PROCESS FLOW

DIAGRAM AND
PROCESS
DESCRIPTION
Process Description

The molasses feed from the storage tank, the supplied corn steep liquor, CO2, and water are each divided

into two streams: one of which flows to the seed fermenter F-101 while the other is pumped to the primary

fermenter F-102. E. coli cells are pumped directly to the seed fermenter F-101. The seed fermenter allows

the E. coli to replicate under aerobic conditions and a pH of 7. The E. coli cells from the seed fermenter is

pumped to the primary fermenter F-102. The fermenter is kept at 1.2 bar by sparging in carbon dioxide. The

fermenters are also kept at a pH below 6 by a concentrated hydrochloric acid control stream. The

continuous reciprocating pusher, CF-101 then separates the ash in the molasses (12%), ash in the CSL

(17%), and the E coli cell solids from the BDO, water, and dissolved minerals in the liquid stream. The solid

output will contain some E. coli, but 80% of the solids stream will be recycled to the fermenter to prevent

concentration of cells in the fermenter from varying too much. The liquid overflow will be captured and held

in an eight-hour holding tank V-102 before being fed into the distillation column. To separate the minerals,

solutes, and other impurities in the feed stream, oleic acid was fed to the distillation tower D-102. The

partial condenser E-103 will condense the BDO, but not the water. A portion of BDO will be sent back to the

column as reflux, while the other portion will be sent to day tank V-103 as a final product. The water, on the

other hand, will be sent to another flash column FV-101, where the carbon dioxide that came out of solution

when the pressure changed, will drawn off. The remaining water will be sent to the decanter. In order to

recover the minerals contained in our oleic acid stream from the distillation tower, we will feed this stream

to a decanter DC-101 along with water. The water-soluble minerals will dissolve in the water and be mixed

in with the solid purge from the centrifuge. The pure oleic acid will be recycled to the distillation tower to

perform its original duty as a mineral sink. Fresh oleic acid will also be fed into the distillation tower to

reduce the buildup of minerals, in the event that the decanting does not completely transfer the minerals to

the water. A static mixer will be placed before the decanter to allow thorough mixing of the oleic acid,

minerals and water. After separation from the stream in the reflux condenser, the product stream will be
held into an eight-hour day tank V-103 before being shipped.