Multi-Objective Sustainability Optimization of Biomass Residues to Ethanol via Gasification and Syngas Fermentation: Trade-Offs between Profitability, Energy Efficiency, and Carbon Emissions

This work presents a strategy for optimizing the production process of ethanol via integrated gasification and syngas fermentation, a conversion platform of growing interest for its contribution to carbon recycling. The objective functions (minimum ethanol selling price (MESP), energy efficiency, and carbon footprint) were evaluated for the...

Sustainability optimization of the thermo-biochemical pathway for the production of second-generation ethanol

Renewable energy plays a key role in the fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while providing for human well-being and economic development. However, despite environmental benefits in terms of carbon sequestration, largely promoted biorenewable resources such as sugarcane and corn starch, so-called 1st generation (1G) feedstocks, are...

Production of ethanol fuel via syngas fermentation: Optimization of economic performance and energy efficiency

In this work, a model was developed to predict the performance of a bubble column reactor for syngas fermentation and the subsequent recovery of anhydrous ethanol. The model was embedded in an optimization framework which employs surrogate models (artificial neural networks) and multi-objective genetic algorithm to optimize different process...

Environmental trade-offs of renewable jet fuels in Brazil: Beyond the carbon footprint

The use of renewable jet fuels (RJFs) is an option for meeting the greenhouse gases (GHG) reduction targets of the aviation sector. Therefore, most of the studies have focused on climate change indicators, but other environmental impacts have been disregarded. In this paper, an attributional life cycle assessment is performed for ten RJF...

Dynamic modeling of syngas fermentation in a continuous stirred-tank reactor: Multi-response parameter estimation and process optimization

Syngas fermentation is one of the bets for the future sustainable biobased economies due to its potential as an intermediate step in the conversion of waste carbon to ethanol fuel and other chemicals. Integrated with gasification and suitable downstream processing, it may constitute an efficient and competitive route for the valorization of...