Abstract
Ethanol possesses physicochemical properties that make it an excellent alternative transportation fuel to gasoline and that can improve the atmospheric quality. Technology is being developed at SERI for ethanol production from widely available cellulosic biomass. The bioconversion of cellulose, the major biomass fraction, into ethanol is carried out in a single step, the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process, which enhances the kinetics and economics of biomass conversion. Although SSF is the frontrunning option for ethanol production from cellulose, a mathematical model is being developed to optimize the current technology. The quality of the substrate and enzyme and the modes of substrate-enzyme-microorganism interaction were identified as the key factors in SSF, and critical experimentation was designed for parameter determination. The model will serve as a tool for rational SSF improvement and commercialization. Optimization of the integrated bioconversion process is projected to bring the unsubsidized cost of ethanol to about $0.60/gallon, competitive with the price of gasoline from oil at $25/barrel.
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© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Philippidis, G.P., Wyman, C.E. (1992). Production of Alternative Fuels: Modeling of Cellulosic Biomass Conversion to Ethanol. In: Vardar-Sukan, F., Sukan, Ş.S. (eds) Recent Advances in Biotechnology. NATO ASI Series, vol 210. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2468-3_23
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2468-3_23
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
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