the main type of the sugar in the slurries based on various considerations.The alcoholic acid dehydration and/or the sex change of originating from C5 stream and C6 stream can separately be carried out or merge carrying out.

With reference to figure 7A, Fig. 7 B and Fig. 8, the treatment system 700,702,800 that is used for tunning is shown according to illustrative embodiments.In fermentation system, produce tunning, will from biomass (for example, biomass), be converted into ethanol for obtainable sugar (for example, C5 sugar and/or C6 sugar) from handling through fermentation through use producing and ethanol class (for example, yeast cell).Fermentation system can be arranged to move with (for example, fed-batch) in batches, continuous flow or other.Depend on the composition of the biomass that are fed to the processing in the fermentation system and before fermentation, be applied to the processing of liquid component and solids component; Tunning (it also can refer to do perhaps refer to do to comprise wine with dregs or fermented liquid) comprises the second alcohol and water; And unfermentable material (for example; Any unfermentable sugar) and non-fermentable material (for example, residual lignin with other solid); What tunning also comprised particulate matter (solid that for example, contains) form is used to make alcoholic acid producing and ethanol class (for example, yeast cell); For example, tunning can also comprise other composition that produces through fermentation system, for example glycerine (product of fermentation).

Use the enzymic hydrolysis of cellulase zymin not decompose the xylogen in the solids component usually.Xylogen constitutes the basal component of residual solid in the solids component of the processing after cellulosic enzymic hydrolysis (for example, hydrolysate).Use is used for glucose fermentation is become the conventional producing and ethanol class of alcoholic acid preparation, and xylogen can not ferment.When the tunning that will comprise xylogen and other residual solid distilled in distillation tower, residual solid possibly adhere to the surface of distillation tower and Other Instruments, and fouling and obstruction through instrument cause the operating interruption of system.When producing tunning when not handling or remove xylogen and other residual solid, Distallation systm possibly only can move to many five hours and interruption that the dirt of having no way of causes.

According to an illustrative embodiments, can be before distillation through heat 704 or boiling handle tunning, shown in Fig. 7 A and 7B.The heating tunning possibly cause comprising the coalescence of the particulate matter of residual solid (comprising xylogen).The residual solid of handling has the tendency that adheres to the surface of reduction, makes Distallation systm not have interruptedly continuous service more than ten days.According to an illustrative embodiments, can tunning be heated in 80 to 94 degrees centigrade the scope.According to a preferred implementation, can tunning be heated in 82 to 90 degrees centigrade the scope.According to one especially preferred embodiment, can tunning be heated in the scope of 84 to 87 degree of setting.Treatment system can comprise container, heat exchanger or boiling pipe or other be used to the to realize ideal device of temperature.According to an embodiment, the tunning that distillation is handled is to reclaim ethanol.

Shown in Fig. 7 A, treatment system can be used with following flow process: wherein C5 stream and C6 stream carry out common fermentation 706 (simultaneously referring to Fig. 6 A).Shown in Fig. 7 B, treatment system can be used with following flow process: C5 stream and C6 flow point 708,710 (while is referring to Fig. 6 B) that do not ferment wherein.

With reference to figure 8, according to an illustrative embodiments, the tunning of heating also can use whizzer to separate in first separation 802, to remove the residual solid of the processing of part at least.Can use water washing through the residual solid of centrifugal removal, and second separate further be separated in 804 consist essentially of solid matter for example xylogen and producing and ethanol class/yeast cell solids component and consist essentially of the liquid component of second alcohol and water.From second separate 804 liquid component can with merge from the first liquid separated composition, and it is fed to Distallation systm to reclaim ethanol through distillation and dehydration.Can use the residual solid (for example, the composition of removal) of removal or it is further handled to be used as fuel (for example, be dried to solid fuel or be processed into methane through anaerobic digester) or as other biological products.

The tunning that distillation is handled is to reclaim ethanol.According to an embodiment, distillation can move at least 24 hours continuously.According to a preferred implementation, distillation can move at least 48 hours continuously.

According to an embodiment, tunning comprises the solids component that contains at least 40% xylogen.The mean particle size of the solids component of tunning is generally about 8 to 15 microns.According to an illustrative embodiments, fermentative processing can be with the mean particle size increase at least 50% of solids component.According to a preferred implementation, processing can increase the mean particle size of solids component up to 100%.

