System for treatment of biomass to facilitate the production of ethanol

摘要

Systems for treating biomass for the production of ethanol are disclosed. The systems are configured to treat a liquid component separated from biomass to yield sugars available to be fermented into a fermentation product. The systems comprise a filter configured to remove particulate matter to provide a filtered component and an apparatus configured to remove inhibitors from the filtered liquid component provide a treated liquid component comprising sugars available for fermentation. Methods for treating for treating biomass useful in the production of a fermentation product are also disclosed. The methods include the steps of filtering a liquid component to remove particulate matter thereby yielding a filtered liquid component, and treating the filtered liquid component to remove inhibitors thereby yielding a treated liquid component comprising sugars available to be fermented into a fermentation product.

主权项

1. A system for the production of ethanol from pre-treated biomass comprising:
a source of pre-treated biomass; a centrifuge in fluid communication with the source of pre-treated biomass, wherein the centrifuge is configured to separate the pre-treated biomass into a liquid component and a solid component, wherein the liquid component comprises sugars; a filter comprising a pore size of between 25 microns and 100 microns, wherein the filter is in fluid communication with the centrifuge to receive the liquid component to provide a filtered liquid component; an apparatus configured to remove one or more inhibitors from the filtered liquid component, thereby yielding a first treated liquid component, wherein the apparatus is in fluid communication with the filter to receive the filtered liquid component; an evaporation system in fluid communication with the apparatus to receive the first treated liquid component to remove water from the first treated liquid component and produce a second treated liquid component; and a fermentation system in fluid communication with the evaporation system to receive the second treated liquid component, wherein the fermentation system comprises an ethanologen to ferment the sugars into ethanol; wherein the apparatus comprises an ion exchange system comprising a resin bed; wherein the resin bed comprises a resin capable of binding said inhibitors; wherein the biomass comprises lignocellulosic material; wherein the lignocellulosic material comprises at least one of corn cobs, corn plant husks, corn plant leaves and corn plant stalks.