Towards Integrated Product and Process Design for Biofuels

Sustainable processes for the conversion of whole plants into fuels are investigated in the research cluster "Tailor-Made Fuels from Biomass" at RWTH Aachen University (RWTH Aachen University, 2007). In contrast to known attempts, this project not only aims at the identification of components with promising fuel properties, but also accounts for the preservation of functional biomass structures within the biofuel production process. Accordingly, both fuel design approaches and new synthesis routes need to be explored. The solution strategy for these challenges is supported by systems engineering techniques: (i) promising target fuels are predicted by Computer-Aided Molecular Design (CAMD) and (ii) possible production alternatives are identified and classified by reaction network flux analysis (RNFA). In this contribution we introduce both methodologies and show how they can be combined to an integrated product and process design.