Training Support

The basics

• What is fermentation?

• Fermentation for fuel ethanol production.

• The role of yeast in fuel ethanol production.

• Comparison of yeast and bacteria-

• Yeasts used in fuel ethanol production.

Overview of processes used in fuel ethanol production

• Batch

• Continuous (emphasis will be placed on continuous process)

Pre-fermentation

• Milling

• Cooking

• Enzyme addition/ conversion and associated problems

• Propagation (focus will be on continuous applications)

Fundamentals of Fermentation

• Understanding anaerobic respiration and yeast

• Optimizing conditions for fermentation

• HPLC as a tool for trouble shooting and as an indicator of problems

• Interpreting HPLC results

• Trouble shooting fermentation problems

• Methods for detecting problems in fermentation

• Options for fixing fermentation problems

• Fermentation problems that can occur due to processes outside the fermenters

• Do’s and do not’s of fermentation

• Influence of backset

• Effective cleaning requirements for controlling contamination

• Effective maintenance programs for controlling contamination

• Understanding where bacteria can be found in fuel ethanol processes

Bacterial Contamination

• Signs of bacterial contamination (methods for detection)

• Types of bacteria found in fuel ethanol plants

• Sources of bacterial contamination

• Options for prevention and control

• Underlying problems that contribute to bacterial contamination

• Getting to the “root cause” of bacterial contamination

• Problems resulting from overuse of antibiotics

• Concerns associated with antibiotic use

• Antibiotic resistance

• Bacteria isolation and identification

Distillation and process flow