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Scale‐up of industrial biodiesel production to 40 m 3 using a liquid lipase formulation
Author(s) -
Price Jason,
Nordblad Mathias,
Martel Hannah H.,
Chrabas Brent,
Wang Huali,
Nielsen Per Munk,
Woodley John M.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.25936
Subject(s) - continuous stirred tank reactor , biodiesel , lipase , transesterification , biodiesel production , batch reactor , pulp and paper industry , chemistry , process engineering , environmental science , chromatography , methanol , catalysis , enzyme , engineering , organic chemistry
ABSTRACT In this work, we demonstrate the scale‐up from an 80 L fed‐batch scale to 40 m 3 along with the design of a 4 m 3 continuous process for enzymatic biodiesel production catalyzed by NS‐40116 (a liquid formulation of a modified Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase). Based on the analysis of actual pilot plant data for the transesterification of used cooking oil and brown grease, we propose a method applying first order integral analysis to fed‐batch data based on either the bound glycerol or free fatty acid content in the oil. This method greatly simplifies the modeling process and gives an indication of the effect of mixing at the various scales (80 L to 40 m 3 ) along with the prediction of the residence time needed to reach a desired conversion in a CSTR. Suitable process metrics reflecting commercial performance such as the reaction time, enzyme efficiency, and reactor productivity were evaluated for both the fed‐batch and CSTR cases. Given similar operating conditions, the CSTR operation on average, has a reaction time which is 1.3 times greater than the fed‐batch operation. We also showed how the process metrics can be used to quickly estimate the selling price of the enzyme. Assuming a biodiesel selling price of 0.6 USD/kg and a one‐time use of the enzyme (0.1% (w/w oil ) enzyme dosage); the enzyme can then be sold for 30 USD/kg which ensures that that the enzyme cost is not more than 5% of the biodiesel revenue. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1719–1728. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.