Biorefinery Cascade Simulator

Biorefinery Cascade

Cellulose fraction 65%

Pretreatment intensity 0.6

Enzyme concentration 0.6

Fermentation temp 32°C

Ethanol yield

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Ferment. rate k(T)

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Batches processed

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Lignin waste

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How it works

Raw biomass enters the hopper and flows through three reactor tanks in series. In the pretreatment vat, each particle rolls a fate: with probability equal to the feedstock's cellulose fraction it becomes a convertible intermediate; otherwise it is recalcitrant lignin, which is diverted straight to waste. Surviving intermediate particles then wait in the hydrolysis tank until enzymes cleave them into fermentable sugar, and sugar particles wait in the fermentation tank until yeast converts them to ethanol — both waiting times are random, drawn from a rate set by the corresponding control, so raising a rate shortens the average time a particle spends in that tank.

P(convert in dt) = 1 − exp(−rate · dt)
k_ferment(T) = exp( −((T − 32)/8)² )
yield = ethanol_collected / (ethanol_collected + lignin_waste)

Cellulose fraction — the digestible share of the feedstock; the rest is lignin that pretreatment cannot break down and that leaves the system as waste.
Pretreatment intensity — how fast biomass in the pretreatment vat is given the chance to convert; low intensity leaves particles queuing near the hopper.
Enzyme concentration — the hydrolysis rate turning intermediate into fermentable sugar; more enzyme drains the hydrolysis tank faster.
Fermentation temperature — yeast activity peaks near 32°C and falls off on both sides (too cold is sluggish, too hot denatures the enzymes), following the Gaussian k(T) above.

Real-world relevance: this three-stage pretreatment → hydrolysis → fermentation cascade is the core of a cellulosic biorefinery converting agricultural residue (straw, corn stalks, wood waste) into bioethanol — the same logic used industrially to decide reactor sizing and operating temperature.

Biomass Intermediate Sugar Ethanol Lignin waste

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