Abstract

A method of producing bioethanol from sweet sorghum plants is disclosed. The method comprises planting sweet sorghum plants sequentially on a plurality of plots of land 4a-4h such that when a plot of land 4h is being planted the plants in another plot of land 4a are ready for harvesting. The method of the present invention ensures that there is a continual fresh supply of plant material to the bioethanol production plant (5) throughout the year.

IPC Classes  ?

• A01B 79/00 - Methods for working soil
• C12P 7/10 - Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage produced as by-product or from waste or cellulosic material substrate substrate containing cellulosic material

Abstract

A method of processing sweet sorghum cane for sugar extraction is disclosed. The method comprises passing the cane into a first cutter (4) to cut the material coarsely and then passing the material into a second cutter (7) to cut it into fine fibres. The fibrous material is then passed to a press (10) to extract sugar juice for fermentation in a bioethanol production plant (25).

IPC Classes  ?

• C13B 5/00 - Reducing the size of material from which sugar is to be extracted
• C12P 7/10 - Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage produced as by-product or from waste or cellulosic material substrate substrate containing cellulosic material
• C13B 10/00 - Production of sugar juices
• C13B 10/02 - Expressing juice from sugar cane or similar material, e.g. sorghum saccharatum
• C13K 1/02 - GlucoseGlucose-containing syrups obtained by saccharification of cellulosic materials