Synthesis of Integrated Biomass Fermenter- Digester for Fuel Production

Due to the diminishing fossil fuel reserves, alternatives energy sources need to be
renewable, sustainable, efficient, cost effective and safe. Biomass has huge potential to
generate renewable fuel oil replacing fossil fuel in our country. There are many options
of process technologies to produce biofuel such as Pyrolysis and Fermentation. The
objectives of this study to synthesis a conceptual integrated process for the production
of renewable fuel.
This study covers the feedstock, production, enzyme, chemical process, material energy
balance and simulation to produce fuel from a fermenter and an anaerobic digester
plant. The processes involve feed pre-treatment, reaction part and product recovery. The
data will be used or to synthesize a conceptual integrated process for fuel production.
Basis of 1 kilogram biomass in batch reactor produces 60.2% gases which include
methane, C02 and traces gases. Fermenter digester produces 41.6% liquid and solid
those contain liquid ethanol and sludge. 12.9"/o and 9.1% fuel production resulted from
anaerobic digestion and fermentation process. Heat capacity and kinetic energy used for
anaerobic digester are 32.5 kJ and 0.05 J respective values. Kinetic energy value is too
small and can be neglected. Heat capacity and kinetic energy used for fermentation are
32.1 kJ and 172.0 J respective values. The process energy efficiency for digester and
fermenter are 32.5 kJ!kg biomass and 32.1 kJikg biomass. Both bioprocess give high
percentage of energy produce.
Integrated biomass fermenter digester resulted in 338% Methane gas produce and 23%
Ethanol liquid. Sludge produce from the integrated plant will be further distillate to
obtain ethanol liquid. Economic potential using Deterministic approach evaluation
shows that this project investment assures profit.