Reforming of Ethanol to Produce Hydrogen over PtRuMg/ZrO2 Catalyst

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Josh Y. Z. Chiou

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A modified PtRu/ZrO2 catalyst with Mg is evaluated for the oxidative steam reforming of ethanol (OSRE and the steam reforming of ethanol (SRE. In order to understand the variation in the reaction mechanism on OSRE and SRE, further analysis of both fresh and used catalyst is concentrated on for TEM, TG, Raman, and TPR characterization. The results show that the OSRE reaction requires a higher temperature (∼390°C to achieve 100% ethanol conversion than the SRE reaction (∼2500°C. The distribution of CO is minor for both reactions (< 5% for OSRE, < 1% for SRE. This demonstrates that the water gas shift (WGS reaction is an important side-reaction in the reforming of ethanol to produce H2 and CO2. A comparison of the temperature of WGS (WGS shows it is lower for the SRE reaction (WGS∼250°C for SRE, ~340°C for OSRE.

Sustainably produced ethanol. A premium fuel component; Nachhaltig produziertes Ethanol. Eine Premium Kraftstoffkomponente

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernard, Joerg [Suedzucker AG, Obrigheim/Pfalz (Germany)

2012-07-01

Ethanol is the most used biofuel in the world. It is part of the European biofuel strategy, which is intended to preserve finite fossil resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen European agriculture. In addition to its traditional use in E5 fuel, ethanol most recently features in new fuels for petrol engines in Europe: as E10 as an expansion of the already existing concept of ethanol blends, such as in E5, or as ethanol fuel E85, a blend made up primarily of ethanol. There is already extensive international experience for both types of fuel for example in the USA or Brazil. The use of ethanol as a biofuel is linked to sustainability criteria in Europe which must be proven through a certification scheme. In addition to ethanol, the integrated production process also provides vegetable protein which is used in food as well as in animal feed and therefore provides the quality products of processed plants used for sustainable energy and in animal and human food. Ethanol has an effect on the vapour pressure, boiling behaviour and octane number of the fuel blend. Adjusting the blend stock petrol to fulfil the quality requirements of the final fuel is therefore necessary. Increasing the antiknock properties, increasing the heat of evaporation of the fuel using ethanol and the positive effects this has on the combustion efficiency of the petrol engine are particularly important. Investigations on cars or engines that were specifically designed for fuel with a higher ethanol content show significant improvements in using the energy from the fuel and the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions if fuels containing ethanol are used. The perspective based purely on an energy equivalent replacement of fossil fuels with ethanol is therefore misleading. Ethanol can also contribute to increasing the energy efficiency of petrol engines as well as being a replacement source of energy. (orig.)

Energy and greenhouse gas emission effects of corn and cellulosic ethanol with technology improvements and land use changes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Michael Q.; Han, Jeongwoo; Haq, Zia; Tyner, Wallace E.; Wu, May; Elgowainy, Amgad

2011-01-01

Use of ethanol as a transportation fuel in the United States has grown from 76 dam 3 in 1980 to over 40.1 hm 3 in 2009 - and virtually all of it has been produced from corn. It has been debated whether using corn ethanol results in any energy and greenhouse gas benefits. This issue has been especially critical in the past several years, when indirect effects, such as indirect land use changes, associated with U.S. corn ethanol production are considered in evaluation. In the past three years, modeling of direct and indirect land use changes related to the production of corn ethanol has advanced significantly. Meanwhile, technology improvements in key stages of the ethanol life cycle (such as corn farming and ethanol production) have been made. With updated simulation results of direct and indirect land use changes and observed technology improvements in the past several years, we conducted a life-cycle analysis of ethanol and show that at present and in the near future, using corn ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emission by more than 20%, relative to those of petroleum gasoline. On the other hand, second-generation ethanol could achieve much higher reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. In a broader sense, sound evaluation of U.S. biofuel policies should account for both unanticipated consequences and technology potentials. We maintain that the usefulness of such evaluations is to provide insight into how to prevent unanticipated consequences and how to promote efficient technologies with policy intervention.

A gas-phase reactor powered by solar energy and ethanol for H2 production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ampelli, Claudio; Genovese, Chiara; Passalacqua, Rosalba; Perathoner, Siglinda; Centi, Gabriele

2014-01-01

In the view of H 2 as the future energy vector, we presented here the development of a homemade photo-reactor working in gas phase and easily interfacing with fuel cell devices, for H 2 production by ethanol dehydrogenation. The process generates acetaldehyde as the main co-product, which is more economically advantageous with respect to the low valuable CO 2 produced in the alternative pathway of ethanol photoreforming. The materials adopted as photocatalysts are based on TiO 2 substrates but properly modified with noble (Au) and not-noble (Cu) metals to enhance light harvesting in the visible region. The samples were characterized by BET surface area analysis, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and UV–visible Diffusive Reflectance Spectroscopy, and finally tested in our homemade photo-reactor by simulated solar irradiation. We discussed about the benefits of operating in gas phase with respect to a conventional slurry photo-reactor (minimization of scattering phenomena, no metal leaching, easy product recovery, etc.). Results showed that high H 2 productivity can be obtained in gas phase conditions, also irradiating titania photocatalysts doped with not-noble metals. - Highlights: • A gas-phase photoreactor for H 2 production by ethanol dehydrogenation was developed. • The photocatalytic behaviours of Au and Cu metal-doped TiO 2 thin layers are compared. • Benefits of operating in gas phase with respect to a slurry reactor are presented. • Gas phase conditions and use of not-noble metals are the best economic solution

Development of an integrated system for producing ethanol from biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foody, B.E.; Foody, K.J.

1991-01-01

Enzymatic hydrolysis is one of the leading approaches to producing ethanol from low cost biomass. Recent cost estimates suggest that ethanol produced from biomass could be competitive as a transportation fuel with gasoline at $20-25/BBL oil and less expensive than methanol. The process for making ethanol from biomass involves seven major steps: biomass production, pretreatment, enzyme production, enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation, distillation, and by-product processing. Pretreatment makes the carbohydrate fraction of the biomass accessible to enzymatic attack. Cellulase enzymes are then used to hydrolyze the carbohydrates in biomass into fermentable sugar. The sugar is then fermented to ethanol and the ethanol purified by distillation. Three major cost estimates are available for making ethanol from biomass using a steam explosion pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. These studies began with very different assumptions and as a result came to dramatically different conclusions about ethanol cost. When they are normalized to the same basis, however, their consensus is an expected ethanol cost of $1.64 ± 0.23/gal using technology implemented at Iogen's pilot plant in 1986. Since that time, technology advances have reduced the expected cost of ethanol to $0.77 ± 0.17/gal. Further technical improvements could reduce the cost by as much as $0.23/gal

ZnO:Al Thin Film Gas Sensor for Detection of Ethanol Vapor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min Hsiung Hon

2006-10-01

Full Text Available The ZnO:Al thin films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering on Si substrateusing Pt as interdigitated electrodes. The structure was characterized by XRD and SEManalyses, and the ethanol vapor gas sensing as well as electrical properties have beeninvestigated and discussed. The gas sensing results show that the sensitivity for detecting400 ppm ethanol vapor was ~20 at an operating temperature of 250°C. The high sensitivity,fast recovery, and reliability suggest that ZnO:Al thin film prepared by RF magnetronsputtering can be used for ethanol vapor gas sensing.

Thermodynamic evaluation of hydrogen production for fuel cells by using bio-ethanol steam reforming: Effect of carrier gas addition

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández, Liliana; Kafarov, Viatcheslav

Omitting the influence of the addition of carrier gas to the reaction system for hydrogen production by bio-ethanol steam reforming can lead to wrong conclusions, especially when it is going to be made to scale. The effect of carrier gas addition to produce hydrogen using bio-ethanol steam reforming to feed fuel cells was evaluated. Thermodynamic calculations in equilibrium conditions were made, however the analysis derived from them can also be applied to kinetic conditions. These calculations were made by using the Aspen-HYSYS software at atmospheric pressure and different values of temperature, water/ethanol molar ratios, and inert (argon)/(water/ethanol) molar ratios. The addition of inert carrier gas modifies the concentrations of the reaction products in comparison to those obtained without its presence. This behavior occurs because most of the reactions which take place in bio-ethanol steam reforming have a positive difference of moles. This fact enhances the system sensitivity to inert concentration at low and moderated temperatures (<700 °C). At high values of temperature, the inert addition does not influence the composition of the reaction products because of the predominant effect of inverse WGS reaction.

Thermodynamic evaluation of hydrogen production for fuel cells by using bio-ethanol steam reforming: Effect of carrier gas addition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hernandez, Liliana; Kafarov, Viatcheslav [Universidad Industrial de Santander, Escuela de Ingenieria Quimica, Bucaramanga 678 (Colombia)

2009-07-01

Omitting the influence of the addition of carrier gas to the reaction system for hydrogen production by bio-ethanol steam reforming can lead to wrong conclusions, especially when it is going to be made to scale. The effect of carrier gas addition to produce hydrogen using bio-ethanol steam reforming to feed fuel cells was evaluated. Thermodynamic calculations in equilibrium conditions were made, however the analysis derived from them can also be applied to kinetic conditions. These calculations were made by using the Aspen-HYSYS software at atmospheric pressure and different values of temperature, water/ethanol molar ratios, and inert (argon)/(water/ethanol) molar ratios. The addition of inert carrier gas modifies the concentrations of the reaction products in comparison to those obtained without its presence. This behavior occurs because most of the reactions which take place in bio-ethanol steam reforming have a positive difference of moles. This fact enhances the system sensitivity to inert concentration at low and moderated temperatures (<700 C). At high values of temperature, the inert addition does not influence the composition of the reaction products because of the predominant effect of inverse WGS reaction. (author)

Hydrogen production by ethanol partial oxidation over nano-iron oxide catalysts produced by chemical vapour synthesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmed, Wael Ahmed Abou Taleb Sayed

2011-01-13

This work presents the experimental results of the synthesis of unsupported and supported SiC iron oxide nanoparticles and their catalytic activity towards ethanol partial oxidation. For comparison, further unsupported iron oxide phases were investigated towards the ethanol partial oxidation. These {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and {alpha}/{gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} phase catalysts were prepared by the CVS method using Fe(CO){sub 5} as precursor, supplied by another author. The {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and SiC nanoparticles were prepared by the CVS method using a home made hot wall reactor technique at atmospheric pressure. Ferrocene and tetramethylsilane were used as precursor for the production process. Process parameters of precursor evaporation temperature, precursor concentration, gas mixture velocity and gas mixture dilution were investigated and optimised to produce particle sizes in a range of 10 nm. For Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/SiC catalyst series production, a new hot wall reactor setup was used. The particles were produced by simultaneous thermal decomposition of ferrocene and tetramethylsilane in one reactor from both sides. The production parameters of inlet tube distance inside the reactor, precursor evaporation temperature and carrier gas flow were investigated to produce a series of samples with different iron oxide content. The prepared catalysts composition, physical and chemical properties were characterized by XRD, EDX, SEM, BET surface area, FTIR, XPS and dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques. The catalytic activity for the ethanol gas-phase oxidation was investigated in a temperature range from 260 C to 290 C. The product distributions obtained over all catalysts were analysed with mass spectrometry analysis tool. The activity of bulk Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and SiC nanoparticles was compared with prepared nano-iron oxide phase catalysts. The reaction parameters, such as reaction temperature and O{sub 2}/ethanol ratio were investigated. The catalysts

Life cycle greenhouse gas impacts of ethanol, biomethane and limonene production from citrus waste

Science.gov (United States)

Pourbafrani, Mohammad; McKechnie, Jon; MacLean, Heather L.; Saville, Bradley A.

2013-03-01

The production of biofuel from cellulosic residues can have both environmental and financial benefits. A particular benefit is that it can alleviate competition for land conventionally used for food and feed production. In this research, we investigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the production of ethanol, biomethane, limonene and digestate from citrus waste, a byproduct of the citrus processing industry. The study represents the first life cycle-based evaluations of citrus waste biorefineries. Two biorefinery configurations are studied—a large biorefinery that converts citrus waste into ethanol, biomethane, limonene and digestate, and a small biorefinery that converts citrus waste into biomethane, limonene and digestate. Ethanol is assumed to be used as E85, displacing gasoline as a light-duty vehicle fuel; biomethane displaces natural gas for electricity generation, limonene displaces acetone in solvents, and digestate from the anaerobic digestion process displaces synthetic fertilizer. System expansion and two allocation methods (energy, market value) are considered to determine emissions of co-products. Considerable GHG reductions would be achieved by producing and utilizing the citrus waste-based products in place of the petroleum-based or other non-renewable products. For the large biorefinery, ethanol used as E85 in light-duty vehicles results in a 134% reduction in GHG emissions compared to gasoline-fueled vehicles when applying a system expansion approach. For the small biorefinery, when electricity is generated from biomethane rather than natural gas, GHG emissions are reduced by 77% when applying system expansion. The life cycle GHG emissions vary substantially depending upon biomethane leakage rate, feedstock GHG emissions and the method to determine emissions assigned to co-products. Among the process design parameters, the biomethane leakage rate is critical, and the ethanol produced in the large biorefinery would not meet EISA�

Life cycle greenhouse gas impacts of ethanol, biomethane and limonene production from citrus waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pourbafrani, Mohammad; MacLean, Heather L; Saville, Bradley A; McKechnie, Jon

2013-01-01

The production of biofuel from cellulosic residues can have both environmental and financial benefits. A particular benefit is that it can alleviate competition for land conventionally used for food and feed production. In this research, we investigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the production of ethanol, biomethane, limonene and digestate from citrus waste, a byproduct of the citrus processing industry. The study represents the first life cycle-based evaluations of citrus waste biorefineries. Two biorefinery configurations are studied—a large biorefinery that converts citrus waste into ethanol, biomethane, limonene and digestate, and a small biorefinery that converts citrus waste into biomethane, limonene and digestate. Ethanol is assumed to be used as E85, displacing gasoline as a light-duty vehicle fuel; biomethane displaces natural gas for electricity generation, limonene displaces acetone in solvents, and digestate from the anaerobic digestion process displaces synthetic fertilizer. System expansion and two allocation methods (energy, market value) are considered to determine emissions of co-products. Considerable GHG reductions would be achieved by producing and utilizing the citrus waste-based products in place of the petroleum-based or other non-renewable products. For the large biorefinery, ethanol used as E85 in light-duty vehicles results in a 134% reduction in GHG emissions compared to gasoline-fueled vehicles when applying a system expansion approach. For the small biorefinery, when electricity is generated from biomethane rather than natural gas, GHG emissions are reduced by 77% when applying system expansion. The life cycle GHG emissions vary substantially depending upon biomethane leakage rate, feedstock GHG emissions and the method to determine emissions assigned to co-products. Among the process design parameters, the biomethane leakage rate is critical, and the ethanol produced in the large biorefinery would not meet EISA�

A novel in situ gas stripping-pervaporation process integrated with acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation for hyper n-butanol production.

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Chuang; Liu, Fangfang; Xu, Mengmeng; Zhao, Jingbo; Chen, Lijie; Ren, Jiangang; Bai, Fengwu; Yang, Shang-Tian

2016-01-01

Butanol is considered as an advanced biofuel, the development of which is restricted by the intensive energy consumption of product recovery. A novel two-stage gas stripping-pervaporation process integrated with acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation was developed for butanol recovery, with gas stripping as the first-stage and pervaporation as the second-stage using the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) filled polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mixed matrix membrane (MMM). Compared to batch fermentation without butanol recovery, more ABE (27.5 g/L acetone, 75.5 g/L butanol, 7.0 g/L ethanol vs. 7.9 g/L acetone, 16.2 g/L butanol, 1.4 g/L ethanol) were produced in the fed-batch fermentation, with a higher butanol productivity (0.34 g/L · h vs. 0.30 g/L · h) due to reduced butanol inhibition by butanol recovery. The first-stage gas stripping produced a condensate containing 155.6 g/L butanol (199.9 g/L ABE), which after phase separation formed an organic phase containing 610.8 g/L butanol (656.1 g/L ABE) and an aqueous phase containing 85.6 g/L butanol (129.7 g/L ABE). Fed with the aqueous phase of the condensate from first-stage gas stripping, the second-stage pervaporation using the CNTs-PDMS MMM produced a condensate containing 441.7 g/L butanol (593.2 g/L ABE), which after mixing with the organic phase from gas stripping gave a highly concentrated product containing 521.3 g/L butanol (622.9 g/L ABE). The outstanding performance of CNTs-PDMS MMM can be attributed to the hydrophobic CNTs giving an alternative route for mass transport through the inner tubes or along the smooth surface of CNTs. This gas stripping-pervaporation process with less contaminated risk is thus effective in increasing butanol production and reducing energy consumption. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

High efficient ethanol and VFAs production from gas fermentation: effect of acetate, gas and inoculum microbial composition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

El-Gammal, Maie; Abou-Shanab, Reda; Angelidaki, Irini

2017-01-01

In bioindustry, syngas fermentation is a promising technology for biofuel production without the use of plant biomass as sugar-based feedstock. The aim of this study was to identify optimal conditions for high efficient ethanol and volatile fatty acids (VFA) production from synthetic gas...... fatty acids and ethanol was achieved by the pure culture (Clostridium ragsdalei). Depending on the headspace gas composition, VFA concentrations were up to 300% higher after fermentation with Clostridium ragsdalei compared to fermentation with mixed culture. The preferred gas composition with respect...

Optimization of a corn steep medium for production of ethanol from synthesis gas fermentation by Clostridium ragsdalei.

Science.gov (United States)

Saxena, Jyotisna; Tanner, Ralph S

2012-04-01

Fermentation of biomass derived synthesis gas to ethanol is a sustainable approach that can provide more usable energy and environmental benefits than food-based biofuels. The effects of various medium components on ethanol production by Clostridium ragsdalei utilizing syngas components (CO:CO(2)) were investigated, and corn steep liquor (CSL) was used as an inexpensive nutrient source for ethanol production by C. ragsdalei. Elimination of Mg(2+), NH(4) (+) and PO(4) (3-) decreased ethanol production from 38 to 3.7, 23 and 5.93 mM, respectively. Eliminating Na(+), Ca(2+), and K(+) or increasing Ca(2+), Mg(2+), K(+), NH(4) (+) and PO(4) (3-) concentrations had no effect on ethanol production. However, increased Na(+) concentration (171 mM) inhibited growth and ethanol production. Yeast extract (0.5 g l(-1)) and trace metals were necessary for growth of C. ragsdalei. CSL alone did not support growth and ethanol production. Nutrients limiting in CSL were trace metals, NH(4) (+) and reducing agent (Cys: cysteine sulfide). Supplementation of trace metals, NH(4) (+) and CyS to CSL (20 g l(-1), wet weight basis) yielded better growth and similar ethanol production as compared to control medium. Using 10 g l(-1), the nutritional limitation led to reduced ethanol production. Higher concentrations of CSL (50 and 100 g l(-1)) were inhibitory for cell growth and ethanol production. The CSL could replace yeast extract, vitamins and minerals (excluding NH(4) (+)). The optimized CSL medium produced 120 and 50 mM of ethanol and acetate, respectively. The CSL could provide as an inexpensive source of most of the nutrients required for the syngas fermentation, and thus could improve the economics of ethanol production from biomass derived synthesis gas by C. ragsdalei.

High efficient ethanol and VFAs production from gas fermentation: effect of acetate, gas and inoculum microbial composition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

El-Gammal, Maie; Abou-Shanab, Reda; Angelidaki, Irini

2017-01-01

In bioindustry, syngas fermentation is a promising technology for biofuel production without the use of plant biomass as sugar-based feedstock. The aim of this study was to identify optimal conditions for high efficient ethanol and volatile fatty acids (VFA) production from synthetic gas fermenta......In bioindustry, syngas fermentation is a promising technology for biofuel production without the use of plant biomass as sugar-based feedstock. The aim of this study was to identify optimal conditions for high efficient ethanol and volatile fatty acids (VFA) production from synthetic gas...... fatty acids and ethanol was achieved by the pure culture (Clostridium ragsdalei). Depending on the headspace gas composition, VFA concentrations were up to 300% higher after fermentation with Clostridium ragsdalei compared to fermentation with mixed culture. The preferred gas composition with respect...... to highest VFA concentration was pure CO (100%) regardless of microbial composition of the inoculum and media composition. The addition of acetate had a negative impact on the VFA formation which was depending on the initial gas composition in head space....

Separation, hydrolysis and fermentation of pyrolytic sugars to produce ethanol and lipids.

Science.gov (United States)

Lian, Jieni; Chen, Shulin; Zhou, Shuai; Wang, Zhouhong; O'Fallon, James; Li, Chun-Zhu; Garcia-Perez, Manuel

2010-12-01

This paper describes a new scheme to convert anhydrosugars found in pyrolysis oils into ethanol and lipids. Pyrolytic sugars were separated from phenols by solvent extraction and were hydrolyzed into glucose using sulfuric acid as a catalyst. Toxicological studies showed that phenols and acids were the main species inhibiting growth of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The sulfuric acids, and carboxylic acids from the bio-oils, were neutralized with Ba(OH)(2). The phase rich in sugar was further detoxified with activated carbon. The resulting aqueous phase rich in glucose was fermented with three different yeasts: S. cerevisiae to produce ethanol, and Cryptococcus curvatus and Rhodotorula glutinis to produce lipids. Yields as high as 0.473 g ethanol/g glucose and 0.167 g lipids/g sugar (0.266 g ethanol equivalent/g sugar), were obtained. These results confirm that pyrolytic sugar fermentation to produce ethanol is more efficient than for lipid production. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bench-scale demonstration of biological production of ethanol from coal synthesis gas. Quarterly report, October 1, 1993--December 31, 1993

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-12-31

This project describes a new approach to coal liquefaction, the biological conversion of coal synthesis gas into a liquid fuel, ethanol. A new bacterium, Clostridium Ijungdahlii, strain PETC, has been discovered and developed for this conversion, which also produces acetate as a by-product. Based upon the results of an exhaustive literature search and experimental data collected in the ERI laboratories, secondary and/or branched alcohols have been selected for ethanol extraction from the fermentation broth. 2,6 Methyl 4-heptanol has a measured distribution coefficient of 0.44 and a separation factor of 47. Methods to improve the results from extraction by removing water prior to distillation are under consideration. Several runs were performed in the two-stage CSTR system with Clostridium Ijungdahlii, strain PETC, with and without cell recycle between stages. Reduced gas flow rate, trypticase limitation and ammonia limitation as methods of maximizing ethanol production were the focus of the studies. With ammonia limitation, the ethanol:acetate product ratio reached 4.0.

Environmental aspects of ethanol derived from no-tilled corn grain: nonrenewable energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Seungdo; Dale, Bruce E.

2005-01-01

Nonrenewable energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with ethanol (a liquid fuel) derived from corn grain produced in selected counties in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin are presented. Corn is cultivated under no-tillage practice (without plowing). The system boundaries include corn production, ethanol production, and the end use of ethanol as a fuel in a midsize passenger car. The environmental burdens in multi-output biorefinery processes (e.g., corn dry milling and wet milling) are allocated to the ethanol product and its various coproducts by the system expansion allocation approach. The nonrenewable energy requirement for producing 1 kg of ethanol is approximately 13.4-21.5 MJ (based on lower heating value), depending on corn milling technologies employed. Thus, the net energy value of ethanol is positive; the energy consumed in ethanol production is less than the energy content of the ethanol (26.8 MJ kg -1 ). In the GHG emissions analysis, nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions from soil and soil organic carbon levels under corn cultivation in each county are estimated by the DAYCENT model. Carbon sequestration rates range from 377 to 681 kg C ha -1 year -1 and N 2 O emissions from soil are 0.5-2.8 kg N ha -1 year -1 under no-till conditions. The GHG emissions assigned to 1 kg of ethanol are 260-922 g CO 2 eq. under no-tillage. Using ethanol (E85) fuel in a midsize passenger vehicle can reduce GHG emissions by 41-61% km -1 driven, compared to gasoline-fueled vehicles. Using ethanol as a vehicle fuel, therefore, has the potential to reduce nonrenewable energy consumption and GHG emissions

Inhibition of ethanol-producing yeast and bacteria by degradation products produced during pre-treatment of biomass

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klinke, H.B.; Thomsen, A.B.; Ahring, Birgitte Kiær

2004-01-01

for ethanol fermentation. The resulting hydrolyzsates contain substances inhibitory to fermentation-depending on both the raw material (biomass) and the pre-treatment applied. An overview of the inhibitory effect on ethanol production by yeast and bacteria is presented. Apart from furans formed by sugar......An overview of the different inhibitors formed by pre-treatment of lignocellulosic materials and their inhibition of ethanol production in yeast and bacteria is given. Different high temperature physical pre-treatment methods are available to render the carbohydrates in lignocellulose accessible...... degradation, phenol monomers from lignin degradation are important co-factors in hydrolysate inhibition, and inhibitory effects of these aromatic compounds on different ethanol producing microorganisms is reviewed. The furans and phenols generally inhibited growth and ethanol production rate (Q...

Ethanol Dehydration by Evaporation and Diffusion in an Inert Gas Layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In-Sick, Chung; Kyu-Min, Song [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Taejeon (Korea, Republic of); Won-Hi, Hong; Ho-Nam, Chang [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Taejeon (Korea, Republic of)

1994-08-01

Ethanol dehydration of azeotropic mixture was performed by using diffusion distillation apparatus consisting of a wetted-wall column with two concentric tubes. Ethanol-water mixtures evaporated below the boiling point was separated during the diffusion through the gap filled with an inert gas. As the temperature difference between evaporation part and condensation part was increased, the total flux increased but the selectivity decreased. The effect of the annular width on the selectivity was not significant but the total flux was decreased with decreases in the annular width. Inert gas has an effect on the diffusivity of evaporated gas components. The total flux in case of helium as inert gas was larger than that in case of air but the selectivity in case of using helium was lower. (author). 14 refs. 1 tab. 12 figs.

How much ethanol fuel can be produced from sugarcane in Hawaii

OpenAIRE

Kwong, John

2014-01-01

This study evaluates how much sugar ethanol Hawaii can produce. Fossilfuel reserves will diminish with time, and alternative energy may not be effectivein totally replacing combustible engines for all application. Factors important tosugar ethanol production and distribution are examined and evaluated.  

Cr2O3 nanoparticle-functionalized WO3 nanorods for ethanol gas sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Seungbok; Bonyani, Maryam; Sun, Gun-Joo; Lee, Jae Kyung; Hyun, Soong Keun; Lee, Chongmu

2018-02-01

Pristine WO3 nanorods and Cr2O3-functionalized WO3 nanorods were synthesized by the thermal evaporation of WO3 powder in an oxidizing atmosphere, followed by spin-coating of the nanowires with Cr2O3 nanoparticles and thermal annealing in an oxidizing atmosphere. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the morphological features and X-ray diffraction was used to study the crystallinity and phase formation of the synthesized nanorods. Gas sensing tests were performed at different temperatures in the presence of test gases (ethanol, acetone, CO, benzene and toluene). The Cr2O3-functionalized WO3 nanorods sensor showed a stronger response to these gases relative to the pristine WO3 nanorod sensor. In particular, the response of the Cr2O3-functionalized WO3 nanorods sensor to 200 ppm ethanol gas was 5.58, which is approximately 4.4 times higher that of the pristine WO3 nanorods sensor. Furthermore, the Cr2O3-functionalized WO3 nanorods sensor had a shorter response and recovery time. The pristine WO3 nanorods had no selectivity toward ethanol gas, whereas the Cr2O3-functionalized WO3 nanorods sensor showed good selectivity toward ethanol. The gas sensing mechanism of the Cr2O3-functionalized WO3 nanorods sensor toward ethanol is discussed in detail.

Identification and characterization of an anaerobic ethanol-producing cellulolytic bacterial consortium from Great Basin hot springs with agricultural residues and energy crops.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Chao; Deng, Yunjin; Wang, Xingna; Li, Qiuzhe; Huang, Yifan; Liu, Bin

2014-09-01

In order to obtain the cellulolytic bacterial consortia, sediments from Great Basin hot springs (Nevada, USA) were sampled and enriched with cellulosic biomass as the sole carbon source. The bacterial composition of the resulting anaerobic ethanol-producing celluloytic bacterial consortium, named SV79, was analyzed. With methods of the full-length 16S rRNA librarybased analysis and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, 21 bacteria belonging to eight genera were detected from this consortium. Clones with closest relation to the genera Acetivibrio, Clostridium, Cellulosilyticum, Ruminococcus, and Sporomusa were predominant. The cellulase activities and ethanol productions of consortium SV79 using different agricultural residues (sugarcane bagasse and spent mushroom substrate) and energy crops (Spartina anglica, Miscanthus floridulus, and Pennisetum sinese Roxb) were studied. During cultivation, consortium SV79 produced the maximum filter paper activity (FPase, 9.41 U/ml), carboxymethylcellulase activity (CMCase, 6.35 U/ml), and xylanase activity (4.28 U/ml) with sugarcane bagasse, spent mushroom substrate, and S. anglica, respectively. The ethanol production using M. floridulus as substrate was up to 2.63 mM ethanol/g using gas chromatography analysis. It has high potential to be a new candidate for producing ethanol with cellulosic biomass under anoxic conditions in natural environments.

Study of sensing properties of SnO2 prepared by spray-pyrolysis deposition towards ethanol gas

Science.gov (United States)

Saadaldin, Nasser M.; Hussain, Nabiha; AlZouabi, Abla

2018-05-01

Ethanol is widely used in all kinds of products with direct exposure to the human skin (e.g. medicinal products like hand disinfectants in occupational settings, cosmetics like hairsprays or mouthwashes, in this study, thin films of (SnO2) were deposited by using the thermal spray method (SPD) on quartz at 450°C substrate temperature using tin chloride SnCl2.2H2O, (1.0M). A gas sensor was constructed with the prepared SnO2, used to detect ethanol gas and some other gases. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The grain size was calculated the results showed nanostructure polycrystalline and crystallize in a tetragonal, S.G:P42/m nm, reaching grain Size approximately 27nm. The sensing properties of the films were studied towards ethanol at different concentrations ranging within (1-200 ppm,) the results showed that the sensitivity of the film increases with the concentration of ethanol, the best operating temperature reached about 300 °C, We studied the sensing properties of the films towards Ethanol alcohol gas, The first and foremost concerns of topical ethanol applications for public health are its carcinogenic effects, high selectivity and sensitivity of the film towards ethanol gas was found compared to other tested toxic gases such as methanol gas, acetone and methylbenzene. Yet an upto-date risk assessment of ethanol application on the skin and inside the oral cavity is currently lacking.

High-throughput detection of ethanol-producing cyanobacteria in a microdroplet platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Abalde-Cela, Sara; Gould, Anna; Liu, Xin; Kazamia, Elena; Smith, Alison G; Abell, Chris

2015-05-06

Ethanol production by microorganisms is an important renewable energy source. Most processes involve fermentation of sugars from plant feedstock, but there is increasing interest in direct ethanol production by photosynthetic organisms. To facilitate this, a high-throughput screening technique for the detection of ethanol is required. Here, a method for the quantitative detection of ethanol in a microdroplet-based platform is described that can be used for screening cyanobacterial strains to identify those with the highest ethanol productivity levels. The detection of ethanol by enzymatic assay was optimized both in bulk and in microdroplets. In parallel, the encapsulation of engineered ethanol-producing cyanobacteria in microdroplets and their growth dynamics in microdroplet reservoirs were demonstrated. The combination of modular microdroplet operations including droplet generation for cyanobacteria encapsulation, droplet re-injection and pico-injection, and laser-induced fluorescence, were used to create this new platform to screen genetically engineered strains of cyanobacteria with different levels of ethanol production.

The Role of Hydrogen Bonds Of The Azeotropic Hydrous Ethanol Fuel Composition To The Exhaust Emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Made Suarta, I.; Nyoman Gede Baliarta, I.; Sopan Rahtika, I. P. G.; Wijaya Sunu, Putu

2018-01-01

In this study observed the role of hydrogen bonding to the composition of exhaust emissions which is produced hydrous ethanol fuel (95.5% v). Testing is done by using single cylinder four stroke motor engine. The composition of exhaust gas emissions is tested using exhaust gas analyzer on lean and stoichiometry mixer. The exhaust emissions produced by anhydrous ethanol were also tested. The composition of emissions produced by that two fuels is compared. The results showed CO emissions levels produced by hydrous ethanol are slightly higher than anhydrous ethanol in stoichiometric mixtures. But the composition of CO hydrous ethanol emissions is lower in the lean mix. If lean the mixer the different in the composition of emissions is increasing. On hydrous ethanol emission CO2 content little bit lower on the stoichiometric mixer and higher on the lean mixture. Exhaust emissions of ethanol fuel also produce O2. O2 hydrous ethanol emissions is higher than anhydrous ethanol fuel.

Recent trends in global production and utilization of bio-ethanol fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balat, Mustafa; Balat, Havva

2009-01-01

Bio-fuels are important because they replace petroleum fuels. A number of environmental and economic benefits are claimed for bio-fuels. Bio-ethanol is by far the most widely used bio-fuel for transportation worldwide. Production of bio-ethanol from biomass is one way to reduce both consumption of crude oil and environmental pollution. Using bio-ethanol blended gasoline fuel for automobiles can significantly reduce petroleum use and exhaust greenhouse gas emission. Bio-ethanol can be produced from different kinds of raw materials. These raw materials are classified into three categories of agricultural raw materials: simple sugars, starch and lignocellulose. Bio-ethanol from sugar cane, produced under the proper conditions, is essentially a clean fuel and has several clear advantages over petroleum-derived gasoline in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality in metropolitan areas. Conversion technologies for producing bio-ethanol from cellulosic biomass resources such as forest materials, agricultural residues and urban wastes are under development and have not yet been demonstrated commercially.

Wood ethanol: a BC value-added opportunity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McCloy, B. W.; O' Connor, D. V.

1998-12-01

The environmental, economic and social benefits to be derived from the conversion of woodwaste to ethanol are reviewed as part of the justification by the Greenhouse Gas Forum, a multi-stakeholder environmental advisory group, to recommend to the BC government to support the development and commercialization of technologies to produce ethanol fuel using waste from British Columbia's sawmills. The Greenhouse Gas Forum also recommended government support for the construction of a demonstration ethanol plant by the private sector. The principal arguments underlying the Greenhouse Gas Forum's recommendations are: (1) reduction in BC's greenhouse gas emissions by one mega tonne, or two per cent of BC's 1990 emissions, (2) reducing carbon monoxide , nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and other toxic emissions that contribute to urban smog, and (3) accelerating the elimination of sawmill waste burners and providing a substitute for MMT (methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl, a fuel additive) and MTBE ( methyl tertiary butyl ether, a component used in gasoline), thus helping to reduce health hazards from fine particulate inhalation. Economic and social benefits envisaged include creation of leading edge technology at the University of British Columbia, a substantial number of new jobs, and the potential for the development of various co-products from wood ethanol conversion. The report examines five different technologies to produce ethanol (the processes developed by Iogen, BC International, and Arkenol Inc., the Paszner ACOS process and a gasification-fermentation process), the market demand for ethanol blended gasoline and concludes that there are strong environmental, health and economic reasons for BC to increase the use of wood-ethanol as a transportation fuel and to support the establishment of an ethanol plant using wood residue. 27 refs., 5 tabs., 6 figs., 1 glossary.

