This post throws light one of the research efforts on the thermochemical route to derive celluose based ethanol. Scientists at the Concordia University after having worked on for many years have discovered a thermo-catalytic process, which can convert cellulosic biomass into ethanol .
The researchers there believe that this is a one-step process and this method is extremely energy efficient. The researchers are waiting to get this method patented and who knows? This might be the best method to derive cellulosic ethanol from cellulosic biomass such as waste.
Researchers from the University also claim that the ethanol they produce through this thermochemical route can directly be fed into the vehicle avoiding the step of any biorefining.
For those interested – Full article
About the Thermochemical process to derive cellulose based ethanol .
The thermo chemical route is the best way to produce cellulosic ethanol claims different scientists. Thermo chemical conversion of biomass into fuels is the solution that will be able to allow countries to meet the ethanol demand while not placing stress on food resources or land use.
Thermo chemical conversion process involves three main steps:
Gasification, wherein the biomass is dried, reduced in particle size and mechanically fed into a gasifier. . It then heated to a high temperature in an oxygen-limited steam environment to produce synthesis gas which is then scrubbed to remove trace elements. The use of gasification allows many types of waste biomass to be used as a feedstock since it is reduced to its basic components. Waste biomasses such as forestry residues, mill residues, agricultural waste, MSW, etc. are considered to be ideal feedstocks since essentially the same syngas is produced from all of them.
Catalysis wherein the cleaned syngas is passed over a catalyst in a fixed bed reactor; the catalyst converts syngas into an alcohols mixture of methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, and water.
Purification wherein the alcohol mixture is dehydrated, and the water is recycled. The alcohols are then separated to specification purity for different uses, including liquid fuels.
The bioethanol thus produced from the thermochemical route helps in reducing the GHG as discussed in the previous post. Apparently, it also solves the problem of carbon dioxide sequestration.
More about the thermochemical route to produce Cellulosic Ethanol
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Cellulosic Ethanol Feedstock- Will Switchgrass be the Best Choice?
As discussed in my previous posts, the cellulosic biomass constitutes to be the most abundant biological matter in the planet. Almost anything and everything can be used as a cellulosic biomass. Plants such as switch grass have been recognized as the best bionergy crops for producing cellulosic ethanol.
Benefits of using Switch grass:
1. They are perennial bionergy crops.
2. They have high energy efficiency.
3. Comparatively, they are economically feasible.
4. It does not require as much nitrogen as a corn crop and is harvested once per year
5. Switchgrass produce 13 times more energy from the crop than is put in, which exceed soybeans at 3:1 or sugarcane at 8:1.
6. The advantage of switchgrass is that it is drought resistant, making it less of a burden on irrigation supply, and produces more energy than corn.
7. Switchgrass and corn ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions up to 90%. Such ethanol produces 80% more energy as compared to the amount of energy used for processing.
8. Estimated average greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from switchgrass were 94% lower than estimated average greenhouse gas GHG from gasoline .
Commercialization of Switchgrass :
Switchgrass can be a prospering renewable fuel in the future. Many companies have started building refineries that convert biomass to ethanol. Some companies are producing improved strains of yeast and enzymes that can produce better switchgrass and corn ethanol in the future.
These developments will open new doors of opportunities for farmers, investors, biotechnology firms, and project developers in near future. Some companies are trying to produce switchgrass from the wastes generated during the production of cellulosic ethanol.
Improvements and developments in the field of genetics, biotechnology and agronomics may further enhance the sustainability and biofuel yield of switchgrass. Research is underway in finding the best bioenergy crop for cellulosic ethanol.
For those of the scientific bent - Full article
Benefits of using Switch grass:
1. They are perennial bionergy crops.
2. They have high energy efficiency.
3. Comparatively, they are economically feasible.
4. It does not require as much nitrogen as a corn crop and is harvested once per year
5. Switchgrass produce 13 times more energy from the crop than is put in, which exceed soybeans at 3:1 or sugarcane at 8:1.
