Development of a mathematical model describing hydrolysis and co-fermentation of C6 and C5 sugars

Reliable production of biofuels and specifically bioethanol has attracted a significant amount of research recently. Within this context, this study deals with dynamic simulation of bioethanol production processes and in particular aims at developing a mathematical model for describing simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF) of C6 and C5 sugars. Model construction has been carried out by combining existing mathematical models for enzymatic hydrolysis on the one hand and co-fermentation on the other hand. An inhibition of ethanol on cellulose conversion was introduced in order to increase the degree of reliability. The mathematical model for the SSCF has been tested for a modified version of the process flowsheet proposed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The model can now be used to evaluate different process configurations for 2G bioethanol production using corn stover as a feedstock.