Patents by Inventor Noriaki Izumi
Noriaki Izumi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Publication number: 20210071204Abstract: A bioethanol production method using lignocellulosic biomass as a raw material, the method being adapted to increase the ethanol concentration of a fermentation liquid obtained in a fermentation step and reduce the distillation load without having to use specialized equipment in solubilizing the biomass by enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose contained in the biomass. When a solid residue of the cellulosic biomass, from which hemicellulose has been removed, is mixed with an aqueous solution containing a cellulose-hydrolyzing enzyme in a reaction vessel, ethanol is added in an amount of 3 to 6% by mass. Bacterial proliferation is suppressed during hydrolysis of cellulose, and the ethanol concentration achieved in ethanol fermentation of a saccharified solution is increased, so that the distillation load is reduced. The ethanol added at the time of hydrolysis can be collected during distillation of the alcoholic fermentation liquid and reused.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2018Publication date: March 11, 2021Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takashi NISHINO, Noriaki IZUMI, Hironori TAJIRI, Shoji TSUJITA, Asuka ODA, Manabu MASAMOTO, Yusuke WARATANI
-
Publication number: 20200332328Abstract: A saccharified solution production method in which cellulosic biomass is solubilized by enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose contained in the cellulosic biomass, the method being adapted to quickly solubilize the biomass and give a slurry while keeping a high solids concentration in a reaction vessel. The biomass pulverized and an aqueous solution containing a cellulose-hydrolyzing enzyme are mixed in one reaction vessel including no baffle plate disposed in its interior, and the cellulosic biomass is solubilized under stirring. Afterwards, the contents of the reaction vessel are transferred to another reaction vessel including a baffle plate disposed in its interior, and enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose is allowed to proceed. The solids concentration in the first reaction vessel is preferably 15 to 30% by mass. The efficiency of stirring during enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose is enhanced, and thus the amount of sugar production can be increased.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2018Publication date: October 22, 2020Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takashi NISHINO, Noriaki IZUMI, Hironori TAJIRI, Shoji TSUJITA, Asuka ODA, Manabu MASAMOTO, Yusuke WARATANI
-
Patent number: 10570432Abstract: A method for producing a saccharified solution making it possible that while the concentration of a solid in a reactor is kept high at an initial stage of hydrolyzing a cellulose contained in a biomass with an enzyme, the biomass is earlier solubilized to be made into a slurry form. In the method, at an initial stage of mixing an aqueous solution containing a biomass pulverized in a reactor, the aqueous solution is poured into reactor, and then pulverized biomass is supplied thereinto step by step while content in reactor is stirred. A final solid concentration in reactor is set into the range of 15 to 30% both inclusive by mass. The reactor's bottom plane is made into a conical or mirror plate form. At least in upper and lower parts of the reactor's inside, plural stirring fans having a long rotation radius are located to stir content in reactor.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2017Date of Patent: February 25, 2020Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takashi Nishino, Noriaki Izumi, Hironori Tajiri, Hiromasa Kusuda, Shoji Tsujita, Manabu Masamoto
-
Patent number: 10344342Abstract: A method of producing a saccharified solution, in which saccharified slurry is obtained by hydrothermally treating cellulosic biomass slurry in a supercritical state or a subcritical state by a continuous reactor. The method reduces the risk of a pressure reducing valve becoming clogged when the high-temperature and high-pressure slurry is flash-evaporated after being hydrothermally treated. Also provides an apparatus for producing a saccharified solution and a continuous reactor. At the time of hydrothermally treating the cellulosic biomass slurry by the continuous reactor continuously, the slurry is intensely stirred in a front part of the continuous reactor, and stirred in a rear part of the continuous reactor by a stirring device with low propelling force, such that the plug flow in the axial direction is kept while the slurry is being uniformly mixed with respect to the cross section perpendicular to the mixing axis.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2014Date of Patent: July 9, 2019Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hiromasa Kusuda, Noriaki Izumi, Hironori Tajiri, Shoji Tsujita, Masaki Tsuzawa
-
Patent number: 10322390Abstract: A biomass cake pressure-feeding apparatus includes: a screw pump including a first screw with a helical first conveying thread, a second screw with a helical second conveying thread, and a casing accommodating the first screw and the second screw such that the first screw and the second screw are parallel to each other, the screw pump being configured to feed biomass cake to a high pressure reactor, the biomass cake being obtained by adding water to powdery biomass; and a throttle part positioned downstream of the screw pump and configured to form a material seal made of the biomass cake by restricting a flow of the biomass cake.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2016Date of Patent: June 18, 2019Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shoji Tsujita, Noriaki Izumi, Hironori Tajiri, Hiromasa Kusuda, Takashi Nishino, Ryoji Obara, Hideo Tanaka
