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PhD Thesis - Energy Systems Research Unit - University of Strathclyde

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feedstock being used. Sugary feedstocks (such as sugar beet or fruit waste)<br />

require crushing and mixing with water in order to release these sugars. Starchy<br />

feedstocks may require grinding or milling to free the starchy material, and<br />

cooking in water to dissolve and gelatinise the starch. Cellulosic materials may<br />

require chipping or similar pre-processing. Hydrolysis <strong>of</strong> starchy and cellulosic<br />

feedstocks is then necessary, where enzymes are added to break down the starch<br />

and cellulose to glucose and fructose. The exothermic fermentation process<br />

may then take place where the produced sugars are diluted in water, and yeast or<br />

other organisms are added to break down the sugars and convert them to ethanol<br />

in solution with water (roughly 10% ethanol by volume). Distillation then takes<br />

place to remove the water and other wastes, to produce 95% ethanol by volume<br />

[68,75]. An overview <strong>of</strong> the general ethanol production process is given in<br />

Figure 2.7.<br />

Various residues are produced by this process. The non-soluble component<br />

separated before fermentation, and the solids separated after fermentation, are<br />

known as stillage. This can be used as an animal feed or fertiliser, sent to an<br />

anaerobic digester, or dried and used directly as a fuel in boilers, engines or<br />

turbines. The liquid remaining after distillation is known as vinasse, and this<br />

may be sent to an anaerobic digester, or used as an animal feed or fertiliser [17].<br />

Again, small-scale production <strong>of</strong> ethanol by fermentation is batch-wise, and<br />

various larger scale commercial continuous processes also exist [76-78]. The<br />

time for one batch can be between two to four days, but a few fermenters can be<br />

run simultaneously to allow a daily production. Batch production processes can<br />

take up to two tonnes <strong>of</strong> feedstock per batch, and continuous ethanol production<br />

plants can process from 15 kg/hr upwards. The amount <strong>of</strong> ethanol and carbon<br />

dioxide produced, and the amount <strong>of</strong> electricity and heat required vary with the<br />

feedstock and process being used. A substantial use is <strong>of</strong>ten made <strong>of</strong> crop<br />

residues and stillage to provide some or all <strong>of</strong> the process energy requirements<br />

[79-81]. A large amount <strong>of</strong> water is required for this process, which makes it<br />

unsuitable for some areas.<br />

55

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