DESARROLLOS TECNOLÓGICOS PARA LA MEJORA Y CONTROL DEL PROCESO DE OBTENCIÓN DE BIOETANOL A PARTIR DE RESIDUOS AGROALIMENTARIOS

Tesis por compendioAs stated by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the first half of the present century will experience a significant increase in global energy demand due to the expected growth of world population and global economic development. On the other hand, recent reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change definitely evidence the link between the continued use of fossil fuels and the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere being responsible for climate change. In this context, a global commitment is needed in the search for cleaner, environmentally friendly and sustainable energy sources, such as second¿generation bioethanol from agro¿industrial waste. Thus, this PhD Thesis aims to advance in the agro¿industrial waste recovery of fruits such as pineapple and persimmon. Specifically, different strategies for enhancing the bioethanol production process were evaluated. Additionally on¿line monitoring of the saccharification step and final alcohol content in the studied wastes were taken into consideration. Thus, different technologies were studied to improve the enzymatic hydrolysis performance in pineapple waste. First, hydrolytic performances of commercial enzymes produced by the filamentous fungi Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma reesei were compared. Next, the use of microwave pretreatments, alone or combined with an alkali treatment, was evaluated to improve the saccharification performance. On the other hand, "Rojo Brillante" persimmon waste wasstudied as a potentialsource of high added value products. Finally, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy based techniques were evaluated for monitoring saccharification and quantifying ethanol in pineapple waste. Results showed that A. niger cellulase is an effective alternative to that obtained from T. reesei for the saccharification of industrial pineapple waste, especially when combined with hemicellulase. On the other hand, microwave pretreatments at appropriate power and exposure times significantly improved the enzymatic hydrolysis performance. This improvement was particularly remarkable when microwaves were combined with an alkali treatment. On the other hand, industrial persimmon waste was shown to be a low¿cost source of bioethanol and antioxidant compounds, mainly carotenoids. Finally, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was validated as an easy, fast, non¿destructive, inexpensive and alternative methodology to the traditional laboratory ones for monitoring saccharification and fermentation processes. This validation was achieved by combining impedance spectroscopy with mathematical models based on artificial neural networks, being robust, reliable, adaptive and easily implementable in electronic systems.   To conclude, the present PhD Thesis has provided substantial progress towards agro¿industrial waste recovery processes. In fact, several technological developments have been implemented in order to increase the saccharification yield in pineapple waste. Moreover, high added value products have been obtained from persimmon residue. Likewise, these processes can be accurately controlled on¿line by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy based techniques combined with specific mathematical models,  representing a significant advance in this field.Durante la primera mitad de este siglo, se espera que la demanda mundial de energía aumente significativamente debido al previsible incremento de la población mundial y al desarrollo económico global, tal como afirman recientes estudios de la Departamento de Asuntos Económicos y Sociales de las Naciones Unidas. Por otro lado, los datos del Panel Intergubernamental del Cambio Climático vinculan el uso continuado de los combustibles fósiles con el aumento de la concentración de CO2 y partículas contaminantes a la atmósfera causantes, entre otros, del cambio climático. En este contexto, es necesario seguir avanzando en la búsqueda de alternativas energéticas más limpias y medioambientalmente sostenibles, como es el caso del bioetanol de segunda generación obtenido a partir de residuos agroindustriales. Así, la presente Tesis Doctoral plantea como objetivo profundizar en la revalorización de los residuos agroindustriales de frutas como la piña y el caqui. En concreto, se evaluaron diferentes estrategias para la mejora del proceso de obtención de bioetanol y el control en línea de la sacarificación y contenido en alcohol en los residuos. Para ello, se estudiaron diferentes tecnologías para la mejora del rendimiento de la hidrólisis enzimática de los residuos de piña. En primer lugar se comparó la acción hidrolítica de las enzimas comerciales producidas por los hongos filamentosos Aspergillus niger y Trichoderma reesei. A continuación, se evaluó la aplicación de pretratamientos con microondas, solos o combinados con un medio alcalino, para la mejora del rendimiento de la sacarificación. Por otro lado, se analizó el potencial de revalorización del residuo industrial de caqui de la variedad "Rojo Brillante". Finalmente se estudió la aplicación de técnicas basadas en la espectroscopía de impedancias para la monitorización de la sacarificación y la cuantificación de bioetanol en piña. Los resultados obtenidos demostraron que la celulasa de A. niger es una alternativa eficaz a la obtenida a partir de T. reesei para la sacarificación de los residuos industriales de