Enhanced Biofuel Production via Integrated Microbubble Technology
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Sheffield
Department Name: Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
Abstract
As described in proposal submitted to Innovate UK.
Planned Impact
As described in proposal submitted to Innovate UK.
Publications
Abdulrazzaq N
(2016)
Purification of Bioethanol Using Microbubbles Generated by Fluidic Oscillation: A Dynamical Evaporation Model
in Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research
Abdulrazzaq N
(2015)
Separation of azeotropic mixtures using air microbubbles generated by fluidic oscillation
in AIChE Journal
Abdulrazzaq N
(2018)
Measuring Vapor and Liquid Concentrations for Binary and Ternary Systems in a Microbubble Distillation Unit via Gas Sensors
in Chemosensors
Ahmad N
(2019)
Biodiesel production intensification through microbubble mediated esterification
in Fuel
Al-Yaqoobi A
(2016)
Microbubble Distillation for Ethanol-Water Separation
in International Journal of Chemical Engineering
Ali S
(2020)
Investigating biodiesel production strategies as a sustainable energy resource for Pakistan
in Journal of Cleaner Production
Calverley J
(2021)
Continuous removal of ethanol from dilute ethanol-water mixtures using hot microbubbles.
in Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996)
Calverley J
(2020)
Hot Microbubble Air Stripping of Dilute Ethanol-Water Mixtures
in Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research
Chaffin S
(2024)
Dissolved nutrient gas uptake and fluid mixing by bubble-mediated mass transfer in tall fermenters - A theoretical study
in Food and Bioproducts Processing
Chaffin S
(2018)
Viscoelastic Hele-Shaw flow in a cross-slot geometry
in European Journal of Mechanics - B/Fluids
| Description | We have characterized the responses of yeast cells during propagation and fermentation to produce ethanol under conventional and microbubble sparging at laboratory scale. We have completed experiments both wet and computational to better understand the the interactions of microbubbles in biological fermentations to aid the design of a pilot scale demonstration facility, which has now been constructed. Several papers have been been published describing the work undertaken in this project. |
| Exploitation Route | The consortium has an exploitation plan that is discussed with the Monitoring Officer at regular meetings. |
| Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Chemicals Energy Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology |
| Description | The research undertaken in this project is being discussed with a range of possible users of the technology. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Chemicals,Energy |
| Description | Detoxification and Multi-Resource Recovery from Landfill Leachate |
| Amount | £95,078 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | NE/P016820/1 |
| Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
| Department | NERC Catalyst Grant |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2017 |
| End | 06/2018 |
| Description | Energy Catalyst Round 4 |
| Amount | £299,848 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 81773-494638 TS/P007848/1 |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2017 |
| End | 02/2018 |
| Description | c1net Proof of Concept Microbubble enhanced gas exchange in a methanotroph gas fermenter |
| Amount | £50,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | POC-19-zimmerman-C1net |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2017 |
| End | 05/2018 |
| Description | Collaboration with 3FBio on Fermentation and Distillation Processes |
| Organisation | 3f bio |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Liaison on microbubble mediated aerobic fermentation for bioethanol and protein production with 3FBio's proprietary microorganism and system. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Liaison on microbubble mediated aerobic fermentation for bioethanol and protein production with 3FBio's proprietary microorganism and system. |
| Impact | Still ongoing. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Collaboration with Ensus on Fermentation and Distillation Processes |
| Organisation | Ensus (Crop Energies) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Liaised on recipes for wheat mash production, enzyme addition, and scaling of unit operations to model the Ensus bioethanol process. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Liaised on recipes for wheat mash production, enzyme addition, and scaling of unit operations to model the Ensus bioethanol process. |
| Impact | Ongoing multidisciplinary activity involving microbubble mediated fermentation and distillation processes. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Collaboration with Heineken on Fermentation and Distillation Processes |
| Organisation | Heineken |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Liasion on microbubble mediated fermentation and distillation processes. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Liasion on microbubble mediated fermentation and distillation processes. |
| Impact | Still ongoing. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Title | FLUIDIC OSCILATORS |
| Description | A new fluidic oscillator is described comprising at least one inlet port (57) in communication with at least two outlets (61) via a nozzle region A and two outlet conduits (58, 62), the two outlet conduits being separated from each other by a splitter region and each outlet conduit comprising a resonance chamber (60) in fluid communication with the conduit. The resonance chambers are key in controlling the oscillation of the device and the fluidic oscillator is operated through a new acoustic switching mode. |
| IP Reference | WO2020208250 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | 2020 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | This new oscillator has been demonstrated to achieve very rapid removal of ammonia from wastewaters and digester centrates, with tuneable liquid volumes, via microbubble distillation. A waste management company has supported pilot scale trials for landfill leachate remediation with this oscillator making the liquid treatment volumes readily engineered via conventional size plumbing. |
| Description | Feature Article in the Times of London based on my interview, by Tom Whipple, Science writer |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Feature Article in The Times of London 13 April 2021 by Tom Whipple, science writer, explaining how our work on microbubble mediated heat transfer explained the previously unexplained original Mpemba effect experiments. The Mpemba effect has baffled scientists and the general public since it was popularized by Mpemba and Osborne in 1969. The Royal Society of Chemistry conducted an international competition in 2012 for the best solution to this mystery, known to have puzzled Aristotle and commented on by da Vinci. My study of microbubble mediated heat transfer gave a constructive model that correlated the original experiments, which have otherwise never been explained. More can be found about the first paper, sequels and a keynote address at the 15th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics, and Thermodynamics (2021) where the role of microbubbles is explained. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/cbe/news/cracked-cold-case-why-boiling-water-freezes-faster |
| Description | Outreach activity |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Pride in STEM Out Thinkers on 15 November 2018 Title: Unlocking the carbon treasure held within plants through industrial biotechnology Talk description: The unbridled progress since the industrial revolution and our penchant for petrochemicals has also increased the levels of carbon-dioxide in the planet. Climate change is happening; we must take measures to minimise its impact. Perhaps ethanol, that yeasts happily produce from sugars, offers the solution. Integration of various technologies to make the cost of bioethanol comparable to petrol was discussed in the context of sustainablity. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Outreach activity |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Pint of Science on 16 May 2018 Title: A paradigm shift: ethanol from woody plants Talk description: We need a paradigm shift in our approach towards the pretreatment of plant biomass to produce products of interest, at high titre, rate and yield. By taking a road less travelled by, perhaps we might be able to become a bio-based society sooner. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Participation in Industry / Academia / Government Workshop on Modelling of Cleaning and Decontamination (ModCaD) leading to a roadmap report |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Please see www.modcad.org The intended purpose was to quantify the need across practically all sectors of the economy for quantitative modelling of cleaning and decontamination to inform best practise in this highly multidisciplinary sector, underpin innovation (particularly with scientific and engineering based design), and address new challenges such as sustainability, risk, diversity, networking, training, sensors and supporting sciences. From that quantification, the workshop developed a roadmap to tackle strateic investment in communication, community, training and features of the sceince base. From the point of view of nbic and my feasibility study, my contribution to the roadmap was to highlight the innovations explored with biofilm removal, the need for further development work under conditions appropriate for endusers, and engineering science based modelling for design and understanding of fundamental mechanisms. A similar effort was extended to plasma activated microbubbles to underscore its potential and needs for development. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | http://www.modcad.org |
| Description | Yeast propagation using microbubbles for cost effective bioethanol production |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 7th Conference on Physiology of Yeasts and Filamentous Fungi |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |