Uncoupling Foam Fractionation and Foam Adsorption for Enhanced Biosurfactant Synthesis and Recovery

The production of biosurfactants is often hampered by excessive foaming in the bioreactor, impacting system scale-up and downstream processing. Foam fractionation was proposed to tackle this challenge by combining in situ product removal with a pre-purification step. In previous studies, foam fractionation was coupled to bioreactor operation, hence it was operated at suboptimal parameters. Here, we use an external fractionation column to decouple biosurfactant production from foam fractionation, enabling continuous surfactant separation, which is especially suited for system scale-up. As a subsequent product recovery step, continuous foam adsorption was integrated into the process. The configuration is evaluated for rhamnolipid (RL) or 3-(3-hydroxyalkanoyloxy)alkanoic acid (HAA, i.e., RL precursor) production by recombinant non-pathogenic Pseudomonas putida KT2440. Surfactant concentrations of 7.5 gRL/L and 2.0 gHAA/L were obtained in the fractionated foam. 4.7 g RLs and 2.8 g HAAs could be separated in the 2-stage recovery process within 36 h from a 2 L culture volume. With a culture volume scale-up to 9 L, 16 g RLs were adsorbed, and the space-time yield (STY) increased by 31% to 0.21 gRL/L·h. We demonstrate a well-performing process design for biosurfactant production and recovery as a contribution to a vital bioeconomy.

An Analysis of Increasing the Purity of Ethylene Production in the Ethylene Fractionation Column by the Genetic Algorithm

Distillation columns are among the most common fractionation systems with numerous applications in petrochemical units. Hence, the optimization of these columns is a large step in reducing energy consumption and increasing process productivity. This study was, therefore, carried out as a case study of the simulation and optimization of the parameters influencing the ethylene production of the ethylene distillation column in an olefin unit. The two defined objective functions in this research were maximum mass flow of ethylene in the upstream flow of the distillation column and the minimum energy consumption in the distillation column. The optimal operating conditions for the independent variables were estimated using the NSGAII algorithm. The sensitivity analysis of the results was, thereafter, carried out and the optimization results introduced tray no. 71 as the most suitable feed location. In addition, the optimal reflux ratio and the optimal feed flow temperature were 5.26 and −18.49 °C, respectively. In this condition, the upstream ethylene flow rate and energy consumption in the unit increased by approximately 0.74 % and 0.9 % as compared to the initial conditions, respectively.

OPTIMALISASI KINERJA KOLOM FRAKSINASI DI PT X

Fractionation column in PT X is a unit of equipment that aims to separate the gas component wherein the composition is primarily a mixture of propylene and propane C3 to C4 mixture. Based on the calculation of the operating data obtained results C3 on product purity level of 98.92% upper and purity levels of C4 in the bottom product of 86.27%. From the correlation analysis of process variables on the dependent variable that is used as a parameter optimization are purity levels of C3 in the top products and product purity C4 at the bottom of the results showed that the most significant process variables influence is a bottom temperature and the amount of reflux flow. Of the two variables are then conducted regression analysis to optimize the parameters to obtain the objective function. Based on the results of the objective function obtained optimal condition is a bottom temperature of 108,04oC and reflux amount of 61.44 tons/hour. Then the results obtained purity levels of C3 in the upper part of the product is 99.99% and purity of C4 at the bottom of the product by 97.00%. Of the economic calculation under optimal conditions fractionation column will be obtained potential profit of Rp 44,346,666 /day. Keywords: Optimization, Performance, Fractionation