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Book Integration of Feedstock Assembly System and Cellulosic Ethanol Conversion Models to Analyze Bioenergy System Performance

Download or read book Integration of Feedstock Assembly System and Cellulosic Ethanol Conversion Models to Analyze Bioenergy System Performance written by and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Research barriers continue to exist in all phases of the emerging cellulosic ethanol biorefining industry. These barriers include the identification and development of a sustainable and abundant biomass feedstock, the assembly of viable assembly systems formatting the feedstock and moving it from the field (e.g., the forest) to the biorefinery, and improving conversion technologies. Each of these phases of cellulosic ethanol production are fundamentally connected, but computational tools used to support and inform analysis within each phase remain largely disparate. This paper discusses the integration of a feedstock assembly system modeling toolkit and an Aspen Plus® conversion process model. Many important biomass feedstock characteristics, such as composition, moisture, particle size and distribution, ash content, etc. are impacted and most effectively managed within the assembly system, but generally come at an economic cost. This integration of the assembly system and the conversion process modeling tools will facilitate a seamless investigation of the assembly system conversion process interface. Through the integrated framework, the user can design the assembly system for a particular biorefinery by specifying location, feedstock, equipment, and unit operation specifications. The assembly system modeling toolkit then provides economic valuation, and detailed biomass feedstock composition and formatting information. This data is seamlessly and dynamically used to run the Aspen Plus® conversion process model. The model can then be used to investigate the design of systems for cellulosic ethanol production from field to final product.

Book Advancements in Biomass Feedstock Preprocessing  Conversion Ready Feedstocks

Download or read book Advancements in Biomass Feedstock Preprocessing Conversion Ready Feedstocks written by J. Richard Hess and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2020-03-12 with total page 319 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The success of lignocellulosic biofuels and biochemical industries depends upon an economic and reliable supply of quality biomass. However, research and development efforts have historically focused on the utilization of agriculturally-derived, cellulosic feedstocks without consideration of their low energy density, high variations in physical and chemical characteristics and potential supply risks in terms of availability and affordability. This Research Topic will explore strategies that enable supply chain improvements in biomass quality and consistency through blending, preprocessing, diversity and landscape design for development of conversion-ready, lignocellulosic feedstocks for production of biofuels and bio-products. Biomass variability has proven a formidable challenge to the emerging biorefining industry, impeding continuous operation and reducing yields required for economical production of lignocellulosic biofuels at scale. Conventional supply systems lack the preprocessing capabilities necessary to ensure consistent biomass feedstocks with physical and chemical properties that are compatible with supply chain operations and conversion processes. Direct coupling of conventional feedstock supply systems with sophisticated conversion systems has reduced the operability of biorefining processes to less than 50%. As the bioeconomy grows, the inherent variability of biomass resources cannot be managed by passive means alone. As such, there is a need to fully recognize the magnitude of biomass variability and uncertainty, as well as the cost of failing to design feedstock supply systems that can mitigate biomass variability and uncertainty. A paradigm shift is needed, from biorefinery designs using raw, single-resource biomass, to advanced feedstock supply systems that harness diverse biomass resources to enable supply chain resilience and development of conversion-ready feedstocks. Blending and preprocessing (e.g., drying, sorting, sizing, fractionation, leaching, densification, etc.) can mitigate variable quality and performance in diverse resources when integrated with downstream conversion systems. Decoupling feedstock supply from biorefining provides an opportunity to manage supply risks and incorporate value-added upgrading to develop feedstocks with improved convertibility and/ or market fungibility. Conversion-ready feedstocks have undergone the required preprocessing to ensure compatibility with conversion and utilization prior to delivery at the biorefinery and represent lignocellulosic biomass with physical and chemical properties that are tailored to meet the requirements of industrially-relevant handling and conversion systems.

