Download or read book Factors Influencing the Feasibility of Switchgrass Feedstocks written by Elizabeth Ann Humphreys and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 93 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Research suggests that biomass with high cellulose content like switchgrass is more efficient for producing ethanol than corn grain. The objective of this study is to evaluate factors influencing the economic feasibility of ethanol production from a biorefinery's perspective using switchgrass as the only feedstock. The research conducted utilizes a model which considers switchgrass procurement costs, transportation costs, storage costs, dry matter loss, biorefinery construction costs, operating and maintenance costs, and ethanol production in determining the break-even price of ethanol. The break-even prices of ethanol estimated range from $2.02 to $2.45 per gallon. The sensitivity analysis demonstrated that when the conversion rate increases, the ethanol break-even price drops. Additionally, switchgrass price has a positive impact on the ethanol break-even price. However, it becomes less sensitive as the biorefinery size increases. Discount rate also has a positive impact on the ethanol break-even price. Using the ethanol market price data collected by the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, a small biorefinery would be profitable the majority of the time, if traditional round bales are used.

Download or read book Evaluation of Switchgrass as an Energy Feedstock microform Economic Feasibility and Carbon Dioxide Accounting written by Ahmad Tayara and published by National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada. This book was released on 1994 with total page 115 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Energy availability and environmental issues are of growing concern; nations are striving to use energy more efficiently while at the same time decreasing the negative impacts on the environment." --

Download or read book Analysis of Factors Affecting Farmers Willingness to Adopt Switchgrass Production in the Southern United States and written by Donald Joshua Qualls and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The increased need for and scarcity of hydrocarbon energy pushes the search and extraction of reserves toward more technically difficult deposits and less efficient forms of hydrocarbon energy. The increased use of hydrocarbons also predicates the increased emission of detrimental chemicals in our surrounding environment. For these reasons, there is a need to find feasible sources of renewable energy that could prove to be more environmentally friendly. One possible source that meets these criteria is biomass, which in the United States is the largest source of renewable energy as it accounts for over 3 percent of the energy consumed domestically and is currently the only source for liquid renewable transportation fuels. Continued development of biomass as a renewable energy source is being driven in large part by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 that mandates that by 2022 at least 36 billion gallons of fuel ethanol be produced, with at least 16 billion gallons being derived from cellulose, hemi-cellulose, or lignin. However, the production of biomass has drawbacks. The market for cellulosic bio-fuel feedstock is still under development, and being an innovative technique, there is a lack of production knowledge on the side of the producer. Some studies have been conducted that determine farmers' willingness to produce switchgrass, however, they have been limited in geographic scope and additional research is warranted considering a broader area. Also, there have been production decision tools aimed at bio-mass, but these have either not been aimed at switchgrass specifically or have been missing key costs such as those incurred in storage. The overall objectives of this study are: 1.) to analyze the willingness of producers in the southeastern United States to plant switchgrass as a biofuel feedstock, 2.) to estimate the area of switchgrass they would be willing to plant at different switchgrass prices, 3.) to evaluate the factors that influence a producer's decision to convert acreage to switchgrass, and 4.) to present a spreadsheet-based decision tool for potential switchgrass producers.