Wood ethanol: a BC value-added opportunity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCloy, B. W.; O'Connor, D. V.

1998-12-01

The environmental, economic and social benefits to be derived from the conversion of woodwaste to ethanol are reviewed as part of the justification by the Greenhouse Gas Forum, a multi-stakeholder environmental advisory group, to recommend to the BC government to support the development and commercialization of technologies to produce ethanol fuel using waste from British Columbia's sawmills. The Greenhouse Gas Forum also recommended government support for the construction of a demonstration ethanol plant by the private sector. The principal arguments underlying the Greenhouse Gas Forum's recommendations are: (1) reduction in BC's greenhouse gas emissions by one mega tonne, or two per cent of BC's 1990 emissions, (2) reducing carbon monoxide , nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and other toxic emissions that contribute to urban smog, and (3) accelerating the elimination of sawmill waste burners and providing a substitute for MMT (methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl, a fuel additive) and MTBE ( methyl tertiary butyl ether, a component used in gasoline), thus helping to reduce health hazards from fine particulate inhalation. Economic and social benefits envisaged include creation of leading edge technology at the University of British Columbia, a substantial number of new jobs, and the potential for the development of various co-products from wood ethanol conversion. The report examines five different technologies to produce ethanol (the processes developed by Iogen, BC International, and Arkenol Inc., the Paszner ACOS process and a gasification-fermentation process), the market demand for ethanol blended gasoline and concludes that there are strong environmental, health and economic reasons for BC to increase the use of wood-ethanol as a transportation fuel and to support the establishment of an ethanol plant using wood residue. 27 refs., 5 tabs., 6 figs., 1 glossary

Determining the Cost of Producing Ethanol from Corn Starch and Lignocellulosic Feedstocks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McAloon, A.; Taylor, F.; Yee, W.; Ibsen, K.; Wooley, R.

2000-10-25

The mature corn-to-ethanol industry has many similarities to the emerging lignocellulose-to-ethanol industry. It is certainly possible that some of the early practitioners of this new technology will be the current corn ethanol producers. In order to begin to explore synergies between the two industries, a joint project between two agencies responsible for aiding these technologies in the Federal government was established. This joint project of the USDA-ARS and DOE/NREL looked at the two processes on a similar process design and engineering basis, and will eventually explore ways to combine them. This report describes the comparison of the processes, each producing 25 million annual gallons of fuel ethanol. This paper attempts to compare the two processes as mature technologies, which requires assuming that the technology improvements needed to make the lignocellulosic process commercializable are achieved, and enough plants have been built to make the design well-understood. Ass umptions about yield and design improvements possible from continued research were made for the emerging lignocellulose process. In order to compare the lignocellulose-to-ethanol process costs with the commercial corn-to-ethanol costs, it was assumed that the lignocellulose plant was an Nth generation plant, built after the industry had been sufficiently established to eliminate first-of-a-kind costs. This places the lignocellulose plant costs on a similar level with the current, established corn ethanol industry, whose costs are well known. The resulting costs of producing 25 million annual gallons of fuel ethanol from each process were determined. The figure below shows the production cost breakdown for each process. The largest cost contributor in the corn starch process is the feedstock; for the lignocellulosic process it is the capital cost, which is represented by depreciation cost on an annual basis.

The greenhouse gas emissions performance of cellulosic ethanol supply chains in Europe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bauen Ausilio

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Calculating the greenhouse gas savings that may be attributed to biofuels is problematic because production systems are inherently complex and methods used to quantify savings are subjective. Differing approaches and interpretations have fuelled a debate about the environmental merit of biofuels, and consequently about the level of policy support that can be justified. This paper estimates and compares emissions from plausible supply chains for lignocellulosic ethanol production, exemplified using data specific to the UK and Sweden. The common elements that give rise to the greatest greenhouse gas emissions are identified and the sensitivity of total emissions to variations in these elements is estimated. The implications of including consequential impacts including indirect land-use change, and the effects of selecting alternative allocation methods on the interpretation of results are discussed. Results We find that the most important factors affecting supply chain emissions are the emissions embodied in biomass production, the use of electricity in the conversion process and potentially consequential impacts: indirect land-use change and fertiliser replacement. The large quantity of electricity consumed during enzyme manufacture suggests that enzymatic conversion processes may give rise to greater greenhouse gas emissions than the dilute acid conversion process, even though the dilute acid process has a somewhat lower ethanol yield. Conclusion The lignocellulosic ethanol supply chains considered here all lead to greenhouse gas savings relative to gasoline An important caveat to this is that if lignocellulosic ethanol production uses feedstocks that lead to indirect land-use change, or other significant consequential impacts, the benefit may be greatly reduced. Co-locating ethanol, electricity generation and enzyme production in a single facility may improve performance, particularly if this allows the number of energy

Anaerobic digestion of stillage to produce bioenergy in the sugarcane-to-ethanol industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuess, Lucas Tadeu; Garcia, Marcelo Loureiro

2014-01-01

Stillage is the main wastewater from ethanol production, containing a high chemical oxygen demand in addition to acidic and corrosive characteristics. Though stillage may be used as a soil fertilizer, its land application may be considered problematic due its high polluting potential. Anaerobic digestion represents an effective alternative treatment to reduce the pollution load of stillage. In addition, the methane gas produced within the process may be converted to energy, which can be directly applied to the treatment plant. The objective of this paper was to investigate the energetic potential of anaerobic digestion applied to stillage in the sugarcane ethanol industry. An overall analysis of the results indicates energy recovery capacity (ERC) values for methane ranging from 3.5% to 10%, respectively, for sugarcane juice and molasses. The processes employed to obtain the fermentable broth, as well as the distillation step, represent the main limiting factors to the energetic potential feasibility. Considering financial aspects the annual savings could reach up to US$ 30 million due to anaerobic digestion of stillage in relatively large-scale distilleries (365,000 m3 of ethanol per year). The best scenarios were verified for the association between anaerobic digestion of stillage and combustion of bagasse. In this case, the fossil fuels consumption in distilleries could be fully ceased, such the ERC of methane could reach values ranging from 140% to 890%.

Wet oxidation pretreatment of rape straw for ethanol production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arvaniti, Efthalia; Bjerre, Anne Belinda; Schmidt, Jens Ejbye

2012-01-01

Rape straw can be used for production of second generation bioethanol. In this paper we optimized the pretreatment of rape straw for this purpose using Wet oxidation (WO). The effect of reaction temperature, reaction time, and oxygen gas pressure was investigated for maximum ethanol yield via Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF). To reduce the water use and increase the energy efficiency in WO pretreatment features like recycling liquid (filtrate), presoaking of rape straw in water or recycled filtrate before WO, skip washing pretreated solids (filter cake) after WO, or use of whole slurry (Filter cake + filtrate) in SSF were also tested. Except ethanol yields, pretreatment methods were evaluated based on achieved glucose yields, amount of water used, recovery of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The highest ethanol yield obtained was 67% after fermenting the whole slurry produced by WO at 205 °C for 3 min with 12 bar of oxygen gas pressure and featured with presoaking in water. At these conditions after pre-treatment, cellulose and hemicellulose was recovered quantitatively (100%) together with 86% of the lignin. WO treatments of 2–3 min at 205–210 °C with 12 bar of oxygen gas produced higher ethanol yields and cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin recoveries, than 15 min WO treatment at 195 °C. Also, recycling filtrate and use of higher oxygen gas pressure reduced recovery of materials. The use of filtrate could be inhibitory for the yeast, but also reduced lactic acid formation in SSF. -- Highlights: ► Wet Oxidation pretreatment on rape straw for sugar and ethanol production. ► Variables were reaction time, temperature, and oxygen gas pressure. ► Also, other configurations for increase of water and energy efficiency. ► Short Wet oxidation pretreatment (2–3 min) produced highest ethanol yield. ► After these pretreatment conditions recovery of lignin in solids was 86%.

Process for producing ethanol from plant biomass using the fungus Paecilomyces sp

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, J.F.

1985-08-08

A process for producing ethanol from plant biomass is disclosed. The process includes forming a substrate from the biomass with the substrate including hydrolysates of cellulose and hemicellulose. A species of the fungus Paecilomyces which has the ability to ferment both cellobiose and xylose to ethanol is then selected and isolated. The substrate is inoculated with this fungus, and the inoculated substrate is then fermented under conditions favorable for cell viability and conversion of hydrolysates to ethanol. Finally, ethanol is recovered from the fermented substrate. 5 figs., 3 tabs.

Economic feasibility of producing sweet sorghum as an ethanol feedstock in the southeastern United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linton, Joseph A.; Miller, J. Corey; Little, Randall D.; Petrolia, Daniel R.; Coble, Keith H.

2011-01-01

This study examines the feasibility of producing sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) as an ethanol feedstock in the southeastern United States through representative counties in Mississippi. We construct enterprise budgets along with estimates of transportation costs to estimate sweet sorghum producers' breakeven costs for producing and delivering sweet sorghum biomass. This breakeven cost for the sweet sorghum producer is used to estimate breakeven costs for the ethanol producer based on wholesale ethanol price, production costs, and transportation and marketing costs. Stochastic models are developed to estimate profits for sweet sorghum and competing crops in two representative counties in Mississippi, with sweet sorghum consistently yielding losses in both counties. -- Highlights: → We examine the economic feasibility of sweet sorghum as an ethanol feedstock. → We construct enterprise budgets along with estimates of transportation costs. → We estimate breakeven costs for producing and delivering sweet sorghum biomass. → Stochastic models determine profits for sweet sorghum in two Mississippi counties.

Accounting for all sugars produced during integrated production of ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Schell, Daniel J; Dowe, Nancy; Chapeaux, Alexandre; Nelson, Robert S; Jennings, Edward W

2016-04-01

Accurate mass balance and conversion data from integrated operation is needed to fully elucidate the economics of biofuel production processes. This study explored integrated conversion of corn stover to ethanol and highlights techniques for accurate yield calculations. Acid pretreated corn stover (PCS) produced in a pilot-scale reactor was enzymatically hydrolyzed and the resulting sugars were fermented to ethanol by the glucose-xylose fermenting bacteria, Zymomonas mobilis 8b. The calculations presented here account for high solids operation and oligomeric sugars produced during pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation, which, if not accounted for, leads to overestimating ethanol yields. The calculations are illustrated for enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation of PCS at 17.5% and 20.0% total solids achieving 80.1% and 77.9% conversion of cellulose and xylan to ethanol and ethanol titers of 63g/L and 69g/L, respectively. These procedures will be employed in the future and the resulting information used for techno-economic analysis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pie waste - A component of food waste and a renewable substrate for producing ethanol.

Science.gov (United States)

Magyar, Margaret; da Costa Sousa, Leonardo; Jayanthi, Singaram; Balan, Venkatesh

2017-04-01

Sugar-rich food waste is a sustainable feedstock that can be converted into ethanol without an expensive thermochemical pretreatment that is commonly used in first and second generation processes. In this manuscript we have outlined the pie waste conversion to ethanol through a two-step process, namely, enzyme hydrolysis using commercial enzyme products mixtures and microbial fermentation using yeast. Optimized enzyme cocktail was found to be 45% alpha amylase, 45% gamma amylase, and 10% pectinase at 2.5mg enzyme protein/g glucan produced a hydrolysate with high glucose concentration. All three solid loadings (20%, 30%, and 40%) produced sugar-rich hydrolysates and ethanol with little to no enzyme or yeast inhibition. Enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation process mass balance was carried out using pie waste on a 1000g dry weight basis that produced 329g ethanol at 20% solids loading. This process clearly demonstrate how food waste could be efficiently converted to ethanol that could be used for making biodiesel by reacting with waste cooking oil. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Energy, carbon dioxide and water use implications of hydrous ethanol production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saffy, Howard A.; Northrop, William F.; Kittelson, David B.; Boies, Adam M.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We use a chemical refinery model and exergy analysis to determine the impact of hydrous ethanol. • The process is 70% efficient with 86% of the losses from fermentation, steam generation and drying. • We found that producing 86 wt% ethanol is optimal for thermal energy consumption. • Hydrous ethanol production can reduce energy costs and emissions by ∼8%. • Hydrous ethanol reduces water use by decreasing evaporation in cooling towers. - Abstract: Sub-azeotropic hydrous ethanol has been demonstrated as an effective diesel fuel replacement when used in dual-fuel compression ignition engines. Previous studies have also suggested that hydrous ethanol may be more efficient to produce from corn than anhydrous ethanol. In this study, we investigate corn ethanol production from a dry-mill, natural gas-fired corn ethanol refinery, producing ethanol with a range of ethanol concentrations from 58 wt% to 100 wt% to determine the effect on energy use, water consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the refining stage of the corn ethanol lifecycle. A second law (exergy) analysis of anhydrous ethanol refining revealed the overall process to be 70% efficient, whereby 86% of the exergy losses could be accounted for by three processes: fermentation (34%), steam generation (29%) and distiller’s grains and solubles drying (23%). We found that producing 86 wt% ethanol is optimal as thermal energy consumption decreases by a maximum of 10% (from 7.7 MJ/L to 6.9 MJ/L). These savings have the potential to reduce energy costs by approximately 8% ($0.34/L) and reduce refinery emissions by 8% (2 g CO 2 e/MJ). Production of hydrous ethanol reduced refinery water use due to decreased evaporative losses in the cooling towers, leading to water savings of between 3% and 6% at 86 wt% ethanol.

Thermo tolerant and ethanol producing saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants using gamma radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karima, H.M.; Ismail, A.A.; El-Batal, A.I.

1997-01-01

Gene manipulation now plays the main role in fermentation industries. However, throughout ethanol production processes, it appeared the requirements for the selection of higher-producing isolate(s) associated, at the same time, with heat-resistant to overcome higher degrees above 30-35 degree, a step which, actually, will reduce final - producing costs. A total of 43 yeast isolates were selected, after exposure of the strain saccharomyces cervisiae to different doses of gamma radiation. Isolated varied in colony size from the original strain as well as among themselves. These isolates were screened for their ability to grow on glucose and supplemented cane molasses media at 30 degree and 40 degree. Out fo them, only 13 isolates proved to grow well on 40 degree. Furthermore, determination of ethanol production by each of these mutants revealed that yielded in general, 16 to 52.0% increase in alcohol production at 40 degree on cane molasses medium (17.5% w/v initial sugars), compared to the original strain. At 40 degree, maximum ethanol yield was 0.63 coupled with 9.5% ethanol concentration and 85.1% sugar conversion which represents 40, 46.2 and 3.4% increase, respectively from the parental strain

Acetone-butanol-ethanol from sweet sorghum juice by an immobilized fermentation-gas stripping integration process.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Di; Wang, Yong; Chen, Changjing; Qin, Peiyong; Miao, Qi; Zhang, Changwei; Li, Ping; Tan, Tianwei

2016-07-01

In this study, sweet sorghum juice (SSJ) was used as the substrate in a simplified ABE fermentation-gas stripping integration process without nutrients supplementation. The sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB) after squeezing the fermentable juice was used as the immobilized carrier. The results indicated that the productivity of ABE fermentation process was improved by gas stripping integration. A total 24g/L of ABE solvents was obtained from 59.6g/L of initial sugar after 80h of fermentation with gas stripping. Then, long-term of fed-batch fermentation with continuous gas stripping was further performed. 112.9g/L of butanol, 44.1g/L of acetone, 9.5g/L of ethanol (total 166.5g/L of ABE) was produced in overall 312h of fermentation. At the same time, concentrated ABE product was obtained in the condensate of gas stripping. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical elements dynamic in the fermentation process of ethanol producing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nepomuceno, N.; Nadai Fernandes, E.A. de; Bacchi, M.A.

1994-01-01

This paper provides useful information about the dynamics of chemical elements analysed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and, found in the various segments of the fermentation process of producing ethanol from sugar cane. For this, a mass balance of Ce, Co, Cs, Eu, Fe, Hf, La, Sc, Sm, and Th, terrigenous elements, as well as Br, K, Rb, and Zn, sugar cane plant elements, has been demonstrated for the fermentation vats in industrial conditions of ethanol production. (author). 10 refs, 4 figs, 1 tab

Steam reforming of ethanol

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trane-Restrup, Rasmus; Dahl, Søren; Jensen, Anker Degn

2013-01-01

Steam reforming (SR) of oxygenated species like bio-oil or ethanol can be used to produce hydrogen or synthesis gas from renewable resources. However, deactivation due to carbon deposition is a major challenge for these processes. In this study, different strategies to minimize carbon deposition...

2015 Survey of Non-Starch Ethanol and Renewable Hydrocarbon Biofuels Producers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schwab, Amy [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Warner, Ethan [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Lewis, John [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2016-01-22

In order to understand the anticipated status of the industry for non-starch ethanol and renewable hydrocarbon biofuels as of the end of calendar year 2015, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) conducted its first annual survey update of U.S. non-starch ethanol and renewable hydrocarbon biofuels producers. This report presents the results of this survey, describes the survey methodology, and documents important changes since the 2013 survey.

Ethanol Production from Enzymatically Treated Dried Food Waste Using Enzymes Produced On-Site

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leonidas Matsakas

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The environmental crisis and the need to find renewable fuel alternatives have made production of biofuels an important priority. At the same time, the increasing production of food waste is an important environmental issue. For this reason, production of ethanol from food waste is an interesting approach. Volumes of food waste are reduced and ethanol production does not compete with food production. In this work, we evaluated the possibility of using source-separated household food waste for the production of ethanol. To minimize the cost of ethanol production, the hydrolytic enzymes that are necessary for cellulose hydrolysis were produced in-house using the thermophillic fungus Myceliophthora thermophila. At the initial stage of the study, production of these thermophilic enzymes was studied and optimized, resulting in an activity of 0.28 FPU/mL in the extracellular broth. These enzymes were used to saccharify household food waste at a high dry material consistency of 30% w/w, followed by fermentation. Ethanol production reached 19.27 g/L with a volumetric productivity of 0.92 g/L·h, whereas only 5.98 g/L of ethanol was produced with a volumetric productivity of 0.28 g/L·h when no enzymatic saccharification was used.

ETHANOL PRECIPITATION OF GLYCOSYL HYDROLASES PRODUCED BY Trichoderma harzianum P49P11

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. A. Mariño

2015-06-01

Full Text Available AbstractThis study aimed to concentrate glycosyl hydrolases produced by Trichoderma harzianum P49P11 by ethanol precipitation. The variables tested besides ethanol concentration were temperature and pH. The precipitation with 90% (v/v ethanol at pH 5.0 recovered more than 98% of the xylanase activity, regard less of the temperature (5.0, 15.0, or 25.0 °C. The maximum recovery of cellulase activity as FPase was 77% by precipitation carried out at this same pH and ethanol concentration but at 5.0 °C. Therefore, ethanol precipitation can be considered to be an efficient technique for xylanase concentration and, to a certain extent, also for the cellulase complex.

Influence of corn oil recovery on life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of corn ethanol and corn oil biodiesel.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhichao; Dunn, Jennifer B; Han, Jeongwoo; Wang, Michael Q

2015-01-01

Corn oil recovery and conversion to biodiesel has been widely adopted at corn ethanol plants recently. The US EPA has projected 2.6 billion liters of biodiesel will be produced from corn oil in 2022. Corn oil biodiesel may qualify for federal renewable identification number (RIN) credits under the Renewable Fuel Standard, as well as for low greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity credits under California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Because multiple products [ethanol, biodiesel, and distiller's grain with solubles (DGS)] are produced from one feedstock (corn), however, a careful co-product treatment approach is required to accurately estimate GHG intensities of both ethanol and corn oil biodiesel and to avoid double counting of benefits associated with corn oil biodiesel production. This study develops four co-product treatment methods: (1) displacement, (2) marginal, (3) hybrid allocation, and (4) process-level energy allocation. Life-cycle GHG emissions for corn oil biodiesel were more sensitive to the choice of co-product allocation method because significantly less corn oil biodiesel is produced than corn ethanol at a dry mill. Corn ethanol life-cycle GHG emissions with the displacement, marginal, and hybrid allocation approaches are similar (61, 62, and 59 g CO2e/MJ, respectively). Although corn ethanol and DGS share upstream farming and conversion burdens in both the hybrid and process-level energy allocation methods, DGS bears a higher burden in the latter because it has lower energy content per selling price as compared to corn ethanol. As a result, with the process-level allocation approach, ethanol's life-cycle GHG emissions are lower at 46 g CO2e/MJ. Corn oil biodiesel life-cycle GHG emissions from the marginal, hybrid allocation, and process-level energy allocation methods were 14, 59, and 45 g CO2e/MJ, respectively. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to investigate the influence corn oil yield, soy biodiesel, and defatted DGS displacement credits

Methanol and ethanol vapor conversion in gas discharge with strongly non-uniform distribution of electric field on atmospheric pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golota, V.I.; Zavada, L.M.; Kotyukov, O.V.; Kudin, D.V.; Rodionov, S.V.; Pis'menetskoj, A.S.; Dotsenko, Yu.V.

2010-01-01

The barrierless gas discharge of negative polarity with strongly non-uniform distribution of electrical field in the methanol and ethanol vapour was studied. It is shown that level of methanol and ethanol conversion depended from power consumed by the discharge and exposition time for gas mixture in discharge zone. The condition for deep conversion of the methanol and ethanol vapours were determined. The water and carbon dioxide are the end products for the methanol and ethanol conversion. Formaldehyde and formic acid are the intermediates products in the conversion of methanol. And ethanol has a number of different compounds, including acetic acid, acetaldehyde, etc.

Supply chain optimization of sugarcane first generation and eucalyptus second generation ethanol production in Brazil

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jonker, J. G G; Junginger, H. M.; Verstegen, J. A.; Lin, T.; Rodríguez, L. F.; Ting, K. C.; Faaij, A. P C; van der Hilst, F.

2016-01-01

The expansion of the ethanol industry in Brazil faces two important challenges: to reduce total ethanol production costs and to limit the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity of the ethanol produced. The objective of this study is to economically optimize the scale and location of ethanol

Effects of Fuel Ethanol Use on Fuel-Cycle Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

C. Saricks; D. Santini; M. Wang

1999-01-01

We estimated the effects on per-vehicle-mile fuel-cycle petroleum use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and energy use of using ethanol blended with gasoline in a mid-size passenger car, compared with the effects of using gasoline in the same car. Our analysis includes petroleum use, energy use, and emissions associated with chemicals manufacturing, farming of corn and biomass, ethanol production, and ethanol combustion for ethanol; and petroleum use, energy use, and emissions associated with petroleum recovery, petroleum refining, and gasoline combustion for gasoline. For corn-based ethanol, the key factors in determining energy and emissions impacts include energy and chemical usage intensity of corn farming, energy intensity of the ethanol plant, and the method used to estimate energy and emissions credits for co-products of corn ethanol. The key factors in determining the impacts of cellulosic ethanol are energy and chemical usage intensity of biomass farming, ethanol yield per dry ton of biomass, and electricity credits in cellulosic ethanol plants. The results of our fuel-cycle analysis for fuel ethanol are listed below. Note that, in the first half of this summary, the reductions cited are per-vehicle-mile traveled using the specified ethanol/gasoline blend instead of conventional (not reformulated) gasoline. The second half of the summary presents estimated changes per gallon of ethanol used in ethanol blends. GHG emissions are global warming potential (GWP)-weighted, carbon dioxide (CO2)-equivalent emissions of CO2, methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O)

Potential of greenhouse gas emission reduction in Thai road transport by ethanol bus technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chollacoop, Nuwong; Saisirirat, Peerawat; Sukkasi, Sittha; Tongroon, Manida; Fukuda, Tuenjai; Fukuda, Atsushi; Nivitchanyong, Siriluck

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Energy demand modeling in Thai road transportation sector was developed. ► Such model was used to assess environment impact by ethanol bus technology (ED95). ► Ethanol bus technology (ED95) shows beneficial impacts to Thailand. ► Increase in ethanol demand and decrease in GHG emission in Thailand by ethanol bus. ► Ethanol bus (ED95) has been successfully demonstrated in Thailand. -- Abstract: Over decades, Thailand energy consumption has been concentrated in three main sectors, namely manufacturing, power and transportation. Energy consumption in transportation sector has also been dominated by road transport due to limited coverage by rail and water transportation. Hence, road transport has been a major contributor for greenhouse gas emission in Thailand over recent years. Along with global warming concern throughout the world, Thailand has taken various adaptation and mitigation measures, especially the strong policy push to use carbon–neutral biofuel in transportation sector due to Thailand competitive advantage in agriculture sector. National Renewable Energy Plan (2008–2022) has set challenging targets of 9 and 4.5 million liters/day of ethanol and biodiesel consumption by 2022, respectively. Various blends of ethanol in gasoline (10%, 20% and 85%) and biodiesel in diesel (up to 5%) have been commercially available. However, since current consumption of diesel is twice as much of gasoline, ethanol blend in gasoline would widen the imbalance consumption of gasoline and diesel. The present study however offers an insight into a possibility to use ethanol as diesel substitute. A case study of ethanol bus technology was investigated by recourse to energy demand modeling. Necessary data, such as a number of vehicles (NVs) for various vehicle types, vehicle kilometer of travel (VKT) and fuel economy (FE) were collected, with reasonable assumptions made for those unavailable data, to construct predicative energy demand model. Scenario

Selection of yeast able to produce ethanol from glucose at 40/sup 0/C

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hacking, A J; Taylor, I W.F.; Hanas, C M

1984-05-01

A total of 55 yeast strains selected from 7 genera known to ferment carbohydrates to ethanol were screened for their ability to ferment glucose to ethanol in shaken flask culture at 37/sup 0/, 40/sup 0/ and 45/sup 0/C. Yields of more than 50% of the theoretical maximum were obtained with 28 strains at 37/sup 0/C, but only 12 at 40/sup 0/C. Only 6 could grow at 45/sup 0/C, but they produced poor yields. In general Kluyveromyces strains were more thermotolerant than Saccharomyces and Candida strains, but Saccharomyces strains produced higher ethanol yields. The 8 strains with the highest yields at 40/sup 0/C were evaluated in batch fermentations. Three of these, two Saccharomyces and one Candida, were able to meet minimum commercial targets set at 8% (v/v) ethanol from 14% (w/v) glucose at 40/sup 0/C.

Zn doped MoO3 nanobelts and the enhanced gas sensing properties to ethanol

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shuang; Liu, Yueli; Chen, Tao; Jin, Wei; Yang, Tingqiang; Cao, Minchi; Liu, Shunshun; Zhou, Jing; Zakharova, Galina S.; Chen, Wen

2017-01-01

Zn doped MoO3 nanobelts with the thickness of 120-275 nm, width of 0.3-1.4 μm and length of more than 100 μm are prepared by hydrothermal reaction. The operating temperature of sensors based on Zn doped MoO3 nanobelts is 100-380 °C with a better response to low concentration of ethanol. The highest response value of sensors based on Zn doped MoO3 to 1000 ppm ethanol at 240 °C is 321, which is about 15 times higher than that of pure MoO3 nanobelts. The gas sensors based on Zn doped MoO3 nanobelts possess good selectivity to ethanol compared with methanol, ammonia, acetone and toluene, which implies that it would be a good candidate in the potential application. The improvement of gas sensing properties may be attributed to the increasing absorbed ethanol, the decreasing probability of ethoxy recombination, the promoted dehydrogenation progress at lower temperature, and the narrowed band gap by Zn doping.

Production of ethanol, fat and oil and methane gas from several crops. Sushu sakumotsu nado no energygen toshite no hyoka

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uehara, Tsuyoshi; Suganuma, Hirotoshi

1988-05-01

Aiming at production of ethanol, fat and oil and so on, ten kinds of miscellaneous cereal crops such as pearl-millet, soybean and so on were grown, and comparative investigation of the production rate which was considered utilization of whole plants were carried out. The suitability of vegetable wastes as methane fermentation materials for the methane gas production was investigated by the constituent analyses and methane fermentation experiments. Nine kinds of the grasses and vegetable wastes such as tomatoe buds, broccoli leaves were used for the investigation. As the results, the estimated yield of ethanol per 10 are from pearl-millet was 690 liter, the estimated yield of fat and oil per 10 are was 70 liter from soybean, The results of the analyses of nine kinds of the farm residues were as follows: (1) carbon content of about 40 %, (2) C/N ratio of 13 av., (3) C/P ratio of 91 av., and (4) the content of C,N and P was roughly appropriate. 680 to 760 milliliter of methane gas was produced from one gram of the dry matter of tomatoe bods, and in case of broccoli leaves, 424 milliliter of methane gas was produced, it was found that these values were not inferior to animal dung. (4 figs, 15 tabs, 6 refs)

Greenhouse gases in the corn-to-fuel ethanol pathway.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, M. Q.

1998-06-18

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) has applied its Greenhouse gas, Regulated Emissions and Energy in Transportation (GREET) full-fuel-cycle analysis model to examine greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of corn-feedstock ethanol, given present and near-future production technology and practice. On the basis of updated information appropriate to corn farming and processing operations in the four principal corn- and ethanol-producing states (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska), the model was used to estimate energy requirements and GHG emissions of corn farming; the manufacture, transportation to farms, and field application of fertilizer and pesticide; transportation of harvested corn to ethanol plants; nitrous oxide emissions from cultivated cornfields; ethanol production in current average and future technology wet and dry mills; and operation of cars and light trucks using ethanol fuels. For all cases examined on the basis of mass emissions per travel mile, the corn-to-ethanol fuel cycle for Midwest-produced ethanol used in both E85 and E10 blends with gasoline outperforms conventional (current) and reformulated (future) gasoline with respect to energy use and GHG production. Also, GHG reductions (but not energy use) appear surprisingly sensitive to the value chosen for combined soil and leached N-fertilizer conversion to nitrous oxide. Co-product energy-use attribution remains the single key factor in estimating ethanol's relative benefits because this value can range from 0 to 50%, depending on the attribution method chosen.

Greenhouse gases in the corn-to-fuel ethanol pathway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, M. Q.

1998-01-01

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) has applied its Greenhouse gas, Regulated Emissions and Energy in Transportation (GREET) full-fuel-cycle analysis model to examine greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of corn-feedstock ethanol, given present and near-future production technology and practice. On the basis of updated information appropriate to corn farming and processing operations in the four principal corn- and ethanol-producing states (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska), the model was used to estimate energy requirements and GHG emissions of corn farming; the manufacture, transportation to farms, and field application of fertilizer and pesticide; transportation of harvested corn to ethanol plants; nitrous oxide emissions from cultivated cornfields; ethanol production in current average and future technology wet and dry mills; and operation of cars and light trucks using ethanol fuels. For all cases examined on the basis of mass emissions per travel mile, the corn-to-ethanol fuel cycle for Midwest-produced ethanol used in both E85 and E10 blends with gasoline outperforms conventional (current) and reformulated (future) gasoline with respect to energy use and GHG production. Also, GHG reductions (but not energy use) appear surprisingly sensitive to the value chosen for combined soil and leached N-fertilizer conversion to nitrous oxide. Co-product energy-use attribution remains the single key factor in estimating ethanol's relative benefits because this value can range from 0 to 50%, depending on the attribution method chosen

Nanocrystalline Pd:NiFe2O4 thin films: A selective ethanol gas sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, Pratibha; Godbole, R.V.; Bhagwat, Sunita

2016-01-01

In this work, Pd:NiFe 2 O 4 thin films were investigated for the detection of reducing gases. These films were fabricated using spray pyrolysis technique and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) to confirm the crystal structure. The surface morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Magnetization measurements were carried out using SQUID VSM, which shows ferrimagnetic behavior of the samples. These thin film sensors were tested against methanol, ethanol, hydrogen sulfide and liquid petroleum gas, where they were found to be more selective to ethanol. The fabricated thin film sensors exhibited linear response signal for all the gases with concentrations up to 5 w/o Pd. Reduction in optimum operating temperature and enhancement in response was also observed. Pd:NiFe 2 O 4 thin films exhibited faster response and recovery characteristic. These sensors have potential for industrial applications because of their long-term stability, low power requirement and low production cost. - Highlights: • Ethanol gas sensors based on Pd:NiFe 2 O 4 nanoparticle thin film were fabricated. • Pd incorporation in NiFe 2 O 4 matrix inhibits grain growth. • The sensors were more selective to ethanol gas. • Sensors exhibited fast response and recovery when doped with palladium. • Pd:NiFe 2 O 4 thin film sensor displays excellent long–term stability.

Tungsten effect over co-hydrotalcite catalysts to produce hydrogen from bio-ethanol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Contreras, J.L.; Ortiz, M.A.; Luna, R.; Nuno, L. [Univ. Autonoma Metropolitana-Azcapozalco, Mexico City (Mexico). Dept. de Energia; Fuentes, G.A. [Univ. Autonoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico City (Mexico). Dept. de IPH; Salmones, J.; Zeifert, B. [Inst. Politecnico Nacional, Mexico City (Mexico); Vazquez, A. [Inst. Mexicano del Petroleo, Mexico City (Mexico)

2010-07-15

The use of bioethanol has been considered for generating hydrogen via catalytic reforming. The reaction of ethanol with stream is strongly endothermic and produces hydrogen (H{sub 2}) and carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}). However, undesirable products such as carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH{sub 4}) may also form during the reaction. This paper reported on the newly found stabilization effect of tungsten over the Co-hydrotalcite catalysts to produce H{sub 2} from ethanol in steam reforming. The catalysts were characterized by nitrogen (N{sub 2}) physisorption (BET area), X-ray diffraction, Infrared, Raman and UV-vis spectroscopies. Catalytic evaluations were determined using a fixed bed reactor with a water/ethanol mol ratio of 4 at 450 degrees C. The tungsten concentration studied was from 0.5 to 3 wt percent. The intensity of crystalline reflections of the Co-hydrotalcite catalysts decreased as tungsten concentration increased. Infrared spectroscopy was used to determine the superficial chemical groups, notably -OH, H{sub 2}O, Al-OH, Mg-OH, W-O-W and CO{sub 3}{sup 2.} The highest H{sub 2} production and the best catalytic stability was found in catalysts with low tungsten. The smallest pore volume of this catalyst could be related with long residence times of ethanol in the pores. Tungsten promoted the conversion for the Co-hydrotalcite catalysts. The reaction products were H{sub 2}, CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 3}CHO, CH{sub 4} and C{sub 2}H{sub 4} and the catalysts did not produce CO. 33 refs., 2 tabs., 10 figs.

