The Science of Ethanol

Dr. Walter E. Goldstein is President of Goldstein Consulting Company, offering services in chemical engineering and biotechnology (see www.goldconsul.com). He is called upon to improve processes and products in health care, consumer products, food, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and biofuels. He provides expertise to analyze product and process components, material defects, construction practice defects, and analyses of accidents causing injury. Many of his projects involve biotechnology processes that include mammalian cell, bacterial, and fungal/yeast propagation. He has extensive background in fermentation technology and development of products and processes in this field. He is also President and co-founder of a research and development firm with an active patent. Its objective is to produce universal blood from stem cells in a bioreactor process thereby avoiding use of donor blood for transfusion. He has been involved in bioprocess energy-related projects throughout his career. He was instrumental in leading research and development resulting in a commercial facility to produce ethanol (New Energy of Indiana, $180 million capital investment, 100 million gallons per year facility). His involvement in this book stems from his desire to impact on the alternative energy field in a manner that is synergistic with protecting the environment and helping businesses. Dr. Goldstein was Vice President for Biotechnology Research for Miles, Inc., a former division of Bayer, Inc. from 1982 to 1987. He was also Vice President and Director of Research for ESCA genetics Corporation, a plant sciences biotechnology company from 1988 to 1994. He founded Goldstein Consulting Company in 1994 and has been engaged in several entrepreneurial enterprises since that time. He founded and developed a forensic sciences DNA profiling training laboratory at the University of Nevada Las Vegas from 2003 to 2008. His past publications for Taylor and Francis are Sick Building Syndrome and Related Illness: prevention and remediation of mold contamination in 2011; and Pharmaceutical Accumulation in the Environment: prevention, control, health effects, and economic impact in 2014. He obtained his MBA from Michigan State University in 1968, and is a Registered Professional Engineer. Dr. Goldstein received his Doctorate’s in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 1973. He is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and Sigma Xi. He and his wife, Paula, reside in Las Vegas, Nevada. They have two children and four grandchildren.

Introduction

Yeast Biology and Bulk Manufacture of Ethanol

Processes to prepare ethanol using biotechnology

Yeast biology development

Developing yeast strains to produce ethanol

Nutrients and conditions

Optimization of Ethanol Use as a Fuel

Introduction to the basis of fuel use in the internal combustion engine

Linkage of friction reduction to ethanol fuel use

Thermodynamics of friction dependence on system variables

Coupling of combustion reaction kinetics and thermodynamics

Sample Calculation

Considerations of piston expansion in regard to forces and friction

Computer-based Optimization of the Ethanol Process

Introduction

Specifications for Control of the Ethanol Process

Application of Computer-based Process Control to Ethanol

Optimization Example

Raw Material Resources to produce Ethanol

Plant Raw Material Resources

Biocatalyst Systems for Ethanol Manufacture

Biocatalyst Systems and Processes to isolate and convert Starch and Lignocellulose Components

Biocatalyst Systems for Isolation and Conversion of Starch and Cellulose

Biocatalyst Systems to act on Lignocellulose and its components

Ethanol Process Synthesis for Cost Analysis

Cost Analysis for Optimal Ethanol Manufacture

Cost Analysis objectives to improve ethanol prospects

Cost analysis and Sources of Ethanol

Cost of Ethanol produced using feedstock from corn wet milling facilities

Cost of Ethanol produced using feedstock from corn dry milling facilities

Cost of Ethanol produced using feedstock from lignocellulose sources

Contrast in Costs to produce Ethanol from Feedstocks

Process Optimization and Cost Reduction to reach Commercial Objectives

Considerations for Minimization of Pollution

Introduction to Pollution Considerations

A Sequence of Historical Events that helped to popularize Ethanol

Pollutants in ethanol manufacture and combustion

Impurities in ethanol and gasoline, and in the products of their combustion

Specific Actions on Pollution and Justification

Ethanol Co-Products and Derived Products

Introduction to Co-Products and derived Products

Carbon Dioxide Products and Applications

Ethanol Derived Products and Applications

Petrochemicals as a Source of Ethanol

Conclusions, Recommendations, Research, and Business Directions