Continuous Ethanol Production from Starch by Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation in a Tapered Column Fermentor

역원추형 발효조에서의 동시당화발효에 의한 전분으로 부터의 연속 에탄올 발효

In an attempt to develop a novel process for ethanol production from starch, a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process using Zymomonas mobilis and amyloglucosidase (AMG) was studied in continuous modes. Compared with a conventional cylindrical column type of fermentor, the tapered column type of fermentor was found to be superior in terms of reactor performance for ethanol fermentation. The tapered columm fermentor packed with coimmobilized Z. mobilis and AMG alleviated the problems which were associated with CO2 evolution and provided a significantly better flow pattern for both liquid and gas phases in the fermentor without channelling. However, the fluidized bed type of tapered column fermentor using flocculent strain of Z. mobiles and immobilized AMG showed lower productivity (5.2g/1/h) than that of packed bed type of tapered column fermentor(9.2g/l/h).