Hydrothermal synthesis of h-MoO3 microrods and their gas sensing properties to ethanol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Yueli; Yang, Shuang; Lu, Yu; Podval’naya, Natal’ya V.; Chen, Wen; Zakharova, Galina S.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A simple hydrothermal acid-free method for the synthesis of h-MoO 3 microrods with the hexagonal cross-section is reported. • The h-MoO 3 phase is transformed to α-MoO 3 at 439 °C. • The h-MoO 3 microrods were employed to fabricate gas sensors to detect ethanol. • Sensor showed highest response with a sensitivity of 8.24–500 ppm C 2 H 5 OH at operating temperature of 332 °C. - Abstract: Hexagonal molybdenum trioxide (h-MoO 3 ) microrods were successfully synthesized via a novel and facile hydrothermal route from peroxomolybdate solution with the presence of NH 4 Cl as the mineralizer. A variety of the techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry combined with the thermal gravimetric analysis (DSC–TG) were used to characterize the product. The gas sensing test indicates that h-MoO 3 microrods have a good response to 5–500 ppm ethanol in the range of 273–380 °C, and the optimum operating temperature is 332 °C with a high sensitivity of 8.24 to 500 ppm ethanol. Moreover, it also has a good selectivity toward ethanol gas if compared with other gases, such as ammonia, methanol and toluene. The sensing mechanism of h-MoO 3 microrods to ethanol was also discussed.

Ethanol and other oxygenateds from low grade carbonaceous resources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joo, O.S.; Jung, K.D.; Han, S.H. [Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul (Korea, Democratic People`s Republic of)] [and others

1995-12-31

Anhydrous ethanol and other oxygenates of C2 up can be produced quite competitively from low grade carbonaceous resources in high yield via gasification, methanol synthesis, carbonylation of methanol an hydrogenation consecutively. Gas phase carbonylation of methanol to form methyl acetate is the key step for the whole process. Methyl acetate can be produced very selectively in one step gas phase reaction on a fixed bed column reactor with GHSV over 5,000. The consecutive hydrogenation of methyl or ethyl acetate produce anhydrous ethanol in high purity. It is also attempted to co-produce methanol and DME in IGCC, in which low grade carbonaceous resources are used as energy sources, and the surplus power and pre-power gas can be stored in liquid form of methanol and DME during base load time. Further integration of C2 up oxygenate production with IGCC can improve its economics. The attempt of above extensive technology integration can generate significant industrial profitability as well as reduce the environmental complication related with massive energy consumption.

Synthesis, magnetic and ethanol gas sensing properties of semiconducting magnetite nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Ghamdi, Ahmed A.; Al-Hazmi, Faten; Al-Tuwirqi, R. M.; Alnowaiser, F.; Al-Hartomy, Omar A.; El-Tantawy, Farid; Yakuphanoglu, F.

2013-05-01

The superparamagnetic magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles with an average size of 7 nm were synthesized using a rapid and facile microwave hydrothermal technique. The structure of the magnetite nanoparticles was characterized by X-ray diffraction (X-ray), field effect scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The prepared Fe3O4 was shown to have a cubic phase of pure magnetite. Magnetization hysteresis loop shows that the synthesized magnetite exhibits no hysteretic features with a superparamagnetic behavior. The ethanol gas sensing properties of the synthesized magnetite were investigated, and it was found that the responsibility time is less than 10 s with good reproducibility for ethanol sensor. Accordingly, it is evaluated that the magnetite nanoparticles can be effectively used as a solid state ethanol sensor in industrial commercial product applications.

High ethanol tolerance of the thermophilic anaerobic ethanol producer Thermoanaerobacter BG1L1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Georgieva, Tania I.; Mikkelsen, Marie Just; Ahring, Birgitte Kiær

2007-01-01

The low ethanol tolerance of thermophilic anaerobic bacteria, generally less than 2% (v/v) ethanol, is one of the main limiting factors for their potential use for second generation fuel ethanol production. In this work, the tolerance of thermophilic anaerobic bacterium Thermoanaerobacter BG 1L1...... to exogenously added ethanol was studied in a continuous immobilized reactor system at a growth temperature of 70 degrees C. Ethanol tolerance was evaluated based on inhibition of fermentative performance e.g.. inhibition of substrate conversion. At the highest ethanol concentration tested (8.3% v/v), the strain...... was able to convert 42% of the xylose initially present, indicating that this ethanol concentration is not the upper limit tolerated by the strain. Long-term strain adaptation to high ethanol concentrations (6 - 8.3%) resulted in an improvement of xylose conversion by 25% at an ethanol concentration of 5...

Effects of Fuel Ethanol Use on Fuel-Cycle Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

C. Saricks; D. Santini; M. Wang

1999-01-01

We estimated the effects on per-vehicle-mile fuel-cycle petroleum use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and energy use of using ethanol blended with gasoline in a mid-size passenger car, compared with the effects of using gasoline in the same car. Our analysis includes petroleum use, energy use, and emissions associated with chemicals manufacturing, farming of corn and biomass, ethanol production, and ethanol combustion for ethanol; and petroleum use, energy use, and emissions associated with petroleum recovery, petroleum refining, and gasoline combustion for gasoline. For corn-based ethanol, the key factors in determining energy and emissions impacts include energy and chemical usage intensity of corn farming, energy intensity of the ethanol plant, and the method used to estimate energy and emissions credits for co-products of corn ethanol. The key factors in determining the impacts of cellulosic ethanol are energy and chemical usage intensity of biomass farming, ethanol yield per dry ton of biomass, and electricity credits in cellulosic ethanol plants. The results of our fuel-cycle analysis for fuel ethanol are listed below. Note that, in the first half of this summary, the reductions cited are per-vehicle-mile traveled using the specified ethanol/gasoline blend instead of conventional (not reformulated) gasoline. The second half of the summary presents estimated changes per gallon of ethanol used in ethanol blends. GHG emissions are global warming potential (GWP)-weighted, carbon dioxide (CO2)-equivalent emissions of CO2, methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O)

A Probabilistic Analysis of the Switchgrass Ethanol Cycle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tadeusz W. Patzek

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The switchgrass-driven process for producing ethanol has received much popular attention. However, a realistic analysis of this process indicates three serious limitations: (a If switchgrass planted on 140 million hectares (the entire area of active U.S. cropland were used as feedstock and energy source for ethanol production, the net ethanol yield would replace on average about 20% of today’s gasoline consumption in the U.S. (b Because nonrenewable resources are required to produce ethanol from switchgrass, the incremental gas emissions would be on average 55 million tons of equivalent carbon dioxide per year to replace just 10% of U.S. automotive gasoline. (c In terms of delivering electrical or mechanical power, ethanol from 1 hectare (10,000 m2 of switchgrass is equivalent, on average, to 30 m2 of low-efficiency photovoltaic cells. This analysis suggests that investing toward more efficient and durable solar cells, and batteries, may be more promising than investing in a process to convert switchgrass to ethanol.

Promotion effect of H2 on ethanol oxidation and NOx reduction with ethanol over Ag/Al2O3 catalyst.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yunbo; Li, Yi; Zhang, Xiuli; Deng, Hua; He, Hong; Li, Yuyang

2015-01-06

The catalytic partial oxidation of ethanol and selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ethanol (ethanol-SCR) over Ag/Al2O3 were studied using synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization mass spectrometry (PIMS). The intermediates were identified by PIMS and their photoionization efficiency (PIE) spectra. The results indicate that H2 promotes the partial oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde over Ag/Al2O3, while the simultaneously occurring processes of dehydration and dehydrogenation were inhibited. H2 addition favors the formation of ammonia during ethanol-SCR over Ag/Al2O3, the occurrence of which creates an effective pathway for NOx reduction by direct reaction with NH3. Simultaneously, the enhancement of the formation of ammonia benefits its reaction with surface enolic species, resulting in producing -NCO species again, leading to enhancement of ethanol-SCR over Ag/Al2O3 by H2. Using VUV-PIMS, the reactive vinyloxy radical was observed in the gas phase during the NOx reduction by ethanol for the first time, particularly in the presence of H2. Identification of such a reaction occurring in the gas phase may be crucial for understanding the reaction pathway of HC-SCR over Ag/Al2O3.

Ethanol demand in Brazil: Regional approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freitas, Luciano Charlita de; Kaneko, Shinji

2011-01-01

Successive studies attempting to clarify national aspects of ethanol demand have assisted policy makers and producers in defining strategies, but little information is available on the dynamic of regional ethanol markets. This study aims to analyze the characteristics of ethanol demand at the regional level taking into account the peculiarities of the developed center-south and the developing north-northeast regions. Regional ethanol demand is evaluated based on a set of market variables that include ethanol price, consumer's income, vehicle stock and prices of substitute fuels; i.e., gasoline and natural gas. A panel cointegration analysis with monthly observations from January 2003 to April 2010 is employed to estimate the long-run demand elasticity. The results reveal that the demand for ethanol in Brazil differs between regions. While in the center-south region the price elasticity for both ethanol and alternative fuels is high, consumption in the north-northeast is more sensitive to changes in the stock of the ethanol-powered fleet and income. These, among other evidences, suggest that the pattern of ethanol demand in the center-south region most closely resembles that in developed nations, while the pattern of demand in the north-northeast most closely resembles that in developing nations. - Research highlights: → Article consists of a first insight on regional demand for ethanol in Brazil. → It proposes a model with multiple fuels, i.e., hydrous ethanol, gasohol and natural gas. → Results evidence that figures for regional demand for ethanol differ amongst regions and with values reported for national demand. → Elasticities for the center-south keep similarities to patterns for fuel demand in developed nations while coefficients for the north-northeast are aligned to patterns on developing countries.

Ethanol demand in Brazil: Regional approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freitas, Luciano Charlita de, E-mail: lucianofreitas@hiroshima-u.ac.j [Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation, Development Policy, Hiroshima University 1-5-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8529 (Japan); Kaneko, Shinji [Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation, Development Policy, Hiroshima University 1-5-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8529 (Japan)

2011-05-15

Successive studies attempting to clarify national aspects of ethanol demand have assisted policy makers and producers in defining strategies, but little information is available on the dynamic of regional ethanol markets. This study aims to analyze the characteristics of ethanol demand at the regional level taking into account the peculiarities of the developed center-south and the developing north-northeast regions. Regional ethanol demand is evaluated based on a set of market variables that include ethanol price, consumer's income, vehicle stock and prices of substitute fuels; i.e., gasoline and natural gas. A panel cointegration analysis with monthly observations from January 2003 to April 2010 is employed to estimate the long-run demand elasticity. The results reveal that the demand for ethanol in Brazil differs between regions. While in the center-south region the price elasticity for both ethanol and alternative fuels is high, consumption in the north-northeast is more sensitive to changes in the stock of the ethanol-powered fleet and income. These, among other evidences, suggest that the pattern of ethanol demand in the center-south region most closely resembles that in developed nations, while the pattern of demand in the north-northeast most closely resembles that in developing nations. - Research highlights: {yields} Article consists of a first insight on regional demand for ethanol in Brazil. {yields} It proposes a model with multiple fuels, i.e., hydrous ethanol, gasohol and natural gas. {yields} Results evidence that figures for regional demand for ethanol differ amongst regions and with values reported for national demand. {yields} Elasticities for the center-south keep similarities to patterns for fuel demand in developed nations while coefficients for the north-northeast are aligned to patterns on developing countries.

Greenhouse-gas Consequences of US Corn-based Ethanol in a Flat World

Science.gov (United States)

Davidson, E. A.; Coe, M. T.; Nepstad, D. C.; Donner, S. D.; Bustamante, M. M.; Neill, C.

2008-12-01

Competition for arable land is now occurring among food, fiber, and fuel production sectors. In the USA, increased corn production for ethanol has come primarily at the expense of reduced soybean production. Only a few countries, mainly Brazil, have appropriate soils, climate, and infrastructure needed for large absolute increases in cropped area in the next decade that could make up the lost US soybean production. Our objective is to improve estimates of the potential net greenhouse gas (GHG) consequences, both domestically and in Brazil, of meeting the new goals established by the US Congress for expansion of corn- based ethanol in the USA. To meet this goal of 57 billion liters per year of corn-based ethanol production, an additional 1-7 million hectares will need to be planted in corn, depending upon assumptions regarding future increases in corn yield. Net GHG emissions saved in the USA by substituting ethanol for gasoline are estimated at 14 Tg CO2-equivalents once the production goal of 57 million L/yr is reached. If reduced US soybean production caused by this increase in US corn planting results in a compensatory increase in Brazilian production of soybeans in the Cerrado and Amazon regions, we estimate a potential net release of 1800 to 9100 Tg CO2-equivalents of GHG emissions due to land-use change. Many opportunities exist for agricultural intensification that would minimize new land clearing and its environmental impacts, but if Brazilian deforestation is held to only 15% of the area estimated here to compensate lost US soybean production, the GHG mitigation of US corn-based ethanol production during the next 15 years would be more than offset by emissions from Brazilian land-use change. Other motivations for advancing corn-based ethanol production in the USA, such as reduced reliance on foreign oil and increased prosperity for farming communities, must be considered separately, but the greenhouse-gas-mitigation rationale is clearly unsupportable.

Gas-Phase Oxidation of Aqueous Ethanol by Nanoparticle Vanadia/Anatase Catalysts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Betina; Kristensen, Steffen Buus; Kunov-Kruse, Andreas Jonas

2009-01-01

The gas-phase oxidation of aqueous ethanol with dioxygen has been examined with a new nanoparticle V2O5/TiO2 catalyst. Product selectivity could to a large extent be controlled by small alterations of reaction parameters, allowing production of acetaldehyde at a selectivity higher than 90%, near...

Energy and greenhouse gas balances of cassava-based ethanol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le, Loan T.; Ierland, Ekko C. van; Zhu, Xueqin; Wesseler, Justus

2013-01-01

Biofuel production has been promoted to save fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, there have been concerns about the potential of biofuel to improve energy efficiency and mitigate climate change. This paper investigates energy efficiency and GHG emission saving of cassava-based ethanol as energy for transportation. Energy and GHG balances are calculated for a functional unit of 1 km of road transportation using life-cycle assessment and considering effects of land use change (LUC). Based on a case study in Vietnam, the results show that the energy input for and GHG emissions from ethanol production are 0.93 MJ and 34.95 g carbon dioxide equivalent per megajoule of ethanol respectively. The use of E5 and E10 as a substitute for gasoline results in energy savings, provided that their fuel consumption in terms of liter per kilometer of transportation is not exceeding the consumption of gasoline per kilometer by more than 2.4% and 4.5% respectively. It will reduce GHG emissions, provided that the fuel consumption of E5 and E10 is not exceeding the consumption of gasoline per kilometer by more than 3.8% and 7.8% respectively. The quantitative effects depend on the efficiency in production and on the fuel efficiency of E5 and E10. The variations in results of energy input and GHG emissions in the ethanol production among studies are due to differences in coverage of effects of LUC, CO 2 photosynthesis of cassava, yields of cassava, energy efficiency in farming, and by-product analyses. -- Highlights: ► Cassava-based ethanol substitution for gasoline in form of E5 could save 1.4 MJ km −1 ► Ethanol substitution for gasoline in form of E5 reduces a CO 2 e emission of 156 g km −1 ► We examined changes in fuel efficiency of blends affecting energy and GHG balances. ► LUC and change in soil management lead to a CO 2 e emission of 942 g L −1 of ethanol. ► LUC effects, energy inputs, yields, and by-products explain results among

Hierarchical porous ZnO microflowers with ultra-high ethanol gas-sensing at low concentration

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Liming; Yue, He; Li, Haiying; Liu, Li; Li, Yu; Du, Liting; Duan, Haojie; Klyui, N. I.

2018-05-01

Hierarchical porous and non-porous ZnO microflowers have been successfully fabricated by hydrothermal method. Their crystal structure, morphology and gas-sensing properties were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and chemical gas sensing intelligent analysis system (CGS). Compared with hierarchical non-porous ZnO microflowers, hierarchical porous ZnO microflowers exhibited ultra-high sensitivity with 50 ppm ethanol at 260 °C and the response is 110, which is 1.8 times higher than that of non-porous ZnO microflowers. Moreover, the lowest concentration limit of hierarchical porous ZnO microflowers (non-porous ZnO microflowers) to ethanol is 0.1 (1) ppm, the response value is 1.6 (1).

Investigation of Continuous Gas Engine CHP Operation on Biomass Producer Gas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahrenfeldt, Jesper; Henriksen, Ulrik Birk; Jensen, Torben Kvist

2005-01-01

More than 2000 hours of gas engine operation with producer gas from biomass as fuel has been conducted on the gasification CHP demonstration and research plant, named “Viking” at the Technical University of Denmark. The gas engine is an integrated part of the entire gasification plant. The excess...... operates with varying excess of air due to variation in gas composition and thus stoichiometry, and a second where the excess of air in the exhaust gas is fixed and the flow rate of produced gas from the gasifier is varying. The interaction between the gas engine and the gasification system has been...... investigated. The engine and the plant are equipped with continuously data acquisition that monitors the operation including the composition of the producer gas and the flow. Producer gas properties and contaminations have been investigated. No detectable tar or particle content was observed...

Synthesis and properties of ZnO nanorods as ethanol gas sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirabbaszadeh, K; Mehrabian, M

2012-01-01

Uniform ZnO nanorods were synthesized via the sol-gel process under mild conditions in which different ZnO nanostructures have been prepared by changing the pH of growth solution. It was seen that the optimum nanorods were grown at pH 11.33. The prepared ZnO nanostructures and morphologies were characterized by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy measurements. The ZnO one-dimensional nanostructures were found to have a wurtzite hexagonal crystalline structure and grow along the [001] direction. The optimum nanorods were about 1 μm in length and less than 100 nm in diameter. The ZnO nanostructures have been tested for different concentrations and different operating temperatures for ethanol vapor in air and the surface resistance of the sensors has been evaluated as a function of different parameters. The gas sensor fabricated from ZnO nanorods grown in solution with a special pH exhibited good performance. The sensor response to 5000 ppm ethanol was up to about 2.5 at the operating temperature of 300 °C. The differences in gas-sensing performance between the sensors were analyzed based on the defects created in the nanorods during their fast growth. The correlations between material structures and the properties of the gas sensors are discussed.

The future of UK gas producers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hallas, P.A.

1991-01-01

Traditionally, an oil company wishing to develop UK gas reserves almost always faced a protracted gas sales negotiation with British Gas. British Gas then had an effective monopoly in the resale of that gas to final consumers. This traditional pattern is now in a process of fundamental change, as a result of recent UK gas market re-regulation and the emergence of a new large scale opportunity to sell gas for power generation. The impact of these changes is still not very well understood outside a relatively small group of gas specialists but is likely to be significant for British Gas, consumers and UK gas producers. This paper outlines the background to the recent changes, the possible future of UK gas marketing and the likely impact on gas producers in the North Sea

The feasibility of producing adequate feedstock for year–round cellulosic ethanol production in an intensive agricultural fuelshed

Science.gov (United States)

Uden, Daniel R.; Mitchell, Rob B.; Allen, Craig R.; Guan, Qingfeng; McCoy, Tim D.

2013-01-01

To date, cellulosic ethanol production has not been commercialized in the United States. However, government mandates aimed at increasing second-generation biofuel production could spur exploratory development in the cellulosic ethanol industry. We conducted an in-depth analysis of the fuelshed surrounding a starch-based ethanol plant near York, Nebraska that has the potential for cellulosic ethanol production. To assess the feasibility of supplying adequate biomass for year-round cellulosic ethanol production from residual maize (Zea mays) stover and bioenergy switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) within a 40-km road network service area of the existing ethanol plant, we identified ∼14,000 ha of marginally productive cropland within the service area suitable for conversion from annual rowcrops to switchgrass and ∼132,000 ha of maize-enrolled cropland from which maize stover could be collected. Annual maize stover and switchgrass biomass supplies within the 40-km service area could range between 429,000 and 752,000 metric tons (mT). Approximately 140–250 million liters (l) of cellulosic ethanol could be produced, rivaling the current 208 million l annual starch-based ethanol production capacity of the plant. We conclude that sufficient quantities of biomass could be produced from maize stover and switchgrass near the plant to support year-round cellulosic ethanol production at current feedstock yields, sustainable removal rates and bioconversion efficiencies. Modifying existing starch-based ethanol plants in intensive agricultural fuelsheds could increase ethanol output, return marginally productive cropland to perennial vegetation, and remove maize stover from productive cropland to meet feedstock demand.

Highly improved ethanol gas-sensing performance of mesoporous nickel oxides nanowires with the stannum donor doping

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Junqi; Li, Xiaoqing; Han, Yanbing; Xu, Jingcai; Jin, Hongxiao; Jin, Dingfeng; Peng, Xiaoling; Hong, Bo; Li, Jing; Yang, Yanting; Ge, Hongliang; Wang, Xinqing

2018-06-01

Mesoporous nickel oxides (NiO) and stannum(Sn)-doped NiO nanowires (NWs) were synthesized by using SBA-15 templates with the nanocasting method. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope, energy dispersive spectrometry, nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherm and UV–vis spectrum were used to characterize the phase structure, components and microstructure of the as-prepared samples. The gas-sensing analysis indicated that the Sn-doping could greatly improve the ethanol sensitivity for mesoporous NiO NWs. With the increasing Sn content, the ethanol sensitivity increased from 2.16 for NiO NWs up to the maximum of 15.60 for Ni0.962Sn0.038O1.038, and then decreased to 12.24 for Ni0.946Sn0.054O1.054 to 100 ppm ethanol gas at 340 °C. The high surface area from the Sn-doping improved the adsorption of oxygen on the surface of NiO NWs, resulting in the smaller surface resistance in air. Furthermore, owing to the recombination of the holes in hole-accumulation lay with the electrons from the donor impurity level and the increasing the body defects for Sn-doping, the total resistance in ethanol gas enhanced greatly. It was concluded that the sensitivity of Sn-doped NiO NWs based sensor could be greatly improved by the higher surface area and high-valence donor substitution from Sn-doping.

Large-scale syntheses of uniform ZnO nanorods and ethanol gas sensors application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Jin; Li Jin; Li Jiahui; Xiao Guoqing; Yang Xiaofeng

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → The uniform ZnO nanorods could be synthesized by a low temperature, solution-based method. → The results showed that the sample had uniform rod-like morphology with a narrow size distribution and highly crystallinity. → Room-temperature photoluminescence spectra of these nanorods show an exciton emission around 382 nm and a weak deep level emission, indicating the nanorods have high quality. → The sensor exhibited high sensitivity and fast response to ethanol gas at a work temperature of 400 deg. C. - Abstract: Uniform ZnO nanorods with a gram scale were prepared by a low temperature and solution-based method. The samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and photoluminescence (PL). The results showed that the sample had uniform rod-like morphology with a narrow size distribution and highly crystallinity. Room-temperature PL spectra of these nanorods show an exciton emission around 382 nm and a negligible deep level emission, indicating the nanorods have high quality. The gas-sensing properties of the materials have been investigated. The results indicate that the as-prepared nanorods show much better sensitivity and stability. The n-type semiconductor gas sensor exhibited high sensitivity and fast response to ethanol gas at a work temperature of 400 deg. C. ZnO nanorods are excellent potential candidates for highly sensitive gas sensors and ultraviolet laser.

[Insights into engineering of cellulosic ethanol].

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, Guojun; Wu, Guoqing; Lin, Xin

2014-06-01

For energy security, air pollution concerns, coupled with the desire to sustain the agricultural sector and revitalize the rural economy, many countries have applied ethanol as oxygenate or fuel to supplement or replace gasoline in transportation sector. Because of abundant feedstock resources and effective reduction of green-house-gas emissions, the cellulosic ethanol has attracted great attention. With a couple of pioneers beginning to produce this biofuel from biomass in commercial quantities around the world, it is necessary to solve engineering problems and complete the economic assessment in 2015-2016, gradually enter the commercialization stage. To avoid "competing for food with humans and competing for land with food", the 1st generation fuel ethanol will gradually transit to the 2nd generation cellulosic ethanol. Based on the overview of cellulosic ethanol industrialization from domestic and abroad in recent years, the main engineering application problems encountered in pretreatment, enzymes and enzymatic hydrolysis, pentose/hexose co-fermentation strains and processes, equipment were discussed from chemical engineering and biotechnology perspective. The development direction of cellulosic ethanol technology in China was addressed.

Footprint (A Screening Model for Estimating the Area of a Plume Produced from Gasoline Containing Ethanol

Science.gov (United States)

FOOTPRINT is a simple and user-friendly screening model to estimate the length and surface area of BTEX plumes in ground water produced from a spill of gasoline that contains ethanol. Ethanol has a potential negative impact on the natural biodegradation of BTEX compounds in groun...

Microorganisms and methods for producing pyruvate, ethanol, and other compounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reed, Jennifer L.; Zhang, Xiaolin

2017-12-26

Microorganisms comprising modifications for producing pyruvate, ethanol, and other compounds. The microorganisms comprise modifications that reduce or ablate activity of one or more of pyruvate dehydrogenase, 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase, phosphate acetyltransferase, acetate kinase, pyruvate oxidase, lactate dehydrogenase, cytochrome terminal oxidase, succinate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, glutamate dehydrogenase, pyruvate formate lyase, pyruvate formate lyase activating enzyme, and isocitrate lyase. The microorganisms optionally comprise modifications that enhance expression or activity of pyruvate decarboxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase. The microorganisms are optionally evolved in defined media to enhance specific production of one or more compounds. Methods of producing compounds with the microorganisms are provided.

Pt/ZnO nanoarray nanogenerator as self-powered active gas sensor with linear ethanol sensing at room temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yayu; Lai, Xuan; Deng, Ping; Nie, Yuxin; Zhang, Yan; Xing, Lili; Xue, Xinyu

2014-03-21

A self-powered gas sensor that can actively detect ethanol at room temperature has been realized from a Pt/ZnO nanoarray nanogenerator. Pt nanoparticles are uniformly distributed on the whole surface of ZnO nanowires. The piezoelectric output of Pt/ZnO nanoarrays can act not only as a power source, but also as a response signal to ethanol at room temperature. Upon exposure to dry air and 1500 ppm ethanol at room temperature, the piezoelectric output of the device under the same compressive strain is 0.672 and 0.419 V, respectively. Moreover, a linear dependence of the sensitivity on the ethanol concentration is observed. Such a linear ethanol sensing at room temperature can be attributed to the atmosphere-dependent variety of the screen effect on the piezoelectric output of ZnO nanowires, the catalytic properties of Pt nanoparticles, and the Schottky barriers at Pt/ZnO interfaces. The present results can stimulate research in the direction of designing new material systems for self-powered room-temperature gas sensing.

Life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts of a novel process for converting food waste to ethanol and co-products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebner, Jacqueline; Babbitt, Callie; Winer, Martin; Hilton, Brian; Williamson, Anahita

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Co-fermentation using SSF at ambient temperature has potential as an ethanol pathway. • Bio-refinery GHG emissions are similar to corn and MSW ethanol production processes. • Net production GHG impact is negative with inclusion of waste disposal avoidance. • Food waste diversion from landfills is the largest contributor to GHG benefits. - Abstract: Waste-to-ethanol conversion is a promising technology to provide renewable transportation fuel while mitigating feedstock risks and land use conflicts. It also has the potential to reduce environmental impacts from waste management such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that contribute to climate change. This paper analyzes the life cycle GHG emissions associated with a novel process for the conversion of food processing waste into ethanol (EtOH) and the co-products of compost and animal feed. Data are based on a pilot plant co-fermenting retail food waste with a sugary industrial wastewater, using a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process at room temperature with a grinding pretreatment. The process produced 295 L EtOH/dry t feedstock. Lifecycle GHG emissions associated with the ethanol production process were 1458 gCO 2 e/L EtOH. When the impact of avoided landfill emissions from diverting food waste to use as feedstock are considered, the process results in net negative GHG emissions and approximately 500% improvement relative to corn ethanol or gasoline production. This finding illustrates how feedstock and alternative waste disposal options have important implications in life cycle GHG results for waste-to-energy pathways

Life-cycle greenhouse gas emission and energy use of bioethanol produced from corn stover in China: Current perspectives and future prospectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Lili; Ou, Xunmin; Chang, Shiyan

2016-01-01

In this study, a life cycle analysis (LCA) of bioethanol production from corn stover is carried out under Chinese context. Three scenarios were developed and assessed based on current and future technology levels of the ethanol conversion process. Well-to-pump (WTP) and well-to-wheels (WTW) results are presented in this paper via functional units of 1 MJ of ethanol produced, 1 MJ of E100 produced and used, and 1 km of distance driven by a light-duty vehicle on E10 fuel, respectively. It was calculated that for 1 MJ of E100, the WTW Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction relative to gasoline reaches 52%–55%, and the savings of fossil fuel and petroleum fuel reach 72%–76% and 74%–85%, respectively. For 1 MJ of ethanol produced, GHG emissions occurred in ethanol conversion process account for 51%–55%, and the contribution of chemical inputs reaches 36%–37% of the total life cycle GHG emissions. Furthermore, the life cycle results were found to be highly sensitive to allocation methods. - Highlights: • The study is focused on 2 G bioethanol derived from corn stover in Chinese context. • LCA is based on both current and future technology levels for ethanol conversion. • The life cycle GHG emission reduction of E100 relative to gasoline reaches 52%–55%. • Contributions of chemicals account for 36%–37% of life cycle GHG emissions. • E100 saves 74%–85% of petroleum fuel during its life cycle production and use.

Simultaneous determination of methanol, acetaldehyde, acetone, and ethanol in human blood by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlatter, J; Chiadmi, F; Gandon, V; Chariot, P

2014-01-01

Methanol, acetaldehyde, acetone, and ethanol, which are commonly used as biomarkers of several diseases, in acute intoxications, and forensic settings, can be detected and quantified in biological fluids. Gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry techniques are complex, require highly trained personnel and expensive materials. Gas chromatographic determinations of ethanol, methanol, and acetone have been reported in one study with suboptimal accuracy. Our objective was to improve the assessment of these compounds in human blood using GC with flame ionization detection. An amount of 50 µl of blood was diluted with 300 µl of sterile water, 40 µl of 10% sodium tungstate, and 20 µl of 1% sulphuric acid. After centrifugation, 1 µl of the supernatant was injected into the gas chromatograph. We used a dimethylpolysiloxane capillary column of 30 m × 0.25 mm × 0.25 µm. We observed linear correlations from 7.5 to 240 mg/l for methanol, acetaldehyde, and acetone and from 75 to 2400 mg/l for ethanol. Precision at concentrations 15, 60, and 120 mg/l for methanol, acetaldehyde, and acetone and 150, 600, and 1200 mg/ml for ethanol were 0.8-6.9%. Ranges of accuracy were 94.7-98.9% for methanol, 91.2-97.4% for acetaldehyde, 96.1-98.7% for acetone, and 105.5-111.6% for ethanol. Limits of detection were 0.80 mg/l for methanol, 0.61 mg/l for acetaldehyde, 0.58 mg/l for acetone, and 0.53 mg/l for ethanol. This method is suitable for routine clinical and forensic practices.

Effects of Palladium Loading on the Response of Thick Film Flame-made ZnO Gas Sensor for Detection of Ethanol Vapor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sukon Phanichphant

2007-07-01

Full Text Available ZnO nanoparticles doped with 0-5 mol% Pd were successfully produced in asingle step by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP using zinc naphthenate and palladium (IIacetylacetonate dissolved in toluene-acetonitrile (80:20 vol% as precursors. The effect ofPd loading on the ethanol gas sensing performance of the ZnO nanoparticles and thecrystalline sizes were investigated. The particle properties were analyzed by XRD, BET,AFM, SEM (EDS line scan mode, TEM, STEM, EDS, and CO-pulse chemisorptionmeasurements. A trend of an increase in specific surface area of samples and a decrease inthe dBET with increasing Pd concentrations was noted. ZnO nanoparticles were observed asparticles presenting clear spheroidal, hexagonal and rod-like morphologies. The sizes ofZnO spheroidal and hexagonal particle crystallites were in the 10-20 nm range. ZnOnanorods were in the range of 10-20 nm in width and 20-50 nm in length. The size of Pdnanoparticles increased and Pd-dispersion% decreased with increasing Pd concentrations.The sensing films were produced by mixing the particles into an organic paste composedof terpineol and ethyl cellulose as a vehicle binder. The paste was doctor-bladed ontoAl2O3 substrates interdigitated with Au electrodes. The film morphology was analyzed bySEM and EDS analyses. The gas sensing of ethanol (25-250 ppm was studied in dry air at400°C. The oxidation of ethanol on the sensing surface of the semiconductor wasconfirmed by MS. A well-dispersed of 1 mol%Pd/ZnO films showed the highest sensitivityand the fastest response time (within seconds.

Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to Ethanol by Electrochemical Synthesis Method Using Brass as A Cathode

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Septian Ramadan

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The effect of potential and gas flow rate were investigated to determine the optimum conditions of the electrochemical synthesis process to convert carbon dioxide to ethanol. The conversion process is carried out using a NaHCO3 electrolyte solution in an electrochemical reactor equipped with a cathode and anode. As cathode is used brass, while as anode is used carbon. The result of the electrochemical synthesis process was analyzed by gas chromatography to determine the content of the compounds produced qualitatively and quantitatively. The optimum electrochemical synthesis conditions to convert carbon dioxide to ethanol are potential and gas flow rate are 3 volts and 0.5 L/minutes with ethanol concentration yielded 1.32%.

Ethanol Basics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2015-01-30

Ethanol is a widely-used, domestically-produced renewable fuel made from corn and other plant materials. More than 96% of gasoline sold in the United States contains ethanol. Learn more about this alternative fuel in the Ethanol Basics Fact Sheet, produced by the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities program.