Book Model Based Biomass System Design of Feedstock Supply Systems for Bioenergy Production

Download or read book Model Based Biomass System Design of Feedstock Supply Systems for Bioenergy Production written by and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Engineering feedstock supply systems that deliver affordable, high-quality biomass remains a challenge for the emerging bioenergy industry. Cellulosic biomass is geographically distributed and has diverse physical and chemical properties. Because of this feedstock supply systems that deliver cellulosic biomass resources to biorefineries require integration of a broad set of engineered unit operations. These unit operations include harvest and collection, storage, preprocessing, and transportation processes. Design decisions for each feedstock supply system unit operation impact the engineering design and performance of the other system elements. These interdependencies are further complicated by spatial and temporal variances such as climate conditions and biomass characteristics. This paper develops an integrated model that couples a SQL-based data management engine and systems dynamics models to design and evaluate biomass feedstock supply systems. The integrated model, called the Biomass Logistics Model (BLM), includes a suite of databases that provide 1) engineering performance data for hundreds of equipment systems, 2) spatially explicit labor cost datasets, and 3) local tax and regulation data. The BLM analytic engine is built in the systems dynamics software package PowersimTM. The BLM is designed to work with thermochemical and biochemical based biofuel conversion platforms and accommodates a range of cellulosic biomass types (i.e., herbaceous residues, short- rotation woody and herbaceous energy crops, woody residues, algae, etc.). The BLM simulates the flow of biomass through the entire supply chain, tracking changes in feedstock characteristics (i.e., moisture content, dry matter, ash content, and dry bulk density) as influenced by the various operations in the supply chain. By accounting for all of the equipment that comes into contact with biomass from the point of harvest to the throat of the conversion facility and the change in characteristics, the BLM evaluates economic performance of the engineered system, as well as determining energy consumption and green house gas performance of the design. This paper presents a BLM case study delivering corn stover to produce cellulosic ethanol. The case study utilizes the BLM to model the performance of several feedstock supply system designs. The case study also explores the impact of temporal variations in climate conditions to test the sensitivity of the engineering designs. Results from the case study show that under certain conditions corn stover can be delivered to the cellulosic ethanol biorefinery for $35/dry ton.

Book Modeling Bioenergy Supply Chains

Download or read book Modeling Bioenergy Supply Chains written by Yuanzhe Li and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biofuels have been promoted by governmental policies for reducing fossil fuel dependency and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as facilitating regional economic growth. Comprehensive model analysis is needed to assess the economic and environmental impacts of developing bioenergy production systems. For cellulosic biofuel production and supply in particular, existing studies have not accounted for the inter-dependencies between multiple participating decision makers and simultaneously incorporated uncertainties and risks associated with the linked production systems. This dissertation presents a methodology that incorporates uncertainty element to the existing integrated modeling framework specifically designed for advanced biofuel production systems using dedicated energy crops as feedstock resources. The goal of the framework is to support the bioenergy industry for infrastructure and supply chain development. The framework is flexible to adapt to different topological network structures and decision scopes based on the modeling requirements, such as on capturing the interactions between the agricultural production system and the multi-refinery bioenergy supply chain system with regards to land allocation and crop adoption patterns, which is critical for estimating feedstock supply potentials for the bioenergy industry. The methodology is also particularly designed to incorporate system uncertainties by using stochastic programming models to improve the resilience of the optimized system design. The framework is used to construct model analyses in two case studies. The results of the California biomass supply model estimate that feedstock pretreatment via combined torrefaction and pelletization reduces delivered and transportation cost for long-distance biomass shipment by 5% and 15% respectively. The Pacific Northwest hardwood biofuels application integrates full-scaled supply chain infrastructure optimization with agricultural economic modeling and estimates that bio-jet fuels can be produced at costs between 4 to 5 dollars per gallon, and identifies areas suitable for simultaneously deploying a set of biorefineries using adopted poplar as the dedicated energy crop to produce biomass feedstocks. This application specifically incorporates system uncertainties in the crop market and provides an optimal system design solution with over 17% improvement in expected total profit compared to its corresponding deterministic model.