6. The advantage of switchgrass is that it is drought resistant, making it less of a burden on irrigation supply, and produces more energy than corn.
7. Switchgrass and corn ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions up to 90%. Such ethanol produces 80% more energy as compared to the amount of energy used for processing.
8. Estimated average greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from switchgrass were 94% lower than estimated average greenhouse gas GHG from gasoline .
Commercialization of Switchgrass :
Switchgrass can be a prospering renewable fuel in the future. Many companies have started building refineries that convert biomass to ethanol. Some companies are producing improved strains of yeast and enzymes that can produce better switchgrass and corn ethanol in the future.
These developments will open new doors of opportunities for farmers, investors, biotechnology firms, and project developers in near future. Some companies are trying to produce switchgrass from the wastes generated during the production of cellulosic ethanol.
Improvements and developments in the field of genetics, biotechnology and agronomics may further enhance the sustainability and biofuel yield of switchgrass. Research is underway in finding the best bioenergy crop for cellulosic ethanol.
For those of the scientific bent - Full article
Cellulose based Biofuels can Tackle Climatic Change
In one of my post earlier, I had mentioned the fact that cellulose based ethanol might prove a solution for good health as well as will help tackling the weather change. Check out the link!
Cellulosic ethanol is considered better for the environment as well , as it reduces the carbon emissions. This has been brought into light by the scientists in Singapore and Swiss. Most importantly, the carbon diosixde emissions can be reduced by about 80 % and using cellulosic ethanol is indeed a clean energy solution.
Scientists and researchers believe in the potential of the cellulosic biomass as it is the most abundant biological material present and it is also known to reduce the environmental costs to a considerable extent. Using cellulose based fuels will serve dual purpose, they will reduce the fossil-fuels dependency and also will help tackling the climate change.
Estimates from 173 countries show that about 82.93 billion liters of cellulosic ethanol can be produced from the world’s waste available thereby reducing the carbon foot-prints to a considerable extent.
See more
Other related blog posts
Cellulosic Ethanol is better for Health!
Cellulosic Ethanol will soon help Acquiring Energy IndependenceCellulosic Ethanol Feedstock Infrastructure is Slowly Developing
Cellulosic Ethanol - A General Review...
Cellulosic ethanol is considered better for the environment as well , as it reduces the carbon emissions. This has been brought into light by the scientists in Singapore and Swiss. Most importantly, the carbon diosixde emissions can be reduced by about 80 % and using cellulosic ethanol is indeed a clean energy solution.
Scientists and researchers believe in the potential of the cellulosic biomass as it is the most abundant biological material present and it is also known to reduce the environmental costs to a considerable extent. Using cellulose based fuels will serve dual purpose, they will reduce the fossil-fuels dependency and also will help tackling the climate change.
Estimates from 173 countries show that about 82.93 billion liters of cellulosic ethanol can be produced from the world’s waste available thereby reducing the carbon foot-prints to a considerable extent.
See more
Other related blog posts
Cellulosic Ethanol is better for Health!
Cellulosic Ethanol will soon help Acquiring Energy IndependenceCellulosic Ethanol Feedstock Infrastructure is Slowly Developing
Cellulosic Ethanol - A General Review...
Cellulosic Ethanol will soon help Acquiring Energy Independence..
Collaboration between the Royal Dutch Shell and the World Leader in Cellulosic ethanol- Iogen are together planning to use post-harvested wheat stalks as their biomass. They are planning to use specialized enzymes for breaking down the cellulose in farm-raised fibers and converting it to sugars fermented into beer that is then distilled into ethanol.
Cellulosic ethanol has identical molecules to conventional ethanol made from corn or sugarcane. The difference is that cellulosic ethanol is derived from the non-food plant portion – in this case agricultural residue. Fuel derived from waste products, as cellulosic ethanol is, is a better long-term solution than using food crops for fuel.