Simultaneous co-fermentation of mixed sugars: a promising strategy for producing cellulosic ethanol.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Soo Rin; Ha, Suk-Jin; Wei, Na; Oh, Eun Joong; Jin, Yong-Su

2012-05-01

The lack of microbial strains capable of fermenting all sugars prevalent in plant cell wall hydrolyzates to ethanol is a major challenge. Although naturally existing or engineered microorganisms can ferment mixed sugars (glucose, xylose and galactose) in these hydrolyzates sequentially, the preferential utilization of glucose to non-glucose sugars often results in lower overall yield and productivity of ethanol. Therefore, numerous metabolic engineering approaches have been attempted to construct optimal microorganisms capable of co-fermenting mixed sugars simultaneously. Here, we present recent findings and breakthroughs in engineering yeast for improved ethanol production from mixed sugars. In particular, this review discusses new sugar transporters, various strategies for simultaneous co-fermentation of mixed sugars, and potential applications of co-fermentation for producing fuels and chemicals. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assesment of the energy quality of the synthesis gas produced from biomass derived fuels conversion: Part I: Liquid Fuels, Ethanol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arteaga Perez, Luis E; Casas, Yannay; Peralta, Luis M; Granda, Daikenel; Prieto, Julio O

2011-01-01

The use of biofuels plays an important role to increase the efficiency and energetic safety of the energy processes in the world. The main goal of the present research is to study from the thermodynamics and kinetics the effect of the operational variables on the thermo-conversion processes of biomass derived fuels focused on ethanol reforming. Several models are developed to assess the technological proposals. The minimization of Gibbs free energy is the criterion applied to evaluate the performance of the different alternatives considering the equilibrium constraints. All the models where validated on an experimental data base. The gas composition, HHV and the ratio H2/CO are used as measures for the process efficiency. The operational parameters are studied in a wide range (reactants molar ratio, temperature and oxygen/fuel ratio). (author)

Nanocrystalline Pd:NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} thin films: A selective ethanol gas sensor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rao, Pratibha; Godbole, R.V.; Bhagwat, Sunita, E-mail: smb.agc@gmail.com

2016-10-15

In this work, Pd:NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} thin films were investigated for the detection of reducing gases. These films were fabricated using spray pyrolysis technique and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) to confirm the crystal structure. The surface morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Magnetization measurements were carried out using SQUID VSM, which shows ferrimagnetic behavior of the samples. These thin film sensors were tested against methanol, ethanol, hydrogen sulfide and liquid petroleum gas, where they were found to be more selective to ethanol. The fabricated thin film sensors exhibited linear response signal for all the gases with concentrations up to 5 w/o Pd. Reduction in optimum operating temperature and enhancement in response was also observed. Pd:NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} thin films exhibited faster response and recovery characteristic. These sensors have potential for industrial applications because of their long-term stability, low power requirement and low production cost. - Highlights: • Ethanol gas sensors based on Pd:NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticle thin film were fabricated. • Pd incorporation in NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} matrix inhibits grain growth. • The sensors were more selective to ethanol gas. • Sensors exhibited fast response and recovery when doped with palladium. • Pd:NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} thin film sensor displays excellent long–term stability.

Light-controlling, flexible and transparent ethanol gas sensor based on ZnO nanoparticles for wearable devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Z Q; Yao, J D; Wang, B; Yang, G W

2015-06-16

In recent years, owing to the significant applications of health monitoring, wearable electronic devices such as smart watches, smart glass and wearable cameras have been growing rapidly. Gas sensor is an important part of wearable electronic devices for detecting pollutant, toxic, and combustible gases. However, in order to apply to wearable electronic devices, the gas sensor needs flexible, transparent, and working at room temperature, which are not available for traditional gas sensors. Here, we for the first time fabricate a light-controlling, flexible, transparent, and working at room-temperature ethanol gas sensor by using commercial ZnO nanoparticles. The fabricated sensor not only exhibits fast and excellent photoresponse, but also shows high sensing response to ethanol under UV irradiation. Meanwhile, its transmittance exceeds 62% in the visible spectral range, and the sensing performance keeps the same even bent it at a curvature angle of 90(o). Additionally, using commercial ZnO nanoparticles provides a facile and low-cost route to fabricate wearable electronic devices.

Natural gas supply - a producer's perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papa, M.G.

1994-01-01

The supply of natural gas from the producers standpoint is discussed. The following factors in the marketing demand for natural gas are considered to be important: gas demand is growing, U.S. gas resource base is large, chronic gas bubble has shrunk, and North American supply is more resilient than expected

CO Emissions from Gas Engines Operating on Biomass Producer Gas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahrenfeldt, Jesper; Jensen, T. K.; Henriksen, Ulrik Birk

2004-01-01

High carbon monoxide (CO) emission from gas engines fueled by producer gas is a concerning problem in the struggle to make biomass gasification for heat and power production a success. CO emissions from engines operating on biomass producer gases are high, especially at very lean conditions where...

Ethanol from sugar cane with simultaneous production of electrical energy and biofertilizer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Filgueiras, G.

1981-08-04

A flexible nonpolluting industrial scheme is described for converting sugar cane into fuel-grade ethanol, fertilizer, and electric power. The cleaned cane is treated in a diffuser to separate the juice, which is enzymically hydrolyze d to ethanol, and bagasse containing 65-85% moisture, which is mechanically ground with the rest of the cane plant (leaves and buds) and biochemically digested to provide liquid and solid fertilizers as well as a methane-containing gas, which is burned in a gas turbine to generate electricity. The vinasse from the ethanol fermentation is also cycled to the digestion step. The process conditions can be varied depending upon the desired product ratio; if fuel is preferred, each ton of cane (dry weight) can produce 135 L ethanol, 50 kW electric power, and 150 kg fertilizer; if electric energy is preferred, each ton can give 75 L ethanol, 115 kW power, and 220 kg fertilizer.

Use of gas-phase ethanol to mitigate extreme UV/water oxidation of extreme UV optics

Science.gov (United States)

Klebanoff, L. E.; Malinowski, M. E.; Clift, W. M.; Steinhaus, C.; Grunow, P.

2004-03-01

A technique is described that uses a gas-phase species to mitigate the oxidation of a Mo/Si multilayer optic caused by either extreme UV (EUV) or electron-induced dissociation of adsorbed water vapor. It is found that introduction of ethanol (EtOH) into a water-rich gas-phase environment inhibits oxidation of the outermost Si layer of the Mo/Si EUV reflective coating. Auger electron spectroscopy, sputter Auger depth profiling, EUV reflectivity, and photocurrent measurements are presented that reveal the EUV/water- and electron/water-derived optic oxidation can be suppressed at the water partial pressures used in the tests (~2×10-7-2×10-5 Torr). The ethanol appears to function differently in two time regimes. At early times, ethanol decomposes on the optic surface, providing reactive carbon atoms that scavenge reactive oxygen atoms before they can oxidize the outermost Si layer. At later times, the reactive carbon atoms form a thin (~5 Å), possibly self-limited, graphitic layer that inhibits water adsorption on the optic surface. .

Hierarchical assembly of urchin-like alpha-iron oxide hollow microspheres and molybdenum disulphide nanosheets for ethanol gas sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Dongzhi; Fan, Xin; Yang, Aijun; Zong, Xiaoqi

2018-08-01

In this paper, we fabricated a high-performance ethanol sensor using layer-by-layer self-assembled urchin-like alpha-iron oxide (α-Fe 2 O 3 ) hollow microspheres/molybdenum disulphide (MoS 2 ) nanosheets heterostructure as sensitive materials. The nanostructural, morphological, and compositional properties of the as-prepared α-Fe 2 O 3 /MoS 2 heterostructure were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), which confirmed its successful preparation and rationality. The α-Fe 2 O 3 /MoS 2 nanocomposite sensor shows good selectivity, excellent reproducibility, fast response/recovery time and low detection limit towards ethanol gas at room temperature, which is superior to the single component of α-Fe 2 O 3 hollow microspheres and MoS 2 nanosheets. Furthermore, the response of the α-Fe 2 O 3 /MoS 2 nanocomposite sensor as a function of ethanol gas concentration was also demonstrated. The enhanced ethanol sensing properties of the α-Fe 2 O 3 /MoS 2 nanocomposite sensor were ascribed to the synergistic effect and heterojunction between the urchin-Like α-Fe 2 O 3 hollow microspheres and MoS 2 nanosheets. This work verifies that the hierarchical α-Fe 2 O 3 /MoS 2 nanoheterostructure is a potential candidate for fabricating room-temperature ethanol gas sensor. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of semiconductor gas sensor system for ethanol determination during fermentation processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Picque, D; Corrieu, G

1988-10-01

Using commercial gas sensitive semi-conductors, an ethanol sensor has been constructed which operates by direct immersion in fermentation media. The calibration range of 0.1 to 10 or 13 % depending on the component. However, they are very often subjected to considerable drift (in the same case up to 10 %/h of the measured value). The electrical resistance of component may vary by a factor of 1 to 5 for a well-defined ethanol concentration. The effects of temperature changes in fermentation media are easily compensated. Other volatile compounds (methanol, ammonia,...) substantially affect component responses. Thus, all work on sensors requires careful calibration. Wine fermentation processes can be monitored satisfactorily, providing the sensor is recalibrated about every six hours.

Production of Hydrogen from Bio-ethanol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fabrice Giroudiere; Christophe Boyer; Stephane His; Robert Sanger; Kishore Doshi; Jijun Xu

2006-01-01

IFP and HyRadix are collaborating in the development of a new hydrogen production system from liquid feedstock such as bio-ethanol. Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions along with high hydrogen yield are the key objectives. Market application of the system will be hydrogen refueling stations as well as medium scale hydrogen consumers including the electronics, metals processing, and oils hydrogenation industries. The conversion of bio-ethanol to hydrogen will be performed within a co-developed process including an auto-thermal reformer working under pressure. The technology will produce high-purity hydrogen with ultralow CO content. The catalytic auto-thermal reforming technology combines the exothermic and endothermic reaction and leads to a highly efficient heat integration. The development strategy to reach a high hydrogen yield target with the bio-ethanol hydrogen generator is presented. (authors)

Scanning tunneling spectroscopy of MoS2 monolayer in presence of ethanol gas

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseini, Seyed Ali; Iraji zad, Azam; Berahman, Masoud; Aghakhani Mahyari, Farzaneh; Shokouh, Seyed Hossein Hosseini

2018-04-01

Due to high surface to volume ratio and tunable band gap, two dimensional (2D) layered materials such as MoS2, is good candidate for gas sensing applications. This research mainly focuses on variation of Density of States (DOS) of MoS2 monolayes caused by ethanol adsorption. The nanosheets are synthesized by liquid exfoliation, and then using Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy (STS) and Density Functional Theory (DFT), local electronic characteristic such as DOS and band gap in non-vacuum condition are analyzed. The results show that ethanol adsorption enhances DOS and deform orbitals near the valence and conduction bands that increase transport of carriers on the sheet.

Wet oxidation pretreatment of rape straw for ethanol production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arvaniti, Efthalia; Bjerre, Anne Belinda; Schmidt, Jens Ejbye

2012-01-01

Rape straw can be used for production of second generation bioethanol. In this paper we optimized the pretreatment of rape straw for this purpose using Wet oxidation (WO). The effect of reaction temperature, reaction time, and oxygen gas pressure was investigated for maximum ethanol yield via...... Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF). To reduce the water use and increase the energy efficiency in WO pretreatment features like recycling liquid (filtrate), presoaking of rape straw in water or recycled filtrate before WO, skip washing pretreated solids (filter cake) after WO, or use of whole...... gas produced higher ethanol yields and cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin recoveries, than 15 min WO treatment at 195 °C. Also, recycling filtrate and use of higher oxygen gas pressure reduced recovery of materials. The use of filtrate could be inhibitory for the yeast, but also reduced lactic acid...

Determination of microquantities of methanol and ethanol in toluene by gas chromatography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perez, M. M.

1970-01-01

A study is made of the detection of methanol and ethanol in toluene by means of gas chromatography, using Porapak Q columns, 1 m long at 189 degree centigree, employing a flame ionization detector, with propanol as an internal standard. The variation od the detector absolute and relative response was found to be linear within the range of concentration studied, that is, from 5 to 1000 ppm. The limit of sensitivity for the detection of ethanol in a column of 2% Ucon, over Chromosorob G deactivated with 0,1% Carbowax 400, was 20 ppm, which was four times higher than the limit of sensitivity of the Porapak Q column. Also in this case, the absolute and relative response of the detector was linear. (Author) 3 refs

Ethanol: the promise and the peril : Should Manitoba expand ethanol subsidies?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sopuck, R.D.

2002-01-01

Ethanol is produced through the fermentation of wheat. Blending ethanol with gasoline results in an ethanol-blended gasoline (EBG). Manitoba has already established an ethanol industry in the province and the government of the province is studying the feasibility of expansion. Every year in Manitoba, approximately 90 million litres of EBG are consumed, and the province's ethanol facility also produces a high protein cattle feed called distillers dry grain. Controversies surround the ethanol industry over both the economics and the environmental benefits and impacts. At issue is the economic efficiency of the production of ethanol, where opponents claim that the final product contains less energy than that required to produce it. A small gain is obtained, as revealed by a recent study. It is difficult to quantify the environmental effects of the ethanol industry, whether they be negative or positive. The author indicates that no matter what happens, the gasoline market in Manitoba is so small when compared to the rest of the world that the effect will not be significant. The three methods for the production of ethanol are: (1) the most risky and expensive method is the stand alone ethanol production facility, (2) integrated facilities where other products are produced, such as wet mash or nutraceuticals, and (3) integrated facilities where dry mash can be exported as a high protein feed. The production of a wide range of products is clearly the best option to be considered during the design of an ethanol facility. Price collapse and the capitalizing of subsidies into prices are the main risks facing the expansion of ethanol production in Manitoba. The author states that direct subsidies and price supports should be avoided, since subsidies would encourage the conversion of more feed grain into ethanol. The feed shortage would worsen especially as Manitoba does not currently produce enough feed to support its growing livestock industry. The author concludes that

Examination of Ethanol Marketing and Input Procurement Practices of the U.S. Ethanol Producers

OpenAIRE

Spaulding, Aslihan D.; Schmidgall, Timothy J.

2008-01-01

Growing concerns about the dependence on foreign oil and high prices of gasoline have led to rapid growth in ethanol production in the past decade. Unlike earlier development of the ethanol industry which was highly concentrated in a few large corporations, recent ownership of the ethanol plants has been by farmer-owned cooperatives. Not much is known about the marketing and purchasing practices and plants’ flexibility with respect to adapting new technologies. The purpose of this research is...

Cost and greenhouse gas emission tradeoffs of alternative uses of lignin for second generation ethanol

Science.gov (United States)

Pourhashem, Ghasideh; Adler, Paul R.; McAloon, Andrew J.; Spatari, Sabrina

2013-06-01

Second generation ethanol bioconversion technologies are under demonstration-scale development for the production of lignocellulosic fuels to meet the US federal Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS2). Bioconversion technology utilizes the fermentable sugars generated from the cellulosic fraction of the feedstock, and most commonly assumes that the lignin fraction may be used as a source of thermal and electrical energy. We examine the life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and techno-economic cost tradeoffs for alternative uses of the lignin fraction of agricultural residues (corn stover, and wheat and barley straw) produced within a 2000 dry metric ton per day ethanol biorefinery in three locations in the United States. We compare three scenarios in which the lignin is (1) used as a land amendment to replace soil organic carbon (SOC); (2) separated, dried and sold as a coal substitute to produce electricity; and (3) used to produce electricity onsite at the biorefinery. Results from this analysis indicate that for life cycle GHG intensity, amending the lignin to land is lowest among the three ethanol production options (-25 to -2 g CO2e MJ-1), substituting coal with lignin is second lowest (4-32 g CO2e MJ-1), and onsite power generation is highest (36-41 g CO2e MJ-1). Moreover, the onsite power generation case may not meet RFS2 cellulosic fuel requirements given the uncertainty in electricity substitution. Options that use lignin for energy do so at the expense of SOC loss. The lignin-land amendment option has the lowest capital cost among the three options due to lower equipment costs for the biorefinery’s thermal energy needs and use of biogas generated onsite. The need to purchase electricity and uncertain market value of the lignin-land amendment could raise its cost compared to onsite power generation and electricity co-production. However, assuming a market value (50-100/dry Mg) for nutrient and soil carbon replacement in agricultural soils, and potentially

Preparation and characterization of nickel catalysts supported on cerium for obtaining hydrogen from steam reforming of ethanol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urbaninho, A.B.; Bergamaschi, V.S.; Ferreira, J.C.

2016-01-01

The Ni/Ce catalysts for were prepared by co- precipitation method with a view to their use in steam reforming of ethanol to produce a hydrogen-rich gas mixture. The catalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscopy; x-ray dispersive Spectroscopy and surface area BET method. This paper proposes to prepare, characterize and test nickel catalyst supported on cerium in order to obtain a material with higher activity and selectivity of the catalyst using the steam reforming reaction of ethanol, by varying the reaction temperature, molar ratio water/ethanol and uptime. The catalytic tests were monitored by chemical analysis of syngas from steam reforming of ethanol using an analysis online by gas Chromatograph in the reactor. (author)

Ethanol: The fuel of the future and its environmental impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marek, N.J.; Evanoff, J.

1999-01-01

There are several major environmental benefits associated with using biomass-derived ethanol as a transportation fuel. First, because ethanol is produced from plant material (primarily corn) that uses atmospheric CO 2 for the process of photosynthesis, the combustion of biomass-derived ethanol can be viewed as recycling of CO 2 back into the atmosphere, thereby closing the carbon cycle. Further, emission tests on vehicles using E-85 (a blend of 85% denatured ethanol and 15% gasoline) show significant reductions in hydrocarbon and CO emission levels when compared to their gasoline counterparts. Finally, a recent study comparing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles using E-10 (a blend of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline, commonly called gasohol) and E-85 fuel to those using gasoline and diesel fuel has been completed by Argonne National Laboratory. Using the most recent energy input data available, the study concluded that corn-derived ethanol reduces greenhouse gases by 2--3% for E-10, and by over 30% for vehicles using E-85 fuel. Additionally, the state of Illinois, with several other corporate and privates partners, is testing the use of a new fuel formulation called OxyDiesel, a blend of 15% ethanol, diesel fuel, and a special blending additive, that holds considerable promise in reducing harmful tailpipe and greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty diesel engines in trucks, buses, and other diesel engine applications

Refining Bio-Gas Produced from Biomass: An Alternative to Cooking Gas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. S. ABDULKAREEM

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Our life is completely dependent on a reliable and adequate supply of energy. In other to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, the use of animal dung in producing a renewable alternative source of energy has been proved using cow dung. This work is aimed at produced and refined bio - gas from animal dung by reduces the H2S and CO2 content of bio - gas in other to improved the quality of the bio - gas to be used as an alternative to the petroleum based produces in use now. The sample of gas produced was passed through the gas chromatography to determine the percentage composition (mol % dry basis of the bio - gas contents. The results of the bio - gas before refinement were 54.09% mole dry CH4, 40.02mole % dry CO2 and 0.80mole % dry H2S which conformed with the literature values of 50 - 65 % mole dry CH4, 35 - 50 % mole dry CO2 and 0.1 - 1.0 % mole dry H2S. After refining, the composition of bio - gas on dry basis were 54.09% mole dry CH4, 4.01% mole dry CO2, 0.02% mole dry O2, 0.05% mole dry NH3, 0.01% mole dry H2S, 0.5% mole dry H2 and 2.54% mole dry N2. Analysis of the remnant indicated that it could be used for plant nutrient.

Determining the cost of producing ethanol from corn starch and lignocellulosic feedstocks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McAloon, Andrew [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington D.C. (United States); Taylor, Frank [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington D.C. (United States); Yee, Winnie [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington D.C. (United States); Ibsen, Kelly [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Wooley, Robert [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2000-10-01

This report describes the comparison of the processes, each producing 25 million annual gallons of fuel ethanol. This paper attempts to compare the two processes as mature technologies, which requires assuming that the technology improvements needed to make the lignocellulosic process commercializable are achieved, and enough plants have been built to make the design well-understood.

Applying Adaptive Agricultural Management & Industrial Ecology Principles to Produce Lower- Carbon Ethanol from California Energy Beets

Science.gov (United States)

Alexiades, Anthy Maria

The life cycle assessment of a proposed beet-to-ethanol pathway demonstrates how agricultural management and industrial ecology principles can be applied to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, minimize agrochemical inputs and waste, provide ecosystem services and yield a lower-carbon fuel from a highly land-use efficient, first-generation feedstock cultivated in California. Beets grown in California have unique potential as a biofuel feedstock. A mature agricultural product with well-developed supply chains, beet-sugar production in California has contracted over recent decades, leaving idle production capacity and forcing growers to seek other crops for use in rotation or find a new market for beets. California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) faces risk of steeply-rising compliance costs, as greenhouse gas reduction targets in the transportation sector were established assuming commercial volumes of lower-carbon fuels from second-generation feedstocks -- such as residues, waste, algae and cellulosic crops -- would be available by 2020. The expected shortfall of cellulosic ethanol has created an immediate need to develop lower-carbon fuels from readily available feedstocks using conventional conversion technologies. The life cycle carbon intensity of this ethanol pathway is less than 28 gCO2e/MJEthanol: a 72% reduction compared to gasoline and 19% lower than the most efficient corn ethanol pathway (34 gCO2e/MJ not including indirect land use change) approved under LCFS. The system relies primarily on waste-to-energy resources; nearly 18 gCO2e/MJ are avoided by using renewable heat and power generated from anaerobic digestion of fermentation stillage and gasification of orchard residues to meet 88% of the facility's steam demand. Co-products displace 2 gCO2e/MJ. Beet cultivation is the largest source of emissions, contributing 15 gCO 2e/MJ. The goal of the study is to explore opportunities to minimize carbon intensity of beet-ethanol and investigate the potential

Alberta producers' gas export prices slip

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandrasekharaiah, M.N.; Dubben, G.; Kolster, B.H.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that Alberta gas producers have approved a new contract with California buyers that includes slightly lower wellhead prices and more flexible pricing terms. The 1 year agreement, will apply a flexible price formula to gas sales. A basic volume of 212 MMcfd will receive $1.52 (U.S.)/Mcf. A and S also will buy 200 MMcfd at prices paid for other Alberta gas in the California market. It will have the right to buy added volumes at prices indexed to gas sold into California from the U.S. Southwest. Ballots cast by producers were to be verified by regulatory agencies in Alberta and British Columbia. The more flexible price terms in the new contract are seen as a positive development for negotiations in a dispute over long term contracts

Well-to-Wheels Greenhouse Gas Emission Analysis of High-Octane Fuels with Ethanol Blending: Phase II Analysis with Refinery Investment Options

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Jeongwoo [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Energy Systems Division; Wang, Michael [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Energy Systems Division; Elgowainy, Amgad [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Energy Systems Division; DiVita, Vincent [Jacobs Consultancy Inc., Houston, TX (United States)

2016-08-01

Higher-octane gasoline can enable increases in an internal combustion engine’s energy efficiency and a vehicle’s fuel economy by allowing an increase in the engine compression ratio and/or by enabling downspeeding and downsizing. Producing high-octane fuel (HOF) with the current level of ethanol blending (E10) could increase the energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity of the fuel product from refinery operations. Alternatively, increasing the ethanol blending level in final gasoline products could be a promising solution to HOF production because of the high octane rating and potentially low blended Reid vapor pressure (RVP) of ethanol at 25% and higher of the ethanol blending level by volume. In our previous HOF well-to-wheels (WTW) report (the so-called phase I report of the HOF WTW analysis), we conducted WTW analysis of HOF with different ethanol blending levels (i.e., E10, E25, and E40) and a range of vehicle efficiency gains with detailed petroleum refinery linear programming (LP) modeling by Jacobs Consultancy and showed that the overall WTW GHG emission changes associated with HOFVs were dominated by the positive impact associated with vehicle efficiency gains and ethanol blending levels, while the refining operations to produce gasoline blendstock for oxygenate blending (BOB) for various HOF blend levels had a much smaller impact on WTW GHG emissions (Han et al. 2015). The scope of the previous phase I study, however, was limited to evaluating PADDs 2 and 3 operation changes with various HOF market share scenarios and ethanol blending levels. Also, the study used three typical configuration models of refineries (cracking, light coking, and heavy coking) in each PADD, which may not be representative of the aggregate response of all refineries in each PADD to various ethanol blending levels and HOF market scenarios. Lastly, the phase I study assumed no new refinery expansion in the existing refineries, which limited E10 HOF production to the

Delta receptor antagonism, ethanol taste reactivity, and ethanol consumption in outbred male rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Higley, Amanda E; Kiefer, Stephen W

2006-11-01

Naltrexone, a nonspecific opioid antagonist, produces significant changes in ethanol responsivity in rats by rendering the taste of ethanol aversive as well as producing a decrease in voluntary ethanol consumption. The present study investigated the effect of naltrindole, a specific antagonist of delta opioid receptors, on ethanol taste reactivity and ethanol consumption in outbred rats. In the first experiment, rats received acute treatment of naltrexone, naltrindole, or saline followed by the measurement of ethanol consumption in a short-term access period. The second experiment involved the same treatments and investigated ethanol palatability (using the taste-reactivity test) as well as ethanol consumption. Results indicated that treatment with 3 mg/kg naltrexone significantly affected palatability (rendered ethanol more aversive, Experiment 2) and decreased voluntary ethanol consumption (Experiments 1 and 2). The effects of naltrindole were inconsistent. In Experiment 1, 8 mg/kg naltrindole significantly decreased voluntary ethanol consumption but this was not replicated in Experiment 2. The 8 mg/kg dose produced a significant increase in aversive responding (Experiment 2) but did not affect ingestive responding. Lower doses of naltrindole (2 and 4 mg/kg) were ineffective in altering rats' taste-reactivity response to and consumption of ethanol. While these data suggest that delta receptors are involved in rats' taste-reactivity response to ethanol and rats' ethanol consumption, it is likely that multiple opioid receptors mediate both behavioral responses.

Characterization of Ethanolic Extract of Streptomyces sp. as a Pancreatic Lipase Inhibitors Produced by Endophytic Streptomyces sp. AEBg12

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lenni Fitri

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Endophytic Streptomyces sp. AEBg12 isolated from Zingiber cassumunar (Bangle is known to produce pancreatic lipase inhibitory compound. However, the characteristics of this active compound has not been reported yet. This study aimed to determine the characteristics of pancreatics inhibitory compound produced by Streptomyces sp. AEBg12 and to assess the role of endophytic actinobacteria in producing pancreatic lipase inhibitor using endophytic-free bangle tissue culture, wild bangle and compared with the activity of Streptomyces sp. AEBg12 endophytes. Supernatant of Streptomyces sp. AEBg12 was extracted using ethanol, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane solvents. Toxicity test was performed using larvae of shrimp Artemia salina. The results showed that the best solvent to obtain pancreatic lipase inhibitor compounds was ethanol. Phytochemical analysis showed that ethanolic extract of endophytic Streptomyces sp. AEBg12 contained flavonoids. IC50 value of ethanol extract was 180.83 µg/ml. The result of TLC showed that ethanolic extract of Streptomyces AEBg12 had a blue luminescence band indicated that there were either flavone, flavanones, flavonols or isoflavones. Inhibitory activity of Streptomyces sp. AEBg12 was higher than wild bangle and bangle tissue culture. The information from this study can be be used as a basic data for further characterization of the active compound, which might be developed as an antiobesity agent through its pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity.

Life cycle evaluation of emerging lignocellulosic ethanol conversion technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Spatari, Sabrina; Bagley, David M; MacLean, Heather L

2010-01-01

Lignocellulosic ethanol holds promise for addressing climate change and energy security issues associated with personal transportation through lowering the fuel mixes' carbon intensity and petroleum demand. We compare the technological features and life cycle environmental impacts of near- and mid-term ethanol bioconversion technologies in the United States. Key uncertainties in the major processes: pre-treatment, hydrolysis, and fermentation are evaluated. The potential to reduce fossil energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions varies among bioconversion processes, although all options studied are considerably more attractive than gasoline. Anticipated future performance is found to be considerably more attractive than that published in the literature as being achieved to date. Electricity co-product credits are important in characterizing the GHG impacts of different ethanol production pathways; however, in the absence of near-term liquid transportation fuel alternatives to gasoline, optimizing ethanol facilities to produce ethanol (as opposed to co-products) is important for reducing the carbon intensity of the road transportation sector and for energy security.

Activity Tests of Macro-Meso Porous Catalysts over Metal Foam Plate for Steam Reforming of Bio-Ethanol.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, No-Kuk; Jeong, Yong Han; Kang, Misook; Lee, Tae Jin

2018-09-01

The catalytic activity of a macro-mesoporous catalyst coated on a metal foam plate in the reforming of bio-ethanol to synthesis gas was investigated. The catalysts were prepared by coating a support with a noble metal and transition metal. The catalytic activity for the production of synthetic gas by the reforming of bio-ethanol was compared according to the support material, reaction temperature, and steam/carbon ratio. The catalysts coated on the metal foams were prepared using a template method, in which macro-pores and meso-pores were formed by mixing polymer beads. In particular, the thermodynamic equilibrium composition of bio-ethanol reforming with the reaction temperature and steam/carbon ratio to produce synthetic gas was examined using the HSC (Enthalpy-Entropy-Heat capacity) chemistry program in this study. The composition of hydrogen and carbon monoxide in the reformate gas produced by steam reforming over the Rh/Ni-Ce-Zr/Al2O3-based pellet type catalysts and metal foam catalysts that had been coated with the Rh/Al-Ce-Zr-based catalysts was investigated by experimental activity tests. The activity of the metal foam catalyst was higher than that of the pellet type catalyst.

High-sensitive nitrogen dioxide and ethanol gas sensor using a reduced graphene oxide-loaded double split ring resonator

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Sandeep Kumar; Azad, Prakrati; Akhtar, M. J.; Kar, Kamal K.

2017-08-01

A reduced graphene oxide (rGO) incorporated double split ring resonator (DSRR) portable microwave gas sensor is proposed in this work. The sensor is fabricated using two major steps: the DSRR is fabricated on the FR-4 substrate, which is excited by a high impedance microstrip line. The rGO is synthesized via a chemical route and coated inside the smaller ring of the DSRR. The SEM micrographs reveal crumpled sheets of rGO that provide a large surface area, and the XRD patterns of the as-synthesized rGO reveal the two-dimensional structure of the rGO nanosheets. The sensor performance is measured at room temperature using 100-400 ppm of ethanol and NO2 target gases. At 400 ppm, the sensor reveals a shift of 420 and 390 MHz in the S 21 frequency for NO2 and ethanol gases, respectively. The frequency shifts of 130 and 120 MHz in the S 21 resonance frequency are obtained for NO2 and ethanol gases, respectively, at a very low concentration of 100 ppm. The high sensitivity of the proposed rGO gas sensor is achieved due to the combined effect of the large surface area of the rGO responsible for accommodating more gas molecules, and its increased conductivity due to the transfer of the electron from the rGO. Moreover, an exceedingly short response time is observed for NO2 in comparison to ethanol, which allows the proposed sensor to be used for the selective detection of NO2 in a harsh environment. The overall approach used in this study is quite simple, and has great potential to enhance the gas detection behaviour of rGO.

Market penetration of biodiesel and ethanol

Science.gov (United States)

Szulczyk, Kenneth Ray

This dissertation examines the influence that economic and technological factors have on the penetration of biodiesel and ethanol into the transportation fuels market. This dissertation focuses on four aspects. The first involves the influence of fossil fuel prices, because biofuels are substitutes and have to compete in price. The second involves biofuel manufacturing technology, principally the feedstock-to-biofuel conversion rates, and the biofuel manufacturing costs. The third involves prices for greenhouse gas offsets. The fourth involves the agricultural commodity markets for feedstocks, and biofuel byproducts. This dissertation uses the Forest and Agricultural Sector Optimization Model-Greenhouse Gas (FASOM-GHG) to quantitatively examine these issues and calculates equilibrium prices and quantities, given market interactions, fossil fuel prices, carbon dioxide equivalent prices, government biofuel subsidies, technological improvement, and crop yield gains. The results indicate that for the ranges studied, gasoline prices have a major impact on aggregate ethanol production but only at low prices. At higher prices, one runs into a capacity constraint that limits expansion on the capacity of ethanol production. Aggregate biodiesel production is highly responsive to gasoline prices and increases over time. (Diesel fuel price is proportional to the gasoline price). Carbon dioxide equivalent prices expand the biodiesel industry, but have no impact on ethanol aggregate production when gasoline prices are high again because of refinery capacity expansion. Improvement of crop yields shows a similar pattern, expanding ethanol production when the gasoline price is low and expanding biodiesel. Technological improvement, where biorefinery production costs decrease over time, had minimal impact on aggregate ethanol and biodiesel production. Finally, U.S. government subsidies have a large expansionary impact on aggregate biodiesel production. Finally, U.S. government

Ethanol Basics (Fact Sheet)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2015-01-01

Ethanol is a widely-used, domestically-produced renewable fuel made from corn and other plant materials. More than 96% of gasoline sold in the United States contains ethanol. Learn more about this alternative fuel in the Ethanol Basics Fact Sheet, produced by the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities program.