Book Feedstock Supply System Design and Economics for Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Hydrocarbon Fuels

Download or read book Feedstock Supply System Design and Economics for Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Hydrocarbon Fuels written by and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The U.S. Department of Energy promotes the production of a range of liquid fuels and fuel blendstocks from lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks by funding fundamental and applied research that advances the state of technology in biomass collection, conversion, and sustainability. As part of its involvement in this program, the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) investigates the feedstock logistics economics and sustainability of these fuels. Between 2000 and 2012, INL conducted a campaign to quantify the economics and sustainability of moving biomass from standing in the field or stand to the throat of the biomass conversion process. The goal of this program was to establish the current costs based on conventional equipment and processes, design improvements to the current system, and to mark annual improvements based on higher efficiencies or better designs. The 2012 programmatic target was to demonstrate a delivered biomass logistics cost of $35/dry ton. This goal was successfully achieved in 2012 by implementing field and process demonstration unit-scale data from harvest, collection, storage, preprocessing, handling, and transportation operations into INL's biomass logistics model. Looking forward to 2017, the programmatic target is to supply biomass to the conversion facilities at a total cost of $80/dry ton and on specification with in-feed requirements. The goal of the 2017 Design Case is to enable expansion of biofuels production beyond highly productive resource areas by breaking the reliance of cost-competitive biofuel production on a single, abundant, low-cost feedstock. If this goal is not achieved, biofuel plants are destined to be small and/or clustered in select regions of the country that have a lock on low-cost feedstock. To put the 2017 cost target into perspective of past accomplishments of the cellulosic ethanol pathway, the $80 target encompasses total delivered feedstock cost, including both grower payment and logistics costs, while meeting all conversion in-feed quality targets. The 2012 $35 programmatic target included only logistics costs with a limited focus on biomass quality.

Book Integrated Biorefineries

Download or read book Integrated Biorefineries written by Paul R. Stuart and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2012-12-10 with total page 873 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Integrated Biorefineries: Design, Analysis, and Optimization examines how to create a competitive edge in biorefinery innovation through integration into existing processes and infrastructure. Leading experts from around the world working in design, synthesis, and optimization of integrated biorefineries present the various aspects of this complex

Book Development of Model System to Predict Conversion Efficiency of Cellulosic Biomass to Ethanol

Download or read book Development of Model System to Predict Conversion Efficiency of Cellulosic Biomass to Ethanol written by Konstantinos A. Tsakpounidis and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Development of Efficient  Integrated Cellulosic Biorefineries

Download or read book Development of Efficient Integrated Cellulosic Biorefineries written by and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 43 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cellulosic ethanol, generated from lignocellulosic biomass sources such as grasses and trees, is a promising alternative to conventional starch- and sugar-based ethanol production in terms of potential production quantities, CO2 impact, and economic competitiveness. In addition, cellulosic ethanol can be generated (at least in principle) without competing with food production. However, approximately 1/3 of the lignocellulosic biomass material (including all of the lignin) cannot be converted to ethanol through biochemical means and must be extracted at some point in the biochemical process. In this project we gathered basic information on the prospects for utilizing this lignin residue material in thermochemical conversion processes to improve the overall energy efficiency or liquid fuel production capacity of cellulosic biorefineries. Two existing pretreatment approaches, soaking in aqueous ammonia (SAA) and the Arkenol (strong sulfuric acid) process, were implemented at Sandia and used to generated suitable quantities of residue material from corn stover and eucalyptus feedstocks for subsequent thermochemical research. A third, novel technique, using ionic liquids (IL) was investigated by Sandia researchers at the Joint Bioenergy Institute (JBEI), but was not successful in isolating sufficient lignin residue. Additional residue material for thermochemical research was supplied from the dilute-acid simultaneous saccharification/fermentation (SSF) pilot-scale process at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The high-temperature volatiles yields of the different residues were measured, as were the char combustion reactivities. The residue chars showed slightly lower reactivity than raw biomass char, except for the SSF residue, which had substantially lower reactivity. Exergy analysis was applied to the NREL standard process design model for thermochemical ethanol production and from a prototypical dedicated biochemical process, with process data supplied by a recent report from the National Research Council (NRC). The thermochemical system analysis revealed that most of the system inefficiency is associated with the gasification process and subsequent tar reforming step. For the biochemical process, the steam generation from residue combustion, providing the requisite heating for the conventional pretreatment and alcohol distillation processes, was shown to dominate the exergy loss. An overall energy balance with different potential distillation energy requirements shows that as much as 30% of the biomass energy content may be available in the future as a feedstock for thermochemical production of liquid fuels.

