Separação de leveduras de fermentação alcoólica em hidrociclones

Abstract

The study of separation of cell from alcoholic fermentation is gaining more attention in the academic researches, because the society and the government are demanding attitudes from the companies to recover and reuse the industrial sub-products. The objective of this work was experimentally evaluate the acting of separation in hydrocyclones in the processing of suspension containing yeast of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It was tested equipments in geometry AKW (Dc = 10 mm), Bradley (Dc = 10, 20 e 30 mm) and Krebs (Dc = ½ in) in individual or in series basis. The suspensions used was yeast in water in 0,25% and 3% in mass, and the fermented most of 3% in mass. All the tests was made in three different pressure drop (2, 4 and 6 atm) in a constant temperature (room). In the results, it was verified high total efficiencies of separation with two hydrocyclones working in series and cellular viability superior of 80%. It was obtained total efficiencies between 29 and 36% to the hydrocyclone Krebs. To the Bradley hydrocyclone it was found total efficiency of separation between 45 and 49%, while to the AKW hydrocyclone it was found total efficiency of separation between 55 and 61%. All the hydrocyclones studied shown high flow ratio between 25 and 51%. The experimental procedure used in this work also allowed obtaining curves of reduced grade efficiency in the separation of yeast and the fermented most. It was also possible verify in most of the cases, the occurrence of fish hook effect.