Cellulosic ethanol. Potential, technology and development status

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rarbach, M. [Sued-Chemie AG, Muenchen (Germany)

2012-07-01

In times of rising oil prices and a growing energy demand, sustainable alternative energy sources are needed. Cellulosic ethanol is a sustainable biofuel, made from lignocellulosic feedstock such as agricultural residues (corn stover, cereal straw, bagasse) or dedicated energy crops. Its production is almost carbon neutral, doesn't compete with food or feed production and induces no land use changes. It constitutes a new energy source using an already existing renewable feedstock without needing any further production capacity and can thus play a major role on the way to more sustainability in transport and the chemical industry and reducing the dependence on the import of fossil resources. The potential for cellulosic ethanol is huge: In the US, the annual production of agricultural residues (cereal straw and corn stover) reached almost 384 million tons in 2009 and Brazil alone produced more than 670 million tons of sugar cane in 2009 yielding more than 100 million tons of bagasse (dry basis). And alone in the European Union, almost 300 million tons of crop straw are produced annually. The last years have seen success in the development and deployment in the field of cellulosic ethanol production. The main challenge thereby remains to demonstrate that the technology is economically feasible for the up-scaling to industrial scale. Clariant has developed the sunliquid {sup registered} process, a proprietary cellulosic ethanol technology that reaches highest greenhouse gas (GHG) emission savings while cutting production costs to a minimum. The sunliquid {sup registered} process for cellulosic ethanol matches the ambitious targets for economically and ecologically sustainable production and greenhouse gas reduction. It was developed using an integrated design concept. Highly optimized, feedstock and process specific biocatalysts and microorganisms ensure a highly efficient process with improved yields and feedstock-driven production costs. Integrated, on

Synthesis of FAEEs from glycerol in engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae using endogenously produced ethanol by heterologous expression of an unspecific bacterial acyltransferase.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Kyung Ok; Jung, Ju; Kim, Seung Wook; Park, Chul Hwan; Han, Sung Ok

2012-01-01

The high price of petroleum-based diesel fuel has led to the development of alternative fuels, such as ethanol. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was metabolically engineered to utilize glycerol as a substrate for ethanol production. For the synthesis of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) by engineered S. cerevisiae that utilize glycerol as substrate, heterologous expression of an unspecific acyltransferase from Acinetobacter baylyi with glycerol utilizing genes was established. As a result, the engineered YPH499 (pGcyaDak, pGupWs-DgaTCas) strain produced 0.24 g/L FAEEs using endogenous ethanol produced from glycerol. And this study also demonstrated the possibility of increasing FAEE production by enhancing ethanol production by minimizing the synthesis of glycerol. The overall FAEE production in strain YPH499 fps1Δ gpd2Δ (pGcyaDak, pGupWs-DgaTCas) was 2.1-fold more than in YPH499 (pGcyaDak, pGupWs-DgaTCas), with approximately 0.52 g/L FAEEs produced, while nearly 17 g/L of glycerol was consumed. These results clearly indicated that FAEEs were synthesized in engineered S. cerevisiae by esterifying exogenous fatty acids with endogenously produced ethanol from glycerol. This microbial system acts as a platform in applying metabolic engineering that allows the production of FAEEs from cheap and abundant substrates specifically glycerol through the use of endogenous bioethanol. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cost and greenhouse gas emission tradeoffs of alternative uses of lignin for second generation ethanol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pourhashem, Ghasideh; Spatari, Sabrina; Adler, Paul R; McAloon, Andrew J

2013-01-01

Second generation ethanol bioconversion technologies are under demonstration-scale development for the production of lignocellulosic fuels to meet the US federal Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS2). Bioconversion technology utilizes the fermentable sugars generated from the cellulosic fraction of the feedstock, and most commonly assumes that the lignin fraction may be used as a source of thermal and electrical energy. We examine the life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and techno-economic cost tradeoffs for alternative uses of the lignin fraction of agricultural residues (corn stover, and wheat and barley straw) produced within a 2000 dry metric ton per day ethanol biorefinery in three locations in the United States. We compare three scenarios in which the lignin is (1) used as a land amendment to replace soil organic carbon (SOC); (2) separated, dried and sold as a coal substitute to produce electricity; and (3) used to produce electricity onsite at the biorefinery. Results from this analysis indicate that for life cycle GHG intensity, amending the lignin to land is lowest among the three ethanol production options (−25 to −2 g CO 2 e MJ −1 ), substituting coal with lignin is second lowest (4–32 g CO 2 e MJ −1 ), and onsite power generation is highest (36–41 g CO 2 e MJ −1 ). Moreover, the onsite power generation case may not meet RFS2 cellulosic fuel requirements given the uncertainty in electricity substitution. Options that use lignin for energy do so at the expense of SOC loss. The lignin–land amendment option has the lowest capital cost among the three options due to lower equipment costs for the biorefinery’s thermal energy needs and use of biogas generated onsite. The need to purchase electricity and uncertain market value of the lignin–land amendment could raise its cost compared to onsite power generation and electricity co-production. However, assuming a market value ($50–$100/dry Mg) for nutrient and soil carbon replacement in

Energy yield for the production of ethanol from corn

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chavanne, X.; Frangi, J.P.

2008-01-01

This article establishes the primary energy balance for making ethanol out of corn in the USA, calculated from the farm to the fuel station, following a methodology described in Chavanne and Frangi (C. R. Geoscience 339 (2007) 519-535). Raw data (direct energy and material consumption as well as their heat value and external costs) come from published papers related to this topic, technical textbooks, as well as reports from the US Departments of Agriculture and Energy. For the 2001 harvest, over the area producing more than 90% of ethanol and for the 2005 network of working refineries, 100 J of ethanol and recovery of by-products (the energy saved by the replacement of animal feed by these by-products is around 12% of the ethanol heat value) needed 86 ± 3 J of energy spending, of which more than 50 J is natural gas and 62 J is used in refineries. A third of the area of Nebraska corn must be irrigated with water pumped from underground, at an added cost of 26 ± 3 J. In 1996, the extra drying required, because of heavy rains, added 6 J. By comparison, 100 J of gasoline cost less than 25 J to be produced out of crude oil. Complementary studies of resource availability are not performed here. The largest possible reduction in energy costs can be achieved at the refinery stage, by fermenting by-products, gas residues, (from 62 J to around 12 J). The article gives also an expression for the expenditure to enable comparison between different energy systems, including everything from biomass to transport. For the ethanol case, the average cost is 130 J for 100 J of corn grain heat. (authors)

FOOTPRINT: A Screening Model for Estimating the Area of a Plume Produced From Gasoline Containing Ethanol

Science.gov (United States)

FOOTPRINT is a screening model used to estimate the length and surface area of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) plumes in groundwater, produced from a gasoline spill that contains ethanol.

Chronic ethanol consumption impairs learning and memory after cessation of ethanol.

Science.gov (United States)

Farr, Susan A; Scherrer, Jeffrey F; Banks, William A; Flood, James F; Morley, John E

2005-06-01

Acute consumption of ethanol results in reversible changes in learning and memory whereas chronic ethanol consumption of six or more months produces permanent deficits and neural damage in rodents. The goal of the current paper was determine whether shorter durations of chronic ethanol ingestion in mice would produce long-term deficits in learning and memory after the cessation of ethanol. We first examined the effects of four and eight weeks of 20% ethanol followed by a three week withdrawal period on learning and memory in mice. We determined that three weeks after eight, but not four, weeks of 20% ethanol consumption resulted in deficits in learning and long-term memory (seven days) in T-maze footshock avoidance and Greek Cross brightness discrimination, step-down passive avoidance and shuttlebox active avoidance. Short-term memory (1 hr) was not affected. The deficit was not related to changes in thiamine status, caloric intake, or nonmnemonic factors, such as, activity or footshock sensitivity. Lastly, we examined if the mice recovered after longer durations of withdrawal. After eight weeks of ethanol, we compared mice after three and 12 weeks of withdrawal. Mice that had been off ethanol for both three and 12 weeks were impaired in T-maze footshock avoidance compared to the controls. The current results indicate that a duration of ethanol consumption as short as eight weeks produces deficits in learning and memory that are present 12 weeks after withdrawal.

Greenhouse gas impacts of ethanol from Iowa corn: Life cycle assessment versus system wide approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Hongli; Rubin, Ofir D.; Babcock, Bruce A.

2010-01-01

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is the standard approach used to evaluate the greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits of biofuels. However, the need for the appropriate use of LCA in policy contexts is highlighted by recent findings that corn-based ethanol may actually increase GHG emissions. This is in contrary to most existing LCA results. LCA estimates can vary across studies due to heterogeneities in inputs and production technology. Whether marginal or average impacts are considered can matter as well. Most important of all, LCA is product-centered. The determination of the impact of biofuels expansion requires a system wide approach (SWA) that accounts for impacts on all affected products and processes. This paper presents both LCA and SWA for ethanol based on Iowa corn. LCA was conducted in several different ways. Growing corn in rotation with soybean generates 35% less GHG emissions than growing corn after corn. Based on average corn production, ethanol's GHG benefits were lower in 2007 than in 2006 because of an increase in continuous corn in 2007. When only additional corn was considered, ethanol emitted about 22% less GHGs than gasoline. SWA was applied to two simple cases. Using 2006 as a baseline and 2007 as a scenario, corn ethanol's benefits were about 20% of the emissions of gasoline. If geographical limits are expanded beyond Iowa, then corn ethanol could generate more GHG emissions than gasoline. These results highlight the importance of boundary definition for both LCA and SWA.

Greenhouse gas impacts of ethanol from Iowa corn: Life cycle assessment versus system wide approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feng, Hongli [Department of Economics, 377 Heady Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1070 (United States); Rubin, Ofir D. [Department of Economics, 573 Heady Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1070 (United States); Babcock, Bruce A. [Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD), Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1070 (United States); Department of Economics, 578F Heady Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1070 (United States)

2010-06-15

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is the standard approach used to evaluate the greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits of biofuels. However, the need for the appropriate use of LCA in policy contexts is highlighted by recent findings that corn-based ethanol may actually increase GHG emissions. This is in contrary to most existing LCA results. LCA estimates can vary across studies due to heterogeneities in inputs and production technology. Whether marginal or average impacts are considered can matter as well. Most important of all, LCA is product-centered. The determination of the impact of biofuels expansion requires a system wide approach (SWA) that accounts for impacts on all affected products and processes. This paper presents both LCA and SWA for ethanol based on Iowa corn. LCA was conducted in several different ways. Growing corn in rotation with soybean generates 35% less GHG emissions than growing corn after corn. Based on average corn production, ethanol's GHG benefits were lower in 2007 than in 2006 because of an increase in continuous corn in 2007. When only additional corn was considered, ethanol emitted about 22% less GHGs than gasoline. SWA was applied to two simple cases. Using 2006 as a baseline and 2007 as a scenario, corn ethanol's benefits were about 20% of the emissions of gasoline. If geographical limits are expanded beyond Iowa, then corn ethanol could generate more GHG emissions than gasoline. These results highlight the importance of boundary definition for both LCA and SWA. (author)

Chronic ethanol consumption in rats produces opioid antinociceptive tolerance through inhibition of mu opioid receptor endocytosis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li He

Full Text Available It is well known that the mu-opioid receptor (MOR plays an important role in the rewarding properties of ethanol. However, it is less clear how chronic ethanol consumption affects MOR signaling. Here, we demonstrate that rats with prolonged voluntary ethanol consumption develop antinociceptive tolerance to opioids. Signaling through the MOR is controlled at many levels, including via the process of endocytosis. Importantly, agonists at the MOR that promote receptor endocytosis, such as the endogenous peptides enkephalin and β-endorphin, show a reduced propensity to promote antinociceptive tolerance than do agonists, like morphine, which do not promote receptor endocytosis. These observations led us to examine whether chronic ethanol consumption produced opioid tolerance by interfering with MOR endocytosis. Indeed, here we show that chronic ethanol consumption inhibits the endocytosis of MOR in response to opioid peptide. This loss of endocytosis was accompanied by a dramatic decrease in G protein coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2 protein levels after chronic drinking, suggesting that loss of this component of the trafficking machinery could be a mechanism by which endocytosis is lost. We also found that MOR coupling to G-protein was decreased in ethanol-drinking rats, providing a functional explanation for loss of opioid antinociception. Together, these results suggest that chronic ethanol drinking alters the ability of MOR to endocytose in response to opioid peptides, and consequently, promotes tolerance to the effects of opioids.

Re-engineering bacteria for ethanol production

Science.gov (United States)

Yomano, Lorraine P; York, Sean W; Zhou, Shengde; Shanmugam, Keelnatham; Ingram, Lonnie O

2014-05-06

The invention provides recombinant bacteria, which comprise a full complement of heterologous ethanol production genes. Expression of the full complement of heterologous ethanol production genes causes the recombinant bacteria to produce ethanol as the primary fermentation product when grown in mineral salts medium, without the addition of complex nutrients. Methods for producing the recombinant bacteria and methods for producing ethanol using the recombinant bacteria are also disclosed.

Using renewable ethanol and isopropanol for lipid transesterification in wet microalgae cells to produce biodiesel with low crystallization temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Rui; Cheng, Jun; Qiu, Yi; Li, Tao; Zhou, Junhu; Cen, Kefa

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Ethanol and isopropanol were used for transesterification in wet microalgae cell. • Decreased droplet size and polarity of lipid were observed after transesterification. • Ethanol and isopropanol dosage needed for 95% FAAE yield were 75% of methanol dosage. • Crystallization temperature of crude biodiesel decreased from 2.08 °C to −3.15 °C. - Abstract: Renewable ethanol and isopropanol were employed for lipid transesterification in wet microalgae cells to produce biodiesel with low crystallization temperature and reduce the alcohol volume needed for biodiesel production. Decreased droplet size and lipid polarity were observed after transesterification with alcohol in microalgae cells. Such decrease was beneficial in extracting lipid from microalgae with apolar hexane. The effects of reaction temperature, reaction time, and alcohol volume on microwave-assisted transesterification with ethanol and isopropanol were investigated, and results were compared with those with methanol. Microwave-assisted transesterification with ethanol and isopropanol, which were more miscible with lipid in cells, resulted in higher fatty acid alkyl ester (FAAE) yields than that with methanol when the reaction temperature was lower than 90 °C. The ethanol and isopropanol volumes in the transesterification with 95% FAAE yield were only 75% of the methanol volume. The crystallization temperatures (0.19 °C and −3.15 °C) of biodiesels produced from wet microalgae through lipid transesterification in cells with ethanol and isopropanol were lower than that with methanol (2.08 °C), which was favorable for biodiesel flow in cold districts and winter.

Continuous high-solids corn liquefaction and fermentation with stripping of ethanol.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Frank; Marquez, Marco A; Johnston, David B; Goldberg, Neil M; Hicks, Kevin B

2010-06-01

Removal of ethanol from the fermentor during fermentation can increase productivity and reduce the costs for dewatering the product and coproduct. One approach is to recycle the fermentor contents through a stripping column, where a non-condensable gas removes ethanol to a condenser. Previous research showed that this approach is feasible. Savings of $0.03 per gallon were predicted at 34% corn dry solids. Greater savings were predicted at higher concentration. Now the feasibility has been demonstrated at over 40% corn dry solids, using a continuous corn liquefaction system. A pilot plant, that continuously fed corn meal at more than one bushel (25 kg) per day, was operated for 60 consecutive days, continuously converting 95% of starch and producing 88% of the maximum theoretical yield of ethanol. A computer simulation was used to analyze the results. The fermentation and stripping systems were not significantly affected when the CO(2) stripping gas was partially replaced by nitrogen or air, potentially lowering costs associated with the gas recycle loop. It was concluded that previous estimates of potential cost savings are still valid. (c) 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Genealogical Tree of Ethanol: Gas-phase Formation of Glycolaldehyde, Acetic Acid, and Formic Acid

Science.gov (United States)

Skouteris, Dimitrios; Balucani, Nadia; Ceccarelli, Cecilia; Vazart, Fanny; Puzzarini, Cristina; Barone, Vincenzo; Codella, Claudio; Lefloch, Bertrand

2018-02-01

Despite the harsh conditions of the interstellar medium, chemistry thrives in it, especially in star-forming regions where several interstellar complex organic molecules (iCOMs) have been detected. Yet, how these species are synthesized is a mystery. The majority of current models claim that this happens on interstellar grain surfaces. Nevertheless, evidence is mounting that neutral gas-phase chemistry plays an important role. In this paper, we propose a new scheme for the gas-phase synthesis of glycolaldehyde, a species with a prebiotic potential and for which no gas-phase formation route was previously known. In the proposed scheme, the ancestor is ethanol and the glycolaldehyde sister species are acetic acid (another iCOM with unknown gas-phase formation routes) and formic acid. For the reactions of the new scheme with no available data, we have performed electronic structure and kinetics calculations deriving rate coefficients and branching ratios. Furthermore, after a careful review of the chemistry literature, we revised the available chemical networks, adding and correcting several reactions related to glycolaldehyde, acetic acid, and formic acid. The new chemical network has been used in an astrochemical model to predict the abundance of glycolaldehyde, acetic acid, and formic acid. The predicted abundance of glycolaldehyde depends on the ethanol abundance in the gas phase and is in excellent agreement with the measured one in hot corinos and shock sites. Our new model overpredicts the abundance of acetic acid and formic acid by about a factor of 10, which might imply a yet incomplete reaction network.

Ethanol at levels produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae during wheat dough fermentation has a strong impact on dough properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Jayaram, Vinay B; Rezaei, Mohammad N; Cuyvers, Sven; Verstrepen, Kevin J; Delcour, Jan A; Courtin, Christophe M

2014-09-24

Yeast's role in bread making is primarily the fermentative production of carbon dioxide to leaven the dough. Fermentation also impacts dough matrix rheology, thereby affecting the quality of the end product. Surprisingly, the role of ethanol, the other yeast primary metabolite, has been ill studied in this context. Therefore, this study aims to assess the potential impact of ethanol on yeastless dough extensibility and spread and gluten agglomeration at concentrations at which it is produced in fermenting dough, i.e., up to 60 mmol per 100 g of flour. Reduced dough extensibility and dough spread were observed upon incorporation of ethanol in the dough formula, and were more pronounced for a weak than for a strong flour. Uniaxial and biaxial extension tests showed up to 50% decrease in dough extensibility and a dough strength increase of up to 18% for 60 mmol of ethanol/100 g of flour. Ethanol enhanced gluten agglomeration of a weak flour. Sequential extraction of flour in increasing ethanol concentrations showed that better gluten-solvent interaction is a possible explanation for the changed dough behavior.

Fluxes of Ethanol Between the Atmosphere and Oceanic Surface Waters; Implications for the Fate of Biofuel Ethanol Released into the Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Avery, G. B., Jr.; Shimizu, M. S.; Willey, J. D.; Mead, R. N.; Skrabal, S. A.; Kieber, R. J.; Lathrop, T. E.; Felix, J. D. D.

2017-12-01

The use of ethanol as a transportation fuel has increased significantly during the past decade in the US. Some ethanol escapes the combustion process in internal combustion engines resulting in its release to the atmosphere. Ethanol can be oxidized photochemically to acetaldehyde and then converted to peroxyacetyl nitrate contributing to air pollution. Therefore it is important to determine the fate ethanol released to the atmosphere. Because of its high water solubility the oceans may act as a sink for ethanol depending on its state of saturation with respect to the gas phase. The purpose of the current study was to determine the relative saturation of oceanic surface waters by making simultaneous measurements of gas phase and surface water concentrations. Data were obtained from four separate cruises ranging from estuarine to open ocean locations in the coast of North Carolina, USA. The majority of estuarine sites were under saturated in ethanol with respect to the gas phase (11-50% saturated) representing a potential sink. Coastal surface waters tended to be supersaturated (135 - 317%) representing a net flux of ethanol to the atmosphere. Open ocean samples were generally at saturation or slightly below saturation (76-99%) indicating equilibrium between the gas and aqueous phases. The results of this study underscore to variable role the oceans play in mitigating the increases in atmospheric ethanol from increased biofuel usage and their impact on air quality.

Exergy Analysis of an Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell-Gas Turbine Hybrid System Fed with Ethanol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fotini Tzorbatzoglou

2012-10-01

Full Text Available In the present work, an ethanol fed Solid Oxide Fuel Cell-Gas Turbine (SOFC-GT system has been parametrically analyzed in terms of exergy and compared with a single SOFC system. The solid oxide fuel cell was fed with hydrogen produced from ethanol steam reforming. The hydrogen utilization factor values were kept between 0.7 and 1. The SOFC’s Current-Volt performance was considered in the range of 0.1–3 A/cm2 at 0.9–0.3 V, respectively, and at the intermediate operating temperatures of 550 and 600 °C, respectively. The curves used represent experimental results obtained from the available bibliography. Results indicated that for low current density values the single SOFC system prevails over the SOFC-GT hybrid system in terms of exergy efficiency, while at higher current density values the latter is more efficient. It was found that as the value of the utilization factor increases the SOFC system becomes more efficient than the SOFC-GT system over a wider range of current density values. It was also revealed that at high current density values the increase of SOFC operation temperature leads in both cases to higher system efficiency values.

Adsorption of ethanol on V2O5 (010) surface for gas-sensing applications: Ab initio investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin, Yuxiang; Cui, Mengyang; Ye, Zhenhua

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Ethanol adsorbed on V 2 O 5 (010) surface was investigated by ab initio calculations. • Ethanol prefers to adsorb on “Hill”-like surface, rather than“Valley”-like region. • Surface O 1(H) site plays a key role to dominate the ethanol adsorption process. • Sensing mechanism is related with electronic structure and electron redistribution. • Gas sensitivity is reflected by quantitative electron population analysis. - Abstract: The adsorption of ethanol on V 2 O 5 (010) surface was investigated by means of density functional theory (DFT) with a combined generalized gradient approximation (GGA) plus Hubbard U approach to exploit the potential sensing applications. The adsorption configurations were first constructed by considering different orientations of ethanol molecule to V and O sites on the “Hill”- and “Valley”-like regions of corrugated (010) surface. It is found that ethanol molecule can adsorb on whole surface in multiple stable configurations. Nevertheless the molecular adsorption on the “Hill”-like surface is calculated to occur preferentially, and the single coordinated oxygen on “Hill”-like surface (O 1(H) ) acting as the most energetically favorable adsorption site shows the strongest adsorption ability to ethanol molecule. Surface adsorption of ethanol tunes the electronic structure of V 2 O 5 and cause an n-doping effect. As a consequence, the Fermi levels shift toward the conductive bond increasing the charge carrier concentration of electrons in adsorbed V 2 O 5 . The sensitive electronic structure and the multiple stable configurations to ethanol adsorption highlight the high adsorption activity and then the potential of V 2 O 5 (010) surface applied to high sensitive sensor for ethanol vapor detection. Further Mulliken population and Natural bond orbital (NBO) calculations quantify the electron transfer from the adsorbed ethanol to the surface, and correlates the adsorption ability of surface sites

18 CFR 270.303 - Natural gas produced from Devonian shale.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Natural gas produced... DETERMINATION PROCEDURES Requirements for Filings With Jurisdictional Agencies § 270.303 Natural gas produced from Devonian shale. A person seeking a determination that natural gas is produced from Devonian shale...

Life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions and energy balances of sugarcane ethanol production in Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, Carlos A.; Fuentes, Alfredo; Hennecke, Anna; Riegelhaupt, Enrique; Manzini, Fabio; Masera, Omar

2011-01-01

The purpose of this work was to estimate GHG emissions and energy balances for the future expansion of sugarcane ethanol fuel production in Mexico with one current and four possible future modalities. We used the life cycle methodology that is recommended by the European Renewable Energy Directive (RED), which distinguished the following five system phases: direct Land Use Change (LUC); crop production; biomass transport to industry; industrial processing; and ethanol transport to admixture plants. Key variables affecting total GHG emissions and fossil energy used in ethanol production were LUC emissions, crop fertilization rates, the proportion of sugarcane areas that are burned to facilitate harvest, fossil fuels used in the industrial phase, and the method for allocation of emissions to co-products. The lower emissions and higher energy ratios that were observed in the present Brazilian case were mainly due to the lesser amount of fertilizers applied, also were due to the shorter distance of sugarcane transport, and to the smaller proportion of sugarcane areas that were burned to facilitate manual harvest. The resulting modality with the lowest emissions of equivalent carbon dioxide (CO 2e ) was ethanol produced from direct juice and generating surplus electricity with 36.8 kgCO 2e /GJ ethanol . This was achieved using bagasse as the only fuel source to satisfy industrial phase needs for electricity and steam. Mexican emissions were higher than those calculated for Brazil (27.5 kgCO 2e /GJ ethanol ) among all modalities. The Mexican modality with the highest ratio of renewable/fossil energy was also ethanol from sugarcane juice generating surplus electricity with 4.8 GJ ethanol /GJ fossil .

Method for producing ethanol and co-products from cellulosic biomass

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Quang A

2013-10-01

The present invention generally relates to processes for production of ethanol from cellulosic biomass. The present invention also relates to production of various co-products of preparation of ethanol from cellulosic biomass. The present invention further relates to improvements in one or more aspects of preparation of ethanol from cellulosic biomass including, for example, improved methods for cleaning biomass feedstocks, improved acid impregnation, and improved steam treatment, or "steam explosion."

Gas marketing strategies for Ontario producers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walsh, P.R. [Energy Objective Ltd., London, ON (Canada)

2000-07-01

Activity in natural gas exploration and production in the province of Ontario has recently increased due to higher natural gas prices. This paper discussed the issue of how the gas from the new reserves should be marketed. A review of historical pricing and consumption patterns was also presented to better identify how prices of natural gas are determined in Ontario and to forecast the future demand for natural gas. The first trend of interest is the increased use of natural gas in generating electricity to meet cooling needs in the summer months. The second trend is the increase in gas consumption by the industrial sector resulting from increases in process load. Several marketing options are available to Ontario natural gas producers. They can market their gas to third parties at various trading points in the province or they can market it directly to Union Gas Limited, the local gas utility. This paper briefly described how a gas supply contract works with the union, how gas marketing agreement is conducted with a gas marketer, and how a gas marketing arrangement works with a consultant. Some of the pitfalls of marketing natural gas were also described and some recommended some strategies for selling natural gas in the future were presented. 7 figs.

Gas marketing strategies for Ontario producers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walsh, P.R.

2000-01-01

Activity in natural gas exploration and production in the province of Ontario has recently increased due to higher natural gas prices. This paper discussed the issue of how the gas from the new reserves should be marketed. A review of historical pricing and consumption patterns was also presented to better identify how prices of natural gas are determined in Ontario and to forecast the future demand for natural gas. The first trend of interest is the increased use of natural gas in generating electricity to meet cooling needs in the summer months. The second trend is the increase in gas consumption by the industrial sector resulting from increases in process load. Several marketing options are available to Ontario natural gas producers. They can market their gas to third parties at various trading points in the province or they can market it directly to Union Gas Limited, the local gas utility. This paper briefly described how a gas supply contract works with the union, how gas marketing agreement is conducted with a gas marketer, and how a gas marketing arrangement works with a consultant. Some of the pitfalls of marketing natural gas were also described and some recommended some strategies for selling natural gas in the future were presented. 7 figs

Bio-Ethanol Production from Poultry Manure

African Journals Online (AJOL)

john

ethanol. Fuel ethanol is known as bio-ethanol, since it is produced from plant materials by biological processes. Bioethanol is mainly produced by fermentation of sugar containing crops like corn, maize, wheat, sugar cane, sugar beet, potatoes, ...

Performance Study of Dual Fuel Engine Using Producer Gas as Secondary Fuel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deepika Shaw

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In the present paper, development of producer gas fuelled 4 stroke diesel engine has been investigated. Producer gas from biomass has been examined and successfully operated with 4 stroke diesel engine. The effects of higher and lower loads were investigated on the dual fuel mode. The experimental investigations revealed that at lower loads dual fuel operation with producer gas shows lower efficiency due to lower combustion rate cause by low calorific value of the producer gas. Beyond 40% load the brake thermal efficiency of dual fuel operation improved due to faster combustion rate of producer gas and higher level of premixing. It can be observed that at lower load and 20% opening of producer gas the gaseous fuel substitution found to be 56% whereas at 100% opening of producer gas it reaches 78% substitution. The CO2 emission increased at high producer gas opening and high load because at 100% producer gas maximum atoms of carbons were there and at high load condition the diesel use increased. At 80% load and producer gas varying from 20% to 100. Power output was almost comparable to diesel power with marginal higher efficiency. Producer gas is one such technology which is environmentally benign and holds large promise for future.

Esterification with ethanol to produce biodiesel from high acidity raw materials. Kinetic studies and analysis of secondary reactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pisarello, M.L.; Dalla Costa, B.; Mendow, G.; Querini, C.A. [Instituto de Investigaciones en Catalisis y Petroquimica (INCAPE)-(FIQ-UNL, CONICET), Santiago del Estero 2654-Santa Fe, S3000AOJ (Argentina)

2010-09-15

In this work, the esterification reaction of free fatty acids (FFA) in sunflower oil, coconut oil and concentrated FFA, with ethanol, methanol and ethanol 96%, using homogeneous acid catalysts to produce biodiesel is studied. Kinetic parameters are estimated with a simplified model, and then used to predict the reaction behavior. Reactions other than the reversible esterification are considered to explain the behavior that this system displays. Such reactions are the triglycerides conversion by acid catalyzed transesterification and hydrolysis. In addition, we include kinetic studies of the reaction that occur between the sulphuric acid and methanol (or ethanol), forming mono and dialkylsulphates. This reaction produces water and consumes methanol (or ethanol), and consequently has a direct impact in the esterification reaction rate and equilibrium conversion. The concentration of sulphuric acid decreases to less than 50% of the initial value due to the reaction with the alcohol. A minimum in the acidity due to the free fatty acids as a function of time was clearly observed during the reaction, which has not been reported earlier. This behavior is related to the consecutive reactions that take place during the esterification of FFA in the presence of triglycerides. The phase separation due to the presence of water, which is generated during the reaction, is also studied. (author)

Characterisation of thermotolerant, ethanol tolerant fermentative Saccharomyces cerevisiae for ethanol production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kiransree, N.; Sridhar, M.; Venkateswar Rao, L. [Department of Microbiology, Osmania University, Hyderabad (India)

2000-03-01

Of the four thermotolerant, osmotolerant, flocculating yeasts (VS{sub 1}, VS{sub 2}, VS{sub 3} and VS{sub 4}) isolated from the soil samples collected within the hot regions of Kothagudem Thermal Power Plant, located in Khammam Dt., Andhra Pradesh, India, VS{sub 1} and VS{sub 3} were observed as better performers. They were identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. VS{sub 1} and VS{sub 3} were tested for their growth characteristics and fermentation abilities on various carbon sources including molasses at 30 C and 40 C respectively. More biomass and fermentation was observed in sucrose, fructose and glucose. Maximum amount of ethanol produced by VS{sub 3} containing 150 (g/l) of these substrates were 74, 73, and 72 (g/l) at 30 C and 64, 61 and 63 (g/l) at 40 C respectively. With molasses containing 14% sugar, the amount of ethanol produced by VS{sub 3} was 53.2 and 45 (g/l) at 30 C and 40 C respectively. VS{sub 3} strain showed 12% W/V ethanol tolerance. VS{sub 3} strain was also characterised for its ethanol producing ability using various starchy substrates in solid state and submerged fermentation. More ethanol was produced in submerged than solid state fermentation. (orig.)

Direct conversion of starch to ethanol using recombınant Saccharomyces cerevisiae containing glucoamylase gene

Science.gov (United States)

Purkan, P.; Baktir, A.; Puspaningsih, N. N. T.; Ni'mah, M.

2017-09-01

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is known for its high fermentative capacity, high ethanol yield and its high ethanol tolerance. The yeast is inability converting starch (relatively inexpensive substrate) into biofuel ethanol. Insertion of glucoamylase gene in yeast cell of Saccharomyces cerevisiae had been done to increase the yeast function in ethanol fermentation from starch. Transformation of yeast of S. cerevisiae with recombinant plasmid yEP-GLO1 carrying gene encoding glucoamylase (GLO1) produced the recombinant yeast which enable to degrade starch. Optimizing of bioconversion process of starch into ethanol by the yeast of recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae [yEP-GLO1] had been also done. Starch concentration which could be digested by recombinant yeast of S. cerevisiae [yEP-GLO1] was 10% (w/v). Bioconversion of starch having concentration 10% (b/v) using recombinant yeast of S. cerevisiae BY5207 [yEP-GLO1] could result ethanol as 20% (v/v) to alcoholmeter and 19,5% (v/v) to gas of chromatography. Otherwise, using recombinant yeast S. cerevisiae S. cerevisiae AS3324 [yEP-GLO1] resulted ethanol as 17% (v/v) to alcoholmeter and 17,5% (v/v) to gas of chromatography. The highest ethanol in starch bioconversion using both recombinant yeasts BY5207 and AS3324 could be resulted on 144 hours of fermentation time as well as in pH 5.

Fuel ethanol discussion paper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

In recognition of the potential benefits of ethanol and the merits of encouraging value-added agricultural development, a committee was formed to develop options for the role of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food in the further development of the ethanol industry in Ontario. A consultation with interested parties produced a discussion paper which begins with an outline of the role of ethanol as an alternative fuel. Ethanol issues which require industry consideration are presented, including the function of ethanol as a gasoline oxygenate or octane enhancer, environmental impacts, energy impacts, agricultural impacts, trade and fiscal implications, and regulation. The ethanol industry and distribution systems in Ontario are then described. The current industry consists of one ethanol plant and over 30 retail stations. The key issue for expanding the industry is the economics of producing ethanol. At present, production of ethanol in the short term depends on tax incentives amounting to 23.2 cents/l. In the longer term, a significant reduction in feedstock costs and a significant improvement in processing technology, or equally significant gasoline price increases, will be needed to create a sustainable ethanol industry that does not need incentives. Possible roles for the Ministry are identified, such as support for ethanol research and development, financial support for construction of ethanol plants, and active encouragement of market demand for ethanol-blended gasolines

Biofuel sustainability standards and public policy: A case study of Swedish ethanol imports from Brazil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bolwig, Simon; Gibbon, Peter

sustainability standards for those fuels. Central to these standards are criteria addressing the direct, and sometimes also indirect, greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the production, transport and use of the biofuels. This case study examines the first scheme applied to a traded biofuel, the Verified...... Sustainable Ethanol Initiative (VSEI), a private initiative of the Swedish fuel-ethanol supplier, SEKAB. VSEI went into operation in August 2008 to verify that the ethanol it was importing from Brazil met its own minimum standards for ―field-to-wheel‖ (life-cycle) greenhouse-gas emission standards...... is that it reduces consumer doubts about their product, and reduces competition from producers not participating in the Initiative; for SEKAB it increases the company’s credibility in various private and public forums working on sustainability standards for biofuels, and gives it a first-mover advantage once...

ADVANCED STRIPPER GAS PRODUCED WATER REMEDIATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ray W. Sheldon

2001-01-01

Natural gas and oil production from stripper wells also produces water contaminated with hydrocarbons, and in most locations, salts and trace elements. The hydrocarbons are not generally present in concentrations that allow the operator to economically recover these liquids. Produced liquids, (stripper gas water) which are predominantly water, present the operator with two options; purify the water to acceptable levels of contaminates, or pay for the disposal of the water. The project scope involves testing SynCoal as a sorbent to reduce the levels of contamination in stripper gas well produced water to a level that the water can be put to a productive use. Produced water is to be filtered with SynCoal, a processed sub-bituminous coal. It is expected that the surface area of and in the SynCoal would sorb the hydrocarbons and other contaminates and the effluent would be usable for agricultural purposes. Test plan anticipates using two well locations described as being disparate in the level and type of contaminates present. The loading capacity and the rate of loading for the sorbent should be quantified in field testing situations which include unregulated and widely varying liquid flow rates. This will require significant flexibility in the initial stages of the investigation. The scope of work outlined below serves as the guidelines for the testing of SynCoal carbon product as a sorbent to remove hydrocarbons and other contaminants from the produced waters of natural gas wells. A maximum ratio of 1 lb carbon to 100 lbs water treated is the initial basis for economic design. While the levels of contaminants directly impact this ratio, the ultimate economics will be dictated by the filter servicing requirements. This experimental program is intended to identify those treatment parameters that yield the best technological practice for a given set of operating conditions. The goal of this research is to determine appropriate guidelines for field trials by accurately

Physical Energy Accounting in California: A Case Study of Cellulosic Ethanol Production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coughlin, Katie; Fridley, David

2008-07-17

California's target for greenhouse gas reduction in part relies on the development of viable low-carbon fuel alternatives to gasoline. It is often assumed that cellulosic ethanol--ethanol made from the structural parts of a plant and not from the food parts--will be one of these alternatives. This study examines the physical viability of a switchgrass-based cellulosic ethanol industry in California from the point of view of the physical requirements of land, water, energy and other material use. Starting from a scenario in which existing irrigated pastureland and fiber-crop land is converted to switchgrass production, the analysis determines the total acreage and water supply available and the resulting total biofuel feedstock output under different assumed yields. The number and location of cellulosic ethanol biorefineries that can be supported is also determined, assuming that the distance from field to biorefinery would be minimized. The biorefinery energy input requirement, available energy from the fraction of biomass not converted to ethanol, and energy output is calculated at various levels of ethanol yields, making different assumptions about process efficiencies. The analysis shows that there is insufficient biomass (after cellulose separation and fermentation into ethanol) to provide all the process energy needed to run the biorefinery; hence, the purchase of external energy such as natural gas is required to produce ethanol from switchgrass. The higher the yield of ethanol, the more external energy is needed, so that the net gains due to improved process efficiency may not be positive. On 2.7 million acres of land planted in switchgrass in this scenario, the switchgrass outputproduces enough ethanol to substitute for only 1.2 to 4.0percent of California's gasoline consumption in 2007.