Download or read book The Feasibility of Growing Switchgrass in China for Lignocellulosic Ethanol Production written by Ronne Allen Adkins and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a perennial plant species native to the United States that is capable of adapting to a wide variety of geographic and climate conditions. There are two ecotypes of switchgrass: lowland varieties which favor areas with higher rainfall and longer growing seasons and upland varieties which favor areas with cooler and drier climate conditions with shorter growing seasons. Switchgrass has the capacity to become a significant bioenergy feedstock for lignocellulosic ethanol conversion. The purpose of this dissertation is to determine which regions in China are suitable for switchgrass production, estimate potential biomass yield, and examine the effects of predicted climate change scenarios at the end of the 21st century on potential yields in China. To accomplish these goals, two ecological niche models (Maxent and GARP) are implemented based on known switchgrass presence data throughout the United States to ascertain which regions in China have suitable habitats for its growth. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed on a comprehensive database of 1,190 switchgrass field trials in 39 separate locations across the United States to build a model that estimates potential switchgrass yields across China. Future climate projections (2070 – 2099) from the Hadley Centre Coupled Model, version 3 (HadCM3) global circulation model (GCM) are employed in the multiple linear regression model to make switchgrass yield estimations for the end of the century. The ecological niche modeling results reveal China has large areas of suitable habitat for switchgrass development. The multiple linear regression analysis demonstrates that China has the potential to produce large quantities of switchgrass, even more so than in the United States; however, analysis of the impact of climate change by the end of the 21st Century indicates that warmer temperatures will result in lower yields on average, a substantial reduction in suitable habitat for lowlands, and an expanded habitat range for upland ecotypes. This dissertation concludes that switchgrass should be considered a viable plant species to serve as a bioenergy feedstock for lignocellulosic ethanol production in China, and the results herein offer guidelines regarding optimal regions in the country for switchgrass production. .

Download or read book Economics of Switchgrass in the Great Plains written by Victoria Omojeso and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fossil fuels account for approximately three quarters of anthropogenic carbon emissions (Houghton et al., 2001). Cleaner alternative sources of fuels that release less carbon dioxide (CO2) are required to reduce carbon emission affecting global climate change. In 2015 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change set forth a goal to limit global temperature increases to 2°C; however, to accomplish this goal, negative emissions technologies such as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) must be developed. Bioenergy crop such as switchgrass, remove atmospheric CO2 as they grow and have potential to be used in a carbon capture and storage (CCS) process. Switchgrass is being evaluated as a potential feedstock source for cellulosic biofuels and many studies have assessed the biophysical potential over large areas and across different geographic locations ((Gu, Wylie, & Howard, 2015) (Hartman, Nippert, & Springer, 2012; Hartman and Nippert, 2012). However, the economic potential of producing switchgrass, accounting for profitability relative to alternative crops, has received less research attention. Switchgrass production must not only be biophysically possible, but must also be profitable for BECCS to be adopted on a large scale as a negative emission technology to successfully mitigate climate change. I added economic feasibility to biophysical potential to evaluate the economics of switchgrass in the Great Plains. The result from this study can help farmers in making economic decisions regarding converting to switchgrass production and biofuel investors make decisions about switchgrass development in the Upper Missouri River Basin (UMRB). I use the switchgrass productivity model from Gu et al. 2015 to determine switchgrass biophysical potential (yields/acre). I then use switchgrass yields by sub-regions in annual farm budget to predict the economic potential of switchgrass in these sub-regions under different price scenarios. I also predict the feasibility of farmers in the UMRB converting to producing switchgrass based on the predicted economic potential. Results suggest that only 77 million acres of land may be available for switchgrass production in the UMRB. Moreover, for switchgrass to be economically viable in the regions, weighted average annual switchgrass yield must exceed 2.447, 3.055, 2.376 and 1.024 tons per acre in CMP, EHP, NGP and WBR sub-regions of the UMRB, and in order to break-even in the short run, total revenue per acre from switchgrass production would need to be at least $118.56, $128.73, $128.92, and $130.56 per acre in WBR, NGP, CMP, and EHP respectively. Furthermore, producers will need to receive prices that are greater than $100.00/ton to be profitable in CMP, EHP, and NGP. However, a price above $100.00 will be needed to encourage farmers to convert into large scale switchgrass production in the Upper Missouri River Basin.

Download or read book Biomass Feedstocks for Biopower written by Kelsi Bracmort and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2011 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Biopower -- a form of renewable energy -- is the generation of electric power from biomass feedstocks. Biopower, which comprised about 1% of electricity generation in 2008, may reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provide energy security, and promote economic development. A large range of feedstocks can be used, from woody and herbaceous biomass to agricultural residues. Each feedstock has technical and economic advantages and challenges compared to fossil fuels. Contents of this report: Intro.; What Kind of Biomass is Available for Biopower?; From Biomass to Biopower; Carbon Balance; Implications for Legislation; Conclusion; Appendices: Biomass Feedstock Characteristics for Biopower Generation; Biopower R&D Authorizations. Illustrations.

