Influence of exponentially decreasing feeding rates on fed-batch ethanol fermentation of sugar cane blackstrap molasses

Summary The ethanol yield was not affected and the ethanol productivity was increased when exponentially decreasing feeding rates were used instead of constant feeding rates in fed batch ethanol fermentations. The influences of the initial sugar feeding rate on the ethanol productivity, on the constant ethanol production rate during the feeding phase and on the initial ethanol production specific rate are represented by Monod-like equations.Nomenclature F reactor feeding rate (L.h^–1) - F_o initial reactor feeding rate (L.h^–1) - K time constant; see equation (l) (h^–1) - M_E mass of ethanol in the fermentor (g) - M_s mass of TRS in the fermentor (g) - M_x mass of yeast cells (dry matter) in the fermentor (g) - P ethanol productivity (g.L^–1.h^–1) - R ethanol constant production rate during the feeding phase (g.h^–1) - s standard deviation - S_o TRS concentration in the feeding mash (g.L^–1) - t time (h) - T fermentor filling-up-time (h) - T time necessary to complete the fermentation (h) - TRS total reducing sugars calculated as glucose (g.L^–1) - V_o volume of the inoculum (L) - V_f final volume of medium in the fermentor (L) - X_o yeast concentration of the inoculum (dry matter) (g.L^–1) - ethanol yield (% of the theoretical value) - initial specific rate of ethanol production (h^–1)