They strongly believe that the Cellulosic ethanol will perform as well as any other bio-derived ethanol product as the research in this field has brought into light, the fact that cellulosic biomass is the most abundant raw material in the planet.
One of the major bottlenecks solved faced is the transportation issue; Iogen and Shell are putting in their full efforts to size their production-facility and efforts are underway to minimize the transportation costs.
Ethanol is usually shipped via truck or rail rather than piped through typical petroleum-based channels because of concerns over water and particulate contamination.
Ethanol is alcohol-based and thus corrosive, components can be damaged and engine fires sparked by leaking hoses, rings and gaskets if a consumer pumps more than a 10 percent blend of ethanol into a system not suitably engineered for the fuel. Extinguishing an ethanol blaze requires firefighting foam differing from that used on petroleum conflagrations; repairers concerned about shop fires have been urged to ensure that their local departments have the correct foam onboard the response apparatus.
As discussed earlier, Cellulosic ethanol’s non-grain content could fuel a wider field of acceptance than conventional ethanol because it lessens the likelihood of food riots such as those that broke out last year in Africa, Mexico and Haiti over surging corn prices.
Cellulosic ethanol has a kernel-free makeup and it is poised to overcome the maze of issues surrounding maize and global crop allotments. It addition to wheat straw, cellulosic ethanol can be created from discarded corn stalks, barley straw, wood chips and sawdust, switchgrass, algae and other municipal solid wastes.
See more
Cellulosic ethanol has identical molecules to conventional ethanol made from corn or sugarcane. The difference is that cellulosic ethanol is derived from the non-food plant portion – in this case agricultural residue. Fuel derived from waste products, as cellulosic ethanol is, is a better long-term solution than using food crops for fuel.
They strongly believe that the Cellulosic ethanol will perform as well as any other bio-derived ethanol product as the research in this field has brought into light, the fact that cellulosic biomass is the most abundant raw material in the planet.
One of the major bottlenecks solved faced is the transportation issue; Iogen and Shell are putting in their full efforts to size their production-facility and efforts are underway to minimize the transportation costs.
Ethanol is usually shipped via truck or rail rather than piped through typical petroleum-based channels because of concerns over water and particulate contamination.
Ethanol is alcohol-based and thus corrosive, components can be damaged and engine fires sparked by leaking hoses, rings and gaskets if a consumer pumps more than a 10 percent blend of ethanol into a system not suitably engineered for the fuel. Extinguishing an ethanol blaze requires firefighting foam differing from that used on petroleum conflagrations; repairers concerned about shop fires have been urged to ensure that their local departments have the correct foam onboard the response apparatus.
As discussed earlier, Cellulosic ethanol’s non-grain content could fuel a wider field of acceptance than conventional ethanol because it lessens the likelihood of food riots such as those that broke out last year in Africa, Mexico and Haiti over surging corn prices.
Cellulosic ethanol has a kernel-free makeup and it is poised to overcome the maze of issues surrounding maize and global crop allotments. It addition to wheat straw, cellulosic ethanol can be created from discarded corn stalks, barley straw, wood chips and sawdust, switchgrass, algae and other municipal solid wastes.
See more
Cellulosic Ethanol Feedstock Infrastructure is Slowly Developing
POET has secured a funding of about $6.85 million for producing 700 tons of cellulosic biomass. POETS with its research team are finding ways to curb the barriers faced by the cellulosic ethanol industry.
The feedstock of choice are the “Cobs” by this American cellulosic ethanol company. As discussed earlier, the major advantage with cellulosic ethanol is the fact that it can use multiple feedstock . Any feedstock which has contains cellulose can be used.
The work of this cellulosic ethanol company is that they are going to redesign the cobs to make it economically viable . Research efforts are underway to find the best harvesting methods to produce cellulosic ethanol commercializing.
This company will secure few more millions next year, and this will be widely used to develop the feedstock infrastructure for cellulosic ethanol production.
