Thesis Archive
Design, Fabrication,and Testing of Wetted Wall Column for carbon capture using aqueous ammonia (2011)
Siy, Stephanie Jane
Villanueva, Janina Charisse
Abstract:
-“Due to gradual depletion of fossil fuels, especially liquid fuels, studies are now focused on identifying potential raw materials for alternative liquid fuels such as bioethanol. Problems on the use of alternative feedstock for bioethanol production cannot be avoided. These major gaps were identified as characteristics of feedstock, sources of enzymes and reactor efficiency. It is in this sense that the major problems identified, generally define the basis of bioethanol production. To address these problems, a bioreactor that utilizes membrane separation modules, sweet sorghum and rumen fluid was used in this study. This study was able to fabricate and evaluate a bioreactor that utilizes hollow fiber membrane modules. Results have shown that pH of 7.0 and 7.2 yielded the highest glucose content for sweet sorghum grains and sweet sorghum stalks, respectively. In addition, results have confirmed the presence of soluble sugar utilizers. This soluble sugar utilizing microbes were observed as competitors of fiber degrading microbes in the rumen fluid bacterial consortium. An increase and decrease in glucose content were seen as evidences for the activity of fiber degrading microbes and sugar utilizing microbes. Also, results have shown that utilizing hollow fiber membrane modules increased ethanol yield. Separation of undesired products from the hydrolase such as inactive microbes lessened the inhibition of the fermentation process. Lessening the inhibition increased the activity of yeast that resulted to an increased fermentation yields.
Bioreactors that use hollow fiber membrane were seen as potential solutions in addressing major problems in bioethanol production. These bioreactors cannot be ignored because results of this study have confirmed the significance of such bioreactors.”
Adviser:
Susan Roces
Nathaniel Dugos