Download or read book Identification and Overexpression of a Knotted1 like Transcription Factor in Switchgrass Panicum Virgatum L for Lignocellulosic Feedstock Improvement written by and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 15 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: High biomass production and wide adaptation has made switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) an important candidate lignocellulosic bioenergy crop. One major limitation of this and other lignocellulosic feedstocks is the recalcitrance of complex carbohydrates to hydrolysis for conversion to biofuels. Lignin is the major contributor to recalcitrance as it limits the accessibility of cell wall carbohydrates to enzymatic breakdown into fermentable sugars. Therefore, genetic manipulation of the lignin biosynthesis pathway is one strategy to reduce recalcitrance. Here, we identified a switchgrass Knotted1 transcription factor, PvKN1, with the aim of genetically engineering switchgrass for reduced biomass recalcitrance for biofuel production. Gene expression of the endogenous PvKN1 gene was observed to be highest in young inflorescences and stems. Ectopic overexpression of PvKN1 in switchgrass altered growth, especially in early developmental stages. Transgenic lines had reduced expression of most lignin biosynthetic genes accompanied by a reduction in lignin content suggesting the involvement of PvKN1 in the broad regulation of the lignin biosynthesis pathway. Moreover, the reduced expression of the Gibberellin 20-oxidase (GA20ox) gene in tandem with the increased expression of Gibberellin 2-oxidase (GA2ox) genes in transgenic PvKN1 lines suggest that PvKN1 may exert regulatory effects via modulation of GA signaling. Furthermore, overexpression of PvKN1 altered the expression of cellulose and hemicellulose biosynthetic genes and increased sugar release efficiency in transgenic lines. Our findings demonstrated that switchgrass PvKN1 is a putative ortholog of maize KN1 that is linked to plant lignification and cell wall and development traits as a major regulatory gene. Therefore, targeted overexpression of PvKN1 in bioenergy feedstocks may provide one feasible strategy for reducing biomass recalcitrance and simultaneously improving plant growth characteristics.

Download or read book Economic Feasibility of Switchgrass Production and Utilization in Tennessee written by William Joseph Hewitt and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Evaluation of Switchgrass as a Co firing Fuel in the Southeast written by and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ''Evaluation of Switchgrass as a Co-Firing Fuel in the Southeast'' is a comprehensive project incorporating the highest yielding variety of switchgrass, unique harvesting methods, detailed parametric evaluations in a state-of-the-art combustion research facility, and a full-scale demonstration in a tangentially-fired Alabama Power Company power boiler. These features were incorporated into the project to reduce the technical and economic risk of yielding a practical renewable energy option for the southeastern US. There are particular incentives for proving the feasibility of switchgrass as a biomass fuel in the southeastern US. Even though agriculture is a predominant industry much of the land in this region is under-utilized, marginal farmland. As a result, some of the poorest counties in the nation are located in this region. The yields of switchgrass are substantially higher in the southeastern US than in other regions. Yield, or productivity, is a critical factor in determining the feasibility of biomass fuel. Yields in small research plots in the region averaged 25.8 Mg/ha (11.5 tons/acre) over the period 1990-1994. Achievable commercial yield in the southeastern US will likely be about 15.7 Mg/ha (7 tons/acre) with currently available varieties. Use of switchgrass as a supplemental fuel for coal-fired utility boilers could create an enormous market for growers. The Southern Company has 23,000 MW of coal-fired capacity in the southeast. If only 1% of this capacity was provided by switchgrass instead of coal, 74,500 ha (184,000 acres) of production would be needed. This would generate 1,288,000 tons of switchgrass which, if valued at $35/ton, would amount to over $45 million.

