# US 11,111,473 B2 · Method and system for producing products by fermentation

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- Number: US 11,111,473 B2
- Document ID: US11111473B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/318,332
- Filed: 2017-07-19
- Published: 2019-08-15
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-22
- Assignees: Vito NV (Vlaamse Instelling Voor Technologisch Onderzoek NV)
- Applicants: Vito NV (Vlaamse Instelling Voor Technologisch Onderzoek NV)
- Inventors: Wouter Van Hecke; Helene De Wever; Lambertus Bouwman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11111473B2

## CPC

- C12M 43/02: {Bioreactors or fermenters combined with devices for liquid fuel extraction; Biorefineries}
- B01D 61/3621: {comprising multiple pervaporation steps}
- C12M 21/12: {for producing fuels or solvents (C12M21/04 takes precedence; liquid carbonaceous fuels C10L1/00, solid fuels C10L5/00)}
- C12M 41/12: {of temperature (controlling the temperature of chemical or physical processes B01J19/0013, heating or cooling apparatus for laboratory use B01L7/00)}
- C12M 41/40: {of pressure}
- C12M 47/10: {Separation or concentration of fermentation products (bioreactors combined with means for distillation or extraction of liquid fuel C12M43/02)}
- C12P 7/06: Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage
- C12P 7/16: Butanols
- C12P 7/28: Acetone-containing products
- B01D 5/006: {with evaporation or distillation}
- B01D 2311/04: Specific process operations in the feed stream; Feed pretreatment
- B01D 2311/06: Specific process operations in the permeate stream
- B01D 2311/2646: Decantation
- B01D 2311/2669: Distillation
- B01D 2311/2674: Condensation
- B01D 2311/2688: Biological processes
- C10L 1/02: essentially based on components consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen only
- C10L 2200/0469: Renewables or materials of biological origin
- C10L 2200/0476: Biodiesel, i.e. defined lower alkyl esters of fatty acids first generation biodiesel
- C10L 2290/544: Extraction for separating fractions, components or impurities during preparation or upgrading of a fuel
- C12N 1/20: Bacteria; Culture media therefor
- Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
- Y02P 20/10: Process efficiency
- C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS}
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)}
- C10L: FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G OR C10K; LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS; USE OF ADDITIVES TO FUELS OR FIRES; FIRE-LIGHTERS
- C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A method for producing products, advantageously solvents, is by fermentation, advantageously multi-stage fermentation. The fermentation is complemented with pervaporation as in situ product recovery technology, combined with a multistage condensation of the permeate. The condensates are separately introduced in the downstream processing to recover the produced products, advantageously solvents. The method for producing products, advantageously solvents, by fermentation is simplified and has an overall improved energy efficiency. A related system uses method for producing products, advantageously solvents, is by fermentation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for producing solvents by fermentation, said method comprising the steps of:
performing a first fermentation step by fermenting a feedstock in the presence of microorganisms forming a first product stream;
performing a pervaporation step on the first product stream forming a permeate;
performing a first condensation step by partially condensing the permeate forming a first condensate and a residue stream, wherein the first condensation step is performed at a first pressure being below atmospheric pressure;
performing a second condensation step by condensing the residue stream at a second pressure higher than the first pressure forming a second condensate;
distilling the second condensate to produce a stream enriched in a first range of solvents and a liquid stream depleted in the first range of solvents; and
decanting the first condensate together with the liquid stream forming a phase enriched in a second range of solvents and an aqueous phase.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first condensation step is performed at a first pressure between 5 mbar and 200 mbar.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second condensation steps are performed at a same cooling temperature, the cooling temperature being between 0° C. and 20° C.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein an effluent from the first fermentation step is subjected to a second fermentation step forming a second product stream, the method further comprising introducing said second product stream in a steam stripper obtaining a top stream, wherein distilling the second condensate comprises distilling the top stream of the steam stripper together with the second condensate to produce the stream enriched in the first range of solvents and the liquid stream depleted in the first range of solvents.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method claim 1, wherein the feedstock originates from sugar cane, corn mash, wheat or other carbohydrate containing feedstocks, or from biodiesel-derived glycerol.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method claim 1, wherein the fermentation is performed in the presence of microorganisms of the Clostridium genus, or in the presence of genetically modified organisms derived thereof.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the microorganism is Clostridium acetobutylicum, Clostridium beijerinckii, Clostridium saccharobutylicum, Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum, or Clostridium pasteurianum.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein
the first condensate comprises a solvent rich phase comprising n-butanol and an aqueous phase comprising water;
the residue stream comprises acetone, n-butanol, ethanol, and water;
the first range of solvents in stream comprises acetone and ethanol;
the second range of solvents in the phase formed by decantation comprises n-butanol.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the first fermentation step is performed by fermenting a feedstock in the presence of microorganisms of Clostridium acetobutylicum;
performing the first condensation step forms a first condensate comprising n-butanol and water, and a residue stream comprising acetone, n-butanol, ethanol, and water, the first condensation step is performed at a first pressure between 5 mbar and 200 mbar;
the first and second condensation steps are performed at the same cooling temperature, the temperature being between 0° C. and 20° C.;
the second condensate is distilled to produce the stream enriched in acetone and ethanol, and the liquid stream depleted in acetone and ethanol;
the first condensate is decanted together with the liquid stream forming a phase enriched in n-butanol and an aqueous phase.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the phase enriched in the second range of solvents formed by decantation is purified by distillation, forming a first solvent.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the stream enriched in the first range of solvents is purified by distillation, forming a stream enriched in a second solvent, and a stream enriched in a third solvent.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the first fermentation step is performed by fermenting glycerol in the presence of microorganisms of Clostridium pasteurianum forming 1,3-propanediol remaining in the fermentation broth and a first product stream comprising n-butanol, ethanol, and water;
performing the first condensation step forms a first condensate comprising n-butanol and water, and a residue stream comprising n-butanol, ethanol, and water, the first condensation step is performed at a first pressure between 5 mbar and 200 mbar;
the first and second condensation steps are performed at the same cooling temperature, the temperature being between 0° C. and 20° C.;
the second condensate is distilled to produce a stream enriched in ethanol, and a liquid stream depleted in ethanol;
the first condensate is decanted together with the liquid stream forming a phase enriched in n-butanol and an aqueous phase.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the first condensate comprises n-butanol and water;
the residue stream comprises isopropanol, n-butanol, ethanol, and water;
the first range of solvents in stream comprises isopropanol and ethanol;
the second range of solvents in the phase formed by decantation comprises n-butanol.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein:
the first fermentation step is performed by fermenting a feedstock, in the presence of microorganisms of Clostridium acetobutylicum or Clostridium beijerinckii;
performing the first condensation step forms a first condensate comprising n-butanol and water, and a residue stream comprising isopropanol, n-butanol, ethanol, and water, the first condensation step is performed at a first pressure between 5 mbar and 200 mbar;
the first and second condensation steps are performed at the same cooling temperature, the temperature being between 0° C. and 20° C.;
the second condensate is distilled to produce a stream enriched in isopropanol and ethanol, and a liquid stream depleted in isopropanol and ethanol;
the first condensate is decanted together with the liquid stream forming a phase enriched in n-butanol and an aqueous phase.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the first solvent is n-butanol.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the second solvent is acetone and the third solvent is ethanol.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid stream is obtained as a bottom stream from the distillation.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second condensation step produces a single stream comprising the second condensate.