piña, especialmente cuando se combina con hemicelulasa. Por otra parte, la aplicación de pretratamientos con microondas a potencias y tiempos de exposición apropiados mejoraron significativamente el rendimiento de la hidrólisis enzimática. Esta mejora demostró ser particularmente destacable cuando se combinaron las microondas con un medio alcalino. Por otra parte, se demostró que los residuos industriales de caqui son una fuente de obtención de compuestos de alto valor añadido tales como: bioetanol y compuestos antioxidantes, principalmente carotenoides. Por último, se validó la espectroscopía de impedancias electroquímica como una metodología fácil, rápida, no destructiva, económica y alternativa a las técnicas de laboratorio tradicionales para el control de la sacarificación y fermentación. Esto se consiguió combinando la espectroscopía de impedancias con el desarrollo de modelos matemáticos basados en redes neuronales artificiales que se caracterizan por ser robustos, fiables, adaptativos y fácilmente implementables en sistemas electrónicos. A modo de conclusión, la presente Tesis Doctoral ha permitido avanzar en el conocimiento sobre el proceso de revalorización de los residuos industriales de frutas mediante la implementación de desarrollos tecnológicos para el aumento del rendimiento de la hidrólisis enzimática del residuo de piña y la obtención de compuestos de alto valor añadido a partir de caqui. Asimismo, se ha demostrado que es posible aplicar técnicas basadas en la espectroscopía de impedancias y modelos matemáticos específicos para mejorar la monitorización y control en línea de estos procesos, lo que supone un avance significativo en este campo.Durant la primera meitat d'aquest segle, s'espera que la demanda mundial d'energia augmente significativament a causa del previsible increment de la població mundial i al desenvolupament econòmic global, tal com afirmen recents estudis del Departament d'Assumptes Econòmics i Socials de les Nacions Unides. D'altra banda, les dades del Panell Intergovernamental del Canvi Climàtic vinculen l'ús continuat dels combustibles fòssils amb l'augment de la concentració de CO2 i partícules contaminants a l'atmosfera causants, entre uns altres, del canvi climàtic. En aquest context, és necessari seguir avançant en la cerca d'alternatives energètiques més netes i mediambientalment sostenibles, com és el cas del bioetanol de segona generació obtingut a partir de residus agroindustrials. Així, la present Tesi Doctoral planteja com a objectiu aprofundir en la revalorització dels residus agroindustrials de fruites com la pinya i el caqui. En concret, es van avaluar diferents estratègies per a la millora del procés d'obtenció de bioetanol i el control en línia de la sacarificació i contingut en alcohol en els residus. Per a això, es van estudiar diferents tecnologies per a la millora del rendiment de la hidròlisi enzimàtica dels residus de pinya. En primer lloc es va comparar l'acció hidrolítica dels enzims comercials produïts pels fongs filamentosos Aspergillus niger i Trichoderma reesei. A continuació, es va avaluar l'aplicació de pretractaments amb microones, sols o combinats amb un medi alcalí, per a la millora del rendiment de la sacarificació. D'altra banda, es va analitzar el potencial de revaloració del residu industrial de caqui de la varietat "Rojo Brillante". Finalment es va estudiar l'aplicació de tècniques basades en l'espectroscòpia d'impedàncies per al monitoratge de la sacarificació i la quantificació de bioetanol en pinya. Els resultats obtinguts van demostrar que la cel¿lulasa d'A. niger és una alternativa eficaç a l'obtinguda a partir de T. reesei per a la sacarificació dels residus industrials de pinya, especialment quan es combina amb hemicel¿lulasa. D'altra banda, l'aplicació de pretractaments amb microones a potències i temps d'exposició apropiats van millorar significativament el rendiment de la hidròlisi enzimàtica. Aquesta millora va demostrar ser particularment destacable quan es van combinar les microones amb un medi alcalí. D'altra banda, es va demostrar que els residus industrials de caqui són una font d'obtenció de compostos d'alt valor afegit tals com: bioetanol i compostos antioxidants, principalment carotenoides. Finalment, es va validar l'espectroscòpia d'impedàncies com una metodologia fàcil, ràpida, no destructiva, econòmica i alternativa a les tècniques de laboratori tradicionals per al control de la sacarificació i fermentació. Això es va conseguir combinant l'espectroscòpia d'impedàncies amb el desenvolupament de models matemàtics basats en xarxes neuronals artificials que es caracteritzen per ser robustos, fiables, adaptatius i fàcilment implementables en sistemes electrònics. A manera de conclusió, la present Tesi Doctoral ha permès avançar en el coneixement del procés de revalorització dels residus industrials de fruites mitjançant la implementació de desenvolupaments tecnològics per a l'augment del rendiment de la hidròlisi enzimàtica del residu de pinya i l'obtenció de compostos d'alt valor afegit a partir de caqui. Així mateix, s'ha demostrat que és possible aplicar tècniques basades en l'espectroscòpia d'impedàncies i models matemàtics específics per a millorar el monitoratge i control d'aquests processos, fet que suposa un avanç significatiu en aquest camp.Conesa Domínguez, C. (2017). DESARROLLOS TECNOLÓGICOS PARA LA MEJORA Y CONTROL DEL PROCESO DE OBTENCIÓN DE BIOETANOL A PARTIR DE RESIDUOS AGROALIMENTARIOS [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/86143TESISCompendi

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