Book Development of Optimal Enzymatic and Microbial Conversion Systems for Biofuel Production

Download or read book Development of Optimal Enzymatic and Microbial Conversion Systems for Biofuel Production written by Natthiporn Aramrueang and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The increase in demand for fuels, along with the concerns over the depletion of fossil fuels and the environmental problems associated with the use of the petroleum-based fuels, has driven the exploitation of clean and renewable energy. Through a collaboration project with Mendota Bioenergy LLC to produce advanced biofuel from sugar beet and other locally grown crops in the Central Valley of California through demonstration and commercial-scale biorefineries, the present study focused on the investigation of selected potential biomass as biofuel feedstock and development of bioconversion systems for sustainable biofuel production. For an efficient biomass-to-biofuel conversion process, three important steps, which are central to this research, must be considered: feedstock characterization, enzymatic hydrolysis of the feedstock, and the bioconversion process. The first part of the research focused on the characterization of various lignocellulosic biomass as feedstocks and investigated their potential ethanol yields. Physical characteristics and chemical composition were analyzed for four sugar beet varieties, three melon varieties, tomato, Jose tall wheatgrass, wheat hay, and wheat straw. Melons and tomato are those products discarded by the growers or processors due to poor quality. The mass-based ethanol potential of each feedstock was determined based on the composition. The high sugar-containing feedstocks are sugar beet roots, melons, and tomato, containing 72%, 63%, and 42% average soluble sugars on a dry basis, respectively. Thus, for these crops, the soluble sugars are the main substrate for ethanol production. The potential ethanol yields, on average, for sugar beet roots, melons, and tomato are 591, 526, and 448 L ethanol/metric ton dry basis (d.b.), respectively. Lignocellulosic biomass, including Jose Tall wheatgrass and wheat straw, are composed primarily of cellulose (27-39% d.b.) and hemicellulose (26-30% d.b.). The ethanol yields from these materials can range from 470 to 533 L ethanol/metric ton (d.b.) Sugar beet leaves contain nearly equal amounts of cellulose (13%), hemicellulose (16%), and pectin (17%). The potential ethanol yield of sugar beet leaves is 340 L ethanol/metric ton (d.b.). As remaining unused in great quantities during the production of sugar beet as a sugar and energy crop, sugar beet leaves was studied as a potential feedstock for the production of biofuel and valuable products. The enzymatic hydrolysis of sugar beet leaves was optimized for fermentable sugar production. Optimization of enzyme usage was performed to make the biorefinery process more cost- and energy-effective. In this research, response surface methodology was used to study the effects of enzyme loadings during the hydrolysis of sugar beet leaves at 10% total solids content, using a mix of cellulases, hemicellulases, and pectinases. The effects of enzyme loadings were studied with a five-level rotatable central composite design for maximum conversion of sugar beet leaves to fermentable sugars. The conversion efficiency for sugar beet leaves is in the range of 59-70%, 68-80%, and 74-82% for the 24h, 48h and 72 h of hydrolysis, depending on the enzyme loadings. A maximum sugar yield of 82% was achieved after 72h of hydrolysis. The results of statistical analysis show that cellulases and pectinases are important enzymes for the hydrolysis of sugar beet leaves. Regression models for the enzymatic hydrolysis are proposed for estimations of sugar yields, in relation to enzyme loadings. The last part of this study investigated biogas production through the anaerobic digestion of microalgae as they have received much attention as another potential biofuel feedstock. Anaerobic digestion of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) was conducted in batch reactors for the study of the kinetics and, in continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTR), for the study of the two important operating parameters: hydraulic retention time (HRT) and organic loading rate (OLR). The kinetics study on methane production from batch experiments shows first order kinetics and a reaction rate constant of 0.382 d−1. The maximum biogas and methane yields for Spirulina are 0.514 L/gVS and 0.360 L CH4/gVS, respectively. The methane content of the biogas is 68%. During the continuous anaerobic digestion in CSTR for OLR in the range of 1.0-4.0 gVS/L/d, biogas and methane yields are in the ranges of 0.276-0.502 L/ gVS and 0.163-0.342 L CH4/gVS, respectively. Methane content is 59-70% of the biogas. Methane yield decreases with an increase in OLR and a decrease in HRT. The maximum methane production is 0.342 L CH4/gVS at OLR of 1.0 gVS/L d and 25d-HRT, achieving 94% of the maximum yield produced by batch digestion. Ammonia inhibition and the accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFA) were observed at high OLR. According to the results from the continuous digestion of Spirulina, the recommended HRT should be sufficient at least 15d, with the OLR(max) of 2.0 gVS/L to prevent ammonia inhibition at higher feed concentrations. The OLR can be increased when the digester is operated at longer HRT since a long HRT provides a more stable operation. A mathematical model, based on the kinetics study from the batch process, was developed for the prediction of methane production during a continuous digestion process, in relation to HRT. Further improvement of the model may have to include the effects of ammonia inhibition and low solids retention time (SRT) to overcome these limitations.