Producer gas and its use for the manufacture of lime

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gupta, A K; Kumar, S

1976-04-01

An analysis of available data indicates that coal-based producer gas is superior to coal or wood as a fuel for lime kilns and much more readily available than oil or natural gas. With producer gas, chemical-grade lime is obtained, and the kiln capacity is increased, so that a smaller unit can be used or more lime obtained. With a mixture of coal and wood as the fuel, the lime produced is contaminated with ash. The added cost of the gas-producer unit can be paid out in one year owing to the greater demand for and the consequent higher prices obtainable for the chemical-grade product. In addition, the flue gases from the kiln can be used in place of steam to heat the gas producer, but experimental studies are needed to determine the magnitude of the savings in fuel consumption. 15 references.

Production of ethanol from refinery waste gases. Phase 2, technology development, annual report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arora, D.; Basu, R.; Phillips, J.R.; Wikstrom, C.V.; Clausen, E.C.; Gaddy, J.L.

1995-07-01

Oil refineries discharge large volumes of H{sub 2}, CO, and CO{sub 2} from cracking, coking, and hydrotreating operations. This program seeks to develop a biological process for converting these waste gases into ethanol, which can be blended with gasoline to reduce emissions. Production of ethanol from all 194 US refineries would save 450 billion BTU annually, would reduce crude oil imports by 110 million barrels/year and emissions by 19 million tons/year. Phase II efforts has yielded at least 3 cultures (Clostridium ljungdahlii, Isolate O-52, Isolate C-01) which are able to produce commercially viable concentrations of ethanol from CO, CO{sub 2}, and H{sub 2} in petroleum waste gas. Single continuous stirred tank reactor studies have shown that 15-20 g/L of ethanol can be produced, with less than 5 g/L acetic acid byproduct. Culture and reactor optimization in Phase III should yield even higher ethanol concentrations and minimal acetic acid. Product recovery studies showed that ethanol is best recovered in a multi-step process involving solvent extraction/distillation to azeotrope/azeotropic distillation or pervaporation, or direct distillation to the azeotrope/azeotropic distillation or pervaporation. Projections show that the ethanol facility for a typical refinery would require an investment of about $30 million, which would be returned in less than 2 years.

Comparative energy analysis of agricultural crops used for producing ethanol and CO2 emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, M.A. dos

1997-01-01

A variety of biomass sources can be used for producing ethanol. Among these are sugar cane (Brazil), corn (USA), sweet sorghum (USA and Europe), sugar beets (Europe) and wheat (USA and Europe). The production of fuel alcohol worldwide has been analyzed from various perspectives: productivity, the competition between food and energy crops, the social and economic aspects and, more recently, the environmental dimension. Another relevant study is aimed at calculating the energy costs of the production and use of alcohol from sugar cane as compared to other primary sources for this fuel. The present analysis employs the methodology of energy balance, highlighting local conditions that influence how biomass is transformed into ethanol: technology, agricultural productivity, environmental conditions and an estimate of the carbon dioxide emissions from these different processes. (author)

Enhanced ethanol gas sensing performance of the networked Pd, In2O3-codecorated ZnO nanorod sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sangmin; Sun, Gun-Joo; Lee, Jae Kyung; Hyun, Soong Keun; Lee, Chongmu

2017-10-01

ZnO nanorods codecorated with Pd and In2O3 nanoparticles were synthesized by thermal evaporation of a mixture of ZnO and graphite powders in an oxidizing atmosphere and followed by solvothermal deposition of Pd and In2O3 and their ethanol gas sensing properties were examined. Pristine ZnO nanorods, Pd-decorated ZnO nanorods and In2O3-decorated ZnO nanorods were also prepared in a similar manner. The codecorated ZnO nanorod sensor showed significantly stronger response to ethanol than the other three sensors, suggesting a synergistic effect of Pd and In2O3 codecoration. The former also showed faster response and recovery than the latter. The pristine and codecorated ZnO nanorod sensors exhibited selectivity toward ethanol over other gases such as acetone, CO, benzene, and toluene. The underlying mechanism for the enhanced sensing performance of the Pd, In2O3-codecorated ZnO nanorod sensor toward ethanol is discussed.

Isotope ratio mass spectrometry coupled to liquid and gas chromatography for wine ethanol characterization.

Science.gov (United States)

Cabañero, Ana I; Recio, Jose L; Rupérez, Mercedes

2008-10-01

Two new procedures for wine ethanol 13C/12C isotope ratio determination, using high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography isotope ratio mass spectrometry (HPLC/IRMS and GC/IRMS), have been developed to improve isotopic methods dedicated to the study of wine authenticity. Parameters influencing separation of ethanol from wine matrix such as column, temperature, mobile phase, flow rates and injection mode were investigated. Twenty-three wine samples from various origins were analyzed for validation of the procedures. The analytical precision was better than 0.15 per thousand, and no significant isotopic fractionation was observed employing both separative techniques coupled to IRMS. No significant differences and a very strong correlation (r = 0.99) were observed between the 13C/12C ratios obtained by the official method (elemental analyzer/isotope ratio mass spectrometry) and the proposed new methodology. The potential advantages of the developed methods over the traditional one are speed (reducing time required from hours to minutes) and simplicity. In addition, these are the first isotopic methods that allow 13C/12C determination directly from a liquid sample with no previous ethanol isolation, overcoming technical difficulties associated with sample treatment.

Integrating enzyme fermentation in lignocellulosic ethanol production: life-cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Olofsson, Johanna; Barta, Zsolt; Börjesson, Pål; Wallberg, Ola

2017-01-01

Cellulase enzymes have been reported to contribute with a significant share of the total costs and greenhouse gas emissions of lignocellulosic ethanol production today. A potential future alternative to purchasing enzymes from an off-site manufacturer is to integrate enzyme and ethanol production, using microorganisms and part of the lignocellulosic material as feedstock for enzymes. This study modelled two such integrated process designs for ethanol from logging residues from spruce production, and compared it to an off-site case based on existing data regarding purchased enzymes. Greenhouse gas emissions and primary energy balances were studied in a life-cycle assessment, and cost performance in a techno-economic analysis. The base case scenario suggests that greenhouse gas emissions per MJ of ethanol could be significantly lower in the integrated cases than in the off-site case. However, the difference between the integrated and off-site cases is reduced with alternative assumptions regarding enzyme dosage and the environmental impact of the purchased enzymes. The comparison of primary energy balances did not show any significant difference between the cases. The minimum ethanol selling price, to reach break-even costs, was from 0.568 to 0.622 EUR L -1 for the integrated cases, as compared to 0.581 EUR L -1 for the off-site case. An integrated process design could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from lignocellulose-based ethanol production, and the cost of an integrated process could be comparable to purchasing enzymes produced off-site. This study focused on the environmental and economic assessment of an integrated process, and in order to strengthen the comparison to the off-site case, more detailed and updated data regarding industrial off-site enzyme production are especially important.

Generation of low-Btu fuel gas from agricultural residues experiments with a laboratory scale gas producer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, R O

1977-01-01

Two successive laboratory-scale, downdraft gas producers were fabricated and tested. Agricultural and food processing residues including walnut shells, corn cobs, tree prunings, and cotton gin waste, were converted to a low Btu producer gas. The performance of 2 spark ignition engines, when running on producer gas, was highly satisfactory. The ability of the producer to maintain a continuous supply of good quality gas was determined largely by firebox configuration. Fuel handling and fuel flow control problems tended to be specific to individual types of residues. During each test run, air input, firebox temperature, fuel consumption rate, and pressure differential across the producer were monitored. An overall conversion efficiency of 65% was achieved.

Characterization of biomass producer gas as fuel for stationary gas engines in combined heat and power production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahrenfeldt, Jesper

2008-01-01

The aim of this project has been the characterization of biomass producer gas as a fuel for stationary gas engines in heat and power production. More than 3200 hours of gas engine operation, with producer gas as fuel, has been conducted at the biomass gasification combined heat and power (CHP...... different measuring methods. Likewise, no particles were detected in the gas. Considerable amounts of NH3 were measured in the produced gas.An analysis of engine operation at varying load has been carried out. Standard emissions, load and efficiency have been measured at varying operating conditions ranging...... from 50% to 90% load. Biomass producer gas is an excellent lean burn engine fuel: Operation of a natural aspirated engine has been achieved for 1.2...

Treatment of Oil & Gas Produced Water.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dwyer, Brian P. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2016-02-01

Production of oil and gas reserves in the New Mexico Four Corners Region results in large volumes of "produced water". The common method for handling the produced water from well production is re-injection in regulatory permitted salt water disposal wells. This is expensive (%7E $5/bbl.) and does not recycle water, an ever increasingly valuable commodity. Previously, Sandia National Laboratories and several NM small business tested pressure driven membrane-filtration techniques to remove the high TDS (total dissolved solids) from a Four Corners Coal Bed Methane produced water. Treatment effectiveness was less than optimal due to problems with pre-treatment. Inadequate pre-treatment allowed hydrocarbons, wax and biological growth to foul the membranes. Recently, an innovative pre-treatment scheme using ozone and hydrogen peroxide was pilot tested. Results showed complete removal of hydrocarbons and the majority of organic constituents from a gas well production water. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report was made possible through funding from the New Mexico Small Business Administration (NMSBA) Program at Sandia National Laboratories. Special thanks to Juan Martinez and Genaro Montoya for guidance and support from project inception to completion. Also, special thanks to Frank McDonald, the small businesses team POC, for laying the ground work for the entire project; Teresa McCown, the gas well owner and very knowledgeable- fantastic site host; Lea and Tim Phillips for their tremendous knowledge and passion in the oil & gas industry.; and Frank Miller and Steve Addleman for providing a pilot scale version of their proprietary process to facilitate the pilot testing.

Mesoporous Silica-Supported Metal Oxide-Promoted Rh Nanocatalyst for Selective Production of Ethanol from Syngas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kraus, George

2010-09-30

The objective is to develop a process that will convert synthesis gas from coal into ethanol and then transform the ethanol into hydrogen. Principal investigators from Iowa State University include Dr. George Kraus, Dr. Victor Lin, Marek Pruski, and Dr. Robert Brown. Task 1 involves catalyst development and catalyst scale up. Mesoporous manganese silicate mixed oxide materials will be synthesized, characterized and evaluated. The first-and secondgeneration catalysts have been prepared and scaled up for use in Task 2. The construction of a high-pressure reactor system for producing synthetic liquid fuel from simulated synthesis gas stream has been completed as the first step in Task 2. Using the first- and second generation catalysts, the reactor has demonstrated the production of synthetic liquid fuel from a simulated synthesis gas stream.

Anhydrous ethanol: A renewable source of energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Santosh; Singh, Neetu; Prasad, Ram [Department of Chemical Engineering, H. B. Technological Institute, Kanpur 208002 (India)

2010-09-15

Anhydrous ethanol is one of the biofuels produced today and it is a subset of renewable energy. It is considered to be an excellent alternative clean-burning fuel to gasoline. Anhydrous ethanol is commercially produced by either catalytic hydration of ethylene or fermentation of biomass. Any biological material that has sugar, starch or cellulose can be used as biomass for producing anhydrous ethanol. Since ethanol-water solution forms a minimum-boiling azeotrope of composition of 89.4 mol% ethanol and 10.6 mol% water at 78.2 C and standard atmospheric pressure, the dilute ethanol-water solutions produced by fermentation process can be continuously rectified to give at best solutions containing 89.4 mol% ethanol at standard atmospheric pressure. Therefore, special process for removal of the remaining water is required for manufacture of anhydrous ethanol. Various processes for producing anhydrous ethanol have been used/suggested. These include: (i) chemical dehydration process, (ii) dehydration by vacuum distillation process, (iii) azeotropic distillation process, (iv) extractive distillation processes, (v) membrane processes, (vi) adsorption processes and (vii) diffusion distillation process. These processes of manufacturing anhydrous ethanol have been improved continuously due to the increasingly strict requirements for quantity and quality of this product. The literature available on these processes is reviewed. These processes are also compared on the basis of energy requirements. (author)

Financial instruments help producers hedge gas deals in volatile market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawnin, J.N.; Kupiec, S.L.

1993-01-01

The Natural Gas Policy Act (NGPA) of 1978 and more recently the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Order 636 have changed gas marketing from a totally regulated industry to one that responds to free-market forces. The stable but controlled market in which producers once sold gas has become highly competitive and more efficient. Consequently, prices have become more volatile; they respond more quickly than they did before to changes in supply of and demand for natural gas. Prior to deregulation of the natural gas industry, producers had fewer marketing options than they do today. Under a typical gas sales contract, producers sold gas to the nearest pipeline at regulated prices, which remained relatively stable along the interstate distribution chain. The system, however, failed to generate adequate supply of gas. In an effort to realign supply and demand, Congress initiated the deregulation of natural gas with NGPA, which phased out most wellhead price controls. A series of FERC actions culminating in Order 636 extended the process. Now, independent producers can sell gas directly to end users. Under Order 636, interstate pipelines no longer offer merchant services to gas customers. The paper discusses the change in risk profiles, price protection, futures and options, hedged exposure, setting price floors, off-exchange contracts, risk considerations, types of risks, business controls, back office controls, and credit monitoring

Effects on Environmental and Socioeconomic Sustainability of Producing Ethanol from Perennial Grasses

Science.gov (United States)

Dale, V. H.; Parish, E. S.

2016-12-01

Using perennial grasses to produce ethanol can enhance progress toward sustainability. A suite of 35 environmental and socioeconomic sustainability indicators was considered in a holistic sustainability assessment of a five-year switchgrass-to-ethanol production experiment centered on a demonstration-scale biorefinery in Vonore, Tennessee. By combining field measurements, literature review and expert opinion, the team was able to rate 28 of the 35 recommended sustainability indicators. The team combined these ratings within a multi-attribute decision support system tool and used this information to compare the sustainability of producing 2118 hectares of no-till switchgrass relative to two alternative business-as-usual scenarios of unmanaged pasture and tilled corn production. The results suggest that East Tennessee switchgrass production improves environmental quality overall and can be beneficial to the counties surrounding the biorefinery in terms of dollars earned and jobs created. The timing of switchgrass production also provides an opportunity to use inactive equipment and laborers. By incorporating a landscape design approach, the opportunities, constraints and most reasonable paths forward for growing bioenergy feedstock in specific context can be assessed in a way that adapts and improves local practices. Lessons learned from this case study are being incorporated into sustainability assessments of corn stover in Iowa and a variety of bioenergy feedstocks in diverse settings. The overall goal is to develop sound management practices that can address the multiple and sometimes competing demands of stakeholders.

High-Octane Mid-Level Ethanol Blend Market Assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, Caley [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Newes, Emily [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Brooker, Aaron [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); McCormick, Robert [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Peterson, Steve [Lexidyne, LLC, Colorado Springs, CO (United States); Leiby, Paul [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Martinez, Rocio Uria [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Oladosu, Gbadebo [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Brown, Maxwell L. [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)

2015-12-01

The United States government has been promoting increased use of biofuels, including ethanol from non-food feedstocks, through policies contained in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The objective is to enhance energy security, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and provide economic benefits. However, the United States has reached the ethanol blend wall, where more ethanol is produced domestically than can be blended into standard gasoline. Nearly all ethanol is blended at 10 volume percent (vol%) in gasoline. At the same time, the introduction of more stringent standards for fuel economy and GHG tailpipe emissions is driving research to increase the efficiency of spark ignition (SI) engines. Advanced strategies for increasing SI engine efficiency are enabled by higher octane number (more highly knock-resistant) fuels. Ethanol has a research octane number (RON) of 109, compared to typical U.S. regular gasoline at 91-93. Accordingly, high RON ethanol blends containing 20 vol% to 40 vol% ethanol are being extensively studied as fuels that enable design of more efficient engines. These blends are referred to as high-octane fuel (HOF) in this report. HOF could enable dramatic growth in the U.S. ethanol industry, with consequent energy security and GHG emission benefits, while also supporting introduction of more efficient vehicles. HOF could provide the additional ethanol demand necessary for more widespread deployment of cellulosic ethanol. However, the potential of HOF can be realized only if it is adopted by the motor fuel marketplace. This study assesses the feasibility, economics, and logistics of this adoption by the four required participants--drivers, vehicle manufacturers, fuel retailers, and fuel producers. It first assesses the benefits that could motivate these participants to adopt HOF. Then it focuses on the drawbacks and barriers that these participants could face when adopting HOF and proposes strategies--including incentives and

High Speed/ Low Effluent Process for Ethanol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

M. Clark Dale

2006-10-30

n this project, BPI demonstrated a new ethanol fermentation technology, termed the High Speed/ Low Effluent (HS/LE) process on both lab and large pilot scale as it would apply to wet mill and/or dry mill corn ethanol production. The HS/LE process allows very rapid fermentations, with 18 to 22% sugar syrups converted to 9 to 11% ethanol ‘beers’ in 6 to 12 hours using either a ‘consecutive batch’ or ‘continuous cascade’ implementation. This represents a 5 to 8X increase in fermentation speeds over conventional 72 hour batch fermentations which are the norm in the fuel ethanol industry today. The ‘consecutive batch’ technology was demonstrated on a large pilot scale (4,800 L) in a dry mill corn ethanol plant near Cedar Rapids, IA (Xethanol Biofuels). The pilot demonstrated that 12 hour fermentations can be accomplished on an industrial scale in a non-sterile industrial environment. Other objectives met in this project included development of a Low Energy (LE) Distillation process which reduces the energy requirements for distillation from about 14,000 BTU/gal steam ($0.126/gal with natural gas @ $9.00 MCF) to as low as 0.40 KW/gal electrical requirements ($0.022/gal with electricity @ $0.055/KWH). BPI also worked on the development of processes that would allow application of the HS/LE fermentation process to dry mill ethanol plants. A High-Value Corn ethanol plant concept was developed to produce 1) corn germ/oil, 2) corn bran, 3) ethanol, 4) zein protein, and 5) nutritional protein, giving multiple higher value products from the incoming corn stream.

Ethanol as a Fuel for Road Transportation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Larsen, U.; Johansen, T.; Schramm, J.

2009-05-15

best alternative transportation fuel; its use is projected to increase significantly and remain high. As transportation fuel is a very big sector globally, a shift toward more bioethanol usage will potentially have great consequences in many areas of life, driving the need for more comprehensive evaluation methods and regulations. Among the concerns are the principles of sustainable development, particularly the need for the definition of indicators, regulations, and criteria; not unlike those implemented in the forestry sector. The most apparent problems in producing the biomass and then processing it to bioethanol are pollution and usage of water, use of fossil fuels in production, soil degradation, and land use conflicts. At the layman's level, perhaps the most intensely discussed concern to date has been the food versus fuel problem. Clearly, we should not deprive people of food in order to produce transportation fuels. As has been stated by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the problem at the present time seems not to be a lack of food production capability, but rather, economical politics -- namely, trade barriers. Aside from that, it has been discussed whether any real potential for greenhouse gas mitigation potential exists with the current forms of ethanol xii production, especially outside Brazil, since another greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide (N2O), seems to be emitted when the feedstock crops are grown. This gas is a very powerful greenhouse gas, about 300 times stronger than CO2. There have been investigations showing a negative potential; that is, bioethanol would be a greater contributor to global warming than regular fossil fuels (gasoline). Another very important issue is the conservation of the natural carbon reservoirs. When land is converted into farm land, there is a possibility of releasing more CO2 into the atmosphere than the biofuel would be able to mitigate, even over a long time. Currently, much effort is being put in to

How is Order 636 affecting the gas producing industry?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1993-01-01

This paper is an interview with an energy representative for a major gas-producing company regarding the impact of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order 636. This legislation was suppose to streamline the interstate transportation of natural gas unhindered by local distribution company (LCD) interference. Many times these LCD's owned a portion of the necessary pipeline route used to transport natural gas, and as a result, had a priority on purchasing pipeline gas whenever they needed. This could, in turn, result in a depletion of contract gas which was in-route to a specified contract market. Such interferences caused problems with the contract markets, but could boost the net profits to natural gas companies who had excess gas that could be sold in-route to other markets. This paper addresses both the pro's and cons' of this new regulation on both the pipeline and gas producing companies

Introducing Textiles as Material of Construction of Ethanol Bioreactors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Osagie A. Osadolor

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The conventional materials for constructing bioreactors for ethanol production are stainless and cladded carbon steel because of the corrosive behaviour of the fermenting media. As an alternative and cheaper material of construction, a novel textile bioreactor was developed and examined. The textile, coated with several layers to withstand the pressure, resist the chemicals inside the reactor and to be gas-proof was welded to form a 30 L lab reactor. The reactor had excellent performance for fermentative production of bioethanol from sugar using baker’s yeast. Experiments with temperature and mixing as process parameters were performed. No bacterial contamination was observed. Bioethanol was produced for all conditions considered with the optimum fermentation time of 15 h and ethanol yield of 0.48 g/g sucrose. The need for mixing and temperature control can be eliminated. Using a textile bioreactor at room temperature of 22 °C without mixing required 2.5 times longer retention time to produce bioethanol than at 30 °C with mixing. This will reduce the fermentation investment cost by 26% for an ethanol plant with capacity of 100,000 m3 ethanol/y. Also, replacing one 1300 m3 stainless steel reactor with 1300 m3 of the textile bioreactor in this plant will reduce the fermentation investment cost by 19%.

An integrated platform for gas-diffusion separation and electrochemical determination of ethanol on fermentation broths

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giordano, Gabriela Furlan [Microfabrication Laboratory, Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory (LNNano), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, SP 13083-970 (Brazil); Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry – UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970 (Brazil); National Institute of Science and Technology of Bioanalytics, Institute of Chemistry – UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970 (Brazil); Vieira, Luis Carlos Silveira; Gobbi, Angelo Luiz [Microfabrication Laboratory, Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory (LNNano), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, SP 13083-970 (Brazil); Lima, Renato Sousa [Microfabrication Laboratory, Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory (LNNano), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, SP 13083-970 (Brazil); Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry – UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970 (Brazil); National Institute of Science and Technology of Bioanalytics, Institute of Chemistry – UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970 (Brazil); Kubota, Lauro Tatsuo, E-mail: kubota@iqm.unicamp.br [Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry – UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970 (Brazil); National Institute of Science and Technology of Bioanalytics, Institute of Chemistry – UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970 (Brazil)

2015-05-22

Highlights: • Integrated platform was developed to determine ethanol in fermentation broths. • The designed system integrates gas diffusion separation with voltammetric detection. • Detector relied on Ni(OH){sub 2}-modified electrode stabilized by Co{sup 2+} and Cd{sup 2+} insertion. • Separation was made by PTFE membrane separating sample from electrolyte (receptor). • Despite the sample complexity, accurate tests were achieved by direct interpolation. - Abstract: An integrated platform was developed for point-of-use determination of ethanol in sugar cane fermentation broths. Such analysis is important because ethanol reduces its fuel production efficiency by altering the alcoholic fermentation step when in excess. The custom-designed platform integrates gas diffusion separation with voltammetric detection in a single analysis module. The detector relied on a Ni(OH){sub 2}-modified electrode. It was stabilized by uniformly depositing cobalt and cadmium hydroxides as shown by XPS measurements. Such tests were in accordance with the hypothesis related to stabilization of the Ni(OH){sub 2} structure by insertion of Co{sup 2+} and Cd{sup 2+} ions in this structure. The separation step, in turn, was based on a hydrophobic PTFE membrane, which separates the sample from receptor solution (electrolyte) where the electrodes were placed. Parameters of limit of detection and analytical sensitivity were estimated to be 0.2% v/v and 2.90 μA % (v/v){sup −1}, respectively. Samples of fermentation broth were analyzed by both standard addition method and direct interpolation in saline medium based-analytical curve. In this case, the saline solution exhibited ionic strength similar to those of the samples intended to surpass the tonometry colligative effect of the samples over analyte concentration data by attributing the reduction in quantity of diffused ethanol vapor majorly to the electrolyte. The approach of analytical curve provided rapid, simple and accurate

Assessing the environmental sustainability of ethanol from integrated biorefineries.

Science.gov (United States)

Falano, Temitope; Jeswani, Harish K; Azapagic, Adisa

2014-06-01

This paper considers the life cycle environmental sustainability of ethanol produced in integrated biorefineries together with chemicals and energy. Four types of second-generation feedstocks are considered: wheat straw, forest residue, poplar, and miscanthus. Seven out of 11 environmental impacts from ethanol are negative, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, when the system is credited for the co-products, indicating environmental savings. Ethanol from poplar is the best and straw the worst option for most impacts. Land use change from forest to miscanthus increases the GHG emissions several-fold. For poplar, the effect is opposite: converting grassland to forest reduces the emissions by three-fold. Compared to fossil and first-generation ethanol, ethanol from integrated biorefineries is more sustainable for most impacts, with the exception of wheat straw. Pure ethanol saves up to 87% of GHG emissions compared to petrol per MJ of fuel. However, for the current 5% ethanol-petrol blends, the savings are much smaller (biorefineries to the reduction of GHG emissions will be insignificant. Yet, higher ethanol blends would lead to an increase in some impacts, notably terrestrial and freshwater toxicity as well as eutrophication for some feedstocks. © 2014 The Authors. Biotechnology Journal published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Incorporating Agricultural Management Practices into the Assessment of Soil Carbon Change and Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Corn Stover Ethanol Production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qin, Zhangcai [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Canter, Christina E. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Dunn, Jennifer B. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Mueller, Steffen [Univ. of Illinois, Chicago, IL (United States); Kwon, Ho-young [International Food Policy Research Inst., Washington, DC (United States); Han, Jeongwoo [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Wander, Michelle M. [Univ. of Illinois, Champaign, IL (United States); Wang, Michael [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2015-09-01

Land management practices such as cover crop adoption or manure application that can increase soil organic carbon (SOC) may provide a way to counter SOC loss upon removal of stover from corn fields for use as a biofuel feedstock. This report documents the data, methodology, and assumptions behind the incorporation of land management practices into corn-soybean systems that dominate U.S. grain production using varying levels of stover removal in the GREETTM (Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation) model and its CCLUB (Carbon Calculator for Land Use change from Biofuels production) module. Tillage (i.e., conventional, reduced and no tillage), corn stover removal (i.e., at 0, 30% and 60% removal rate), and organic matter input techniques (i.e., cover crop and manure application) are included in the analysis as major land management practices. Soil carbon changes associated with land management changes were modeled with a surrogate CENTURY model. The resulting SOC changes were incorporated into CCLUB while GREET was expanded to include energy and material consumption associated with cover crop adoption and manure application. Life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of stover ethanol were estimated using a marginal approach (all burdens and benefits assigned to corn stover ethanol) and an energy allocation approach (burdens and benefits divided between grain and stover ethanol). In the latter case, we considered corn grain and corn stover ethanol to be produced at an integrated facility. Life-cycle GHG emissions of corn stover ethanol are dependent upon the analysis approach selected (marginal versus allocation) and the land management techniques applied. The expansion of CCLUB and GREET to accommodate land management techniques can produce a wide range of results because users can select from multiple scenario options such as choosing tillage levels, stover removal rates, and whether crop yields increase annually or remain constant

Good or bad bioethanol from a greenhouse gas perspective - What determines this?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boerjesson, Pal

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study is to describe how the greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits of ethanol from agricultural crops depend on local conditions and calculation methods. The focus is mainly on the fuels used in the ethanol process and biogenic GHG from the soils cultivated. To ensure that 'good' ethanol is produced, with reference to GHG benefits, the following demands must be met: (i) ethanol plants should use biomass and not fossil fuels, (ii) cultivation of annual feedstock crops should be avoided on land rich in carbon (above and below ground), such as peat soils used as permanent grassland, etc., (iii) by-products should be utilised efficiently in order to maximise their energy and GHG benefits and (iv) nitrous oxide emissions should be kept to a minimum by means of efficient fertilisation strategies, and the commercial nitrogen fertiliser utilised should be produced in plants which have nitrous oxide gas cleaning. Several of the current ethanol production systems worldwide fullfill the majority of these demands, whereas some production systems do not. Thus, the findings in this paper helps identifying current 'good' systems, how today's 'fairly good' systems could be improved, and which inherent 'bad' systems that we should avoid

Wage Inequality and Violent Protests in Oil/Gas Producing Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Nuraliyev, Nurlan

This work examines contrasting claims made by academic scholars on the relationship between income inequality and political discontent. Does income inequality directly cause social unrest or is this relationship conditional on the level of democratic development? Using the data from 55 oil/gas producing countries between 2010-2013, the author finds: 1) income disparity between an average income per capita of local population and an average income of foreign labor employed in the oil/gas industry results in higher number of violent protests in more democratic oil/gas producing societies; 2) wage disparity between local and foreign labor in the oil/gas industry is associated with higher number of protests in this industry in more democratic oil/gas producing states.

Recovery Act – Integrated Pilot-Scale Biorefinery for Producing Ethanol from Hybrid Algae

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Legere, Ed [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Roessler, Paul [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Miller, Harlan [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Belicka, Laura [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Yuan, Yanhui [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Chance, Ron [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Dalrymple, Kofi [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Porubsky, William [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Coleman, John [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Sweeney, Kevin [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Ahlm, Pat [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Ha, Quang [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States)

2017-05-26

As a scientific and engineering endeavor, the Algenol IBR Biorefinery project has been a success by almost any measure. The vision for the system evolved significantly over the course of the project, always due to recognized opportunities for improved performance, lower energy consumption, and reduced costs. Our commitment to thorough, realistic, techno-economic and life cycle assessments has been an essential element for system innovation, technology guidance, and change management of the overall facility. The biological tools developed during this program for cyanobacteria are second to none, and are the primary reason for the remarkable improvements in organism performance. The breakthrough was the successful transformation of our most robust wild type organism (AB1) early in 2012. That was followed by a series of improvements over the next several years that produced strains wherein over 80% of the fixed carbon was converted into ethanol. At the same time, our expertise in cultivation, physiology, process engineering, CO2 management, and photobioreactor design and manufacturing grew at a comparable pace. We learned enormous amounts from the various upsets, weather variations, contamination events, and new technology related disappointments. We overcame those challenges to produce fuel grade ethanol with a low carbon footprint, and are within striking distance of economic viability even with the challenges of low fossil fuel prices.

An experimental study on renal infarction with ethanol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Man Chung; Choi, Byung Ihn; Park, Jae Hyung; Ha, Sung Whan; Chang, Kee Hyun

1982-01-01

Renal infarction with ethanol was induced experimentally in rabbits and selective renal angiography was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of ethanol as embolic material. The results were as follows: 1. Complete obstruction of renal artery was produced in all cases within 1 week after injection of absolute ethanol (0.5 ml/Kg). 2. Incomplete obstruction of renal artery was produced in majority after injection of absolute ethanol (0.2 ml/Kg) and changed to complete obstruction above half cases with time. 3. Incomplete obstructive of renal artery was produced in minority after injection of 60% ethanol (0.2 ml/Kg) and complete obstruction of renal artery was not produced. It was consider that ethanol is an effective agent for complete renal infarction and 0.2 to 0.5 ml/Kg of absolute ethanol is effective dose for complete renal infarction

Transfer of preheat-treated SnO 2 via a sacrificial bridge-type ZnO layer for ethanol gas sensor

KAUST Repository

Lee, Da Hoon

2017-08-05

The progress in developing the microelectromechanical system (MEMS) heater-based SnO2 gas sensors was hindered by the subsequent heat treatment of the tin oxide (SnO2), nevertheless it is required to obtain excellent sensor characteristics. During the sintering process, the MEMS heater and the contact electrodes can be degraded at such a high temperature, which could reduce the sensor response and reliability. In this research, we presented a process of preheating the printed SnO2 sensing layer on top of a sacrificial bridge-type ZnO layer at such a high temperature, followed by transferring it onto the contact electrodes of sensor device by selective etching of the sacrificial ZnO layer. Therefore, the sensor device was not exposed to the high sintering temperature. The SnO2 gas sensor fabricated by the transfer process exhibited a rectangular sensing curve behavior with a rapid response of 52 s at 20 ppm ethanol concentration. In addition, reliable and repeatable sensing characteristics were obtained even at an ethanol gas concentration of 5 ppm.

Transfer of preheat-treated SnO 2 via a sacrificial bridge-type ZnO layer for ethanol gas sensor

KAUST Repository

Lee, Da Hoon; Kang, Sun Kil; Pak, Yusin; Lim, Namsoo; Lee, Ryeri; Kumaresan, Yogeenth; Lee, Sungeun; Lee, Chaedeok; Ham, Moon-Ho; Jung, Gun Young

2017-01-01

The progress in developing the microelectromechanical system (MEMS) heater-based SnO2 gas sensors was hindered by the subsequent heat treatment of the tin oxide (SnO2), nevertheless it is required to obtain excellent sensor characteristics. During the sintering process, the MEMS heater and the contact electrodes can be degraded at such a high temperature, which could reduce the sensor response and reliability. In this research, we presented a process of preheating the printed SnO2 sensing layer on top of a sacrificial bridge-type ZnO layer at such a high temperature, followed by transferring it onto the contact electrodes of sensor device by selective etching of the sacrificial ZnO layer. Therefore, the sensor device was not exposed to the high sintering temperature. The SnO2 gas sensor fabricated by the transfer process exhibited a rectangular sensing curve behavior with a rapid response of 52 s at 20 ppm ethanol concentration. In addition, reliable and repeatable sensing characteristics were obtained even at an ethanol gas concentration of 5 ppm.

