In a process, ethanol is produced from corn using hydrolysis and subsequent fermentation of the starch-derived sugar fraction. The residues are used to feed cattle. a. Which type of biorefinery is this? b. Characterize the complexity using the \(B C I\).

To identify the type of biorefinery in the given process, we need to know about the different types of biorefineries. Generally, biorefineries can be classified into four types: 1. Lignocellulosic-feedstock biorefinery: This type of biorefinery mainly uses lignocellulosic biomass as feedstock (e.g., agricultural residues, forest residues, herbaceous and woody crops). 2. Whole-crop biorefinery: In this type, the entire plant is used as feedstock and processes within the biorefinery are integrated to produce multiple products. 3. Green biorefinery: This type of biorefinery processes green biomass and separates it into various components that can be further converted into various products. 4. Two-platform biorefinery: This biorefinery concept is based on processing both the sugar and lignocellulosic fractions of biomass separately and converting them into different products.

In the given process, ethanol is being produced from corn using hydrolysis and the residues are used to feed cattle. Since the entire corn (starch-derived sugar fraction along with residues) is used for different purposes, it falls under the whole-crop biorefinery category. So, the answer for part a is: This is a Whole-crop Biorefinery.

To characterize the complexity of the given process, we need to explore the concept of \(BCI\). The Biorefinery Complexity Index (\(BCI\)) is a metric that aims to measure the complexity of a biorefinery process considering various factors such as the number of feedstocks used, process steps, unit operations, and products generated. The higher the \(BCI\) value, the more complex the biorefinery process is.

In the given process, ethanol is produced from corn using hydrolysis and subsequent fermentation of the starch-derived sugar fraction. The residues are used as livestock feed. There are a limited number of process steps and only two main products are generated: ethanol and cattle feed. Considering the limited process steps and number of products, the \(BCI\) value for this process would be relatively low, indicating low complexity. So, the answer for part b is: The complexity of this biorefinery process, in terms of \(BCI\), is relatively low.