Feasibility Study on Bioethanol Production by One Phase Transition Separation Based on Advanced Solid-State Fermentation

To fulfill the consumption demand of low-cost fuel ethanol, an advanced process for feedstock fermentation and bioethanol extraction was required. This study proposed a process of combined continuous solid-state distillation and vapor permeation to extract ethanol from fermented sweet sorghum bagasse on the basis of advanced solid-state fermentation technology. Ethanol undergoes only one phase transition separation in the whole process, which drastically reduces energy consumption compared to the repeating phase transitions that occur in conventional bioethanol production. The mass balance and energy consumption of combining processes were simulated overall. A techno-economic evaluation was conducted on the flowsheet. Costs and profit of fuel ethanol produced by one phase transition separation bioethanol-producing technology were comprehensively calculated. The results of the present study show that the proposed process is an energy efficient and cost-effective alternative to conventional bioethanol production.