Jean-Marc Schweitzer

Methodology for the optimal design of an integrated first and second generation ethanol production plant combined with power cogeneration

The application of methodologies for the optimal design of integrated processes has seen increased interest in literature. This article builds on previous works and applies a systematic methodology to an integrated first and second generation ethanol production plant with power cogeneration. The methodology breaks into process simulation, heat integration, thermo-economic evaluation, exergy efficiency vs. capital costs, multi-variable, evolutionary optimization, and process selection via profitability maximization. Optimization generated Pareto solutions with exergy efficiency ranging between 39.2% and 44.4% and capital costs from 210M

Methodology for Minimising the Utility Consumption of a 2g Ethanol Process

to 390M

Methodology for the optimal design of an integrated sugarcane distillery and cogeneration process for ethanol and power production

. The Net Present Value was positive for only two scenarios and for low efficiency, low hydrolysis points. The minimum cellulosic ethanol selling price was sought to obtain a maximum NPV of zero for high efficiency, high hydrolysis alternatives. The obtained optimal configuration presented maximum exergy efficiency, hydrolyzed bagasse fraction, capital costs and ethanol production rate, and minimum cooling water consumption and power production rate.

Investigation of competitive COS and HCN hydrolysis reactions upon an industrial catalyst: Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics modeling

The production of ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass has gained increased interest in recent years, notably in the context of valorising agricultural by-products and providing fuels from renewable sources In order to increase their competitiveness, the energy demand of such processes needs to be minimised. This issue procures two benefits : (1) reduce utility consumption and (2) increase cogeneration possibility. In the present article we investigate this problem for a study process: ethanol production from sugarcane bagasse by enzymatic hydrolysis and glucose fermentation. We therefore apply a rigorous optimisation methodology in which we control certain design parameters in order to maximize the net production of utility. As a result, we obtain a design for our process which (1) eliminates the need for an external hot utility, (2) minimizes the need for the cold utility and (3) maximises the cogeneration possibility.As a conclusion, the proposed methodology provides a strong tool for minimising the utility consumption for a 2G ethanol plant. Considering its key components, it can further be applied in the context of a multi-objective problem.