-
Publication number: 20190048377Abstract: A method for producing a saccharified solution making it possible that while the concentration of a solid in a reactor is kept high at an initial stage of hydrolyzing a cellulose contained in a biomass with an enzyme, the biomass is earlier solubilized to be made into a slurry form. In the method, at an initial stage of mixing an aqueous solution containing a biomass pulverized in a reactor, the aqueous solution is poured into reactor, and then pulverized biomass is supplied thereinto step by step while content in reactor is stirred. A final solid concentration in reactor is set into the range of 15 to 30% both inclusive by mass. The reactor's bottom plane is made into a conical or mirror plate form. At least in upper and lower parts of the reactor's inside, plural stirring fans having a long rotation radius are located to stir content in reactor.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2017Publication date: February 14, 2019Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takashi NISHINO, Noriaki IZUMI, Hironori TAJIRI, Hiromasa KUSUDA, Shoji TSUJITA, Manabu MASAMOTO
-
Publication number: 20180272302Abstract: A biomass cake pressure-feeding apparatus includes: a screw pump including a first screw with a helical first conveying thread, a second screw with a helical second conveying thread, and a casing accommodating the first screw and the second screw such that the first screw and the second screw are parallel to each other, the screw pump being configured to feed biomass cake to a high pressure reactor, the biomass cake being obtained by adding water to powdery biomass; and a throttle part positioned downstream of the screw pump and configured to form a material seal made of the biomass cake by restricting a flow of the biomass cake.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2016Publication date: September 27, 2018Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shoji TSUJITA, Noriaki IZUMI, Hironori TAJIRI, Hiromasa KUSUDA, Takashi NISHINO, Ryoji OBARA, Hideo TANAKA
-
Patent number: 9920293Abstract: A saccharification-reaction apparatus includes: a reactor which causes a saccharification-reaction of a raw material; and a raw material charging device which charges the raw material into the reactor at a predetermined interval; the reactor includes: a heating steam feeder which increases a temperature of the raw material charged from the charging device to a saccharification-reaction temperature; and a feeding mechanism which sequentially feeds each of the charged raw materials toward an outlet-port in a predetermined short period of time while causing the saccharification-reaction of each raw material under a high temperature and pressure; the raw material charging-device charges into the reactor, the raw material with a suitable bulk density for a saccharification-reaction speed of the reactor; in this manner, the saccharification-reaction apparatus charges the raw material in a hydrolytic saccharification state into the reactor by the raw material charging device; and hydrolytically saccharifying the rawType: GrantFiled: November 21, 2013Date of Patent: March 20, 2018Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takashi Nishino, Noriaki Izumi, Hironori Tajiri, Hiromasa Kusuda, Masaki Tsuzawa
-
Patent number: 9850551Abstract: A saccharified solution production method includes: a saccharifying step of saccharifying hemicellulose or cellulose contained in cellulosic biomass to C5 or C6 saccharides by subjecting a slurry of cellulosic biomass to a hot water treatment in a supercritical state or subcritical state; a washing step of successively washing a solid in the slurry with washing water after the saccharifying step, by using multiple stages of thickeners for washing arranged in series so that the direction of movement of the solid in the slurry and the direction of movement of overflow water are opposite to each other; and a concentration step of removing a solid residue from the washing water recovered in the washing step by using a thickener for still standing that is different from the thickeners for washing, and then concentrating a supernatant of the thickener for still standing by using a concentration device to give a saccharified solution.Type: GrantFiled: December 25, 2012Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hiromasa Kusuda, Noriaki Izumi, Hironori Tajiri, Shoji Tsujita, Noriyuki Taniyama
-
Patent number: 9850550Abstract: A saccharide recovering method for recovering saccharides from a saccharified slurry obtained after subjecting a slurry of cellulosic biomass to a hot water treatment and to provide a washing device for washing a saccharified slurry residue suited for conducting such a saccharide recovery method is provided. Saccharified slurry of cellulosic biomass is fed on a conveyor having a net conveyor belt, the saccharified slurry is dehydrated, washing water is sprayed to dissolve saccharides remaining in the residue into the washing liquid. The residue is washed by a plurality of washing water spraying units disposed in series in such a manner that the moving direction of the residue and the moving direction of the washing water are opposite to each other. The washing water having washed the residue is used as washing water for washing water spraying unit in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the conveyor.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2013Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shoji Tsujita, Noriaki Izumi, Hironori Tajiri, Hiromasa Kusuda, Masaki Tsuzawa