Download or read book Biomass as Feedstock for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry written by and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 82 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are both strongly committed to expanding the role of biomass as an energy source. In particular, they support biomass fuels and products as a way to reduce the need for oil and gas imports; to support the growth of agriculture, forestry, and rural economies; and to foster major new domestic industries-- biorefineries--making a variety of fuels, chemicals, and other products. As part of this effort, the Biomass R AND D Technical Advisory Committee, a panel established by the Congress to guide the future direction of federally funded biomass R AND D, envisioned a 30 percent replacement of the current U.S. petroleum consumption with biofuels by 2030. Biomass--all plant and plant-derived materials including animal manure, not just starch, sugar, oil crops already used for food and energy--has great potential to provide renewable energy for America s future. Biomass recently surpassed hydropower as the largest domestic source of renewable energy and currently provides over 3 percent of the total energy consumption in the United States. In addition to the many benefits common to renewable energy, biomass is particularly attractive because it is the only current renewable source of liquid transportation fuel. This, of course, makes it invaluable in reducing oil imports--one of our most pressing energy needs. A key question, however, is how large a role could biomass play in responding to the nation's energy demands. Assuming that economic and financial policies and advances in conversion technologies make biomass fuels and products more economically viable, could the biorefinery industry be large enough to have a significant impact on energy supply and oil imports? Any and all contributions are certainly needed, but would the biomass potential be sufficiently large to justify the necessary capital replacements in the fuels and automobile sectors?

Download or read book Food and Industrial Bioproducts and Bioprocessing written by Nurhan Turgut Dunford and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2012-01-27 with total page 395 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Food and Industrial Bioproducts and Bioprocessing describes the engineering aspects of bioprocessing, including advanced food processing techniques and bioproduct development. The main focus of the book is on food applications, while numerous industrial applications are highlighted as well. The editors and authors, all experts in various bioprocessing fields, cover the latest developments in the industry and provide perspective on new and potential products and processes. Challenges and opportunities facing the bioproduct manufacturing industry are also discussed. Coverage is far-reaching and includes: current and future biomass sources and bioprocesses; oilseed processing and refining; starch and protein processing; non-thermal food processing; fermentation; extraction techniques; enzymatic conversions; nanotechnology; microencapsulation and emulsion techniques; bioproducts from fungi and algae; biopolymers; and biodegradable/edible packaging. Researchers and product developers in food science, agriculture, engineering, bioprocessing and bioproduct development will find Food and Industrial Bioproducts and Bioprocessing an invaluable resource.

Download or read book Chisago Isanti Pine Biofuels Feasibility Study written by and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Bioenergy Feedstocks written by Malay C. Saha and published by Wiley-Blackwell. This book was released on 2013-06-24 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bioenergy and biofuels are generated from a wide variety of feedstock. Fuels have been converted from a wide range of sources from vegetable oils to grains and sugarcane. Second generation biofuels are being developed around dedicated, non-food energy crops, such as switchgrass and Miscanthus, with an eye toward bioenergy sustainability. Bioenergy Feedstocks: Breeding and Genetics looks at advances in our understanding of the genetics and breeding practices across this diverse range of crops and provides readers with a valuable tool to improve cultivars and increase energy crop yields. Bioenergy Feedstocks: Breeding and Genetics opens with chapters focusing primarily on advances in the genetics and molecular biology of dedicated energy crops. These chapters provide in-depth coverage of new, high-potential feedstocks. The remaining chapters provide valuable overview of breeding efforts of current feedstocks with specific attention paid to the development of bioenergy traits. Coverage in these chapters includes crops such as sorghum, energy canes, corn, and other grasses and forages. The final chapters explore the role of transgenics in bioenergy feedstock production and the development of low-input strategies for producing bioenergy crops. A timely collection of work from a global team of bioenergy researchers and crop scientists, Bioenergy Feedstocks: Breeding and Genetics is an essential reference on cultivar improvement of biomass feedstock crops.