Economic analysis of U.S. ethanol expansion issues

Science.gov (United States)

Chaudhuri, Malika

The dependency of the U.S. economy on crude oil imported from politically unstable countries, escalating energy demand world wide, growing nationwide environmental consciousness, and the Renewable Fuels Standards (RFS) government mandates are some of the primary factors that have provided a favorable environment for the growth and development of the U.S. ethanol industry. The first essay derives decision rules for a discrete-time dynamic hedging model in a multiple commodity framework under expected utility maximization and basis risk. It compares hedging performance of three types of hedging models, namely constant hedging, time-varying static hedging model and the new dynamic hedging rule derived in this study. Findings show that natural gas futures contracts were effective instruments for hedging ethanol spot price risk before March, 2005, when ethanol futures trading was initiated on the CBOT. However, post-March, 2005, corn and ethanol futures contracts proved to be efficient hedging instruments. Results also indicate that ethanol producers may effectively decrease variance of cumulative cash flows by hedging using ethanol, natural gas and corn futures prices using the traditional techniques. The study concludes that using the new dynamic hedge model in a three period and two commodity set up, producers can effectively reduce variance of cumulative cash flow by 13.2% as compared to the 'no hedge' scenario. In my second essay, I use choice based, conjoint analysis methods to estimate consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for alternative transportation fuels in the U.S. In this study, I consider unleaded gasoline and ethanol, which may be derived from corn or three different sources of cellulosic biomass as alternative transportation fuels. Results suggest that age and household income are some of the socioeconomic variables that significantly influence consumer's choice behavior. Results indicate considerable consumer preference heterogeneity. Welfare effects are

Improving the performance of industrial ethanol-producing yeast by expressing the aspartyl protease on the cell surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Zhong-peng; Zhang, Liang; Ding, Zhong-yang; Wang, Zheng-Xiang; Shi, Gui-Yang

2010-12-01

The yeasts used in fuel ethanol manufacture are unable to metabolize soluble proteins. The PEP4 gene, encoding a vacuolar aspartyl protease in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was either secretively or cell-surface anchored expressed in industrial ethanol-producing S. cerevisiae. The obtained recombinant strains APA (expressing the protease secretively) and APB (expressing the protease on the cell wall) were studied under ethanol fermentation conditions in feed barley cultures. The effects of expression of the protease on product formation, growth and cell protein content were measured. The biomass yield of the wild-type was clearly lower than that of the recombinant strains (0.578 ± 0.12 g biomass/g glucose for APA and 0.582 ± 0.08 g biomass/g glucose for APB). In addition, nearly 98-99% of the theoretical maximum level of ethanol yield was achieved (relative to the amount of substrate consumed) for the recombinant strains, while limiting the nitrogen source resulted in dissatisfactory fermentation for the wild-type and more than 30 g/l residual sugar was detected at the end of fermentation. In addition, higher growth rate, viability and lower yields of byproducts such as glycerol and pyruvic acid for recombinant strains were observed. Expressing acid protease can be expected to lead to a significant increase in ethanol productivity. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Environmental, economic, and energetic costs and benefits of biodiesel and ethanol biofuels.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Jason; Nelson, Erik; Tilman, David; Polasky, Stephen; Tiffany, Douglas

2006-07-25

Negative environmental consequences of fossil fuels and concerns about petroleum supplies have spurred the search for renewable transportation biofuels. To be a viable alternative, a biofuel should provide a net energy gain, have environmental benefits, be economically competitive, and be producible in large quantities without reducing food supplies. We use these criteria to evaluate, through life-cycle accounting, ethanol from corn grain and biodiesel from soybeans. Ethanol yields 25% more energy than the energy invested in its production, whereas biodiesel yields 93% more. Compared with ethanol, biodiesel releases just 1.0%, 8.3%, and 13% of the agricultural nitrogen, phosphorus, and pesticide pollutants, respectively, per net energy gain. Relative to the fossil fuels they displace, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced 12% by the production and combustion of ethanol and 41% by biodiesel. Biodiesel also releases less air pollutants per net energy gain than ethanol. These advantages of biodiesel over ethanol come from lower agricultural inputs and more efficient conversion of feedstocks to fuel. Neither biofuel can replace much petroleum without impacting food supplies. Even dedicating all U.S. corn and soybean production to biofuels would meet only 12% of gasoline demand and 6% of diesel demand. Until recent increases in petroleum prices, high production costs made biofuels unprofitable without subsidies. Biodiesel provides sufficient environmental advantages to merit subsidy. Transportation biofuels such as synfuel hydrocarbons or cellulosic ethanol, if produced from low-input biomass grown on agriculturally marginal land or from waste biomass, could provide much greater supplies and environmental benefits than food-based biofuels.

Ethanol and Protein from Ethanol Plant By-Products Using Edible Fungi Neurospora intermedia and Aspergillus oryzae.

Science.gov (United States)

Bátori, Veronika; Ferreira, Jorge A; Taherzadeh, Mohammad J; Lennartsson, Patrik R

2015-01-01

Feasible biorefineries for production of second-generation ethanol are difficult to establish due to the process complexity. An alternative is to partially include the process in the first-generation plants. Whole stillage, a by-product from dry-mill ethanol processes from grains, is mostly composed of undegraded bran and lignocelluloses can be used as a potential substrate for production of ethanol and feed proteins. Ethanol production and the proteins from the stillage were investigated using the edible fungi Neurospora intermedia and Aspergillus oryzae, respectively. N. intermedia produced 4.7 g/L ethanol from the stillage and increased to 8.7 g/L by adding 1 FPU of cellulase/g suspended solids. Saccharomyces cerevisiae produced 0.4 and 5.1 g/L ethanol, respectively. Under a two-stage cultivation with both fungi, up to 7.6 g/L of ethanol and 5.8 g/L of biomass containing 42% (w/w) crude protein were obtained. Both fungi degraded complex substrates including arabinan, glucan, mannan, and xylan where reductions of 91, 73, 38, and 89% (w/v) were achieved, respectively. The inclusion of the current process can lead to the production of 44,000 m(3) of ethanol (22% improvement), around 12,000 tons of protein-rich biomass for animal feed, and energy savings considering a typical facility producing 200,000 m(3) ethanol/year.

Bioethanol Production From Cellulose by Candida tropicalis, as An Alternative Microbial Agent to Produce Ethanol from Lignocellulosic Biomass

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hermansyah

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract: Candida tropicalis isolated from Tuak is a potentially useful microorganism for the ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass and it can be alterbative agent replacing Saccharomyces cerevisae for fermentation process. Although C.tropicalis could not convert all carbohydrates content of lignocellulosic into bioethanol, however it is able to grow on medium in the presence of either xylose or arabinose as carbon source. Our result showed that fermentation of 10 % (w/v cellulosic as sole carbon source produced 2.88% (v/v ethanol by C.tropicalis. This ethanol production was lower than usage of 10% (w/v dextrose as sole carbon source medium which producing 5.51% (v/v ethanol. Based upon our expreiment indicated that C.tropicalis is able to conduct two main process in converting of cellulosic material- to ethanol which is hydrolysis the degradation of cellulose into glucose, and fermentation the process the conversion glucose into bioethanol. Keywords : Candida tropicalis, bioethanol, fermentation, cellulosic Abstrak (Indonesian: Candida tropicalis yang diisiolasi dari Tuak adalah agen yang berpotensi dalam produksi etanol dari biomasa lignoselulosa dan dapat dijadikan agen alternatif menggantikan Saccharomyces cerevisiae pada proses fernentasi. Walaupun C.tropicalis tidak dapat mengkonversi semua kandungan karbohidrat lignoselulosamenjadi etanol, akan tetapi C.tropicalis mampu tumbuh pada media dengan xilosa atau arabinosa sebagaisumber karbon. Hasil kami menunjukkan bahwa dengan mengguankan C.tropicalis fermentasi 10% (w/v selulosa sebagai satu-satunya sumber karbon menghasilkan 2,88% (v/v etanol, Produksi etanol ini lebih rendah jika menggunakan 10% (w/v dekstrosa sebagai satu satunya sumber karbon yang menghasilkan 5,51% (v/v etanol. Berdasarkan percobaan menunjukkan bahwa C.tropicalis mampu melakukan dua proses utama dalam mengkonversi material selulosa menjadi etanol yaitu hidrolisis degradasi selulosa menjadi glukosa, dan

Metabolic engineering of a haploid strain derived from a triploid industrial yeast for producing cellulosic ethanol.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Soo Rin; Skerker, Jeffrey M; Kong, In Iok; Kim, Heejin; Maurer, Matthew J; Zhang, Guo-Chang; Peng, Dairong; Wei, Na; Arkin, Adam P; Jin, Yong-Su

2017-03-01

Many desired phenotypes for producing cellulosic biofuels are often observed in industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. However, many industrial yeast strains are polyploid and have low spore viability, making it difficult to use these strains for metabolic engineering applications. We selected the polyploid industrial strain S. cerevisiae ATCC 4124 exhibiting rapid glucose fermentation capability, high ethanol productivity, strong heat and inhibitor tolerance in order to construct an optimal yeast strain for producing cellulosic ethanol. Here, we focused on developing a general approach and high-throughput screening method to isolate stable haploid segregants derived from a polyploid parent, such as triploid ATCC 4124 with a poor spore viability. Specifically, we deleted the HO genes, performed random sporulation, and screened the resulting segregants based on growth rate, mating type, and ploidy. Only one stable haploid derivative (4124-S60) was isolated, while 14 other segregants with a stable mating type were aneuploid. The 4124-S60 strain inherited only a subset of desirable traits present in the parent strain, same as other aneuploids, suggesting that glucose fermentation and specific ethanol productivity are likely to be genetically complex traits and/or they might depend on ploidy. Nonetheless, the 4124-60 strain did inherit the ability to tolerate fermentation inhibitors. When additional genetic perturbations known to improve xylose fermentation were introduced into the 4124-60 strain, the resulting engineered strain (IIK1) was able to ferment a Miscanthus hydrolysate better than a previously engineered laboratory strain (SR8), built by making the same genetic changes. However, the IIK1 strain showed higher glycerol and xylitol yields than the SR8 strain. In order to decrease glycerol and xylitol production, an NADH-dependent acetate reduction pathway was introduced into the IIK1 strain. By consuming 2.4g/L of acetate, the resulting strain (IIK1A

Nesterenkonia sp. strain F, a halophilic bacterium producing acetone, butanol, and ethanol under aerobic conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Amiri, Hamid; Azarbaijani, Reza; Parsa Yeganeh, Laleh; Shahzadeh Fazeli, Abolhassan; Tabatabaei, Meisam; Salekdeh, Ghasem Hosseini; Karimi, Keikhosro

2016-01-04

The moderately halophilic bacterium Nesterenkonia sp. strain F, which was isolated from Aran-Bidgol Lake (Iran), has the ability to produce acetone, butanol, and ethanol (ABE) as well as acetic and butyric acids under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. This result is the first report of ABE production with a wild microorganism from a family other than Clostridia and also the first halophilic species shown to produce butanol under aerobic cultivation. The cultivation of Nesterenkonia sp. strain F under anaerobic conditions with 50 g/l of glucose for 72 h resulted in the production of 105 mg/l of butanol, 122 mg/l of acetone, 0.2 g/l of acetic acid, and 2.5 g/l of butyric acid. Furthermore, the strain was cultivated on media with different glucose concentrations (20, 50, and 80 g/l) under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Through fermentation with a 50 g/l initial glucose concentration under aerobic conditions, 66 mg/l of butanol, 125 mg/l of acetone, 291 mg/l of ethanol, 5.9 g/l of acetic acid, and 1.2 g/l of butyric acid were produced. The enzymes pertaining to the fermentation pathway in the strain were compared with the enzymes of Clostridium spp., and the metabolic pathway of fermentation used by Nesterenkonia sp. strain F was investigated.

30 CFR 250.1157 - How do I receive approval to produce gas-cap gas from an oil reservoir with an associated gas cap?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false How do I receive approval to produce gas-cap gas from an oil reservoir with an associated gas cap? 250.1157 Section 250.1157 Mineral Resources... do I receive approval to produce gas-cap gas from an oil reservoir with an associated gas cap? (a...

Use of natural gas, methanol, and ethanol fuel emulsions as environmentally friendly energy carriers for mobile heat power plants

Science.gov (United States)

Likhanov, V. A.; Lopatin, O. P.

2017-12-01

The need for using environmentally friendly energy carriers for mobile heat power plants (HPPs) is grounded. Ecologically friendly sources of energy, such as natural gas as well as renewable methyl and ethyl alcohols, are investigated. In order to develop, determine, and optimize the composition of environmentally friendly energy carriers for an HPP, the latter has been tested when working on diesel fuel (DF), compressed natural gas (CNG), and methanol and ethanol fuel emulsions (MFE, EFE). It has been experimentally established that, for the application of environmentally friendly energy carriers for a 4Ch 11.0/12.5 diesel engine of a mobile fuel and power plant, it is necessary to maintain the following ratio of components when working on CNG: 80% gas and 20% DF primer portion. When working on an alcohol mixture, emulsions of the following composition were used: 25% alcohol (methanol or ethanol), 0.5% detergent-dispersant additive succinimide C-5A, 7% water, and 67.5% DF. When this diesel passed from oil DF to environmentally friendly energy sources, it allowed for the reduction of the content of exhaust gases (EG) (1) when working on CNG with recirculation of exhaust gases (EGR) (recirculation was used to eliminate the increased amount of nitric oxides by using CNG): carbon black by 5.8 times, carbon dioxide by 45.9%, and carbon monoxide by 23.8%; (2) when working on MFE: carbon black by 6.4 times, nitrogen oxides by 29.6%, carbon dioxide by 10.1%, and carbon oxide by 47.6%; (3) when working on EFE: carbon black by 4.8 times; nitrogen oxides by 40.3%, carbon dioxide by 26.6%, and carbon monoxide by 28.6%. The prospects of use of environmentally friendly energy carriers in diesels of mobile HPPs, such as natural gas, ethanol, and methanol, has been determined.

Environmental and financial implications of ethanol as a bioethylene feedstock versus as a transportation fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKechnie, Jon; Pourbafrani, Mohammad; Saville, Bradley A; MacLean, Heather L

2015-01-01

Bulk chemicals production from biomass may compete with biofuels for low-cost and sustainable biomass sources. Understanding how alternative uses of biomass compare in terms of financial and environmental parameters is therefore necessary to help ensure that efficient uses of resources are encouraged by policy and undertaken by industry. In this paper, we compare the environmental and financial performance of using ethanol as a feedstock for bioethylene production or as a transport fuel in the US life cycle-based models are developed to isolate the relative impacts of these two ethanol uses and generate results that are applicable irrespective of ethanol production pathway. Ethanol use as a feedstock for bioethylene production or as a transport fuel leads to comparable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and fossil energy consumption reductions relative to their counterparts produced from fossil sources. By displacing gasoline use in vehicles, use of ethanol as a transport fuel is six times more effective in reducing petroleum energy use on a life cycle basis. In contrast, bioethylene predominately avoids consumption of natural gas. Considering 2013 US ethanol and ethylene market prices, our analysis shows that bioethylene is financially viable only if significant price premiums are realized over conventional ethylene, from 35% to 65% depending on the scale of bioethylene production considered (80 000 t yr −1 to 240 000 t yr −1 ). Ethanol use as a transportation fuel is therefore the preferred pathway considering financial, GHG emissions, and petroleum energy use metrics, although bioethylene production could have strategic value if demand-side limitations of ethanol transport fuel markets are reached. (letter)

Environmental and financial implications of ethanol as a bioethylene feedstock versus as a transportation fuel

Science.gov (United States)

McKechnie, Jon; Pourbafrani, Mohammad; Saville, Bradley A.; MacLean, Heather L.

2015-12-01

Bulk chemicals production from biomass may compete with biofuels for low-cost and sustainable biomass sources. Understanding how alternative uses of biomass compare in terms of financial and environmental parameters is therefore necessary to help ensure that efficient uses of resources are encouraged by policy and undertaken by industry. In this paper, we compare the environmental and financial performance of using ethanol as a feedstock for bioethylene production or as a transport fuel in the US life cycle-based models are developed to isolate the relative impacts of these two ethanol uses and generate results that are applicable irrespective of ethanol production pathway. Ethanol use as a feedstock for bioethylene production or as a transport fuel leads to comparable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and fossil energy consumption reductions relative to their counterparts produced from fossil sources. By displacing gasoline use in vehicles, use of ethanol as a transport fuel is six times more effective in reducing petroleum energy use on a life cycle basis. In contrast, bioethylene predominately avoids consumption of natural gas. Considering 2013 US ethanol and ethylene market prices, our analysis shows that bioethylene is financially viable only if significant price premiums are realized over conventional ethylene, from 35% to 65% depending on the scale of bioethylene production considered (80 000 t yr-1 to 240 000 t yr-1). Ethanol use as a transportation fuel is therefore the preferred pathway considering financial, GHG emissions, and petroleum energy use metrics, although bioethylene production could have strategic value if demand-side limitations of ethanol transport fuel markets are reached.

Nanocrystalline Pd:NiFe2O4 thin films: A selective ethanol gas sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Pratibha; Godbole, R. V.; Bhagwat, Sunita

2016-10-01

In this work, Pd:NiFe2O4 thin films were investigated for the detection of reducing gases. These films were fabricated using spray pyrolysis technique and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) to confirm the crystal structure. The surface morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Magnetization measurements were carried out using SQUID VSM, which shows ferrimagnetic behavior of the samples. These thin film sensors were tested against methanol, ethanol, hydrogen sulfide and liquid petroleum gas, where they were found to be more selective to ethanol. The fabricated thin film sensors exhibited linear response signal for all the gases with concentrations up to 5 w/o Pd. Reduction in optimum operating temperature and enhancement in response was also observed. Pd:NiFe2O4 thin films exhibited faster response and recovery characteristic. These sensors have potential for industrial applications because of their long-term stability, low power requirement and low production cost.

Survey and Down-Selection of Acid Gas Removal Systems for the Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass to Ethanol with a Detailed Analysis of an MDEA System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nexant, Inc., San Francisco, California

2011-05-01

The first section (Task 1) of this report by Nexant includes a survey and screening of various acid gas removal processes in order to evaluate their capability to meet the specific design requirements for thermochemical ethanol synthesis in NREL's thermochemical ethanol design report (Phillips et al. 2007, NREL/TP-510-41168). MDEA and selexol were short-listed as the most promising acid-gas removal agents based on work described in Task 1. The second report section (Task 2) describes a detailed design of an MDEA (methyl diethanol amine) based acid gas removal system for removing CO2 and H2S from biomass-derived syngas. Only MDEA was chosen for detailed study because of the available resources.

Thermodynamic analysis of ethanol/water system in a fuel cell reformer with the Gibbs energy minimization method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lima da Silva, Aline; De Fraga Malfatti, Celia; Heck, Nestor Cesar

2003-01-01

The use of fuel cells is a promising technology in the conversion of chemical to electrical energy. Due to environmental concerns related to the reduction of atmospheric pollution and greenhouse gases emissions such as CO 2 , NO x and hydrocarbons, there have been many researches about fuel cells using hydrogen as fuel. Hydrogen gas can be produced by several routes; a promising one is the steam reforming of ethanol. This route may become an important industrial process, especially for sugarcane producing countries. Ethanol is renewable energy and presents several advantages over other sources related to natural availability, storage and handling safety. In order to contribute to the understanding of the steam reforming of ethanol inside the reformer, this work displays a detailed thermodynamic analysis of the ethanol/water system, in the temperature range of 500-1200K, considering different H 2 O/ethanol reforming ratios. The equilibrium determinations were done with the help of the Gibbs energy minimization method using the Generalized Reduced Gradient algorithm (GRG). Based on literature data, the species considered in calculations were: H 2 , H 2 O, CO, CO 2 , CH 4 , C 2 H 4 , CH 3 CHO, C 2 H 5 OH (gas phase) and C gr . (graphite phase). The thermodynamic conditions for carbon deposition (probably soot) on catalyst during gas reforming were analyzed, in order to establish temperature ranges and H 2 O/ethanol ratios where carbon precipitation is not thermodynamically feasible. Experimental results from literature show that carbon deposition causes catalyst deactivation during reforming. This deactivation is due to encapsulating carbon that covers active phases on a catalyst substrate, e.g. Ni over Al 2 O 3 . In the present study, a mathematical relationship between Lagrange multipliers and the carbon activity (with reference to the graphite phase) was deduced, unveiling the carbon activity in the reformer atmosphere. From this, it is possible to foreseen if soot

CO and PAH Emissions from Engines Operating on Biomass Producer Gas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahrenfeldt, Jesper; Jensen, Torben Kvist; Henriksen, Ulrik Birk

2003-01-01

High carbon monoxide (CO) emission from gas engines fueled by producer gas is a concerning problem in the struggle to make biomass gasification for heat and power production a success. The standing regulations concerning CO emissions from producer gas engine based power plants in most EU countrie...

Ligno-ethanol in competition with food-based ethanol in Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poganietz, Witold-Roger

2012-01-01

First-generation biofuels are often challenged over their potentially adverse impact on food prices. Biofuels that use nonfood biomass such as lignocellulose are being promoted to ease the conflict between fuels and food. However, their complex processes mean that the total costs of lignocellulosic ethanol may be high in comparison. This might undermine the economic soundness of plans for its use. Another potential advantage of lignocellulosic ethanol is seen in an enhanced contribution to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Yet the increasing attractiveness of lignocellulosic biofuels may also lead to changes in land use that induce additional carbon emissions. For this reason, the environmental impacts of such plans are not straightforward and depend on the affected category of land. The objective of this paper is to compare the economic perspectives and environmental impact of lignocellulosic ethanol with food-based ethanol taking into account market constraints and policy measures. The analysis of the environmental impact focuses on carbon dioxide emissions. In the medium run, i.e., by 2020, lignocellulosic ethanol could enter the gasoline market, crowding out inter alia food-based ethanol. In terms of carbon dioxide emissions, lignocellulosic ethanol seems to be environmentally desirable in each of the analyzed cases. The findings depend crucially on the market conditions, which are influenced inter alia by crude oil, the exchange rate, and technology conditions. -- Highlights: ► Competition of ligno-ethanol with competing energy carriers is analyzed. ► In medium-term ligno-ethanol could crowd out food-based ethanol. ► In terms of CO 2 ligno-ethanol seems to be environmentally desirable. ► The environmental impacts include by land use change induced CO 2 emissions. ► The findings depend crucially on market conditions.

Ethanol and Protein from Ethanol Plant By-Products Using Edible Fungi Neurospora intermedia and Aspergillus oryzae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veronika Bátori

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Feasible biorefineries for production of second-generation ethanol are difficult to establish due to the process complexity. An alternative is to partially include the process in the first-generation plants. Whole stillage, a by-product from dry-mill ethanol processes from grains, is mostly composed of undegraded bran and lignocelluloses can be used as a potential substrate for production of ethanol and feed proteins. Ethanol production and the proteins from the stillage were investigated using the edible fungi Neurospora intermedia and Aspergillus oryzae, respectively. N. intermedia produced 4.7 g/L ethanol from the stillage and increased to 8.7 g/L by adding 1 FPU of cellulase/g suspended solids. Saccharomyces cerevisiae produced 0.4 and 5.1 g/L ethanol, respectively. Under a two-stage cultivation with both fungi, up to 7.6 g/L of ethanol and 5.8 g/L of biomass containing 42% (w/w crude protein were obtained. Both fungi degraded complex substrates including arabinan, glucan, mannan, and xylan where reductions of 91, 73, 38, and 89% (w/v were achieved, respectively. The inclusion of the current process can lead to the production of 44,000 m3 of ethanol (22% improvement, around 12,000 tons of protein-rich biomass for animal feed, and energy savings considering a typical facility producing 200,000 m3 ethanol/year.

Acetaldehyde as an Intermediate in the Electroreduction of Carbon Monoxide to Ethanol on Oxide-Derived Copper

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bertheussen, Erlend; Verdaguer Casadevall, Arnau; Ravasio, Davide

2016-01-01

Oxide-derived copper (OD-Cu) electrodes exhibit unprecedented CO reduction performance towards liquid fuels, producing ethanol and acetate with >50 % Faradaic efficiency at −0.3 V (vs. RHE). By using static headspace-gas chromatography for liquid phase analysis, we identify acetaldehyde as a minor...

Price determination for hydrogen produced from bio-ethanol in Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gregorini, V.A.; Pasquevich, D.; Laborde, M.

2010-01-01

A massive penetration for hydrogen as a fuel vector requires a price reduction against fossil fuels (up to lower or at less equal to current prices). That is why it is important to calculate the current prices, so that we can determinate the gap between them and work in reducing them. In order to follow properly prices evolution it is necessary been able to compare data generated by Universities, Laboratories and Industries. So that, DOE creates in 2003 a tool (H2A) to determine prices for hydrogen, with some assumptions and pre defined values, to facilitate transparency and consistency of data. In this work we will use the H2A tool to calculate de price of hydrogen produced in a bio-ethanol semi-industrial Plant in Argentina, and we will compare it with the prices of USA studies. (author)

Water management technologies used by Marcellus Shale Gas Producers.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Veil, J. A.; Environmental Science Division

2010-07-30

Natural gas represents an important energy source for the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Energy Information Administration (EIA), about 22% of the country's energy needs are provided by natural gas. Historically, natural gas was produced from conventional vertical wells drilled into porous hydrocarbon-containing formations. During the past decade, operators have increasingly looked to other unconventional sources of natural gas, such as coal bed methane, tight gas sands, and gas shales.

Thermoanaerobacter mathranii sp. nov., an ethanol-producing, extremely thermophilic anaerobic bacterium from a hot spring in Iceland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, L.; Nielsen, P.; Ahring, B.K.

1997-01-01

The extremely thermophilic ethanol-producing strain A3 was isolated from a hot spring in Iceland, The cells were rod-shaped, motile, and had terminal spores: cells from the mid-to-late exponential growth phase stained gram-variable but had a gram-positive cell wall structure when viewed...

Gazprom vs. other Russian gas producers: The evolution of the Russian gas sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lunden, Lars Petter; Fjaertoft, Daniel; Overland, Indra; Prachakova, Alesia

2013-01-01

The non-Gazprom gas producers (NGPs) doubled their share of the Russian domestic gas market between 2000 and 2010 and have continued growing since then. For several years especially Novatek expanded. More recently, Rosneft has emerged as a key player, not least through its purchase of TNK-BP. This article begins with an overview of the companies in the Russian gas sector, their resource bases and capacities, and subsequently examines whether differences in field development costs and export market access may make it rational for Gazprom to continue ceding market share to the NGPs. With rising costs of Gazprom's queue of greenfield developments, any delays in Gazprom's investment program may be compensated through increased NGP production. The article argues that the NGPs are ready to fill the gap, may be allowed to do so and are already increasing their market share in an increasingly competitive market. The stage may now be set for a continued gradual transformation of the Russian gas market, in which the interests of Gazprom and the NGPs may be complementary or may be pitted against each other, but those of the Russian Federation are in any case likely to be better fulfilled than in the past. - Highlights: • Other Russian gas producers, especially Novatek and Rosneft, are taking market shares from Gazprom. • Gazprom has a monopoly on exports and has had a de facto monopoly on the domestic pipeline grid through its control over trunk pipelines. • Gazprom's greenfield projects are more expensive than those of other producers. • Gazprom's loss of market shares to other producers in the domestic market may actually be in Gazprom's interest

Agricultural residues as fuel for producer gas generation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoeglund, C

1981-01-01

This paper reports on results from a series of tests with four different types of agricultural residues as fuel for producer gas generation. The fuels are coconut shells, coconut husks, pelletized wheat-straw and pressed sugar cane. The tests were made with a 73 Hp (50 kW) agricultural tractor diesel engine equipped with a standard gasifier developed for wood chips in Sweden, and run on a testbed at the Swedish National Machinery Testing Institute. The engine was operated on approximately 10% diesel oil and 90% producer gas. The gas composition, its calorific value and temperature, the pressure drop and the engine power were monitored. Detailed elementary analysis of the fuel and gas were carried out. Observations were also made regarding the important aspects of bridging and slagging in the gasifier. The tests confirmed that coconut shells make an excellent fuel for producer gas generation. After 8 hours of running no problems with slags and bridging were experienced. Coconut husks showed no bridging but some slag formation. The gasifier operated satisfactorily for this fuel. Pelletized wheat straw and pressed sugar cane appeared unsuitable as fuel in the unmodified test gasifier (Type F 300) due to slag formation. It is important to note, however, that the present test results are not optimal for any of the fuels used, the gasifier being designed for wood-chips and not for the test-fuels used. Tests using approximately modified gasifiers are planned for the future.

Renewable corn-ethanol and energy security

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eaves, James

2007-01-01

Though corn-ethanol is promoted as renewable, models of the production process assume fossil fuel inputs. Moreover, ethanol is promoted as a means of increasing energy security, but there is little discussion of the dependability of its supply. This study investigates the sensibility of promoting corn-ethanol as an automobile fuel, assuming a fully renewable production process. We then use historical data to estimate the supply risk of ethanol relative to imported petroleum. We find that devoting 100% of US corn to ethanol would displace 3.5% of gasoline consumption and the annual supply of the ethanol would be inherently more risky than that of imported oil. Finally, because large temperature increases can simultaneously increase fuel demand and the cost of growing corn, the supply responses of ethanol producers to temperature-induced demand shocks would likely be weaker than those of gasoline producers. (author)

Lithium recovery from shale gas produced water using solvent extraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Eunyoung; Jang, Yunjai; Chung, Eunhyea

2017-01-01

Shale gas produced water is hypersaline wastewater generated after hydraulic fracturing. Since the produced water is a mixture of shale formation water and fracturing fluid, it contains various organic and inorganic components, including lithium, a useful resource for such industries as automobile and electronics. The produced water in the Marcellus shale area contains about 95 mg/L lithium on average. This study suggests a two-stage solvent extraction technique for lithium recovery from shale gas produced water, and determines the extraction mechanism of ions in each stage. All experiments were conducted using synthetic shale gas produced water. In the first-stage, which was designed for the removal of divalent cations, more than 94.4% of Ca"2"+, Mg"2"+, Sr"2"+, and Ba"2"+ ions were removed by using 1.0 M di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) as an extractant. In the second-stage, for lithium recovery, we could obtain a lithium extraction efficiency of 41.2% by using 1.5 M D2EHPA and 0.3 M tributyl phosphate (TBP). Lithium loss in the first-stage was 25.1%, and therefore, the total amount of lithium recovered at the end of the two-step extraction procedure was 30.8%. Through this study, lithium, one of the useful mineral resources, could be selectively recovered from the shale gas produced water and it would also reduce the wastewater treatment cost during the development of shale gas. - Highlights: • Lithium was extracted from shale gas produced water using an organic solvent. • Two-stage solvent extraction technique was applied. • Divalent cations were removed in the first stage by D2EHPA. • Lithium was selectively recovered in the second stage by using TBP with D2EHPA.

Optimization on Pretreatment Conditions of Seaweed Liquid Waste for Bio ethanol Production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nur Zatul-Iffah Zakaria; Dachyar Arbain; Mohd Noor Ahmad; Mohd Irfan Hatim Mohamed Dzahir

2015-01-01

Seaweed liquid waste (SLW) from a non-conventional seaweed (Gracilaria sp.) drying process where the seaweed is ruptured and filter-squeezed has been investigated. The liquid contains proteins and minerals which potentially pollute the environment if it is not been properly treated. For that reason, this paper deals with study on the feasibility of SLW utilization as a feedstock for bio ethanol production. The fermentation of bio ethanol production was carried out by Saccharomyces cerevisiae in which ethanol produced was measured by gas chromatography. In order to increase its fermentable sugar content, the SLW was treated with dilute acid. Center composite design of response surface methodology (RSM) had been used to optimize the sugar content by varying the parameters involved in the dilute acid pretreatment conditions. These are sulphuric acid concentration (M), temperature (degree Celsius) and seaweed waste concentration (g/ ml). It was obtained that the R 2 value reached 0.97 indicating that the model is acceptable. The three parameters showed p-value less than 0.05 suggesting their significance interactions. The optimization resulted 25 times improvement of reducing sugar concentration. The reducing sugar resulting from the optimized pretreatment was later used as fermentation medium to produce ethanol up to 123.197 mg/ l. (author)

Adsorption of ethanol on V{sub 2}O{sub 5} (010) surface for gas-sensing applications: Ab initio investigation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qin, Yuxiang, E-mail: qinyuxiang@tju.edu.cn [School of Electronics and Information Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Key Laboratory for Advanced Ceramics and Machining Technology, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Cui, Mengyang; Ye, Zhenhua [School of Electronics and Information Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China)

2016-08-30

Highlights: • Ethanol adsorbed on V{sub 2}O{sub 5} (010) surface was investigated by ab initio calculations. • Ethanol prefers to adsorb on “Hill”-like surface, rather than“Valley”-like region. • Surface O{sub 1(H)} site plays a key role to dominate the ethanol adsorption process. • Sensing mechanism is related with electronic structure and electron redistribution. • Gas sensitivity is reflected by quantitative electron population analysis. - Abstract: The adsorption of ethanol on V{sub 2}O{sub 5} (010) surface was investigated by means of density functional theory (DFT) with a combined generalized gradient approximation (GGA) plus Hubbard U approach to exploit the potential sensing applications. The adsorption configurations were first constructed by considering different orientations of ethanol molecule to V and O sites on the “Hill”- and “Valley”-like regions of corrugated (010) surface. It is found that ethanol molecule can adsorb on whole surface in multiple stable configurations. Nevertheless the molecular adsorption on the “Hill”-like surface is calculated to occur preferentially, and the single coordinated oxygen on “Hill”-like surface (O{sub 1(H)}) acting as the most energetically favorable adsorption site shows the strongest adsorption ability to ethanol molecule. Surface adsorption of ethanol tunes the electronic structure of V{sub 2}O{sub 5} and cause an n-doping effect. As a consequence, the Fermi levels shift toward the conductive bond increasing the charge carrier concentration of electrons in adsorbed V{sub 2}O{sub 5}. The sensitive electronic structure and the multiple stable configurations to ethanol adsorption highlight the high adsorption activity and then the potential of V{sub 2}O{sub 5} (010) surface applied to high sensitive sensor for ethanol vapor detection. Further Mulliken population and Natural bond orbital (NBO) calculations quantify the electron transfer from the adsorbed ethanol to the surface, and

18 CFR 270.302 - Occluded natural gas produced from coal seams.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... produced from coal seams. 270.302 Section 270.302 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY... produced from coal seams. A person seeking a determination that natural gas is occluded natural gas produced from coal seams must file an application with the jurisdictional agency which contains the...

