Cogeneration in integrated first and second generation ethanol from sugarcane

•Bagasse and trash can be used for second generation ethanol or electricity production.•Cogeneration was evaluated in integrated first and second generation ethanol production.•Simulation, economic and life cycle analyses were carried out.•Low pressure boilers lead to small gains in ethanol producti...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Chemical engineering research & design 2013-08, Vol.91 (8), p.1411-1417
Main Authors: Dias, Marina O.S., Junqueira, Tassia L., Cavalett, Otávio, Cunha, Marcelo P., Jesus, Charles D.F., Mantelatto, Paulo E., Rossell, Carlos E.V., Maciel Filho, Rubens, Bonomi, Antonio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biorefinery
Cogeneration
Economic analysis
Electricity
Ethanol
Ethyl alcohol
Feedstock
Fuels
Life cycle analysis
Lignocellulose
Pentose
Simulation
Steam electric power generation
Sugarcane
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:•Bagasse and trash can be used for second generation ethanol or electricity production.•Cogeneration was evaluated in integrated first and second generation ethanol production.•Simulation, economic and life cycle analyses were carried out.•Low pressure boilers lead to small gains in ethanol production.•High electricity surplus and pentoses fermentation to ethanol increase IRR. Sugarcane bagasse and trash are used as fuels in cogeneration systems for bioethanol production, supplying steam and electricity, but may also be used as feedstock for second generation ethanol. The amount of surplus lignocellulosic material used as feedstock depends on the energy consumption of the production process; residues of the pretreatment and hydrolysis operations (residual cellulose, lignin and eventually biogas from pentoses biodigestion) may be used as fuels and increase the amount of lignocellulosic material available as feedstock in hydrolysis. The configuration of the cogeneration system (boiler pressure, lignocellulosic material consumption and steam production, turbines efficiencies, among others) has a significant impact on consumption of fuel and electricity output; in the integrated first and second generation, it also affects overall ethanol production. Simulations of the integrated first and second generation ethanol production processes were carried out using Aspen Plus, comparing different configurations of the cogeneration systems and pentoses use (biodigestion and fermentation). Economic analysis shows that electricity sale can benefit second generation ethanol, even in relatively small amounts. Environmental analysis shows that the integrated first and second generation process has higher environmental impacts in most of the categories evaluated than first generation.
ISSN:0263-8762
DOI:10.1016/j.cherd.2013.05.009