Fermentation apparatus that uses biomass as feedstock

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9657262-B2
Application number	US-201213982645-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2012
Priority date	Mar 24, 2011
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus for treating a biomass feedstock at a high temperature, includes a cooling device 90 for cooling a biomass treated liquid at a high temperature; an enzymatic saccharification tank 103 for saccharifying a cooled treated liquid 101 B with an enzyme; a solid-liquid separation apparatus 112 for removing water-slightly soluble substances contained in a saccharide solution 104 taken out from the enzymatic saccharification tank 103 and a foreign substance removing unit 113 provided with a microfiltration (MF) membrane 113 a ; a dilution tank 132 , disposed downstream of the foreign substance removing unit 113 , for diluting the saccharide solution from which the water-slightly soluble substances are removed by adding water thereto; a water separation unit 116 , provided with a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane 116 a , for removing water 114 from the diluted saccharide solution so as to obtain concentrated saccharide solution 115.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fermentation apparatus that uses biomass as a feedstock comprising:
a hydrothermal decomposition apparatus that brings a biomass feedstock including at least cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin into countercurrent contact with pressurized hot water and performs a high temperature and high pressure treatment in a temperature range of 180° C. to 240° C. so as to produce a biomass treated liquid containing a pressurized hot water soluble component of the biomass feedstock;
a cooling means that is provided downstream of the hydrothermal decomposition apparatus and cools the biomass treated liquid which has been discharged from the hydrothermal decomposition apparatus;
a saccharide solution purification tank that is provided downstream of the cooling means and saccharifies the cooled treated liquid with an enzyme so as to obtain a saccharide solution;
a first circulation line that connects between a bottom portion of the saccharide solution purification tank and an upper portion of the saccharide solution purification tank to circulate the saccharide solution;
a second circulation line that connects between the bottom portion of the saccharide solution purification tank and the upper portion of the saccharide solution purification tank to circulate the saccharide solution;
a solid-liquid separation apparatus that is interposed in the first circulation line and removes a fermentation inhibitory substance contained in the saccharide solution, the fermentation inhibitory substance being a substance that is contained in the pressurized hot water soluble component, and that is in a liquid state in the temperature range of 180° C. to 240° C. and becomes solidified or colloidal at a temperature of 60° C. or lower;
a foreign substance removing unit that is interposed in the second circulation line and further provided with a microfiltration (MF) membrane by which the fermentation inhibitory substance is further removed;
a dilution tank that is disposed downstream of the foreign substance removing unit and adds water thereto so as to dilute the saccharide solution from which the fermentation inhibitory substance has been removed;
a water separation unit that is provided with a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane and removes water from the diluted saccharide solution so as to obtain concentrated saccharide solution;
a fermentation tank that ferments the concentrated saccharide solution; and
a first measurement unit that measures either or both of a turbidity or/and a light absorbance of the saccharide solution from which the fermentation inhibitory substance has been removed.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a second measurement unit that measures either or both of a turbidity and a light absorbance of the saccharide solution after addition of yeast.

Assignees

• Nishimura Akira
• Yamauchi Takahiro
• Ogura Kentaro
• Nishimoto Haruka
• Kurihara Hiroyuki
• Minamino Atsushi
• Suzuki Hideo
• Kondo Gaku
• Toray Industries

Inventors

• Nishimura Akira
• Yamauchi Takahiro
• Ogura Kentaro
• Nishimoto Haruka
• Kurihara Hiroyuki
• Minamino Atsushi
• Suzuki Hideo
• Kondo Gaku

Classifications

• C12M45/03

  by control of the humidity or content of liquids; Drying · CPC title

• C12M45/09

  by enzymatic treatment · CPC title

• C12P19/14

  produced by the action of a carbohydrase {(EC 3.2.x)}, e.g. by alpha-amylase {, e.g. by cellulase, hemicellulase} · CPC title

• C12M21/12

  for producing fuels or solvents (C12M21/04 takes precedence; liquid carbonaceous fuels C10L1/00, solid fuels C10L5/00) · CPC title

• C13B20/165

  using membranes, e.g. osmosis, ultrafiltration (electrodialysis C13B20/18) · CPC title