The continuous production of

bioethanol: One, two and three tank

reactor designs
S.D. Watt H.S. Sidhu , M.I. Nelson , A.K. Ray
(1) School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Science, UNSW@ADFA,
AUSTRALIA.
(2) School of Mathematics & Applied Statistics, University of Wollongong, AUSTRALIA.
(3) Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Western Ontario,
CANADA

Bioethanol production p.1/15

Talk Outline
Brief background.
Model description.
Results dynamical & optimal performance.
Conclusion and future work.
Work supported from a grant from the Australian Research
Council (DP0559177)

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Background bioethanol
What is bioethanol?

Bioethanol production p.3/15

Background bioethanol
What is bioethanol?
Bioethanol is ethanol that is made from a starch- or
sugar-based feedstock, such as corn and sugar cane.
Why manufacture bioethanol?

Bioethanol production p.3/15

Background bioethanol
What is bioethanol?
Bioethanol is ethanol that is made from a starch- or
sugar-based feedstock, such as corn and sugar cane.
Why manufacture bioethanol?
The energy content of ethanol is approximately
two-thirds that of petrol by volume.

Bioethanol production p.3/15

Background bioethanol
What is bioethanol?
Bioethanol is ethanol that is made from a starch- or
sugar-based feedstock, such as corn and sugar cane.
Why manufacture bioethanol?
The energy content of ethanol is approximately
two-thirds that of petrol by volume.
Ethanol contains 35% oxygen and when blended with
petrol results in a more even and complete combustion
of fuels reduces knocking and improves performance

Bioethanol production p.3/15

Background bioethanol
What is bioethanol?
Bioethanol is ethanol that is made from a starch- or
sugar-based feedstock, such as corn and sugar cane.
Why manufacture bioethanol?
The energy content of ethanol is approximately
two-thirds that of petrol by volume.
Ethanol contains 35% oxygen and when blended with
petrol results in a more even and complete combustion
of fuels reduces knocking and improves performance
Reduced emissions greenhouse gas emissions
reduced by up to 19%, tailpipe carbon monoxide by as
much as 30%

Bioethanol production p.3/15

Background bioethanol
What is bioethanol?
Bioethanol is ethanol that is made from a starch- or
sugar-based feedstock, such as corn and sugar cane.
Why manufacture bioethanol?
The energy content of ethanol is approximately
two-thirds that of petrol by volume.
Ethanol contains 35% oxygen and when blended with
petrol results in a more even and complete combustion
of fuels reduces knocking and improves performance
Reduced emissions greenhouse gas emissions
reduced by up to 19%, tailpipe carbon monoxide by as
much as 30%
It takes only six months to harvest a substantial crop for
fuel.
Bioethanol production p.3/15

Model biochemistry
A.B. Jarzebski. (1992). Modelling of oscillatory behaviour
in continuous ethanol fermentation. Biotechnology Letters,
14(2), 137142.

Substrate ( ).

Product - ethanol - ( )

Biomass (Zymomonos mobilis)

Viable cells ( )
Non-viable cells (
) non-growing, but still retain
the ability to produce ethanol.
Dead cells ( ) eqn uncouples.

Bioethanol production p.4/15

 

"


"











Model single reactor

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Model rate expressions

Reaction rates can not be negative.

Substrate limitation.
Product inhibition.

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50
40
30
20
10

 


gl .

10
15
Residence time (h)

Figure 0:

0
10
0

Ethanol concentration (g/l)

Results ethanol concentration

20

hr.

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Results productivity (Pr

Productivity (g/l/h)

4
3
2
1
0

g l . Pr

20

10
15
Residence time (h)

g l hr

at

Figure 0:
hr.

1
0

Bioethanol production p.8/15

gl

Two hopf bifurcations if

Results single reactor

.