Book Preprocessing Moist Lignocellulosic Biomass for Biorefinery Feedstocks

Download or read book Preprocessing Moist Lignocellulosic Biomass for Biorefinery Feedstocks written by and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biomass preprocessing is one of the primary operations in the feedstock assembly system of a lignocellulosic biorefinery. Preprocessing is generally accomplished using industrial grinders to format biomass materials into a suitable biorefinery feedstock for conversion to ethanol and other bioproducts. Many factors affect machine efficiency and the physical characteristics of preprocessed biomass. For example, moisture content of the biomass as received from the point of production has a significant impact on overall system efficiency and can significantly affect the characteristics (particle size distribution, flowability, storability, etc.) of the size-reduced biomass. Many different grinder configurations are available on the market, each with advantages under specific conditions. Ultimately, the capacity and/or efficiency of the grinding process can be enhanced by selecting the grinder configuration that optimizes grinder performance based on moisture content and screen size. This paper discusses the relationships of biomass moisture with respect to preprocessing system performance and product physical characteristics and compares data obtained on corn stover, switchgrass, and wheat straw as model feedstocks during Vermeer HG 200 grinder testing. During the tests, grinder screen configuration and biomass moisture content were varied and tested to provide a better understanding of their relative impact on machine performance and the resulting feedstock physical characteristics and uniformity relative to each crop tested.