With reference to figure 9A and 9B, typical distillation tower 900 is shown.Can use arbitrary distillation tower known in the art structure.In an illustrative embodiments, distillation tower is of a size of about 6 inches diameter and about 14.5 feet length.A plurality of distilling trays 1000 shown in figure 10

(or sieve plate) is stacked on the inside of tower.Typical sieve plate comprise allow that a plurality of apertures 1002 (for example, sieve plate hole) that stream upwards moves and permission tunning move down in said distillation tower in distillation tower seldom than macropore 1004 (for example, downtake pipe).Than macropore can be employed on the column plate outstanding about 0.5 to 1 inch and under column plate outstanding about 4 to 8 inches pipe.Opening through approaching top of tower is fed to distillation tower with tunning.Through the stream in the opening supplied with pressurized of tower bottom, the heating tunning also causes ethanol evaporation.The ethanol of evaporation leaves distillation tower through the opening of top of tower.Remaining vinasse (all ethanol are all removed basically) leave tower through the opening of tower bottom.

Figure 13 A, 13B and 13C illustrate according to the hydrolysate of the solids component of the pretreated biomass of processing of the illustrative embodiments of the said system operational conditions with object (subject) parameter of removing delignification; Operational conditions illustrates with the form of nested scope (nested ranges), and said nested scope comprises for the operating range accepted of each object conditioned disjunction parameter (outer/wide region that illustrates), preferred operating range (intermediate range that illustrates) and preferred especially operating range (interior/close limit that illustrates).

According to an illustrative embodiments, shown in Figure 13 A, the temperature in the treating processes of fermentation of biomass can be about 80 to 94 degrees centigrade.According to a preferred implementation, the temperature in the treating processes of fermentation of biomass can be about 82 to 90 degrees centigrade, and according to one especially preferred embodiment, the temperature in the treating processes of fermentation of biomass can be about 84 to 87 degrees centigrade.

According to an illustrative embodiments, shown in Figure 13 B, the pH in the treating processes of fermentation of biomass can be about 4.0 to 7.2.According to a preferred implementation, the pH in the treating processes of fermentation of biomass can be about 4.4 to 6.8, and according to one especially preferred embodiment, the pH in the treating processes of fermentation of biomass can be about 4.6 to 5.0.

According to an illustrative embodiments, shown in Figure 13 C, the processing of fermentation of biomass can be about 10 seconds to 240 minutes.According to a preferred implementation, the processing of fermentation of biomass can be about 20 seconds to 10 minutes, and according to one especially preferred embodiment, the processing of fermentation of biomass can be about 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

Table 4A and 4B illustrate the average composition of tunning.As show shown in the 4A, the solids component of tunning can comprise average about 56% xylogen (by weight), about 15% Mierocrystalline cellulose, about 4% semicellulose, about 14% ash content (for example, inorganic components) and other composition of about 11%.As show shown in the 4B, the liquid component of tunning comprises average about 6% ethanol, about 0.6% glycerine and about 1.6% sugar (for example, C6 sugar is sugared with C5).Depend on fermentation condition, the solids content of tunning can be about 8 to 10 weight %.The pH of tunning in processing and still-process can be in the scope of about pH 4.6 to 5.0.

Embodiment 1

Estimate different distilling trays designs and tunning processing to distilling the effect of working time using among the embodiment 1 like Fig. 9 A and the Distallation systm shown in the 9B.Figure 11 illustrates the Distallation systm working time that tunning reached with untreated tunning and processing.When in distillation tower, using the sieve plate in 1/8 inch hole, tower can not move, and reaches 0 hour working time.When in distillation tower, using the baffle plate column plate, tower can move about 4 hours.When using the sieve plate in 1/2 inch hole, tower can move about 5 hours.When according to a preferred implementation through being heated to 88 degrees centigrade when handling tunning and using the sieve plate in 1/2 inch hole, reach at least 285 hours continuous working period of improved operability and increase, and do not have the fouling and/or the obstruction of distillation tower.Shown in figure 11, to compare with 1/8 inch hole, big (1/2 inch) sieve aperture improves the operability of distillation tower, but it is not enough to allow the operation that continues alone.