Download or read book Value Chain of Biofuels written by Suzana Yusup and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2021-11-09 with total page 608 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Value-Chain of Biofuels: Fundamentals, Technology, and Standardization presents the fundamental aspects of biofuel production, from biomass conversion technologies and biofuels’ end products to related policy regulation and standardization. Sections explore the current biofuels industry, addressing pretreatment, feedstocks, and conversion processes, review different pathways to produce biofuels, including bioethanol, biochar, biogas/bio-hydrogen, bio-oil, biodiesel, and many others, and finally, present policy regulation and standardization on biofuel production, with a focus on applications. Case studies are provided alongside reviews from academic and industry perspectives, discussing economics and lifecycle assessments (LCA) of biofuel production, as well as analyses of supply chains. Offering a comprehensive and timely overview, this book provides an ideal reference for researchers and practitioners working in bioenergy and renewable energy, but it will also be of interest to chemists, bioengineers, chemical engineers, and the agricultural and petrochemical industries. Helps readers gain academic and industry perspectives on biofuel production with the inclusion of lab-based experimentation and informative case studies Contains an exhaustive analysis of biomass conversion technologies for biofuels and biochemicals Provides a clear and concise text that avoids the overuse of jargon and technical language

Download or read book Genetic Improvement of Bioenergy Crops written by Wilfred Vermerris and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2008-08-02 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ethanol as an alternative fuel is receiving a lot of attention because it addresses concerns related to dwindling oil supplies, energy independence, and climate change. The majority of the ethanol in the US is produced from corn starch. With the US Department of Energy’s target that 30% of the fuel in the US is produced from renewable resources by 2030, the anticipated demand for corn starch will quickly exceed the current production of corn. This, plus the concern that less grain will become available for food and feed purposes, necessitates the use of other feedstocks for the production of ethanol. For the very same reasons, there is increasing research activity and growing interest in many other biomass crops. Genetic Improvement of Bio-Energy Crops focuses on the production of ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass, which includes corn stover, biomass from dedicated annual and perennial energy crops, and trees as well as a number of important biomass crops. The biomass is typically pretreated through thermochemical processing to make it more amenable to hydrolysis with cellulolytic enzymes. The enzymatic hydrolysis yields monomeric sugars that can be fermented to ethanol by micro-organisms. While much emphasis has been placed on the optimization of thermo-chemical pretreatment processes, production of more efficient hydrolytic enzymes, and the development of robust microbial strains, relatively little effort has been dedicated to the improvement of the biomass itself.

Download or read book Advanced Biofuel Technologies written by Deepak K. Tuli and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2021-12-08 with total page 596 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Advanced Biofuel Technologies: Present Status, Challenges and Future Prospects deals with important issues such as feed stock availability, technology options, greenhouse gas reduction as seen by life cycle assessment studies, regulations and policies. This book provides readers complete information on the current state of developments in both thermochemical and biochemical processes for advanced biofuels production for the purpose of transportation, domestic and industrial applications. Chapters explore technological innovations in advanced biofuels produced from agricultural residues, algae, lipids and waste industrial gases to produce road transport fuels, biojet fuel and biogas. Covers technologies and processes of different types of biofuel production Outlines a selection of different types of renewable feedstocks for biofuel production Summarizes adequate and balanced coverage of thermochemical and biochemical methods of biomass conversion into biofuel Includes regulations, policies and lifecycle and techno-economic assessments

Download or read book Biofuel Crop Sustainability written by Bharat Singh and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2013-05-07 with total page 480 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biofuel Crop Sustainability brings together the basic principles of agricultural sustainability and special stipulations for biofuels, from the economic and ecological opportunities and challenges of sustainable biofuel crop production to the unique characteristics of particular crops which make them ideal for biofuel applications. This book will be a valuable resource for researchers and professionals involved in biofuels development and production as well as agriculture industry personnel. Chapters focus the broad principles of resource management for ecological, environmental and societal welfare, the sustainability issues pertaining to several broad categories of biofuel crops , as well as the economics and profitability of biofuels on both a local and international scale. Coverage includes topics such as utilizing waste water for field crop irrigation and algae production, reliability of feedstock supply, marginal lands, and identifying crops with traits of significance for survival and growth on low fertility soils. The development of production practices with low external inputs of fertilizer, irrigation, and pesticides is also covered. Biofuel Crop Sustainability will be a valuable, up-to-date reference for all those involved in the rapidly expanding biofuels industry and sustainable agriculture research fields.