# US 8,535,413 B2 · Integrated mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) and membrane vapor permeation process for ethanol recovery (ethanol dehydration) from fermentation broth

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- Number: US 8,535,413 B2
- Document ID: US8535413B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/972,098
- Filed: 2010-12-17
- Published: 2011-12-29
- Granted: 2013-09-17
- Earliest claimed: 2009-12-28
- Assignees: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
- Applicants: Paul Bryan; Oluwasijibomi Okeowo
- Inventors: Paul Bryan; Oluwasijibomi Okeowo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8535413B2

## CPC

- C12M 21/12: {for producing fuels or solvents (C12M21/04 takes precedence; liquid carbonaceous fuels C10L1/00, solid fuels C10L5/00)}
- B01D 61/363: {Vapour permeation}
- 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
- B01D 2311/04: Specific process operations in the feed stream; Feed pretreatment
- B01D 2311/2688: Biological processes
- Y02C 20/40: of CO2
- Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
- 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)}
- Y02C: CAPTURE, STORAGE, SEQUESTRATION OR DISPOSAL OF GREENHOUSE GASES [GHG]
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

An apparatus and process is taught for the formation of ethanol from a fermentation medium in the absence of an ethanol concentration distillation step.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fermentation process to recover ethanol which comprises:
a. providing a fermentor capable of being charged with water, a fermentation enhancer and a source for the creation of the ethanol of the fermentation reaction;
b. operating the fermentor at a temperature where the vapor pressure of the water-ethanol vapor phase mixture is sufficient to permit a membrane separator to concentrate the ethanol;
c. flowing a gas into the fermentor to enhance the ethanol separation in the water-ethanol vapor phase;
d. passing the water-ethanol vapor phase mixture through a compressor into a membrane separation unit;
e. recovering ethanol from the membrane separation unit as the permeate;
f. passing the stream reduced in ethanol back into the fermentor;
g. and passing a water CO2 stream through a membrane to separate CO2 for recycle into the fermentor and a concentrated H2O stream for discharge or recycle into the fermentor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1 wherein the fermentor is operated from a temperature of about 75° C. to about 100° C.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2 wherein the fermentation enhancer is a bacterium is selected from the group consisting of Clostridium thermocellum; Clostridium thermohydrosulfurium; Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius; Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus; Thermoanaerobacter finnii; Thermoanaerobacter mathranii; Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum and Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1 wherein the product of Step C is passed through a compressor and into a membrane selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic polymers, mixed matrix membranes, and monolithic zeolite membranes.

### Claim 5

An apparatus for the production of ethanol comprising:
a fermentor capable of holding a source material for fermentation into ethanol, a fermentation catalyst to accelerate the formation of ethanol, and a suspending medium, said fermentor including an inlet for charging the fermentation materials to the fermentor, a vapor outlet capable of accepting an ethanol containing vapor, and a byproduct outlet capable of accepting solids and waste by products from the fermentation;
a conduit connected to the vapor outlet in one end;
a compressor connected to the conduit on the one end opposite thereto, said compressor having a low pressure inlet side connected to the conduit, and a higher pressure outlet side connected to a membrane separation unit;
said membrane separation unit having an inlet to accept the pressurized stream from the compressor and capable of creating an ethanol concentrated stream for recovery and a stream depleted in ethanol to be recycled to the fermentor; and
a unit attached to the fermentor by a conduit said unit capable of separating the fermentation solids broth into a CO2 portion and a water disposal portion and/or a water recycle portion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the fermentor is from 100 to 100,000 gallons.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the compressor is capable of compressing the water-ethanol vapor from a pressure of about 1 atm to a pressure of about 10 atm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the membrane is selected from a group consisting of zeolite; PDMS; and combinations thereof.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The apparatus according to claim 5 further including means to add fresh fermentation medium, catalyst, and water to the ethanol depleted recycle stream.