METHODS AND SYSTEM FOR LIQUEFACTION, HYDROLYSIS AND FERMENTATION OF AGRICULTURAL FEEDSTOCKS

摘要

Treatment of agricultural biomass without separation of the biomass to extract fermentable feedstock, instead using a hydrolytic process upstream of the fermentation process, provides an efficient and cost-effective process for forming ethanol from agricultural biomass.

主权项

1. A process for preparing ethanol from a first agricultural feedstock comprising a soluble saccharide, which is a fermentable ethanol precursor, and about 20% total solids (TS), said method comprising:
(a) mechanically processing said first agricultural feedstock to prepare a first hydrolysis feedstock comprising a solid feedstock comprising said fermentable ethanol precursor; (b) submitting said first agricultural feedstock to a heat pretreatment under conditions sufficient to reduce microbial contamination of said agricultural feedstock; (c) in a hydrolysis vessel, contacting said first hydrolysis feedstock with a hydrolytic enzyme capable of liquefying said solid feedstock under conditions sufficient to liquefy said solid feedstock, forming a first fermentation substrate; and (d) in a fermentation vessel, contacting said first fermentation substrate with a microorganism capable of converting said fermentation substrate to ethanol under conditions sufficient to convert said fermentable ethanol precursor to a first ethanol fraction.