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Dynamic modeling and analyses of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process to produce bio-ethanol from rice straw

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Abstract

The rice straw, an agricultural waste from Asians’ main provision, was collected as feedstock to convert cellulose into ethanol through the enzymatic hydrolysis and followed by the fermentation process. When the two process steps are performed sequentially, it is referred to as separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF). The steps can also be performed simultaneously, i.e., simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). In this research, the kinetic model parameters of the cellulose saccharification process step using the rice straw as feedstock is obtained from real experimental data of cellulase hydrolysis. Furthermore, this model can be combined with a fermentation model at high glucose and ethanol concentrations to form a SSF model. The fermentation model is based on cybernetic approach from a paper in the literature with an extension of including both the glucose and ethanol inhibition terms to approach more to the actual plants. Dynamic effects of the operating variables in the enzymatic hydrolysis and the fermentation models will be analyzed. The operation of the SSF process will be compared to the SHF process. It is shown that the SSF process is better in reducing the processing time when the product (ethanol) concentration is high. The means to improve the productivity of the overall SSF process, by properly using aeration during the batch operation will also be discussed.

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Abbreviations

B :

Quantity of biomass (g/l)

C :

Quantity of cellulose (g/l)

e i :

Key enzyme for the metabolic pathway i (g/l)

G :

Quantity of glucose (g/l)

K a :

Michaelis constant of amorphous phase (g/l)

K c :

Michaelis constant of crystalline phase (g/l)

K Gi :

Inhibition constant of the glucose for the metabolic pathway i (g/l)

K i :

Saturation constants for the substrate of metabolic pathway i (g/l)

K I :

Michaelis constant of the glucose inhibition for saccharification (g/l)

k La :

Coefficient of gas–liquid mass transfer (h−1)

K o :

Saturation constant for the dissolved oxygen (mg/l)

K P :

Inhibition constant of the ethanol (g/l)

K x :

Michaelis constant of nonhydrolyzable cellulose (g/l)

O :

Concentration of dissolved oxygen (mg/l)

O*:

Concentration of oxygen at the gas–liquid interface (mg/l)

P :

Quantity of ethanol (g/l)

r 1 :

Specific growth rate of the path of the glucose fermentation (h−1)

r 2 :

Specific growth rate of the path of the ethanol oxidation (h−1)

r 3 :

Specific growth rate of the path of the glucose oxidation (h−1)

r Ca :

Reaction rate of amorphous phase (g l−1 h−1)

r Cc :

Reaction rate of crystalline phase (g l−1 h−1)

u i :

Cybernetic variable for the synthesis of the enzymes of the metabolic pathway i

v i :

Cybernetic variable for the activity of the enzymes of the metabolic pathway i

V max,a :

Maximum reaction rate for amorphous phase (g l−1 h−1)

V max,c :

Maximum reaction rate for crystalline phase (g l−1 h−1)

X :

Total fractional conversion of rice straw

X a :

Fractional conversion of rice straw for amorphous phase

X c :

Fractional conversion of rice straw for crystalline phase

Y i :

Yields for the different metabolic pathways

β :

Enzyme decay rate constant (g l−1 h−1)

γ:

Fraction of nonhydrolyzable cellulose at reaction time t

μ i,max :

Maximal specific growth rate for the substrate of each metabolic pathway i (g l−1 h−1)

φ :

Crystalline fraction at reaction time t

ϕ i :

Stoichiometric coefficients for the different metabolic pathways

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Acknowledgments

Support for this study from the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Atomic Energy Council of the Republic of China under the Grant No. 962045L is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, 43, Keelung Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei, 10607, Taiwan, ROC

    Jordon Ko & I-Lung Chien

  2. Department of Bioindustry Technology, Dayeh University, 168, University Rd., Dacun, Changhua, 51591, Taiwan, ROC

    Wen-Jun Su & Der-Ming Chang

  3. Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Atomic Energy Council, 1000, Wenhua Rd., Chiann Village, Lungtan, Taoyuan, 32546, Taiwan, ROC

    Sheng-Hsin Chou & Rui-Yu Zhan

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  1. Jordon Ko
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  2. Wen-Jun Su
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  3. I-Lung Chien
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Correspondence to Der-Ming Chang.

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Ko, J., Su, WJ., Chien, IL. et al. Dynamic modeling and analyses of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process to produce bio-ethanol from rice straw. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 33, 195–205 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-009-0313-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-009-0313-1

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