Low investment approach to alcohol fermentation

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1980 · Biosources Dig.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5321918

Bungay, H R

The paper suggests attitudes for designing a low investment fuel alcohol plant instead of providing a specific blueprint, noting that the criteria for an agro-industrial complex can be applied rather than those of a modern chemical plant. In the case of fermenter design, for example, alternative approaches suggested are, the use of open-vat fermenters, tower fermentation maintaining high concentrations of organisms, combined fermentation and storage and use of 12 ft diameter plastic sewer pipe buried in the ground for an inexpensive and well-insulated fermenter. Instead of 3 or more distillation columns, the proposed plant would have only one, producing 85% alcohol, plus a tank or column for a drying agent to remove the remaining water. A direct fired still using biomass residues or coal could be designed to avoid the major expense of a large power plant to generate process steam.

• Research Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY
• OSTI ID: 5321918
• Journal Information: Biosources Dig.; (United States), Vol. 2:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
BIOMASS
FERMENTATION
ETHANOL PLANTS
DESIGN
INVESTMENT
ALCOHOLS
DISTILLATION
LIQUID FUELS
POWER GENERATION
PRODUCTION
RESIDUES
STEAM
BIOCONVERSION
ENERGY SOURCES
FUELS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
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