Membrane bioreactor for simultaneous enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis and product separation

A radial-flow membrane bioreactor for enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis and product separation, comprising:

• a hollow housing having a lower wall, an upper wall and a cylindrical sidewall, the cylindrical sidewall having an outlet port mounted therein, and the upper wall having an inlet port mounted therein;
• a cylindrical filter mounted coaxially within the hollow housing and extending between the lower wall and the upper wall, the cylindrical filter including a semipermeable polyethersulfone membrane permeable to glucose and impermeable to cellulase enzymes, the cylindrical filter defining an inner reaction region extending inside the cylindrical filter between the upper wall and the lower wall of the housing and an outer cylindrical annulus extending between the cylindrical filter and the cylindrical sidewall of the housing and between the upper and lower walls of the housing;
• and
• a conduit extending through the inlet port from an exterior of the hollow housing into the reaction region, the conduit being adapted for delivering water and cellulase into the reaction region for hydrolyzing cellulose to produce glucose in aqueous solution, the aqueous glucose product continuously flowing radially outward into the cylindrical annulus product collection region and removed from the bioreactor through the outlet port.