Book Biochemical Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Ethanol

Download or read book Biochemical Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Ethanol written by Deepak Kumar and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ethanol production from lignocellulosic feedstock has been under intense scrutiny as a transportation fuel due to its potential to address concerns of increasing energy consumption, limited fossil energy resources, climate changes due to greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels, and especially use of non-food biomaterials, which address the biggest limitation of first generation bioethanol. Despite these advantages, the lignocellulosic ethanol production on commercial scale is still on verge because of high processing costs of ethanol production. In the biochemical conversion process, biomass is converted to ethanol by sequential steps of pretreatment (to reduce the recalcitrance of biomass), hydrolysis (conversion of sugar polymers to monomers) and fermentation (sugars to ethanol). Every year, about a million ton of grass straw is available as agricultural residue in Pacific Northwest. There were no previous comprehensive studies to evaluate the technical feasibility, economic viability and environmental sustainability of the bioethanol produced using grass straw in Willamette valley. The focus of this dissertation was to investigate the potential of cellulosic ethanol production from grass straw, assess the techno-economic viability and environmental impacts of the bioethanol production and development of a stochastic molecular model for modeling cellulose hydrolysis. This dissertation was divided into four studies focused on individual aspects of the overall objective. The first study evaluated the ethanol production potential from straws produced from three major grass seed varieties (perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb) and bentgrass (Agrostis sp.)) in Pacific Northwest. Feedstocks were pretreated using three chemical pretreatments (dilute acid, dilute alkali, and hot water) and subsequently hydrolyzed enzymatically to investigate the effect of pretreatment and estimate the potential ethanol yields. Carbohydrate content in biomass varied from 40.6 to 52.9%, with tall fescue having the maximum cellulose content of 32.4%. All pretreatment were effective in increasing the hydrolysis yields, and theoretical maximum ethanol yields were in the range of 276 to 360 L per ton of biomass. The second study performed the comprehensive techno-economic analysis of ethanol production from tall fescue using dilute acid, dilute alkali, hot water, and steam explosion pretreatment technologies. Detailed process models incorporating all unit operations in lignocellulosic ethanol plant with 250,000 metric ton biomass/ year processing capacity were developed in SuperPro Designer. The ethanol production cost were estimated from $0.81 to $0.88/ L of ethanol, and were found highly sensitive to biomass price, enzyme cost, and pentose sugar fermentation efficiency. Energy from lignin residue burning was found sufficient to meet the steam requirement in the production process. Third study performed the life cycle assessment for bioethanol production from grass straw considering various pretreatment technology options. The study revealed that ethanol production from grass straw provide environmental benefits compared to use of gasoline, with 57.43-112.67% reduction in fossil energy use to produce 10,000 MJ of fuel. The GHG emissions during life cycle of ethanol production were estimated in the range of -131 to -555.4 kg CO2 eq. per 10,000 MJ of fuel. It was observed that assumptions and allocation procedure used during the analysis had a significant effect on the LCA results. During the techno-economic assessment of bioethanol process, it was found that cost of cellulose enzymes was significant fraction of the total ethanol production cost. A comprehensive enzymatic hydrolysis model can play critical role in optimizing the enzyme composition and dosage, improving understanding of the process mechanism and reducing the cost of enzymes, a major bottleneck in the ethanol production process. A novel approach of stochastic molecular modeling, in which each hydrolysis event is translated into a discrete event, was used to develop a mechanistic model for cellulose hydrolysis in the fourth study. Cellulose structure was modeled as a group of microfibrils consisting of elementary fibrils bundles, where each elementary fibril was represented as a three dimensional matrix of glucose molecules. Major structural properties: crystallinity, degree of polymerization, surface accessibility, and enzyme characteristics: mode of action, binding and surface blockage, inhibition, along with the dynamic morphological changes in structure of cellulose were incorporated in the model. Hydrolysis of cellulose was simulated based on Monte Carlo simulation technique. Hydrolysis results predicted by model simulations had shown a good fit with the experimental data from hydrolysis of pure cellulose using purified enzymes for various hydrolysis conditions. The model was effective in capturing the dynamic behavior of cellulose hydrolysis during action of individual as well as multiple cellulases. Model was able to simulate and validate all the important expected experimental observations: effect of structural properties, enzyme inhibition and enzyme loadings on the hydrolysis and degree of synergism on different substrates. The work from this dissertation proved the significance of choosing technology options, drew a comparison among different pretreatment technologies, identified the critical processes and inputs that have significant effect on the ethanol production cost, net energy, and GHG emissions. Results from the last study confirmed the validity of using the stochastic molecular modeling approach to quantitatively and qualitatively describe the cellulose hydrolysis, which has wide potential application in bioethanol production research to reduce the enzyme cost.