Apparently, POET is also taking considerable efforts to go hand in hand with the equipment manufacturers to make the cob-harvesting technology easier than before.
They have also planned to encourage the farmers and other people by giving away incentives to those who are early adopters of this cob-harvesting technology.
About POET
POET is proud to be a pioneer in unlocking the power of cellulosic ethanol. They have been in this field for the past 20 years and they have started turning biomass into fuel with a remarkable efficiency. Earlier, they were produicing ethanol from corn, however, now they are concentrating on cellulosic ethanol.
Cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls and is the most common organic compound on earth. It is more difficult to breakdown cellulose to its basic components in order to convert them into ethanol, but our ability to do it efficiently will radically expand the range of materials that can be used for ethanol production.
Although cellulosic ethanol is chemically identical to the ethanol, the processes for handling the raw material feedstock, breaking it down and fermenting it pose serious biochemical and engineering challenges. POET‘s research team has set out to curb away the bottlenecks faced by the growing cellulosic ethanol industry.
See more
The feedstock of choice are the “Cobs” by this American cellulosic ethanol company. As discussed earlier, the major advantage with cellulosic ethanol is the fact that it can use multiple feedstock . Any feedstock which has contains cellulose can be used.
The work of this cellulosic ethanol company is that they are going to redesign the cobs to make it economically viable . Research efforts are underway to find the best harvesting methods to produce cellulosic ethanol commercializing.
This company will secure few more millions next year, and this will be widely used to develop the feedstock infrastructure for cellulosic ethanol production.
Apparently, POET is also taking considerable efforts to go hand in hand with the equipment manufacturers to make the cob-harvesting technology easier than before.
They have also planned to encourage the farmers and other people by giving away incentives to those who are early adopters of this cob-harvesting technology.
About POET
POET is proud to be a pioneer in unlocking the power of cellulosic ethanol. They have been in this field for the past 20 years and they have started turning biomass into fuel with a remarkable efficiency. Earlier, they were produicing ethanol from corn, however, now they are concentrating on cellulosic ethanol.
Cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls and is the most common organic compound on earth. It is more difficult to breakdown cellulose to its basic components in order to convert them into ethanol, but our ability to do it efficiently will radically expand the range of materials that can be used for ethanol production.
Although cellulosic ethanol is chemically identical to the ethanol, the processes for handling the raw material feedstock, breaking it down and fermenting it pose serious biochemical and engineering challenges. POET‘s research team has set out to curb away the bottlenecks faced by the growing cellulosic ethanol industry.
See more
Monday, September 28, 2009
Cellulosic Ethanol - A General Review...
Cellulosic ethanol is an alternative fuel made from a wide variety of non-food plant materials such as agricultural wastes such as corn stover and cereal straws, industrial plant waste like saw dust and paper pulp, and energy crops grown specifically for fuel production like switchgrass.
By using a variety of regional feedstock for refining cellulosic ethanol, the fuel can be produced in nearly every region of the country. Though it requires a more complex refining process, cellulosic ethanol contains more net energy and results in lower greenhouse emissions than traditional corn-based ethanol.
Cellulosic biofuels are fuels which are produced from wood, grasses, and other non-edible parts of plants. The biofuel is produced mainly from lignocelluloses. This product is found mainly in corn stover, switchgrass, and even wood chips which are the byproduct of farming and lawn maintenance.
There are many advantages to using this kind of fuel, but it requires a much greater amount of processing than standard fossil fuel production, which has limited its use in the United States. However, this hasn’t stopped scientists and researchers alike from looking into the best cellulosic biofuel producers.
Switchgrass and miscanthus are the two main biomass materials which are being observed in studies today, mainly due to their high productivity per acre grown. While these two plants are at the forefront of bio-technology, cellulose is found in every natural green plant, bush, or tree. Because of this, many scientists believe with the right technology, in the future we will be able to reduce our dependence on foreign oil entirely through the burning of cellulosic biofuels. Apparently, research is underway to find out more about the prospects of other feedstock which can be used as a cellulosic biomass.
