# US 9,752,164 B2 · Enhanced efficiency ethanol and sugar conversion processes

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- Number: US 9,752,164 B2
- Document ID: US9752164B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/918,838
- Filed: 2013-06-14
- Published: 2013-12-19
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-06-15
- Assignees: Microvi Biotech, Inc.
- Applicants: Microvi Biotech Inc.
- Inventors: Fatemeh Razavi-Shirazi; Ameen Razavi; Norman Louis Balmer
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9752164B2

## CPC

- C12P 7/14: Multiple stages of fermentation; Multiple types of microorganisms or re-use of microorganisms
- C12N 11/04: entrapped within the carrier, e.g. gel or hollow fibres
- C12N 11/082: obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
- C12N 11/084: Polymers containing vinyl alcohol units
- C12N 11/087: Acrylic polymers
- C12N 11/089: obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
- C12N 11/093: Polyurethanes
- C12N 11/096: Polyesters; Polyamides
- C12P 7/10: substrate containing cellulosic material
- C12P 2203/00: Fermentation products obtained from optionally pretreated or hydrolyzed cellulosic or lignocellulosic material as the carbon source
- Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
- 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)}
- 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

## Abstract

Overlay processes are disclosed for making ethanol that not only increase ethanol conversion but do so in a cost effective manner with a reduction in energy requirements per unit of ethanol production. The processes can provide, if desired, higher organic compound as a co-product with ethanol.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for producing ethanol by the fermentation of biomass containing carbohydrate comprising:
a. hydrolyzing an admixture of water, enzyme and biomass under hydrolyzing conditions sufficient to convert carbohydrate by enzymatic hydrolysis and provide a hydrolysate containing pentose and hexose;
b. subjecting at least a portion of the hydrolysate of step (a) to fermentation conditions sufficient to convert at least a portion of the hexose to ethanol to provide an ethanol-containing fermentation broth containing solids and pentose, said fermentation conditions comprising the presence of microorganism capable of converting hexose to ethanol, and said ethanol-containing fermentation broth containing solids;
c. fractionating by distillation at least a portion of the ethanol-containing fermentation broth of step (b) to provide an ethanol product fraction and a whole stillage containing water, solids and unfermented sugars comprising pentose;
d. separating at least a portion of the whole stillage of step (c) to provide a thin stillage containing pentose and having an essential absence of solids and to provide a solids-containing fraction;
e. contacting under fermentation conditions in a fermentation zone at least a portion of the thin stillage of step (d) with biocatalyst said biocatalyst comprising:
i. a solid structure of hydrated hydrophilic polymer defining an interior structure having a plurality of interconnected major cavities having a smallest dimension of between about 5 and 100 microns and a Hydration Expansion Volume (HEV), which is calculated in volume percent, of about 1000 or more, and
ii. a population of microorganisms capable of converting pentose to ethanol substantially irreversibly retained in the interior of the solid structure, said population of microorganisms being in a concentration of about 60 grams per liter or more based upon the volume defined by the exterior of the solid structure when fully hydrated, to provide a treated thin stillage having a reduced pentose content and substantially no solids;
f. withdrawing the treated thin stillage from the fermentation zone of step (e) while retaining the biocatalyst in the fermentation zone;
g. evaporating water and ethanol from at least a portion of the treated thin stillage of step (f) to provide a concentrated solubles product and vapor; and
h. passing at least a portion of the evaporated water and ethanol of step (g) to step (a).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the fermentation of step (b) produces metabolites in addition to ethanol, the fermentation of step (e) converts at least a portion of the metabolites, and an aliquot portion of the treated thin stillage of step (e) is passed to step (a).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the evaporating of step (g) is conducted in at least two effects, and vapor from at least the first effect is passed to the fractionation of step (c), and vapor from at least the last effect is passed to step (a).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the thin stillage of step (d) comprises fermentable sugars in a concentration between about 10 and 50 grams per liter.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the thin stillage of step (d) comprises fermentable sugars in a concentration between about 3 and 40 grams per liter.