Consumer /Laboratory Cellulose to Ethanol Process
How it Works

Producing ethanol from cellulose is a process of preparing the input, or “feedstock”, converting that feedstock into sugars, fermenting with yeast, and distilling.  These processes can be done manually or automatically with the proper equipment.

The Consumer and Laboratory-sized cellulose processor is designed to create enough feedstock to produce around 30 gallons of ethanol fuel per week in ‘batch’ operation mode.  More ethanol can be produced per week by using external fermentation tanks and operating the system more frequently.
Basic Operational Requirements: 

• 220V
• Water supply
• Operating temperature range (ambient temp) 45 – 100 F  (7 – 38 C)

Step 1:  Input Cellulose Feedstock

Cellulose is the most common organic compound on Earth. About 33 percent of all plant matter is cellulose.  Grass in your yard, leaves, cardboard, newspaper, sawdust, and many other common items are comprised of cellulose. 

To turn these otherwise common waste materials into ethanol fuel, simply input your cellulose into the hopper on the cellulose processor, close the lid, and press the ‘start’ button. 

Step 2:  Pretreatment

Once the processor is started, and to help with the conversion process, the cellulose is first ground into small particles and then a mild water/acid pretreatment will begin.  This treatment is timed and temperature controlled and takes about an hour.  The pretreatment step is necessary to better prepare the cellulose material for the enzymes to work efficiently.

Step 3: Enzyme Process

During the enzyme process, the cellulose enzymes are automatically dispensed at the proper time and temperature.  These enzymes convert the cellulose into simple sugars necessary for fermentation.  At the end of the process, the liquid sugar/water solution is transferred to the fermentation tank, and the leftover solids are easily removed and can be used for composting and gardening.

Step 4:  Fermentation

Once the cellulose enzyme process is complete, and the fermentation tank filled, yeast is added and the fermentation process begins.  Fermentation typically takes around 3 days to convert the sugars in the water into ethanol.  At the end of the fermentation process, the liquid, now referred to as ‘beer,’ will usually contain around 10% ethanol by volume.  More than one fermentation tank may be used to allow daily batches of ethanol to be produced.

Step 5: Distillation

The final step in the process is to separate the ethanol from the water in the fermented beer.  This is done by a process known as distillation and is performed automatically by the system.  The resulting ethanol is stored in a stainless steel tank and is ready to use as motor fuel.

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