The main problem with relying on cellulosic biofuels is the procedure in which they are produced. They must be fermented before they are combusted to produce ethanol gas, and this process requires acres and acres of space in order to function properly. If products are recycled properly, this waste could be turned into a fuel which could power tomorrow’s cars and power plants.
Provided below is the list of companies who have had secured funds for cellulosic ethanol research.
• Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass of Kansas, LLC of Chesterfield, Missouri, up to $76 million.
• ALICO, Inc. of LaBelle, Florida, up to $33 million.
• Blue Fire Ethanol, Inc. of Irvine, California, up to $40 million.
• Broin Companies of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, up to $80 million
.
• Iogen Biorefinery Partners, LLC, of Arlington, Virginia, up to $80 million.
Range Fuels (formerly Kergy Inc.) of Broomfield, Colorado, up to $76 million.
Why Cellulosic Ethanol? - Link to my previous post
a. Cellulosic ethanol production prevents the danger that food cropping
b. Supply of raw material is also more abundant than corn-based ethanol production.
c. Use of fertilizers and watering essential for corn for ethanol production is also not required to such an extent for cellulosic ethanol.
d. The best thing I love about CE is that the fact that traditional ethanol cellulosic ethanol uses only lignin, which has energy content equal to coal, it doesn’t use fossil fuels during manufacture Lignin is a bi-product of the conversion process from bio-mass to ethanol, and does not need to be procured extra. Thus, no expensive fossil fuel is required for the cellulosic manufacturing process,
e. Most importantly, the amount of harmful CO2 produced while using the lignin is totally compensated by the absorption from the original plants in photosynthesis.
f. The usage of the perennial switch grass for cellulosic ethanol also bodes well for the environment and efficiency. This grass has a deep root system which helps prevents soil erosion and contributes toward soil fertility.
See more
By using a variety of regional feedstock for refining cellulosic ethanol, the fuel can be produced in nearly every region of the country. Though it requires a more complex refining process, cellulosic ethanol contains more net energy and results in lower greenhouse emissions than traditional corn-based ethanol.
Cellulosic biofuels are fuels which are produced from wood, grasses, and other non-edible parts of plants. The biofuel is produced mainly from lignocelluloses. This product is found mainly in corn stover, switchgrass, and even wood chips which are the byproduct of farming and lawn maintenance.
There are many advantages to using this kind of fuel, but it requires a much greater amount of processing than standard fossil fuel production, which has limited its use in the United States. However, this hasn’t stopped scientists and researchers alike from looking into the best cellulosic biofuel producers.
Switchgrass and miscanthus are the two main biomass materials which are being observed in studies today, mainly due to their high productivity per acre grown. While these two plants are at the forefront of bio-technology, cellulose is found in every natural green plant, bush, or tree. Because of this, many scientists believe with the right technology, in the future we will be able to reduce our dependence on foreign oil entirely through the burning of cellulosic biofuels. Apparently, research is underway to find out more about the prospects of other feedstock which can be used as a cellulosic biomass.
The main problem with relying on cellulosic biofuels is the procedure in which they are produced. They must be fermented before they are combusted to produce ethanol gas, and this process requires acres and acres of space in order to function properly. If products are recycled properly, this waste could be turned into a fuel which could power tomorrow’s cars and power plants.
Provided below is the list of companies who have had secured funds for cellulosic ethanol research.
• Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass of Kansas, LLC of Chesterfield, Missouri, up to $76 million.
• ALICO, Inc. of LaBelle, Florida, up to $33 million.
• Blue Fire Ethanol, Inc. of Irvine, California, up to $40 million.
• Broin Companies of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, up to $80 million
.
• Iogen Biorefinery Partners, LLC, of Arlington, Virginia, up to $80 million.
Range Fuels (formerly Kergy Inc.) of Broomfield, Colorado, up to $76 million.
