4839053

BIOMASS GROWTH PROCESS WITH SEPARATE AERATION

AND MEDIA COMPARTMENTS

Charles E Tharp assigned to Ashbrook-Simon- Hartley Carp; Simon-Hart1

A process and an apparatus is provided for growing biomass from a supply of nutrient in a manner which permits precise control of the bio- mass growth environment. A reaction vessel in- cludes a media-free compartment and a media compartment which retains biomass support bodies. A screen separates the two compart- ments Nutrient is circulated through the media compartment, passed through the screen and is oxygenated and/or re-circulated between said compartments. As shown in FIG. 3, additional pairs of media-free and media compartments can be connected in series to provide a single reaction vessel. Suspended or packed biomass support bodies can be used and can be continuously or intermittently removed for cleaning.

484o!m2

CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR ETHANOL PRODUCTION BY BACTERIAL FERMENTATION

USING PH CONTROL

Hugh G Lawford, Mississauga, Canada as- signed to George Weston Limited

A continuous process for the production of ethanol by fermentation of an organism of the genus Zymomonas is provided. The method is carried out by cultivating the organism under substantially steady state, anaerobic conditions and under conditions in which ethanol produc- tion is substantially uncoupled from cell growth. By controlling pH in the fermentation medium

between a pH of about 3.8 and a pH less than 4.5, it is possible to optimize kinetic parameters, such as cp (g substrate/g biomass-hr-1) and op (g ethanol/g biomass-hr-1) without adversely af- fecting ethanol concentration in the fermenta- tion medium.

-3

PROCESS FOR PRODUCING ETHANOL FROM PLANT

BIOMASS USING THE FUNGUS PAECILOMYCES SP.

Jung Fu Wu assigned to The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy

A process for producing ethanol from plant bio- mass is disclosed. The process in eludes forming a substrate from the biomass with the substrate including hydrolysates of cellulose and hemi- cellulose. A species of the fungus Paecilomyces, which has the ability to ferment both cellobiose and xylose to ethanol, is then selected and isolated. The substrate is inoculated with this fungus, and the inoculated substrate is then fer- mented under conditions favorable for cell vi- ability and conversion of hydrolysates to ethanol. Finally, ethanol is recovered from the fermented substrate.

4851350

MICROBIAL DESULFURIZATION OF COAL

Stanley E Stevens, Wilella D Burgess assigned to The Standard Oil Company

A process for the microbial desulfurization of the coal utilizing Hansenula sydowiorum, Hansenula ciferrii, Hansenula lynferdii, and/or Cryptococcus albidus.

Fuels, Chemicals and Metals from Bioprocesses