A Technoeconomic Platform for Early-Stage Process Design and Cost Estimation of Joint Fermentative‒Catalytic Bioprocessing

Mothi Bharath Viswanathan,Kurt A Rosentrater,D Raj Raman,Brent H Shanks

doi:10.3390/pr8020229

Abstract

Technoeconomic analyses using established tools such as SuperPro Designer® require a level of detail that is typically unavailable at the early stage of process evaluation. To facilitate this, members of our group previously created a spreadsheet-based process modeling and technoeconomic platform explicitly aimed at joint fermentative‒catalytic biorefinery processes. In this work, we detail the reorganization and expansion of this model—ESTEA2 (Early State Technoeconomic Analysis, version 2), including detailed design and cost calculations for new unit operations. Furthermore, we describe ESTEA2 validation using ethanol and sorbic acid process. The results were compared with estimates from the literature, SuperPro Designer® (Version 8.5, Intelligen Inc., Scotch Plains, NJ, 2013), and other third-party process models. ESTEA2 can perform a technoeconomic analysis for a joint fermentative‒catalytic process with just 12 user-supplied inputs, which, when modeled in SuperPro Designer®, required approximately eight additional inputs such as equipment design configurations. With a reduced amount of user information, ESTEA2 provides results similar to those in the literature, and more sophisticated models (ca. 7%–11% different).

Highlights

Developing new biobased chemical processes is challenging, as evidenced by the multiple projects that have failed at the commercial stage [1,2]
At the early stages of process development, many of these process parameters are unknown, but this is exactly when the cost information related to the product’s scope and sustainability is most needed [6]. Recognizing this paradox, and driven by the work being conducted by multiple scientists and engineers as part of the NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC) [7,8], Claypool and Raman developed BioPET (Biorenewables Process Evaluation Tool), an Excel-based modeling and analysis tool that can be used by researchers as they evaluate potential biobased chemical pathways [9]
ESTEA2 is capable of modeling a single fermentation product to multiple end products, allowing a maximum of eight downstream unit operations for separation, catalytic conversion, and purification processes

Summary

Introduction

Developing new biobased chemical processes is challenging, as evidenced by the multiple projects that have failed at the commercial stage [1,2]. Technoeconomic analysis at the early stages of development can reduce risks by providing a better understanding of the challenges facing a new processing system Such analyses provide valuable technical and financial information to address project bottlenecks and better scale-up opportunities [3,4]. At the early stages of process development, many of these process parameters are unknown, but this is exactly when the cost information related to the product’s scope and sustainability is most needed [6] Recognizing this paradox, and driven by the work being conducted by multiple scientists and engineers as part of the NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC) [7,8], Claypool and Raman developed BioPET (Biorenewables Process Evaluation Tool), an Excel-based modeling and analysis tool that can be used by researchers as they evaluate potential biobased chemical pathways [9]

Methods

Results

Conclusion