Embodiment 2

The chamber that experimentizes is tested the influence of heating to tunning is shown, and this influence is measured through granularity.Through mill, pre-treatment, hydrolysis and fermentation of biomass (corn cob) prepare the tunning that comprises about 9% residual solid.The 200mL tunning is heated to 85 degrees centigrade, and makes it be cooled to free air temperature (about 21 degrees centigrade).Use laser light scattering particle-size analyzer (can get) before processing with after handling, to measure the coalescence that granularity is measured particle from the Horiba of kyoto, Japan.The size-grade distribution of untreated tunning is illustrated in the peak at 0.30 micron, 11.6 microns (maximum peak) and 175 microns places.Near the size-grade distribution (less than 1 micron) less granularity of the tunning of handling is not showed the peak, and other peak is at 22.8 microns (maximum peaks) and 229 microns places.Observe mean particle size about 12.8 microns be increased to after the processing about 24.5 microns before handle.The result is presented among Figure 12.

***

Embodiment open and that describe is intended to explanation and explains the present invention in the application's (comprising figure and embodiment).Can the disclosed embodiment of the composition of the equipment that for example adopts (or waiting to adopt) and method and use (or to be used) and processing be changed and change; All these changes and change all are intended to fall in the scope of the present invention.

Word " exemplary " is the effect that is used for representing to play example, instance or example description.Should be not in the nature of things the embodiment of any being described as " exemplary " or design solutions be interpreted as preferred or be superior to other embodiment or design, be not intended to exemplary configurations that is equal to and the technology that those of ordinary skills knew of getting rid of yet.On the contrary, the utilization of exemplary this word is to want to present notion with concrete mode, and disclosed theme is not limited by these examples.

Term " or " be intended to represent to comprise " or " rather than get rid of " or ".As for the term that in detailed specification sheets or claim, uses " comprise ", " having ", " containing " speech similar with other; For exempting query; These speech all mean " comprising " being included of similar mode with term, and it is accepted speech and do not get rid of any extra or other element as open.

Claims (according to the modification of the 19th of treaty)

1. a processing waits to be fed to the method for the lignocellulose biomass that is used to make the alcoholic acid fermentation in the Distallation systm, and said method comprises:

The lignocellulose biomass pre-treatment is become pretreated biomass;

Said pretreated biomass are separated into the liquid component that comprises sugar and comprise Mierocrystalline cellulose and the solids component of xylogen;

The solids component of said pretreated biomass is hydrolyzed into the hydrolyzing biomass that comprises sugar and xylogen;

The hydrolysis solids component of said pretreated biomass is fermented into the tunning that comprises ethanol and xylogen;

Handle said tunning with the particulate matter in the said tunning of coalescence; With

The tunning that distillation is handled is to reclaim ethanol;

Wherein said lignocellulose biomass comprises Mierocrystalline cellulose, semicellulose and xylogen.

2. the method for claim 1 is wherein handled said tunning and is comprised the said tunning of heating.

3. method as claimed in claim 2 is wherein handled said tunning and is also comprised said tunning is heated to about 80 to 94 degrees centigrade temperature.

4. method as claimed in claim 2 is wherein handled said tunning and is also comprised said tunning is heated to about 82 to 90 degrees centigrade temperature.

5. method as claimed in claim 2 is wherein handled said tunning and is also comprised said tunning is heated to about 84 to 87 degrees centigrade temperature.

6. method as claimed in claim 2 also comprises the tunning that distills said processing.

7. method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said distillation continuous service at least 24 hours.

8. method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said distillation continuous service at least 48 hours.

9. the method for claim 1, wherein said lignocellulose biomass comprise at least a in corn cob, milpa bract, milpa leaf and the milpa stem.

10. the method for claim 1, wherein said lignocellulose biomass comprises the Mierocrystalline cellulose of about 30 to 55 weight % and the semicellulose of about 20 to 50 weight %.

11. the method for claim 1, wherein said lignocellulose biomass (a) comprises corn cob, milpa bract, milpa leaf and corn stem, and (b) comprises the Mierocrystalline cellulose of about 35 to 45 weight % and the semicellulose of about 24 to 42 weight %.

