Method for Online Monitoring of Mashing Processes Using Infrared Spectroscopy
AssigneeSPECSHELL ApS
InventorsErik HOFFMANN-PETERSEN, Andreas Jonas KUNOV-KRUSE
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method for controlling an enzymatic pre-treatment process, e.g. a mashing process. The method allows for accurate determination of specific sugar molecules as well as the average length of the sugar chains in real-time during e.g. a mashing process. Further information on e.g. the concentration of dissolved protein and free amino acids can also be obtained simultaneously. The method comprises the use of an infrared (IR) spectometer for continuosly measuring attenuated total reflectance (ATR) IR spectra of samples obtained during pre-treatment of biomass.
Claims20
A method for controlling an enzymatic pre-treatment process, the method comprising:
- a) providing a sample to a system with a tank;
- b) obtaining a sample mixture by:
- adding one or more enzymes to the sample if the sample does not contain one or more enzymes already, or
- possibly adding one or more enzymes to the sample already containing one or more enzymes;
- c) continuously exposing a part of the sample mixture to an infrared (IR) spectrometer;
- d) continuously measuring attenuated total reflectance (ATR) IR spectra of the sample mixture with the IR spectrometer in real time at wavelengths between 400-3500 cm−1 during the enzymatic pre-treatment process, and
- e) feeding the measured IR spectra to a calculating unit which:
- calculates information relating to specific species present in the sample mixture during the enzymatic pre-treatment process based on the IR spectra, wherein the information relating to the specific species present in the samples mixture is:
- a ratio between the different specific species, and/or
- a concentration of one or more of the specific species, and/or
- a degree of polymerization of one or more of the specific species;
- and
- feeds the information relating to the specific species in the sample mixture back to the user or to a tank control system connected to the tank.
A system for controlling an enzymatic pre-treatment process, the system comprising:
- a tank adapted for containing a sample mixture comprising a sample to be enzymatically pre-treated and possibly one or more enzymes added to the sample during the enzymatic pre-treatment process;
- an analyzing unit connected to an IR spectrometer, the analyzing unit being adapted for bringing the sample mixture in direct contact with the IR spectrometer for measuring attenuated total reflectance (ATR) IR spectra of the sample mixture during the enzymatic pre-treatment process and
- a calculation unit connected with the IR spectrometer, the calculation unit being adapted for calculating:
- a ratio between specific species in the sample mixture based on the IR spectra of the sample, and/or
- a concentration of one or more specific species based on the IR spectra of the sample, and/or
- a degree of polymerization of one or more of specific species based on the IR spectra of the sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.