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News and Trends
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ef100899z?prevSearch=fumigation%2Bethanol&searchHistoryKey= Chinese researchers from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Tianjin University report the use of a dual ethanol-diesel blend on a 4-cylinder diesel engine by a "fumigation operation". Under this operation, the ethanol is premixed with the intake of air by injection or vaporization of the alcohol, while the diesel fuel is injected directly into the cylinder as in a conventional diesel engine. A diesel oxidation catalyst was also used in the operation. The experiments were done on "4.3-liter, naturally-aspirated, in-line four-cylinder direct-injection Isuzu diesel engine. An ethanol fuel rail and four fuel injectors were added to the air intake manifold of the engine". Among the findings of the research (as summarized in the Green Congress website) were: (1) a decrease in NOx emission, was observed, "arising from the cooling effect of ethanol; at high engine loads, the cooling effect is weakened, leading to lower reduction in NOx emission. There was,however, an increase in nitrogen dioxide in the exhaust gas, (2) Fumigation ethanol operation in the diesel engine, was shown to effectively reduce smoke, particle mass concentration, and particle number concentration compared to Euro V diesel fuel; the reductions are attributed to the reduction of diesel fuel burned in the diffusion mode. The details of the study are published in the Energy and Fuels journal (URL above).
http://www.shef.ac.uk/mediacentre/2010/1769.html A university professor from the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Sheffield, has been awarded the Royal Society Brian Mercer Award for Innovation, for his development of "unique bioreactor for use in the production of alternative renewable fuels". Professor William Zimmerman leads the research team in the bioreactor development. The bioreactor can be used for the cultivation of microorganisms which produce compounds that can be processed (or even directly used) as biofuel. An example would be the cultivation of oil-bearing algae or oleaginous algae, whose oils can be chemically processed into biodiesel. According to the University of Sheffield news release, the team "devised an air-lift loop bioreactor which creates microbubbles using 18% less energy consumption than existing methods. Microbubbles are miniature gas bubbles of less than 50 microns diameter in water. They are able to transfer materials in a bioreactor much more rapidly than larger bubbles produced by conventional bubble generation techniques and they consume much less energy. The teamīs unique adaption of the bioreactor and creation of microbubbles has the potential to revolutionize the energy-efficient production of biofuels". Application tests of the developed bioreactor are on-going. Energy Crops and Feedstocks for Biofuels Productionhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V24-50F369X-F&_user=9570260&_coverDate=01%2F31%2F2011&_rdoc=9&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_origin=browse&_zone=rslt_list_item&_srch=doc-info%28%23toc%235692%232011%23998979998%232461752%23FLA%23display%23Volume%29&_cdi=5692&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=61&_acct=C000061230&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=9570260&md5=ad6fc33b0cf4ee080ff0295c3d0341d3&searchtype=a (full access to article may require paid subscription) Australian researchers from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), report the comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study for the production of biodiesel from pond-grown microalgae. The LCA study was done on a "notional production system designed for Australian conditions, in order to analyze the potential environmental impacts and economic viability of the process, in comparison with other biodiesel production schemes (i.e. canola or ultra-low-sulfur biodiesel (ULSL)). Results showed that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from microalgae biodiesel production "compares favorably" with canola biodiesel and ULSL diesel. However, microalgal biodiesel production cost is still relatively unfavorable, and the need to improve production rates was highlighted. The complete study is published in the BioResource Technology journal (URL above). Biofuels Processing
Scientists from the United States Department of Energy (US-DOE) Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, report a "high-throughput analysis platform, called GENPLAT, for the analysis and optimization of enzyme mixtures in the saccharification step of cellulose ethanol production. Cellulose ethanol production technology uses lignocellulosic feedstocks, which undergo three major processing steps: (1) pretreatment, for removal of lignin and liberating the cellulose/hemicelluloses molecules in the biomass, (2) saccaharification, for the conversion of cellulose/hemicelluloses into simple sugars (mainly glucose and xylose), and (3) fermentation of simple sugars to ethanol. The saccharification step presents a major challenge. Lignocellulosic feedstock sources are highly diverse (from grasses, to agricultural residues, or fast growing trees), and it is possible that the enzyme mixtures used in the saccharification step may not be optimized for a particular feedstock. The enzyme cocktail usually contains different types of cellulose-degrading, hemicelluloses-degrading enzymes, and possibly, other "accessory enzymes". The Michigan State University scientists attempted to "optimize synthetic mixtures of enzymes for multiple pretreatment/substrate combinations using a high-throughput biomass digestion platform, GENPLAT". The analysis platform reportedly combines robotic liquid handling, statistical experimental design and automated [glucose] and [xylose] assays. The results were compared to the performance of two commercial enzymes at the same protein loadings. The authors were able to demonstrate that GENPLAT can be used to rapidly produce enzyme cocktails for specific pretreatment/biomass combinations. The results of their findings are published in the free access journal, Biotechnology for Biofuels (URL above). Biofuels Policy and Economics
http://km.fao.org/fsn/discussions/bioenergy/en/ The Bioenergy and Food Security Criteria and Indicators (BEFSCI) Project, under the United Nations Food and Agriculture (UN-FAO) Climate, Energy and Tenure Division, is currently developing "a set of detailed criteria, indicators, good practices and policy options on sustainable bioenergy production". One of the goals of the sustainable bioenergy criteria is the safeguarding (and possibly fostering) of food security through: (1) information on "the development of national frameworks aimed at preventing the risk of negative impacts (and increasing the opportunities) of bioenergy development on food security", and (2) assistance to developing countries in monitoring and responding to the "impacts of bioenergy production on food security and its various dimensions and sub-dimensions". A preliminary set of "core" indicators that countries can use to monitor the impacts of modern bioenergy production on food security has been released at the UN-FAO Bioenergy website, in the form of three downloadable appendices: (1) changes in production of, stocks of and trade in main staple crops, as well as changes in domestic use of main staple crops for food/feed/fuel, (2) changes in inflation-adjusted ("real") prices of main staple crops due to bioenergy production and resulting net welfare impacts on poor households, and (3) changes in agrobiodiversity due to bioenergy production and resulting impacts on household dietary diversity. The BEFSCI is currently inviting discussion on the preliminary core indicators, particulary on the following points: (a) whether the indicators are sufficient and robust in scope, (b) whether quantitative approaches (particularly for indicator number 3) would be necessary, and (c) whether challenges are foreseen in the long term measurement of the indicators. More details can be obtained form the UN-FAO Bioenergy website (URL above). http://www.thebioenergysite.com/news/7308/progress-in-biogas-use-in-rural-areas The Bioenergy site mentions that the Chinese agriculture ministry reports new progress in rural biogas use. During its 11th Five-Year Plan, the progress in the "rapid extension of biogas use in rural areas", has produced comprehensive benefits, in terms of increase in farmer incomes and a cleaner rural environment. The Central Government invested in the development of a "biogas service system", where associations, cooperatives, companies, and individuals, can participate, to provide a variety of service modes related to biogas digester construction, equipment installation, accessory supply, and maintenance. As a result, a total of 12.78 million households were installed with biogas digesters, between 2006 and 2010. By the end of 2010, 5,042 sets of medium-and-large-sized biogas facilities are estimated to have been built. The total rural biogas installations reportedly represent 107 per cent of the target in the 11th Five-Year Plan. |
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