Synthesis of biotechnological schemes for biogas production from milk whey

The implementation of projects focused on reducing dependence on fossil fuels has created the possibility of establishing new alternatives for energy generation. Industrial waste and lignocellulosic biomass generated in Latin American countries such as Colombia and Chile can be transformed into value-added energy products through anaerobic digestion. An interesting alternative for energy production is milk whey. Milk whey is one of the main residues of the dairy industry. This residue is not completely used and it is a source of contamination, given the high organic load. Similarly, the potato stem generated in the harvest stage is attractive for biogas production. This waste is non-treated, causing problems due to deficient use. In this sense, co-digestion of raw materials can improve the balance of nutrients in anaerobic digestion. Accordingly, the synthesis of new biotechnological schemes for the biogas production emerges as an alternative to use to the full potential of the milk whey, which can be combined in a co-digestion process with lignocellulosic wastes such as the potato stem. The present thesis evaluated the potential of energy production from co-digestion of milk whey and potato stem through experimental and simulation process through different biotechnological scenarios. The main objective was to establish the economic and environmental prefeasibility of this process. Initially, the characterization of raw materials and biogas production an experimental level was analyzed using different relations of potato stem and milk whey. Subsequently, different scenarios were analyzed considering technical, economic and environmental analysis based on simulation processes. As a result, the co-digestion of milk whey and potato stem is a promising alternative for energy generation, where it generates a positive net economic profit but with limits in raw material costs and digestate selling prices.La implementación de proyectos enfocados en la reducción de la dependencia de combustibles fósiles ha creado la posibilidad de establecer nuevas alternativas para la generación de energía. Residuos industriales y biomasa lignocelulósica generada en países de américa latina como Colombia y Chile, pueden ser transformados en productos de valor a través de digestión anaerobia. Una alternativa interesante para la producción de energía es el lactosuero. El lactosuero es uno de los principales residuos en la industria láctea. Este es un residuo que no es usado en su totalidad y es una fuente de contaminación, el cual tiene una elevada carga orgánica. Del mismo modo, el tallo de papa generado en la etapa de cosecha es atractivo para la producción de biogás. Este residuo no es tratado, causando problemas de disposición. En este sentido, la co-digestión de materias primas puede mejorar el balance de nutrientes en la digestión anaerobia. En consecuencia, la síntesis de nuevos esquemas biotecnológicos para la producción de biogás surge como una alternativa para aprovechar todo el potencial del suero de leche, el cual se puede combinar en un proceso de co-digestión con residuos lignocelulósicos como el tallo de papa. La presente tesis evaluó el potencial de producción de energía a partir de la co-digestión de lactosuero y tallo de papa a través de procesos experimentales y de simulación considerando diferentes escenarios biotecnológicos. El objetivo principal fue establecer la prefactibilidad económica y ambiental de este proceso. Inicialmente, se analizó la caracterización de las materias primas y la producción de biogás a nivel experimental utilizando diferentes relaciones de tallo de papa y suero de leche. Posteriormente, se analizaron diferentes escenarios considerando análisis técnicos, económicos y ambientales basados en procesos de simulación. Como resultado, la co-digestión del suero de leche y el tallo de la papa es una alternativa prometedora para la generación de energía, donde se genera un beneficio económico neto positivo (41.05 M.USD) con limites en el costo de la materia prima y los precios de venta del digestato.Magister en Ingeniería - Ingeniería Química. -- Linea de Investigación: Ingeniería de Procesos Químicos y Biotecnológicos.Maestrí

Energy Efficiency of Biorefinery Schemes Using Sugarcane Bagasse as Raw Material

The use of biomass to obtain value-added products has been a good alternative for reducing their environmental impacts. For this purpose, different studies have been carried out focused on the use of agro-industrial waste. One of the most commonly used raw materials has been bagasse obtained from the processing of sugarcane in high quantities in countries like Brazil, India, China, Thailand, Pakistan, Mexico, Colombia, Indonesia, Philippines, and the United States. From 1 ton of sugarcane, 280 kg of bagasse can be obtained. Sugarcane bagasse (SCB) is a waste that is rich in polysaccharides, which makes it a promising raw material for obtaining products under biorefinery concept. The objective of this work was to analyze from the energetic point of view, different biorefinery schemes in which SCB is employed as a raw material. The design and simulation of the different biorefinery schemes is performed in Aspen Plus software. From this software, it was possible to obtain the different mass and energy balances, which are used in the technical and energetic analysis. Exergy is used as a comparison tool for the energy analysis. These analyses allowed for the selection of the best biorefinery configuration from SCB