From bioreactors to bubbles to bacteria: on multi-scale interactions in gas fermentations

One of the major challenges mankind faces nowadays is combating climate change. A substantial fraction of greenhouse gases are released by industrial processes, as steelmaking, (oil)refinery and waste processing. Emissions from these processes can partly be prevented with a recently developed technology called gas fermentation. Within this...

High-resolution computation predicts that low dissolved CO concentrations and CO gradients promote ethanol production at industrial-scale gas fermentation

Gradients in dissolved gas concentrations are expected to affect the performance of large reactors for anaerobic gas (CO, H2, CO2) fermentation. To study how these gradients, and the dissolved gas concentration level itself, influence the productivity of the desired product ethanol and the product spectrum of C. autoethanogenum, we coupled a CFD...

Life Cycle Assessment of steel off-gas fermentation in the context of alternative PET sourcing routes for textiles

The global production of textiles carries a significant share in global greenhouse gas emissions, with a demand projected to grow. Especially for scope 3 emissions, materials play a significant role, with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as a dominating fibre material with unique properties. Virgin PET based on fossil oil as the conventional...

Effect of Substrate Concentration & Elevated CO2 Partial Pressure on the Odd & Even Carboxylate Formation

Of all the greenhouse gases (GHGs), carbon dioxide (CO2) has been the target of most climate recovery efforts as it is the most abundantly emitted GHG by mass. In fact, in 2015 a legally binding international treaty was adopted by 196 parties in Paris, France to constrain the anthropogenic warming to 1.5-2.0˚C above the pre-industrial level. In...

Decarbonizing ethanol production via gas fermentation: Impact of the CO/H₂/CO₂ mix source on greenhouse gas emissions and production costs

This study explores key success factors for ethanol production via fermentation of gas streams, by assessing the effects of eight process variables driving the fermentation performance on the production costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Three fermentation feedstocks are assessed: off-gases from the steel industry, lignocellulosic biomass...