Why Cellulosic Ethanol? - Link to my previous post
a. Cellulosic ethanol production prevents the danger that food cropping
b. Supply of raw material is also more abundant than corn-based ethanol production.
c. Use of fertilizers and watering essential for corn for ethanol production is also not required to such an extent for cellulosic ethanol.
d. The best thing I love about CE is that the fact that traditional ethanol cellulosic ethanol uses only lignin, which has energy content equal to coal, it doesn’t use fossil fuels during manufacture Lignin is a bi-product of the conversion process from bio-mass to ethanol, and does not need to be procured extra. Thus, no expensive fossil fuel is required for the cellulosic manufacturing process,
e. Most importantly, the amount of harmful CO2 produced while using the lignin is totally compensated by the absorption from the original plants in photosynthesis.
f. The usage of the perennial switch grass for cellulosic ethanol also bodes well for the environment and efficiency. This grass has a deep root system which helps prevents soil erosion and contributes toward soil fertility.
See more
Cellulosic Sugar to Cellulosic Ethanol has been made much easier by the London Company...
Comet Biorefining, a London company, is a leader in the field of biomass conversion and biomass pretreatment. Comet's knowledge and experience in the pretreatment of biomass spans numerous raw materials and many end use applications. This sustainability company has announced a new sugar technology to digest a wide range of cellulosic biomass and convert it into ethanol fuels.
This cellulosic ethanol technology employs cellulosic ethanol feedstock such as wood chips, switch grass and corn cobs to produce cellulosic sugars and then convert it into fuels. For the production of these cheap pre-treatment methods were used and these sugars were shipped to the biorefineries wherein they are converted into ethanol.
The greatest advantage with this cellulosic sugar is the fact that if remains stable for a long-time even after pre-treatment due to its high –density. Hence, this advantage makes it possible to be shipped or transported to biorefineries in farther places as well.
This breakthrough will definitely reduce the capital and operating costs of the biofuel companies , whooonly processes the cellulosic sugar for bioethanol . This will further help them to focus more on developing better enzyme technology to carry out the steps to make biofuel from the broken down sugar.
Comet Biorefining has demonstrated this unique technology at pilot scale and estimates that cellulosic sugar can be produced for as low as 7 cents per pound based on laboratory testing. Comet Biorefining plans to build a demonstration facility in 2010 and partner with biofuels technology developers to provide them with cellulosic sugar for their processes. Comet Biorefining's goal is to license its Cellulosic Sugar Technology worldwide.
Pilot and demonstration plants have shown promising results, and the London company believes that even small pretreatment plants can provide cellulosic sugars for large biofuel industries thereby making their biofuel production economically viable.
See more
This cellulosic ethanol technology employs cellulosic ethanol feedstock such as wood chips, switch grass and corn cobs to produce cellulosic sugars and then convert it into fuels. For the production of these cheap pre-treatment methods were used and these sugars were shipped to the biorefineries wherein they are converted into ethanol.
The greatest advantage with this cellulosic sugar is the fact that if remains stable for a long-time even after pre-treatment due to its high –density. Hence, this advantage makes it possible to be shipped or transported to biorefineries in farther places as well.
This breakthrough will definitely reduce the capital and operating costs of the biofuel companies , whooonly processes the cellulosic sugar for bioethanol . This will further help them to focus more on developing better enzyme technology to carry out the steps to make biofuel from the broken down sugar.
Comet Biorefining has demonstrated this unique technology at pilot scale and estimates that cellulosic sugar can be produced for as low as 7 cents per pound based on laboratory testing. Comet Biorefining plans to build a demonstration facility in 2010 and partner with biofuels technology developers to provide them with cellulosic sugar for their processes. Comet Biorefining's goal is to license its Cellulosic Sugar Technology worldwide.
Pilot and demonstration plants have shown promising results, and the London company believes that even small pretreatment plants can provide cellulosic sugars for large biofuel industries thereby making their biofuel production economically viable.
See more
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