-
Patent number: 9481860Abstract: A method for removing bacterial contaminants from a saccharified solution capable of suppressing proliferation of bacterial contaminants in a fermentation tank without using an antibiotic in alcoholic fermentation of a biomass saccharified solution using normal yeast, and a fermentation system suited for conducting the method are provided. The method and system include drawing out a saccharified solution from a fermentation tank, conducting rough separation for recovering yeast from the solution, and conducting fine separation for removing bacterial contaminants from the solution, thereby removing only the contaminants while recovering yeast. The rough separation is through a filtering membrane having a pore size of 0.5 ?m or more and 5 ?m or less or centrifugal separation at 50G or higher and 500G or lower. The fine separation is through a filtering membrane having a pore size of 0.22 ?m or less, or centrifugal separation at 1000G or higher and 15000G or lower.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2013Date of Patent: November 1, 2016Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Noriaki Izumi, Manabu Masamoto, Satoshi Konishi
-
Publication number: 20160312319Abstract: A method of producing a saccharified solution, in which saccharified slurry is obtained by hydrothermally treating cellulosic biomass slurry in a supercritical state or a subcritical state by a continuous reactor. The method reduces the risk of a pressure reducing valve becoming clogged when the high-temperature and high-pressure slurry is flash-evaporated after being hydrothermally treated. Also provides an apparatus for producing a saccharified solution and a continuous reactor. At the time of hydrothermally treating the cellulosic biomass slurry by the continuous reactor continuously, the slurry is intensely stirred in a front part of the continuous reactor, and stirred in a rear part of the continuous reactor by a stirring device with low propelling force, such that the plug flow in the axial direction is kept while the slurry is being uniformly mixed with respect to the cross section perpendicular to the mixing axis.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2014Publication date: October 27, 2016Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hiromasa KUSUDA, Noriaki IZUMI, Hironori TAJIRI, Shoji TSUJITA, Masaki TSUZAWA
-
Publication number: 20160108355Abstract: A saccharification-reaction apparatus includes: a reactor which causes a saccharification-reaction of a raw material; and a raw material charging device which charges the raw material into the reactor at a predetermined interval; the reactor includes: a heating steam feeder which increases a temperature of the raw material charged from the charging device to a saccharification-reaction temperature; and a feeding mechanism which sequentially feeds each of the charged raw materials toward an outlet-port in a predetermined short period of time while causing the saccharification-reaction of each raw material under a high temperature and pressure; the raw material charging-device charges into the reactor, the raw material with a suitable bulk density for a saccharification-reaction speed of the reactor; in this manner, the saccharification-reaction apparatus charges the raw material in a hydrolytic saccharification state into the reactor by the raw material charging device; and hydrolytically saccharifying the rawType: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2013Publication date: April 21, 2016Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takashi NISHINO, Noriaki IZUMI, Hironori TAJIRI, Hiromasa KUSUDA, Masaki TSUZAWA
-
Patent number: 9273329Abstract: In the present disclosure, after a volatile organic acid is added as a catalyst to a slurry and the hydrolytic saccharification reaction of hemicellulose is performed, the volatile organic acid (including one added to the slurry and one produced as a by-product) contained in a C5 saccharified solution can be easily recovered by adding a small amount of sulfuric acid to the C5 saccharified solution and subjecting the C5 saccharified solution to air stripping treatment. The efficiency of hydrolytic saccharification of hemicellulose into C5 sugars using a volatile organic acid can also be continuously improved by adding the recovered volatile organic acid as a catalyst to another slurry of cellulosic biomass.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2012Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hiromasa Kusuda, Noriaki Izumi, Hironori Tajiri, Shoji Tsujita, Takashi Nishino, Manabu Masamoto
-
Publication number: 20150354018Abstract: A method for producing a concentrated saccharified solution using lignocellulosic biomass as a source material. The method includes filtering a saccharified solution obtained by hydrolysis of cellulosic biomass through a membrane separator having a separation membrane having a molecular cutoff ranging from 1000 or more and 7000 or less, and feeding it to a reverse osmosis membrane device to concentrate the same. By such treatment, the saccharides having small molecular weights contained in the saccharified solution are transferred to the filtrate, and the lignin and its decomposition product having large molecular weights are drained as a concentrated solution from the membrane separator. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent loss of saccharides contained in the saccharified solution, and to easily prevent occurrence of fouling in the reverse osmosis membrane used in concentration of the saccharified solution.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2013Publication date: December 10, 2015Inventors: Takashi NISHINO, Noriaki IZUMI, Hironori TAJIRI, Hiromasa KUSUDA, Masaki TSUZAWA