Book Fair Oaks Dairy Farms Cellulosic Ethanol Technology Review Summary

Download or read book Fair Oaks Dairy Farms Cellulosic Ethanol Technology Review Summary written by and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At Fair Oaks Dairy, dried manure solids (''DMS'') are currently used as a low value compost. United Power was engaged to evaluate the feasibility of processing these DMS into ethanol utilizing commercially available cellulosic biofuels conversion platforms. The Fair Oaks Dairy group is transitioning their traditional ''manure to methane'' mesophilic anaerobic digester platform to an integrated bio-refinery centered upon thermophilic digestion. Presently, the Digested Manure Solids (DMS) are used as a low value soil amendment (compost). United Power evaluated the feasibility of processing DMS into higher value ethanol utilizing commercially available cellulosic biofuels conversion platforms. DMS was analyzed and over 100 potential technology providers were reviewed and evaluated. DMS contains enough carbon to be suitable as a biomass feedstock for conversion into ethanol by gasification technology, or as part of a conversion process that would include combined heat and power. In the first process, 100% of the feedstock is converted into ethanol. In the second process, the feedstock is combusted to provide heat to generate electrical power supporting other processes. Of the 100 technology vendors evaluated, a short list of nine technology providers was developed. From this, two vendors were selected as finalists (one was an enzymatic platform and one was a gasification platform). Their selection was based upon the technical feasibility of their systems, engineering expertise, experience in commercial or pilot scale operations, the ability or willingness to integrate the system into the Fair Oaks Biorefinery, the know-how or experience in producing bio-ethanol, and a clear path to commercial development.

Book Energy and Water Development Appropriations for 2010

Download or read book Energy and Water Development Appropriations for 2010 written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Appropriations. Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 1662 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Renewable Fuel Standard

Download or read book Renewable Fuel Standard written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2012-01-29 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the United States, we have come to depend on plentiful and inexpensive energy to support our economy and lifestyles. In recent years, many questions have been raised regarding the sustainability of our current pattern of high consumption of nonrenewable energy and its environmental consequences. Further, because the United States imports about 55 percent of the nation's consumption of crude oil, there are additional concerns about the security of supply. Hence, efforts are being made to find alternatives to our current pathway, including greater energy efficiency and use of energy sources that could lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions such as nuclear and renewable sources, including solar, wind, geothermal, and biofuels. The United States has a long history with biofuels and the nation is on a course charted to achieve a substantial increase in biofuels. Renewable Fuel Standard evaluates the economic and environmental consequences of increasing biofuels production as a result of Renewable Fuels Standard, as amended by EISA (RFS2). The report describes biofuels produced in 2010 and those projected to be produced and consumed by 2022, reviews model projections and other estimates of the relative impact on the prices of land, and discusses the potential environmental harm and benefits of biofuels production and the barriers to achieving the RFS2 consumption mandate. Policy makers, investors, leaders in the transportation sector, and others with concerns for the environment, economy, and energy security can rely on the recommendations provided in this report.

Book Biorefineries and Chemical Processes

Download or read book Biorefineries and Chemical Processes written by Jhuma Sadhukhan and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2014-11-03 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the range of feedstocks, process technologies and products expand, biorefineries will become increasingly complex manufacturing systems. Biorefineries and Chemical Processes: Design, Integration and Sustainability Analysis presents process modelling and integration, and whole system life cycle analysis tools for the synthesis, design, operation and sustainable development of biorefinery and chemical processes. Topics covered include: Introduction: An introduction to the concept and development of biorefineries. Tools: Included here are the methods for detailed economic and environmental impact analyses; combined economic value and environmental impact analysis; life cycle assessment (LCA); multi-criteria analysis; heat integration and utility system design; mathematical programming based optimization and genetic algorithms. Process synthesis and design: Focuses on modern unit operations and innovative process flowsheets. Discusses thermochemical and biochemical processing of biomass, production of chemicals and polymers from biomass, and processes for carbon dioxide capture. Biorefinery systems: Presents biorefinery process synthesis using whole system analysis. Discusses bio-oil and algae biorefineries, integrated fuel cells and renewables, and heterogeneous catalytic reactors. Companion website: Four case studies, additional exercises and examples are available online, together with three supplementary chapters which address waste and emission minimization, energy storage and control systems, and the optimization and reuse of water. This textbook is designed to bridge a gap between engineering design and sustainability assessment, for advanced students and practicing process designers and engineers.

Book Energy and Water Development Appropriations for 2008

Download or read book Energy and Water Development Appropriations for 2008 written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Appropriations. Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 1626 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Energy and Water Development Appropriations for 2008  Dept  of Energy FY 2008 budget justifications  budget highlights  NNSA  other defense activities

Download or read book Energy and Water Development Appropriations for 2008 Dept of Energy FY 2008 budget justifications budget highlights NNSA other defense activities written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Appropriations. Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 1628 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: