Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 15: Problem 2

In a biorefinery concept, biomass is pretreated using organosolv so that a cellulose stream is produced that does not dissolve in the organic solvent and is used for paper production; the lignin and hemicellulose parts, though, dissolve and are further separated; the lignin is burned for steam production and the hemicellulose is hydrolyzed to sugars with production of furanic compounds for blending into transportation fuel. Which type of biorefinery is this?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: The biorefinery being described is a lignocellulosic biorefinery.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the concept of a biorefinery

A biorefinery is a facility that integrates biomass conversion processes to produce a variety of valuable products such as fuels, chemicals, and materials. There are several types of biorefineries, each with its unique processes and products.
02

Identify key elements in the description

From the given description, some primary processes and products to pay attention to are: 1. Biomass pretreatment using organosolv 2. Production of cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose streams 3. Cellulose used for paper production 4. Lignin burned for steam production 5. Hemicellulose hydrolyzed to sugars to produce furanic compounds for blending in transportation fuel
03

Compare the description with known biorefinery types

We can compare these key elements to various known biorefinery types. Some common biorefinery types include: 1. Sugar biorefineries (focus on sugar as main product, lignocellulosic biomass not used) 2. Whole crop biorefineries (use entire plant to produce bio-based products) 3. Thermochemical biorefineries (process biomass using high-temperature treatments) 4. Lignocellulosic biorefineries (use lignocellulose-rich biomass and focus on its fractionation for a variety of products)
04

Match key elements to the biorefinery type

As the description focuses on the fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass into cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin and further processing of these fractions for different products, the type of biorefinery in this case closely resembles the lignocellulosic biorefinery.
05

Conclude which type of biorefinery it is

Based on the key elements and processes outlined in the given description, it can be concluded that the biorefinery under consideration is a lignocellulosic biorefinery.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Mention the main differences between an oil refinery and a biorefinery.

A company producing cola wants to increase the production of "green bottles" made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate). Therefore, they plan to build a plant to produce ethylene glycol (one of the two monomers of PET) from sugarcane residues (bagasse). The capacity will be \(500 \mathrm{kt}\).year \({ }^{-1}\). a. Make a block process diagram of how this biorefinery could look like. b. Give the main reactions taking place in the process leading to ethylene glycol. c. How much bagasse (kt.year \(^{-1}\) ) would be needed in this process when bagasse is assumed to consist of \(38 \mathrm{wt} \%\) cellulose \((\mathrm{db}), 27 \mathrm{wt} \%\) hemicellulose, \(20 \mathrm{wt} \%\) lignin, \(3 \mathrm{wt} \%\) proteins, \(9 \mathrm{wt} \%\) extractives (water soluble), and \(3 \mathrm{wt} \%\) ash. Consider ethanol to be an intermediate product, which is only made from the cellulose part via enzymatic hydrolysis and subsequent sugar fermentation. d. Which products can be made from the noncellulosic part of bagasse?

Sometimes, one sees the term "oleochemical-based biorefinery." What is meant by this term and can you give a few examples?

Gonzalez et al. (2012) report on the cost of different types of equipment in a biorefinery concept for cellulosic ethanol production using gasification. What is the explanation for investment scale factors smaller than one? What is the explanation for scale factors larger than one? In case of a huge scale factor, what would you propose?

A biorefinery process called "Biofine" has been presented in the recent past (Kamm and Kamm, 2004). It is a biomass-based process route making use of acid hydrolysis and dehydration subprocesses and esterification with ethanol to ethyl levulinate (EL) (an ester of levulinic acid and ethanol). By-products considered are power and formic acid (FA). The production of EL is \(133 \mathrm{kt}\). year \(^{-1}\). The capital cost is 150 million US\$ (consider linear depreciation in 10 years). Table \(15.8\) gives an overview of the prices of the raw materials and by-products. In addition, the water supply costs are US\$ 500,000/year. Regarding labor, there are 17 operators per shift working at a salary of US\$ \(20 / \mathrm{h}\) and two supervisors per shift working at a salary of US\$ \(24 / \mathrm{h}\). Assume an ROI of \(15 \%\). For other costs, take the guidelines given in this chapter (Table 15.6). a. Calculate the cost and return price in US $\$$ per tonne EL produced. b. What is the price in US \$ per GJ HHV? (hint: calculate the heat of combustion of EL). c. Is it possible to produce the required ethanol in the process itself? TABLE 15.8 Overview of costs, yields of by-products, and material amounts for the "Biofine"' process $$ \begin{array}{lll} \text { Raw material/utility/by-product } &{\text { Amount }} & \text { Price in US\$ } \\ \hline \text { Feedstock } & 350 \mathrm{kt} \cdot \mathrm{year}^{-1} & 40 \cdot \mathrm{t}^{-1} \\ \text { Sulfuric acid } & 3.5 \mathrm{kt} \cdot \mathrm{year}^{-1} & 100 \cdot \mathrm{t}^{-1} \\ \text { Caustic soda } & 0.5 \mathrm{kt} \cdot \mathrm{year}^{-1} & 120 \cdot \mathrm{t}^{-1} \\ \text { Ethanol } & 35 \mathrm{kt} \cdot \text { year }^{-1} & 350 \cdot \mathrm{t}^{-1} \\ \text { Hydrogen } & 0.12 \mathrm{kt} \cdot \mathrm{year}^{-1} & 1500 \cdot \mathrm{t}^{-1} \\ \text { Ash disposal } & 17.5 \mathrm{kt} \cdot \mathrm{year}^{-1} & 35 \cdot \mathrm{t}^{-1} \\ \text { Power exported } & 3.1 \mathrm{MW} & 60 \mathrm{MWh}^{-1} \\ \text { Formic acid sold } & 38.5 \mathrm{kt} \cdot \mathrm{year}^{-1} & 110 \cdot \mathrm{t}^{-1} \\ \hline \end{array} $$
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Environmental Science Textbooks

Sustainability

Read Explanation

Environmental Policy

Read Explanation

Energy Resources

Read Explanation

Biological Resources

Read Explanation

Ecology Research

Read Explanation

Pollution

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free