-
Publication number: 20150337253Abstract: A method for removing bacterial contaminants from a saccharified solution capable of suppressing proliferation of bacterial contaminants in a fermentation tank without using an antibiotic in alcoholic fermentation of a biomass saccharified solution using normal yeast, and a fermentation system suited for conducting the method are provided. The method and system include drawing out a saccharified solution from a fermentation tank, conducting rough separation for recovering yeast from the solution, and conducting fine separation for removing bacterial contaminants from the solution, thereby removing only the contaminants while recovering yeast. The rough separation is through a filtering membrane having a pore size of 0.5 ?m or more and 5 ?m or less or centrifugal separation at 50G or higher and 500G or lower. The fine separation is through a filtering membrane having a pore size of 0.22 ?m or less, or centrifugal separation at 1000G or higher and 15000G or lower.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2013Publication date: November 26, 2015Inventors: Noriaki IZUMI, Manabu MASAMOTO, Satoshi KONISHI
-
Publication number: 20150329926Abstract: A saccharified solution production method includes: a saccharifying step of saccharifying hemicellulose or cellulose contained in cellulosic biomass to C5 or C6 saccharides by subjecting a slurry of cellulosic biomass to a hot water treatment in a supercritical state or subcritical state; a washing step of successively washing a solid in the slurry with washing water after the saccharifying step, by using multiple stages of thickeners for washing arranged in series so that the direction of movement of the solid in the slurry and the direction of movement of overflow water are opposite to each other; and a concentration step of removing a solid residue from the washing water recovered in the washing step by using a thickener for still standing that is different from the thickeners for washing, and then concentrating a supernatant of the thickener for still standing by using a concentration device to give a saccharified solution.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 25, 2012Publication date: November 19, 2015Inventors: Hiromasa KUSUDA, Noriaki IZUMI, Hironori TAJIRI, Shoji TSUJITA, Noriyuki TANIYAMA
-
Publication number: 20150329925Abstract: A saccharide recovering method for recovering saccharides from a saccharified slurry obtained after subjecting a slurry of cellulosic biomass to a hot water treatment and to provide a washing device for washing a saccharified slurry residue suited for conducting such a saccharide recovery method is provided. Saccharified slurry of cellulosic biomass is fed on a conveyor having a net conveyor belt, the saccharified slurry is dehydrated, washing water is sprayed to dissolve saccharides remaining in the residue into the washing liquid. The residue is washed by a plurality of washing water spraying units disposed in series in such a manner that the moving direction of the residue and the moving direction of the washing water are opposite to each other. The washing water having washed the residue is used as washing water for washing water spraying unit in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the conveyor.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2013Publication date: November 19, 2015Inventors: Shoji TSUJITA, Noriaki IZUMI, Hironori TAJIRI, Hiromasa KUSUDA, Masaki TSUZAWA
-
Publication number: 20140234936Abstract: In the present disclosure, after a volatile organic acid is added as a catalyst to a slurry and the hydrolytic saccharification reaction of hemicellulose is performed, the volatile organic acid (including one added to the slurry and one produced as a by-product) contained in a C5 saccharified solution can be easily recovered by adding a small amount of sulfuric acid to the C5 saccharified solution and subjecting the C5 saccharified solution to air stripping treatment. The efficiency of hydrolytic saccharification of hemicellulose into C5 sugars using a volatile organic acid can also be continuously improved by adding the recovered volatile organic acid as a catalyst to another slurry of cellulosic biomass.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2012Publication date: August 21, 2014Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hiromasa Kusuda, Noriaki Izumi, Hironori Tajiri, Shoji Tsujita, Takashi Nishio, Manabu Masamoto
-
Publication number: 20140234935Abstract: According to the method of the present invention, a cellulosic biomass slurry whose concentration of cellulosic biomass between 1% and 5% by mass is hydrothermally treated at a temperature of between 140° C. and 200° C. a pressure of between 1 MPa and 5 MPa to saccharify/decompose hemicellulose into C5 sugars. Then, a dewatered cake obtained after the hydrothermal treatment is slurried and has a solid concentration of between 1% and 5% by mass, and the slurry is hydrothermally treated at a temperature of between 240° C. and 300° C. and a pressure of between 4 MPa and 10 MPa to saccharify/decompose cellulose into C6 sugars. A saccharified solution is concentrated by a concentration device such as a reverse osmosis membrane device so that the concentration of sugars is 10% by mass or higher, and is then subjected to alcoholic fermentation.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2012Publication date: August 21, 2014Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hiromasa Kusuda, Noriaki Izumi, Hironori Taijiri, Shoji Tsujita, Takashi Nishino