Whey Ethanol Production via Lactose Crystallization and Kluyveromyces Fermentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for utilizing whey by-products, such as molasses, lack economic efficiency due to its high lactose content not being effectively utilized, resulting in minimal market value and disposal as animal feed or land spraying.
Innovation Solution
A process that involves the removal of proteins from whey by ultrafiltration, concentration of lactose, crystallization, and purification to produce lactose powder, followed by fermentation of the molasses using yeast from the Kluyveromyces genus to produce ethanol, with yeast recycling and distillation for enhanced efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If molasses is produced as a by-product in lactose powder manufacturing, then lactose powder can be produced with high market value, but the molasses has practically no market value and requires disposal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the concentration parameter of molasses by evaporating water to increase dry matter content from approximately 20% to 65-70%, making the molasses suitable for fermentation. This parameter transformation converts a low-value waste product into a fermentable substrate for ethanol production.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful aspect of molasses disposal (environmental burden, zero value) into a beneficial resource by using it as substrate for ethanol fermentation. The high lactose content that made molasses difficult to utilize is now the key resource for producing ethanol, turning a waste problem into an economic opportunity.
2Productivity
If conventional yeasts are used to ferment molasses with high lactose content, then fermentation should produce alcohol, but conventional yeasts cannot effectively ferment high-lactose molasses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the biological parameter by selecting and using yeast strains from the genus Kluyveromyces, which have specific physiological adaptations that enable them to effectively ferment high-lactose substrates. This strain selection overcomes the limitation of conventional yeasts that cannot handle high lactose concentrations.
3Quantity of substance
If yeast is added to ferment molasses, then ethanol can be produced, but the fermentation process requires optimization for high-alcohol content production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous or repeated batch fermentation processes with optimized parameters to maintain high ethanol production rates. The process ensures continuous conversion of lactose to ethanol through proper yeast inoculation, substrate feeding, and environmental control, maximizing productivity while managing process complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method achieves a higher total added value of €50 per 100 kg of dry matter from whey, producing 58 kg of lactose powder and 17 liters of ethanol, with the molasses being efficiently fermented to produce a high-alcohol content ethanol, overcoming the limitations of previous methods by utilizing Kluyveromyces yeasts and recycling yeast for improved economic efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
protein is removed from the whey by ultrafiltration
Implementation Method 2
the lactose contained in the concentrate is crystallized out, the crystallized lactose concentrate is further concentrated and purified
Implementation Method 3
the molasses is fermented by adding yeast, in particular from the Kluyveromyces marxianus strain
Implementation Method 4
the fermented substrate is distilled, and the raw alcohol obtained during the distillation
Data Source
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AI summary
Production of ethanol from whey, comprises: separating the proteins from the whey by ultra-filtration; separating water from the obtained permeate by e.g. membrane separation procedure; increasing the concentration of the obtained lactose concentrate; crystallizing the lactose contained in the concentrate; processing the crystallized lactose concentrate to obtained a highly concentrated lactose and molasses; fermenting the molasses by the addition of yeast; distillating and rectifying the fermented substrate; and dehydrating the raw alcohol. Production of ethanol from whey, comprises: separating the proteins from the whey by ultra-filtration; separating water from the obtained permeate by membrane separation procedure or an electro-dialysis or an ion-exchange procedure; increasing the concentration of the obtained lactose concentrate by vaporizing of at least 60% of dry mass; crystallizing the lactose contained in the concentrate; processing the crystallized lactose concentrate in a washing and concentration step to obtained a highly concentrated lactose and molasses; fermenting the molasses by the addition of yeast; distillating and rectifying the fermented substrate; and dehydrating the raw alcohol obtained by distillation and rectification in a downstream processing.