Abstract
Abstract Little research has been done regarding the effect of biomass feed composition and process pretreatment type on the economic viability of the conversion of biomass to ethanol via biochemical pathways. In this study, a mixed-integer nonlinear program consisting of mass balances and cost correlations is proposed and used to find the optimal feedstock composition and pretreatment method required for the minimum ethanol selling price (MESP) of such a plant. It is found that the MESP is $2.07 per gallon using a feedstock of primarily corn stover and switchgrass and a dilute sulfuric acid pretreatment method. Sensitivity analyses show the MESP to be most affected by the corn stover and enzyme costs as well as the payback period of the capital costs. The MESP found here is very competitive with other leading biomass to liquid fuels processes in the literature, including catalytic pyrolysis and the MixAlco™ process, suggesting it is a viable option for renewable energy production.
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