Students Rachana Halasabele and Alessia Xu from The University of Manchester in the U.K. recently won Cargill’s Innovation in Engineering Award for their practical solution to a real-life industry problem posed by Cargill’s ethanol experts at their starches and sweeteners plant in Trafford Park, Manchester. The students were challenged to reduce the effect of acetic bacteria in the fermentation process and provide solutions around infection growth and control in ethanol production. The UK-wide competition is reportedly the first of its kind for Cargill in the U.K. The winning pair, both second year chemical engineering students, received a cash bursary of £1,200.
Rachana and Alessia presented a combination of long and short-term solutions including the use of oxidizers, hop extract supplementation and providing the yeast with nutrients. They also suggested a new cleaning procedure involving stabilized chlorine dioxide instead of bleach, according to Cargill.
“One of the things we proposed was to capture the carbon dioxide; one of the employees from the plant told us they have been working on that in the last few weeks which was amazing to hear, because we know this is something they are working on and will continue to use,” says Halasabele.
The competition was designed to reflect Cargill’s goal of inspiring the next generation, showcasing young talent and bridging the much-discussed skill gap between universities and businesses, according to the company.
For more information, visit: www.cargill.com