Techno Economic Model

Abstract

The Technoeconomic model is a computational model of a lignocellulosic biorefinery that can be used by industry to establish benchmarks of performance and risk-benefit analysis in order to assess the potential impact of cutting edge technologies. The model can be used to evaluate, guide, and optimize research efforts, biorefinery design, and process operation. The model will help to reduce the risk of commercial investment and development of biorefineries and help steer future research to those parts of the refining process in need of further developments for biofuels to be cost competitive. We have now aded modules for the following sections: feed handling, pretreatment, fermentation, product and water recovery, waste treatment, and steam/electricity generation. We have incorporated a kinetic model for microorganism growth and production of ethanol, inclouding toxin inhibition. For example, the feed handling section incorporates information regarding feedstock transport distance-dependent costs. The steam and electricity generation section now includes a turbogenerator that supplies power to be used by other unit operations and contains equations for efficiency calculations.