Life cycle water consumption of bio-oil fermentation for bio-ethanol production based on a distributed-centralized model

Ji-Lu Zheng, Ya-Hong Zhu, Yan-Yan Dong and Ming-Qiang Zhu

Energy, 2023, vol. 264, issue C

Abstract: Life cycle water consumption of bio-ethanol production via bio-oil direct fermentation or indirect fermentation based on a distributed-centralized model was investigated. The life cycle water consumption results separately are 202 and 888 L water per GJ bio-ethanol for bio-oil indirect fermentation, and 206 and 2200 L water per GJ bio-ethanol for bio-oil direct fermentation when the economic value-based allocation method and the process purpose-based method are separately used. 32 different parameters related to material use, energy consumption, waste emission, and product yields were varied in a sensitivity analysis. The sensitivity analysis shows bio-ethanol yield and co-product yield have the greatest impact on the life cycle water consumption results. According to an uncertainty analysis, the maximum and minimum water consumption results separately are 1225 (the process purpose-based method) and 156 L water per GJ bio-ethanol (the economic value-based allocation method) for bio-oil indirect fermentation. A contribution analysis shows that the distributed-centralized model can really contribute to a slight reduction in water consumption in comparison with the non-distributed model. Overall, bio-ethanol production via bio-oil indirect fermentation based on the distributed-centralized model is green and clean from the standpoint of water resource consumption.

Keywords: Fast pyrolysis; Bio-oil fermentation; Ethanol; Water consumption; Life cycle assessment; Distributed-centralized model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:264:y:2023:i:c:s036054422203184x

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2022.126298

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