Bioethanol production p.9/15

gl

gl

One hopf bifurcation if

Two hopf bifurcations if

Results single reactor

Bioethanol production p.9/15

gl

gl

One hopf bifurcation if

Period doubling bifurcations.

gl ,
(

Two hopf bifurcations if

Results single reactor

hr)

Bioethanol production p.9/15

Results single reactor

gl

Two hopf bifurcations if

hr)

Period doubling route to chaos.

gl ,
Large residence times (

Period doubling bifurcations.

gl ,
(

gl

One hopf bifurcation if

hr).

Bioethanol production p.9/15

Results single reactor

gl

Two hopf bifurcations if

Period doubling bifurcations.

gl ,
(

gl

One hopf bifurcation if

hr)


Period doubling route to chaos.

gl ,
Large residence times (

hr).

Maximum productivity: system operated at a static

steady-state.

Bioethanol production p.9/15

Results single reactor

gl

Two hopf bifurcations if

Period doubling bifurcations.

gl ,
(

gl

One hopf bifurcation if

hr)

Period doubling route to chaos.

gl ,
Large residence times (

hr).

Maximum productivity: system operated at a static

steady-state.

g l hr

Pr

then

gl

If

Bioethanol production p.9/15

Results reactor cascade

Inflow

Outflow

Reactor 3

Reactor 2




Pr

Pr

Reactor 1

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Results double reactor cascade

4
3
2
1
0

4
6
8
Residence time in first tank (hours)

10

gl

h.

Figure 0: Total residence

Productivity (mg per litre per hour)

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Optimal productivity (mg per litre per hour)

Results - optimal double reactor cascade

6
5
4
3
2

Optimal single tank productivity

1
0
0

10
15
Total residence time (hours)

20

Figure 0: Optimal performance of a cascade of two (un)equal reactors.

gl .
Bioethanol production p.12/15

Results scatter plot

16
3 equal reactors
2 unequal reactors
3 unequal reactors

Total residence time (hours)

15
14

2 equal reactors

13
12
11
10
9
8
one reactor
7
3.6

3.8

4.2
4.4
4.6
4.8
Optimal productivity (grams per litre per hour)

5.2

Figure 0: Optimal performance of a cascade of various reactor conguragl .

tions.
Bioethanol production p.13/15

Whats next?
Feed concentration
Reactor costs
Recycle

: Extensive investigation.

: Can we afford to optimise production?

: Improves performance.

Performance

: Maximise product concentration.

: Department of Chemical Engineering,

Monash University.

Undergraduate lab

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Conclusions

Bioethanol production p.15/15

Conclusions
1. Ethanol production using veried model.

Bioethanol production p.15/15

Conclusions
1. Ethanol production using veried model.
2. Investigated single-reactor.

Bioethanol production p.15/15

Conclusions
1. Ethanol production using veried model.
2. Investigated single-reactor.
3. Investigated double- and triple- reactor cascades.

Bioethanol production p.15/15

Conclusions
1. Ethanol production using veried model.
2. Investigated single-reactor.
3. Investigated double- and triple- reactor cascades.
4. Double reactor cascade can outperform single reactor by upto 34%.

Bioethanol production p.15/15

Conclusions
1. Ethanol production using veried model.
2. Investigated single-reactor.
3. Investigated double- and triple- reactor cascades.
4. Double reactor cascade can outperform single reactor by upto 34%.
5. Triple reactor cascade can outperform single reactor
by upto 36%.

Bioethanol production p.15/15

Conclusions
1. Ethanol production using veried model.
2. Investigated single-reactor.
3. Investigated double- and triple- reactor cascades.
4. Double reactor cascade can outperform single reactor by upto 34%.
5. Triple reactor cascade can outperform single reactor
by upto 36%.
6. Equal double reactor cascade can outperform single
reactor by 27%.

Bioethanol production p.15/15

Conclusions
1. Ethanol production using veried model.
2. Investigated single-reactor.
3. Investigated double- and triple- reactor cascades.
4. Double reactor cascade can outperform single reactor by upto 34%.
5. Triple reactor cascade can outperform single reactor
by upto 36%.
6. Equal double reactor cascade can outperform single
reactor by 27%.
7. Equal triple reactor cascade can outperform single reactor by 28%.

Bioethanol production p.15/15