Visiam is the leader in MSW treatment and Biomass conditioning

Visiam’s VFP is based upon a thermal vessel that is a closed-loop system and operates with direct water introduction with the waste and operates under low temperatures and pressures. The core of the technology is the VFP’s ability to process unsorted MSW and other biomass feed stocks into a standardized and pasteurized homogenous cellulosic product. The resulting organic output can then be utilized for i) anaerobic digestion and conversion to methane or electricity, ii) fermentation to biofuels, iii) bio based chemical conversion or iv) composting.

William Hauserman, PE, stated of the Visiam process , “…production of ethanol by either fermentation or gasification, as part of the Visiam process, is highly recommended. Compared with conventional corn-to-ethanol conversion, the Visiam approach should be far more profitable.” “..the Visiam process, the required MSW cooking heat is charged to the recyclables, so that the organics residue delivered can be considered ‘thermodynamically free’. Finally, it is reported that corn, as fermenter feed, can cost around $300/Ton, while MSW carries a negative cost or tipping fee of $50~$65/Ton… Together, therefore, these factors can support a solid claim that ethanol produced from MSW by this process offers a massive advantage over corn ethanol, in terms of economics, thermodynamic efficiency and carbon footprint.” He summarized to say, “ …it offers an impressive array of alternative or back-up options, to take advantage of variable condition and market opportunities.”

Kinergetics, an energy planning, design, and optimization engineering firm, was hired as a third party validation on overall energy balance of the vessel and in-turn its combination with an AD system on the backend. They specifically worked with the 8’x24’ vessel, their findings were, “In summary, not only does the process provide a net positive power balance, it also provides a net positive thermal balance.”, they went on to state, “This is due in large part because the process under consideration takes advantage of many ‘waste’ sources…”

As the process relates to Glucose recovery, we tested various materials (MSW, cardboard, food waste, etc.) with the VFP followed by enzymatic hydrolysis. With enzyme loading of less than 50% of those of other pretreatments, we obtained recovery of glucose in excess of 50% and up to 87% of the theoretical maximum without any further chemical treatment and in processing conditions milder and requiring less water than any competitive treatment.

To expand on this, we have also proven that if the VFP processed material is subject to an alkali wash prior of enzyme hydrolysis, glucose yields in excess of 80% of theoretical are possible in corn stover and this is equal to or better than acid hydrolysis, currently the leading pretreatment in the cellulosic ethanol industry. In general, our results with other feedstocks such as grasses, generic agricultural wastes, cardboard and paper, etc. show better results with even less demanding operating conditions. Given the simplicity of the VFP and its modest capital requirement, we believe that the VFP can indeed be an effective alternative to acid hydrolysis in providing fermentation feedstock from cellulosic and lignocellulosic substrates.