Multi-Objective Sustainability Optimization of Biomass Residues to Ethanol via Gasification and Syngas Fermentation: Trade-Offs between Profitability, Energy Efficiency, and Carbon Emissions
This work presents a strategy for optimizing the production process of ethanol via integrated gasification and syngas fermentation, a conversion platform of growing interest for its contribution to carbon recycling. The objective functions (minimum ethanol selling price (MESP), energy efficiency, an...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Fermentation |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/7/4/201 |
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| author | Elisa M. de Medeiros Henk Noorman Rubens Maciel Filho John A. Posada |
| author_facet | Elisa M. de Medeiros Henk Noorman Rubens Maciel Filho John A. Posada |
| author_sort | Elisa M. de Medeiros |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This work presents a strategy for optimizing the production process of ethanol via integrated gasification and syngas fermentation, a conversion platform of growing interest for its contribution to carbon recycling. The objective functions (minimum ethanol selling price (MESP), energy efficiency, and carbon footprint) were evaluated for the combinations of different input variables in models of biomass gasification, energy production from syngas, fermentation, and ethanol distillation, and a multi-objective genetic algorithm was employed for the optimization of the integrated process. Two types of waste feedstocks were considered, wood residues and sugarcane bagasse, with the former leading to lower MESP and a carbon footprint of 0.93 USD/L and 3 g CO<sub>2</sub>eq/MJ compared to 1.00 USD/L and 10 g CO<sub>2</sub>eq/MJ for sugarcane bagasse. The energy efficiency was found to be 32% in both cases. An uncertainty analysis was conducted to determine critical decision variables, which were found to be the gasification zone temperature, the split fraction of the unreformed syngas sent to the combustion chamber, the dilution rate, and the gas residence time in the bioreactor. Apart from the abovementioned objectives, other aspects such as water footprint, ethanol yield, and energy self-sufficiency were also discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:10:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-98a65b4670a249b7b5ad178aa3469ecd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2311-5637 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:10:22Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Fermentation |
| spelling | doaj.art-98a65b4670a249b7b5ad178aa3469ecd2023-11-23T08:12:22ZengMDPI AGFermentation2311-56372021-09-017420110.3390/fermentation7040201Multi-Objective Sustainability Optimization of Biomass Residues to Ethanol via Gasification and Syngas Fermentation: Trade-Offs between Profitability, Energy Efficiency, and Carbon EmissionsElisa M. de Medeiros0Henk Noorman1Rubens Maciel Filho2John A. Posada3Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 ZH Delft, The NetherlandsDepartment of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 ZH Delft, The NetherlandsSchool of Chemical Engineering, University of Campinas, Av. Albert Einstein 500, Campinas 13084-852, BrazilDepartment of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 ZH Delft, The NetherlandsThis work presents a strategy for optimizing the production process of ethanol via integrated gasification and syngas fermentation, a conversion platform of growing interest for its contribution to carbon recycling. The objective functions (minimum ethanol selling price (MESP), energy efficiency, and carbon footprint) were evaluated for the combinations of different input variables in models of biomass gasification, energy production from syngas, fermentation, and ethanol distillation, and a multi-objective genetic algorithm was employed for the optimization of the integrated process. Two types of waste feedstocks were considered, wood residues and sugarcane bagasse, with the former leading to lower MESP and a carbon footprint of 0.93 USD/L and 3 g CO<sub>2</sub>eq/MJ compared to 1.00 USD/L and 10 g CO<sub>2</sub>eq/MJ for sugarcane bagasse. The energy efficiency was found to be 32% in both cases. An uncertainty analysis was conducted to determine critical decision variables, which were found to be the gasification zone temperature, the split fraction of the unreformed syngas sent to the combustion chamber, the dilution rate, and the gas residence time in the bioreactor. Apart from the abovementioned objectives, other aspects such as water footprint, ethanol yield, and energy self-sufficiency were also discussed.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/7/4/201gasificationmulti-objective optimizationbioethanolsyngas fermentationmodelingsustainability |
| spellingShingle | Elisa M. de Medeiros Henk Noorman Rubens Maciel Filho John A. Posada Multi-Objective Sustainability Optimization of Biomass Residues to Ethanol via Gasification and Syngas Fermentation: Trade-Offs between Profitability, Energy Efficiency, and Carbon Emissions Fermentation gasification multi-objective optimization bioethanol syngas fermentation modeling sustainability |
| title | Multi-Objective Sustainability Optimization of Biomass Residues to Ethanol via Gasification and Syngas Fermentation: Trade-Offs between Profitability, Energy Efficiency, and Carbon Emissions |
| title_full | Multi-Objective Sustainability Optimization of Biomass Residues to Ethanol via Gasification and Syngas Fermentation: Trade-Offs between Profitability, Energy Efficiency, and Carbon Emissions |
| title_fullStr | Multi-Objective Sustainability Optimization of Biomass Residues to Ethanol via Gasification and Syngas Fermentation: Trade-Offs between Profitability, Energy Efficiency, and Carbon Emissions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Multi-Objective Sustainability Optimization of Biomass Residues to Ethanol via Gasification and Syngas Fermentation: Trade-Offs between Profitability, Energy Efficiency, and Carbon Emissions |
| title_short | Multi-Objective Sustainability Optimization of Biomass Residues to Ethanol via Gasification and Syngas Fermentation: Trade-Offs between Profitability, Energy Efficiency, and Carbon Emissions |
| title_sort | multi objective sustainability optimization of biomass residues to ethanol via gasification and syngas fermentation trade offs between profitability energy efficiency and carbon emissions |
| topic | gasification multi-objective optimization bioethanol syngas fermentation modeling sustainability |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/7/4/201 |
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