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Title: Production of ethanol from refinery waste gases. Phase 2, technology development, annual report

Abstract

Oil refineries discharge large volumes of H{sub 2}, CO, and CO{sub 2} from cracking, coking, and hydrotreating operations. This program seeks to develop a biological process for converting these waste gases into ethanol, which can be blended with gasoline to reduce emissions. Production of ethanol from all 194 US refineries would save 450 billion BTU annually, would reduce crude oil imports by 110 million barrels/year and emissions by 19 million tons/year. Phase II efforts has yielded at least 3 cultures (Clostridium ljungdahlii, Isolate O-52, Isolate C-01) which are able to produce commercially viable concentrations of ethanol from CO, CO{sub 2}, and H{sub 2} in petroleum waste gas. Single continuous stirred tank reactor studies have shown that 15-20 g/L of ethanol can be produced, with less than 5 g/L acetic acid byproduct. Culture and reactor optimization in Phase III should yield even higher ethanol concentrations and minimal acetic acid. Product recovery studies showed that ethanol is best recovered in a multi-step process involving solvent extraction/distillation to azeotrope/azeotropic distillation or pervaporation, or direct distillation to the azeotrope/azeotropic distillation or pervaporation. Projections show that the ethanol facility for a typical refinery would require an investment of about $30 million, which would be returnedmore » in less than 2 years.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Bioengineering Resources, Inc., Fayetteville, AR (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
484646
Report Number(s):
DOE/AL/98770-1
ON: DE97006845
DOE Contract Number:  
FC04-94AL98770
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Jul 1995
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS; 02 PETROLEUM; PETROLEUM REFINERIES; WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION; ETHANOL; PRODUCTION; PROGRESS REPORT; GASEOUS WASTES; ETHANOL FUELS; GASOHOL; BIOSYNTHESIS

Citation Formats

Arora, D, Basu, R, Phillips, J R, Wikstrom, C V, Clausen, E C, and Gaddy, J L. Production of ethanol from refinery waste gases. Phase 2, technology development, annual report. United States: N. p., 1995. Web. doi:10.2172/484646.
Arora, D, Basu, R, Phillips, J R, Wikstrom, C V, Clausen, E C, & Gaddy, J L. Production of ethanol from refinery waste gases. Phase 2, technology development, annual report. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/484646
Arora, D, Basu, R, Phillips, J R, Wikstrom, C V, Clausen, E C, and Gaddy, J L. 1995. "Production of ethanol from refinery waste gases. Phase 2, technology development, annual report". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/484646. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/484646.
@article{osti_484646,
title = {Production of ethanol from refinery waste gases. Phase 2, technology development, annual report},
author = {Arora, D and Basu, R and Phillips, J R and Wikstrom, C V and Clausen, E C and Gaddy, J L},
abstractNote = {Oil refineries discharge large volumes of H{sub 2}, CO, and CO{sub 2} from cracking, coking, and hydrotreating operations. This program seeks to develop a biological process for converting these waste gases into ethanol, which can be blended with gasoline to reduce emissions. Production of ethanol from all 194 US refineries would save 450 billion BTU annually, would reduce crude oil imports by 110 million barrels/year and emissions by 19 million tons/year. Phase II efforts has yielded at least 3 cultures (Clostridium ljungdahlii, Isolate O-52, Isolate C-01) which are able to produce commercially viable concentrations of ethanol from CO, CO{sub 2}, and H{sub 2} in petroleum waste gas. Single continuous stirred tank reactor studies have shown that 15-20 g/L of ethanol can be produced, with less than 5 g/L acetic acid byproduct. Culture and reactor optimization in Phase III should yield even higher ethanol concentrations and minimal acetic acid. Product recovery studies showed that ethanol is best recovered in a multi-step process involving solvent extraction/distillation to azeotrope/azeotropic distillation or pervaporation, or direct distillation to the azeotrope/azeotropic distillation or pervaporation. Projections show that the ethanol facility for a typical refinery would require an investment of about $30 million, which would be returned in less than 2 years.},
doi = {10.2172/484646},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/484646}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1995},
month = {Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1995}
}