Low quality glycerol is the major byproduct in re-esterfication processes of plant oil like biodiesel production. Therefore it is available in high amounts at low price and an attractive substrate.
This project aims to an integrated bioprocess in which low quality glycerol is mainly converted to 1,3-Propanediol, whereby byproducts are used for biogas and fertilizer production. Even down streaming of the products is integrated into research to develop a process with high overall efficiency, which leads to a bio-refinery with minimum waste output and low energy consumption.
Major work at TUHH is done on the development of a new integrated bioconversion process in which 1,3-Propanediol and Biogas are produced simultaneously. In this context microbial communities are tested with first promising results, but process control and product yield are still a challenge for the project and our scientific work.
The second key issue of the project is downstreaming of the 1,3-Propanediol, as this is currently the most energy consuming and therefore cost intensive part of the process. Miniplant technology is applied to investigate the complete process and implement new alternative unit operations e.g. reverse osmosis or pervaporation. Starting point for optimization is a state of the art process combining biomass separation by ultrafiltration and 1,3-Propandiol purification by evaporation as well as rectification.
Based on the achieved results finally a pilot plant is supposed to be set up by our industrial partners at the end of the project term.