12. the method for claim 1, wherein said lignocellulose biomass are made up of corn cob, milpa bract, milpa leaf and corn stem basically.

13. the method for claim 1, wherein said lignocellulose biomass comprise the semicellulose of the Mierocrystalline cellulose of about 30 to 55 weight %, about 20 to 50 weight % and the xylogen of about 10 to 25 weight %.

14. the method for claim 1, wherein said lignocellulose biomass comprise corn cob, milpa bract, milpa leaf, corn stem and corn grain fiber.

15. the method for claim 1, wherein said tunning comprises solids component, and wherein said solids component comprises at least 25% xylogen.

16. method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said tunning comprises solids component, and wherein said processing is with the granularity increase at least 50% of said solids component.

17. the method for claim 1, wherein said tunning comprises solids component, and wherein said solids component comprises at least 40% xylogen.

18. the method for claim 1, wherein before being fermented into said tunning, said liquid component and said hydrolysis solids component merge.

19. a system that is used to handle the lignocellulose biomass of fermentation comprises:

Pretreatment system, it produces pretreated biomass by lignocellulose biomass;

Separation system, it separates into said pretreated biomass the liquid component that comprises sugar and comprises Mierocrystalline cellulose and the solids component of xylogen;

First treatment system, its solids component with said pretreated biomass are hydrolyzed to the hydrolyzing biomass that comprises sugar and xylogen;

Fermentation system, its hydrolysis solids component with said pretreated biomass is fermented into the tunning that comprises ethanol and xylogen;

Second treatment system, it handles the particulate matter in said tunning and the said tunning of coalescence; With

Distallation systm, the tunning that its distillation is handled is to reclaim ethanol;

Wherein said lignocellulose biomass comprises Mierocrystalline cellulose, semicellulose and xylogen, and the particulate matter of wherein coalescence has the low tendency that adheres to said Distallation systm surface.

20. system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said second treatment system heats said tunning.

21. system as claimed in claim 20, wherein said second treatment system is heated to about 80 to 94 degrees centigrade temperature with said tunning.

22. system as claimed in claim 20, wherein said second treatment system is heated to about 82 to 90 degrees centigrade temperature with said tunning.

23. system as claimed in claim 20, wherein said second treatment system is heated to about 84 to 87 degrees centigrade temperature with said tunning.

24. system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said Distallation systm continuous service at least 24 hours.

25. system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said Distallation systm continuous service at least 48 hours.

26. system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said lignocellulose biomass comprises at least a in corn cob, milpa bract, milpa leaf and the milpa stem.

27. system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said lignocellulose biomass comprises the Mierocrystalline cellulose of about 30 to 55 weight % and the semicellulose of about 20 to 50 weight %.

28. system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said lignocellulose biomass (a) comprises corn cob, milpa bract, milpa leaf and corn stem, and (b) comprises the Mierocrystalline cellulose of about 35 to 45 weight % and the semicellulose of about 24 to 42 weight %.

29. system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said lignocellulose biomass is made up of corn cob, milpa bract, milpa leaf and corn stem basically.

30. system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said lignocellulose biomass comprises the semicellulose of the Mierocrystalline cellulose of about 30 to 55 weight %, about 20 to 50 weight % and the xylogen of about 10 to 25 weight %.

31. system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said lignocellulose biomass comprises corn cob, milpa bract, milpa leaf, corn stem and corn grain fiber.

32. system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said tunning comprises solids component, and wherein said solids component comprises at least 25% xylogen.

33. system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said tunning comprises solids component, and wherein said second treatment system is with the granularity increase at least 50% of said solids component.

34. system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said tunning comprises solids component, and wherein said solids component comprises at least 40% xylogen.

35. system as claimed in claim 19, the said liquid component that wherein said fermentation system fermentation and said hydrolysis solids component merge.

Claims

The lignocellulose biomass pre-treatment is become pretreated biomass;

Handle said tunning; With

The tunning that distillation is handled is to reclaim ethanol;

Pretreatment system, it produces pretreated biomass by lignocellulose biomass;

Second treatment system, it handles said tunning; With