Biochemical Disincentives to Fertilizing Cellulosic Ethanol Crops

Science.gov (United States)

Gallagher, M. E.; Hockaday, W. C.; Snapp, S.; McSwiney, C.; Baldock, J.

2010-12-01

Corn grain biofuel crops produce the highest yields when the cropping ecosystem is not nitrogen (N)-limited, achieved by application of fertilizer. There are environmental consequences for excessive fertilizer application to crops, including greenhouse gas emissions, hypoxic “dead zones,” and health problems from N runoff into groundwater. The increase in corn acreage in response to demand for alternative fuels (i.e. ethanol) could exacerbate these problems, and divert food supplies to fuel production. A potential substitute for grain ethanol that could reduce some of these impacts is cellulosic ethanol. Cellulosic ethanol feedstocks include grasses (switchgrass), hardwoods, and crop residues (e.g. corn stover, wheat straw). It has been assumed that these feedstocks will require similar N fertilization rates to grain biofuel crops to maximize yields, but carbohydrate yield versus N application has not previously been monitored. We report the biochemical stocks (carbohydrate, protein, and lignin in Mg ha-1) of a corn ecosystem grown under varying N levels. We measured biochemical yield in Mg ha-1 within the grain, leaf and stem, and reproductive parts of corn plants grown at seven N fertilization rates (0-202 kg N ha-1), to evaluate the quantity and quality of these feedstocks across a N fertilization gradient. The N fertilization rate study was performed at the Kellogg Biological Station-Long Term Ecological Research Site (KBS-LTER) in Michigan. Biochemical stocks were measured using 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), combined with a molecular mixing model (Baldock et al. 2004). Carbohydrate and lignin are the main biochemicals of interest in ethanol production since carbohydrate is the ethanol feedstock, and lignin hinders the carbohydrate to ethanol conversion process. We show that corn residue carbohydrate yields respond only weakly to N fertilization compared to grain. Grain carbohydrate yields plateau in response to fertilization at

In vitro fermentation characteristics of ruminant diets using ethanol extract of brown propolis as a nutritional additive

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria de Fátima Falcão Gomes

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The addition of levels of ethanol extract of brown propolis was evaluated by assessing diet degradation in rumen fluid and predicting cumulative in vitro gas production by nonlinear (dual pool logistic and exponential models. A total of 35 g of crude propolis were extracted in 65 mL of cereal alcohol (95% ethanol. In a completely randomized factorial design, the experimental diets combined four concentrations of extracted propolis diluted in cereal alcohol (0, 50, 70, and 100% of propolis extract and supplementation doses (4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 mL/kg dry matter, tested in triplicate. Diet (400 g/kg Tifton hay and 600 g/kg concentrate was incubated for 96 h carried out three times in three different weeks. There was significant interaction between extract concentration and dose on the dry matter (DM degradability. Dry matter degradability of diet decreased exponentially as a function of the increase in dose (y = 678.55×dose–0.271. Pure alcohol treatment showed a negative exponential effect, with degradability of 303.61 g/kg when administered at a dose of 20 mL/kg DM. Treatment 100% ethanol extract reached the greatest degradability, estimated at 18.93 mL/kg DM. The treatment with 70% extract showed 6.35 mL/kg DM and the 50% extract, 7.65 mL/kg DM of minimum degradability. The reduction potential of pure ethanol was –0.32 mL gas/mL. Estimates of maximum gas production by dual pool logistic and exponential models were 13.10 mL and 12.07 mL for 100% extract, respectively. The 100% extract produced the highest gas production estimates, above 30 mL gas/100 mg DM of fermented diet. The degradation and fermentation of ruminant diet can be improved using 13 mL/DM kg of ethanol extract of propolis.

N2 gas is an effective fertilizer for bioethanol production by Zymomonas mobilis

Science.gov (United States)

Kremer, Timothy A.; LaSarre, Breah; Posto, Amanda L.; McKinlay, James B.

2015-01-01

A nascent cellulosic ethanol industry is struggling to become cost-competitive against corn ethanol and gasoline. Millions of dollars are spent on nitrogen supplements to make up for the low nitrogen content of the cellulosic feedstock. Here we show for the first time to our knowledge that the ethanol-producing bacterium, Zymomonas mobilis, can use N2 gas in lieu of traditional nitrogen supplements. Despite being an electron-intensive process, N2 fixation by Z. mobilis did not divert electrons away from ethanol production, as the ethanol yield was greater than 97% of the theoretical maximum. In a defined medium, Z. mobilis produced ethanol 50% faster per cell and generated half the unwanted biomass when supplied N2 instead of ammonium. In a cellulosic feedstock-derived medium, Z. mobilis achieved a similar cell density and a slightly higher ethanol yield when supplied N2 instead of the industrial nitrogen supplement, corn steep liquor. We estimate that N2-utilizing Z. mobilis could save a cellulosic ethanol production facility more than $1 million/y. PMID:25646422

PREPARATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND CATALYTIC ACTIVITY TEST OF CoMo/ZnO CATALYST ON ETHANOL CONVERSION USING STEAM REFORMING METHOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wega Trisunaryanti

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Preparation, characterization and catalytic activity test of CoMo/ZnO catalyst for steam reforming of ethanol have been investigated. The catalysts preparation was carried out by impregnation of Co and/or Mo onto ZnO sample. Water excess was used in ethanol feed for steam reforming process under mol ratio of ethanol:water (1:10. Characterizations of catalysts were conducted by analysis of metal content using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS. Determination of catalysts acidity was conducted by gravimetric method of adsorption of pyridine base. Catalytic activity test on ethanol conversion using steam reforming method was conducted in a semi-flow reactor system, at a temperature of 400 oC, for 1.5 h under N2 flow rate of 10 mL/min. Gas product was analyzed by gas chromatograph with TCD system. The results of catalysts characterizations showed that the impregnation of Co and/or Mo metals on ZnO sample increased its acidity and specific surface area. The content of Co in Co/ZnO and CoMo/ZnO catalysts was 1.14 and 0.49 wt%. The Mo content in CoMo/ZnO catalyst was 0.36 wt%. The catalytic activity test result on ethanol conversion showed that the ZnO, Co/ZnO, and CoMo/ZnO catalysts produced gas fraction of 16.73, 28.53, and 35.53 wt%, respectively. The coke production of ZnO, Co/ZnO, and CoMo/ZnO catalysts was 0.86, 0.24, and 0.08 wt%, respectively. The gas products consisted mainly of hydrogen.   Keywords: CoMo/ZnO catalyst, steam reforming, ethanol

Development of a micro-turbine plant to run on gasifier producer gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-07-01

This report presents the results of a work programme to test a Capstone micro gas turbine using producer gas (1) in a test facility using synthetic producer gas at Advantca's research laboratories and (2) at the premises of Biomass Engineering Ltd where the micro gas turbine was coupled to an existing 80 kWe downdraft gasifier operating on clean wood and wood wastes. The initial tests at Advantica achieved successful operation of the Capstone micro gas turbine on 100% producer gas at a net electrical output of 5.5 kWe and with very low NOx emissions (<2 ppm). The micro turbine was then moved and recommissioned at a site belonging to Biomass Engineering where 350 hours of operation were achieved using producer gas and over 800 hours using natural gas. Problems were experienced during start-up due to limited access to control software and late delivery of the gas compressor for the micro turbine. Gas emissions and performance were deemed satisfactory. The report describes the test work at Advantica and at Biomass Engineering and discusses the technical and economic aspects of biomass gasification and micro turbine systems.

Development of indigenous laboratory scale gas atomizer for producing metal powders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, K.K.; Qasim, A.M.; Ahmed, P.

2011-01-01

Gas atomization is one of the methods for production of clean metal powders at relatively moderate cost. A laboratory scale gas atomizer was designed and fabricated indigenously to produce metal powders with a batch capacity of 500 g of copper (Cu). The design includes several features regarding fabrication and operation to provide optimum conditions for atomization. The inner diameter of atomizing chamber is 440 mm and its height is 1200 mm. The atomizing nozzle is of annular confined convergent type with an angle of 25 degree. Argon gas at desired pressure has been used for atomizing the metals to produce relatively clean powders. A provision has also been made to view the atomization process. The indigenous laboratory scale gas atomizer was used to produce tin (Sn) and copper (Cu) powders with different atomizing gas pressures ranging from 2 to 10 bar. The particle size of different powders produced ranges from 40 to 400 im. (author)

Market penetration of ethanol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szulczyk, Kenneth R.; McCarl, Bruce A.; Cornforth, Gerald

2010-01-01

This research examines in detail the technology and economics of substituting ethanol for gasoline. This endeavor examines three issues. First, the benefits of ethanol/gasoline blends are examined, and then the technical problems of large-scale implementation of ethanol. Second, ethanol production possibilities are examined in detail from a variety of feedstocks and technologies. The feedstocks are the starch/sugar crops and crop residues, while the technologies are corn wet mill, dry grind, and lignocellulosic fermentation. Examining in detail the production possibilities allows the researchers to identity the extent of technological change, production costs, byproducts, and GHG emissions. Finally, a U.S. agricultural model, FASOMGHG, is updated which predicts the market penetration of ethanol given technological progress, variety of technologies and feedstocks, market interactions, energy prices, and GHG prices. FASOMGHG has several interesting results. First, gasoline prices have a small expansionary impact on the U.S. ethanol industry. Both agricultural producers' income and cost both increase with higher energy prices. If wholesale gasoline is $4 per gallon, the predicted ethanol market penetration attains 53% of U.S. gasoline consumption in 2030. Second, the corn wet mill remains an important industry for ethanol production, because this industry also produces corn oil, which could be converted to biodiesel. Third, GHG prices expand the ethanol industry. However, the GHG price expands the corn wet mill, but has an ambiguous impact on lignocellulosic ethanol. Feedstocks for lignocellulosic fermentation can also be burned with coal to generate electricity. Both industries are quite GHG efficient. Finally, U.S. government subsidies on biofuels have an expansionary impact on ethanol production, but may only increase market penetration by an additional 1% in 2030, which is approximately 6 billion gallons. (author)

Marketing advisors and their role for junior gas producers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maffitt, D.W. [Phoenix Gas Marketing Consultants Inc., Calgary, AB (Canada)

1997-05-01

The role of marketing advisors in the new deregulated natural gas industry was discussed. These producer-oriented marketing consultants are specialists in providing affordable marketing services to junior gas producers on an `as-needed` basis. The most important service provided by marketing advisors is helping the client identify management problems, analyze such problems and recommend solutions. Accordingly, the marketing advisor should be independent and objective, with no conflict of interests. He/she should be prepared to invest a lot of time and effort in providing the junior producer with a customized diagnosis of its marketing problems. 5 refs., 3 figs.

Marketing advisors and their role for junior gas producers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maffitt, D.W.

1997-01-01

The role of marketing advisors in the new deregulated natural gas industry was discussed. These producer-oriented marketing consultants are specialists in providing affordable marketing services to junior gas producers on an 'as-needed' basis. The most important service provided by marketing advisors is helping the client identify management problems, analyze such problems and recommend solutions. Accordingly, the marketing advisor should be independent and objective, with no conflict of interests. He/she should be prepared to invest a lot of time and effort in providing the junior producer with a customized diagnosis of its marketing problems. 5 refs., 3 figs

The Computational Singular Perturbation/Perfectly Stirred Reactor Approach in Reduced Chemistry of Premixed Ethanol Combustion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fratalocchi, V.; Kok, J. B.W.

2017-01-01

Ethanol is a bio-fuel widely used in engines as a fuel or fuel additive. It is, in particular, attractive because it can be easily produced in high quality from renewable resources. Its properties are of interest in many fields, such as gas turbines applications as well as fuel cells. In the past

Fact sheet: Ethanol from corn

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-05-31

This fact sheet is intended to provide an overview of the advantages of ethanol from corn, emphasizing ethanol`s contribution to environmental protection and sustainable agriculture. Ethanol, an alternative fuel used as an octane enhancer is produced through the conversion of starch to sugars by enzymes, and fermentation of these sugars to ethanol by yeast. The production process may involve wet milling or dry milling. Both these processes produce valuable by-products, in addition to ethanol and carbon dioxide. Ethanol contains about 32,000 BTU per litre. It is commonly believed that using state-of-the-art corn farming and corn processing processes, the amount of energy contained in ethanol and its by-products would be more than twice the energy required to grow and process corn into ethanol. Ethanol represents the third largest market for Ontario corn, after direct use as animal feed and wet milling for starch, corn sweetener and corn oil. The environmental consequences of using ethanol are very significant. It is estimated that a 10 per cent ethanol blend in gasoline would result in a 25 to 30 per cent decrease in carbon monoxide emissions, a 6 to 10 per cent decrease in net carbon dioxide, a slight increase in nitrous oxide emissions which, however, would still result in an overall decrease in ozone formation, since the significant reduction in carbon monoxide emissions would compensate for any slight increase in nitrous oxide. Volatile organic compounds emission would also decrease by about 7 per cent with a 10 per cent ethanol blend. High level blends could reduce VOCs production by as much as 30 per cent. 7 refs.

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of ethyl palmitate calibration and resolution with ethyl oleate as biomarker ethanol sub acute in urine application study

Science.gov (United States)

Suaniti, Ni Made; Manurung, Manuntun

2016-03-01

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry is used to separate two and more compounds and identify fragment ion specific of biomarker ethanol such as palmitic acid ethyl ester (PAEE), as one of the fatty acid ethyl esters as early detection through conyugated reaction. This study aims to calibrate ethyl palmitate and develop analysis with oleate acid. This methode can be used analysis ethanol and its chemistry biomarker in ethanol sub-acute consumption as analytical forensic toxicology. The result show that ethanol level in urine rats Wistar were 9.21 and decreased 6.59 ppm after 48 hours consumption. Calibration curve of ethyl palmitate was y = 0.2035 x + 1.0465 and R2 = 0.9886. Resolution between ethyl palmitate and oleate were >1.5 as good separation with fragment ion specific was 88 and the retention time was 18 minutes.

Compositional simulations of producing oil-gas ratio behaviour in low permeable gas condensate reservoir

OpenAIRE

Gundersen, Pål Lee

2013-01-01

Master's thesis in Petroleum engineering Gas condensate flow behaviour below the dew point in low permeable formations can make accurate fluid sampling a difficult challenge. The objective of this study was to investigate the producing oil-gas ratio behaviour in the infinite-acting period for a low permeable gas condensate reservoir. Compositional isothermal flow simulations were performed using a single-layer, radial and two-dimensional, gas condensate reservoir model with low permeabili...

Percutaneous computed tomography-guided ethanol injection in aldosterone-producing adrenocortical adenoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rossi, R.; Savastano, S.; Tommaselli, A.P.

1995-01-01

The feasibility, safety and effectiveness of percutaneous computed tomography-guided ethanol injection (PEI-CT) was investigated in a patient affected by aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA). A 42-year-old male patient with typical features of hyperaldosteronism presented a solitary left adrenal adenoma measuring 2 cm, with a normal contralateral gland, evidenced by both CT scan and adrenal [ 75 Se-19]-nor-cholesterol scintigraphy. After normalization of potassium plasma levels, 4 ml of sterile 95% ethanol with 0.5 ml of 80% iothalamate sodium was injected. The procedure was completed in about 30 min. No severe pain or local complication was noted. Five hour after PEI, a fourfold and a twofold increase in aldosterone and cortisol plasma levels were observed, respectively. After 11 days on a normal sodium and potassium diet, normal potassium plasma levels and reduced aldosterone plasma levels were present, with reappearance of an aldosterone postural response. Plasma renin activity and aldosterone plasma levels normalized 1 month later, with reappearance also of a plasma renin activity postural response and maintenance of normal potassium plasma levels on a high sodium and normal potassium diet. The patient has remained hypertensive, although lower antihypertensive drug dosages have been employed. After 17 months, normal biochemical, hormonal and morphological findings were present. The authors suggested PEI-CT as a further alternative approach to surgery in the management of carefully selected patients with APA. 15 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

Nonrenewable energy cost of corn-ethanol in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Q.; Chen, G.Q.

2012-01-01

Nonrenewable energy cost is accounted for the believed renewable biofuel of corn-ethanol in China. By a process-based energy analysis, nonrenewable energy cost in the corn-ethanol production process incorporating agricultural crop production, industrial conversion and wastewater treatment is conservatively estimated as 1.70 times that of the ethanol energy produced, corresponding to a negative energy return in contrast to the positive ones previously reported. Nonrenewable energy cost associated with wastewater treatment usually ignored in previous researches is shown important in the energy balance. Denoting the heavy nonrenewability of the produced corn-ethanol, the calculated nonrenewable energy cost would rise to 3.64 folds when part of the nonrenewable energy cost associated with water consumption, transportation and environmental remediation is included. Due to the coal dominated nonrenewable energy structure in China, corn-ethanol processes in China are mostly a conversion of coal to ethanol. Validations and discussions are also presented to reveal policy implications against corn based ethanol as an alternative energy in long term energy security planning. - Highlights: ► Nonrenewable energy (NE) cost is conservatively accounted for corn-ethanol in China. ► Corn cultivation, ethanol conversion and wastewater treatment are included. ► NE cost is estimated as 1.70 times that of the ethanol energy produced. ► Corn-ethanol processes in China are mostly a conversion of coal to ethanol.

Common ground : bitumen and gas producers come together to find gas-over-bitumen solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ross, E.

2005-08-01

The gas-over-bitumen issue has meant that hundreds of natural gas wells remain closed while regulatory hearings and research activities continue. The Alberta Energy and Utilities Board should soon reach a final decision on the status of gas wells considered to be a threat to thermal extraction of underlying oil sands. This article discussed collaborative efforts by oil and gas companies to resolve these issues, including the use of fluid injection technology, low pressure Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) and artificial lift. The objective of the Gas Reinjection and Production Experiment (GRIPE) is to reinject gas to displace natural gas being produced. The pilot project, conducted by Paramount Resources Ltd., consists of 2 injector wells, 4 producers and 12 observation wells that measure gas pressure in the reservoir. The project also includes a 2 stage compressor modified to handle flue gas. According to reservoir simulations, Paramount should be able to recover between 50 to 60 per cent of the remaining gas in place. Results from the pilot suggest that the technique could result in more than half the currently shut-in pools being re-opened. It was suggested that gas-by-gas displacement may result in higher recovery rates because there is usually more remaining gas in place. It was noted that EnCana Corporation has also been repressurizing a depleted natural gas pool by injecting compressed air rather than flue gas. Various other projects were reviewed, including the use of electric submersible pumps, low pressure SAGD and new SAGD well pair configurations. It was concluded that the artificial lift and low pressure SAGD technical sub-committee have now filed 10 applications for funding under the Alberta Energy Department's Innovative Energy Technology Program.

Rapid analysis of ethanol and water in commercial products using ionic liquid capillary gas chromatography with thermal conductivity detection and/or barrier discharge ionization detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Weatherly, Choyce A; Woods, Ross M; Armstrong, Daniel W

2014-02-26

Analysis of ethanol and water in consumer products is important in a variety of processes and often is mandated by regulating agencies. A method for the simultaneous quantitation of ethanol and water that is simple, accurate, precise, rapid, and cost-effective is demonstrated. This approach requires no internal standard for the quantitation of both ethanol and water at any/all levels in commercial products. Ionic liquid based gas chromatography (GC) capillary columns are used to obtain a fast analysis with high selectivity and resolution of water and ethanol. Typical run times are just over 3 min. Examination of the response range of water and ethanol with GC, thermal conductivity detection (TCD), and barrier ionization detection (BID) is performed. Quantitation of both ethanol and water in consumer products is accomplished with both TCD and BID GC detectors using a nonlinear calibration. Validation of method accuracy is accomplished by using standard reference materials.

The ethanol pathway from Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum improves ethanol production in Clostridium thermocellum.

Science.gov (United States)

Hon, Shuen; Olson, Daniel G; Holwerda, Evert K; Lanahan, Anthony A; Murphy, Sean J L; Maloney, Marybeth I; Zheng, Tianyong; Papanek, Beth; Guss, Adam M; Lynd, Lee R

2017-07-01

Clostridium thermocellum ferments cellulose, is a promising candidate for ethanol production from cellulosic biomass, and has been the focus of studies aimed at improving ethanol yield. Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum ferments hemicellulose, but not cellulose, and has been engineered to produce ethanol at high yield and titer. Recent research has led to the identification of four genes in T. saccharolyticum involved in ethanol production: adhE, nfnA, nfnB and adhA. We introduced these genes into C. thermocellum and observed significant improvements to ethanol yield, titer, and productivity. The four genes alone, however, were insufficient to achieve in C. thermocellum the ethanol yields and titers observed in engineered T. saccharolyticum strains, even when combined with gene deletions targeting hydrogen production. This suggests that other parts of T. saccharolyticum metabolism may also be necessary to reproduce the high ethanol yield and titer phenotype in C. thermocellum. Copyright © 2017 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Changes in carbon footprint when integrating production of filamentous fungi in 1st generation ethanol plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Brancoli, Pedro; Ferreira, Jorge A; Bolton, Kim; Taherzadeh, Mohammad J

2018-02-01

Integrating the cultivation of edible filamentous fungi in the thin stillage from ethanol production is presently being considered. This integration can increase the ethanol yield while simultaneously producing a new value-added protein-rich biomass that can be used for animal feed. This study uses life cycle assessment to determine the change in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when integrating the cultivation of filamentous fungi in ethanol production. The result shows that the integration performs better than the current scenario when the fungal biomass is used as cattle feed for system expansion and when energy allocation is used. It performs worse if the biomass is used as fish feed. Hence, integrating the cultivation of filamentous fungi in 1st generation ethanol plants combined with proper use of the fungi can lead to a reduction of GHG emissions which, considering the number of existing ethanol plants, can have a significant global impact. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lignocellulosic ethanol in Brazil : technical assessment of 1st and 2nd generation sugarcane ethanol in a Brazilian setting

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stojanovic, M.; Bakker, R.R.C.

2009-01-01

Brazil is currently the largest ethanol-biofuel producer worldwide. Ethanol is produced by fermenting the sucrose part of the sugarcane that contains only one third of the sugarcane energy. The rest of the plant is burned to produce energy to run the process and to generate electricity that is sold

Greenhouse gasses emissions and energy balances of a non-vertically integrated sugar and ethanol supply chain: A case study in Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acreche, Martín M.; Valeiro, Alejandro H.

2013-01-01

In order to address society's concerns regarding the sustainability of sugar and ethanol production and use, this paper calculates the energy and greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions' balances of a non-vertically integrated sugarcane industry in Tucumán-Argentina. The essential operations involved in the sugar/ethanol production cycle were taken into account. Results show that this industry generated an energy balance of 3.4:1. GHG emissions during sugarcane production were 1824 and 2231 kg CO 2 eq. ha −1 year −1 for low and middle to high farms' technological levels, respectively. The mill process emitted 1187 kg CO 2 eq. ha −1 year −1 . The main factors influencing these balances were gas-oil and nitrogen fertilizers used in the agricultural stage, natural gas consumed by the sugar mill, and sugarcane burning (only for GHG balance). The impact of ethanol use in reducing GHG emissions under the current production scheme (6.8 Mg ha −1 of sugar + 380.9 kg ha −1 of ethanol), in final blends of 95% gasoline and 5% ethanol in vehicles, is negligible. A sensitivity analysis indicates that switching to 100% bagasse used as fuel in mill's boilers, ethanol being produced directly from sugarcane juice, and a final blend of 90% gasoline and 10% ethanol, an amount of 1746 kg CO 2 eq. ha −1 year −1 of GHG emissions could be avoided. - Highlights: ► Energy and GHG emissions' balances for the non-integrated sugar/ethanol industry in Tucumán-Argentina. ► The energy balance was positive, while there were important GHG emissions. ► Factors influencing both balances were gas-oil, N fertilizers, burning and natural gas. ► Ethanol use for reducing GHG emissions in the current production scheme is negligible. ► Results are promising, as the main factors influencing both balances are identified

The Role of Cellulosic Ethanol in Transportation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robert M. Neilson, Jr.

2007-10-01

Petroleum provides essentially all of the energy used today in the transportation sector. To reduce this dependence on fossil energy, other fuels are beginning to be used, notably ethanol and biodiesel. Almost all fuel ethanol is produced by the conversion of corn grain to starch with subsequent fermentation to ethanol. In 2006, almost 5 billion gallons of fuel ethanol were produced, which used 17% of domestic corn production. The DOE has a goal to displace 30% of motor gasoline demand or 60 billion gallons per year by 2030. To achieve this goal, production of ethanol from lignocellulosic sources (e.g., agricultural residues, forest residues, and dedicated energy crops) is needed. This paper will describe the production of cellulosic ethanol as well as the issues and benefits associated with its production.

Energy balance and GHG-abatement cost of cassava utilization for fuel ethanol in Thailand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, Thu Lan Thi; Gheewala, Shabbir H.; Garivait, Savitri

2007-01-01

Since 2001, in order to enhance ethanol's cost competitiveness with gasoline, the Thai government has approved the exemption of excise tax imposed on ethanol, controlling the retail price of gasohol (a mixture of ethanol and gasoline at a ratio of 1:9) to be less than that of octane 95 gasoline, within a range not exceeding 1.5 baht a litre. The policy to promote ethanol for transport is being supported by its positive effects on energy security and climate change mitigation. An analysis of energy, greenhouse gas (GHG) balances and GHG abatement cost was done to evaluate fuel ethanol produced from cassava in Thailand. Positive energy balance of 22.4 MJ/L and net avoided GHG emission of 1.6 kg CO 2 eq./L found for cassava-based ethanol (CE) proved that it would be a good substitute for gasoline, effective in fossil energy saving and GHG reduction. With a GHG abatement cost of US$99 per tonne of CO 2 , CE is rather less cost effective than the many other climate strategies relevant to Thailand in the short term. Opportunities for improvements are discussed to make CE a reasonable option for national climate policy

Bridging the logistics gap for sustainable ethanol production: the CentroSul ethanol pipeline

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Megiolaro, Moacir; Daud, Rodrigo; Pittelli, Fernanda [CentroSul Transportadora Dutoviaria, SP (Brazil); Singer, Eugenio [EMS Consultant, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2009-07-01

The continuous increase of ethanol production and growth in consumption in Brazil is a reality that poses significant logistics challenges both for producers and consumers. The Brazilian local market absorbs a great portion of the country's production of ethanol, but the export market is also experiencing significant expansion so that both local and external market consumption will require more adequate transportation solutions. The alternative routes for Brazilian ethanol exports within the South and Southeast regions of Brazil range from the port of Paranagua, in the state of Parana, to the port of Vitoria, in the state of Espirito Santo. Each of these routes is about 1,000 km distance from the main production areas in the Central South states of Brazil. Brazilian highways and railways systems are overly congested and do not present efficient logistics alternatives for the transportation of large ethanol flows over long distances (cross-country) from the central Midwest regions of the country to the consumer and export markets in the Southeast. In response to the challenge to overcome such logistic gaps, CentroSul Transportadora Dutoviaria 'CentroSul', a company recently founded by a Brazilian ethanol producer group, the Brenco Group, is developing a project for the first fully-dedicated ethanol pipeline to be constructed in Brazil. The ethanol pipeline will transport 3,3 million m{sup 3} of Brenco - Brazilian Renewable Energy Company's ethanol production and an additional 4,7 million cubic meters from other Brazilian producers. The pipeline, as currently projected, will, at its full capacity, displace a daily vehicle fleet equivalent to 500 trucks which would be required to transport the 8,0 million cubic meters from their production origins to the delivery regions. In addition, the project will reduce GHG (trucking) emissions minimizing the project's overall ecological footprint. Key steps including conceptual engineering, environmental

The role of ethanol in heroin deaths.

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, B; Green, D; Smialek, J E

1995-09-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of ethanol in deaths due to heroin intoxication. Over a 12 month period, all cases investigated by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, State of Maryland where a blood screen by Roche Abuscreen radioimmunoassay (RIA) was positive at a cutoff of 100 ng/mL were included in the study. Free morphine was quantitated using the Coat-A-Count RIA and ethanol was quantitated by head space gas chromatography. All presumptive morphine positive cases were confirmed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Seventy of the 119 cases where death was attributed to narcotic or alcohol and narcotic intoxication had blood ethanol concentrations (BAC) greater than or equal to 0.02 g/dL; 48 had BAC > or = 0.10 g/dL. Only 3 of 45 cases where morphine was identified but was unrelated to death had BAC > or = 0.02 g/dL. At all ranges of free morphine concentrations, there was a greater percentage of narcotic deaths when ethanol was present. From the data, we conclude that 1) the use of even small amounts of ethanol with heroin is clearly a risk factor in deaths due to heroin, 2) there are some heroin deaths where no free morphine is identified in the blood. In these deaths, ethanol is unlikely to be present, 3) at blood ethanol concentrations between 0.20 and 0.29 g/dL, the morphine concentrations in heroin deaths increased significantly, 4) at blood ethanol concentrations greater than 0.30 g/dL, morphine became less of a factor than the ethanol in causing death.

Improvement of ethanol yield from glycerol via conversion of pyruvate to ethanol in metabolically engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Kyung Ok; Jung, Ju; Ramzi, Ahmad Bazli; Kim, Seung Wook; Park, Chulhwan; Han, Sung Ok

2012-02-01

The conversion of low-priced glycerol to higher value products has been proposed as a way to improve the economic viability of the biofuels industry. In a previous study, the conversion of glycerol to ethanol in a metabolically engineered strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was accomplished by minimizing the synthesis of glycerol, the main by-product in ethanol fermentation processing. To further improve ethanol production, overexpression of the native genes involved in conversion of pyruvate to ethanol in S. cerevisiae was successfully accomplished. The overexpression of an alcohol dehydrogenase (adh1) and a pyruvate decarboxylase (pdc1) caused an increase in growth rate and glycerol consumption under fermentative conditions, which led to a slight increase of the final ethanol yield. The overall expression of the adh1 and pdc1 genes in the modified strains, combined with the lack of the fps1 and gpd2 genes, resulted in a 1.4-fold increase (about 5.4 g/L ethanol produced) in fps1Δgpd2Δ (pGcyaDak, pGupCas) (about 4.0 g/L ethanol produced). In summary, it is possible to improve the ethanol yield by overexpression of the genes involved in the conversion of pyruvate to ethanol in engineered S. cerevisiae using glycerol as substrate.

Pathway engineering to improve ethanol production by thermophilic bacteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lynd, L.R.

1998-12-31

Continuation of a research project jointly funded by the NSF and DOE is proposed. The primary project goal is to develop and characterize strains of C. thermocellum and C. thermosaccharolyticum having ethanol selectivity similar to more convenient ethanol-producing organisms. An additional goal is to document the maximum concentration of ethanol that can be produced by thermophiles. These goals build on results from the previous project, including development of most of the genetic tools required for pathway engineering in the target organisms. As well, we demonstrated that the tolerance of C. thermosaccharolyticum to added ethanol is sufficiently high to allow practical utilization should similar tolerance to produced ethanol be demonstrated, and that inhibition by neutralizing agents may explain the limited concentrations of ethanol produced in studies to date. Task 1 involves optimization of electrotransformation, using either modified conditions or alternative plasmids to improve upon the low but reproducible transformation, frequencies we have obtained thus far.

Ethanol fuels in Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trindade, S.C.

1993-01-01

The largest alternative transportation fuels program in the world today is Brazil's Proalcool Program. About 6.0 million metric tons of oil equivalent (MTOE) of ethanol, derived mainly from sugar cane, were consumed as transportation fuels in 1991 (equivalent to 127,000 barrels of crude oil per day). Total primary energy consumed by the Brazilian economy in 1991 was 184.1 million MTOE, and approximately 4.3 million vehicles -- about one third of the total vehicle fleet or about 40 percent of the total car population -- run on hydrous or open-quotes neatclose quotes ethanol at the azeotropic composition (96 percent ethanol, 4 percent water, by volume). Additional transportation fuels available in the country are diesel and gasoline, the latter of which is defined by three grades. Gasoline A (regular, leaded gas)d has virtually been replaced by gasoline C, a blend of gasoline and up to 22 percent anhydrous ethanol by volume, and gasoline B (premium gasoline) has been discontinued as a result of neat ethanol market penetration

Production of ethanol from cellulose (sawdust)

OpenAIRE

Otulugbu, Kingsley

2012-01-01

The production of ethanol from food such as corn, cassava etc. is the most predominate way of producing ethanol. This has led to a shortage in food, inbalance in food chain, increased food price and indirect land use. This thesis thus explores using another feed for the production of ethanol- hence ethanol from cellulose. Sawdust was used to carry out the experiment from the production of ethanol and two methods were considered: SHF (Separate Hydrolysis and Fermentation) and SSF (Simultaneous...

From the Cover: Environmental, economic, and energetic costs and benefits of biodiesel and ethanol biofuels

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Jason; Nelson, Erik; Tilman, David; Polasky, Stephen; Tiffany, Douglas

2006-07-01

Negative environmental consequences of fossil fuels and concerns about petroleum supplies have spurred the search for renewable transportation biofuels. To be a viable alternative, a biofuel should provide a net energy gain, have environmental benefits, be economically competitive, and be producible in large quantities without reducing food supplies. We use these criteria to evaluate, through life-cycle accounting, ethanol from corn grain and biodiesel from soybeans. Ethanol yields 25% more energy than the energy invested in its production, whereas biodiesel yields 93% more. Compared with ethanol, biodiesel releases just 1.0%, 8.3%, and 13% of the agricultural nitrogen, phosphorus, and pesticide pollutants, respectively, per net energy gain. Relative to the fossil fuels they displace, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced 12% by the production and combustion of ethanol and 41% by biodiesel. Biodiesel also releases less air pollutants per net energy gain than ethanol. These advantages of biodiesel over ethanol come from lower agricultural inputs and more efficient conversion of feedstocks to fuel. Neither biofuel can replace much petroleum without impacting food supplies. Even dedicating all U.S. corn and soybean production to biofuels would meet only 12% of gasoline demand and 6% of diesel demand. Until recent increases in petroleum prices, high production costs made biofuels unprofitable without subsidies. Biodiesel provides sufficient environmental advantages to merit subsidy. Transportation biofuels such as synfuel hydrocarbons or cellulosic ethanol, if produced from low-input biomass grown on agriculturally marginal land or from waste biomass, could provide much greater supplies and environmental benefits than food-based biofuels. corn | soybean | life-cycle accounting | agriculture | fossil fuel

CO and PAH emissions from engines operating on producer gas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahrenfeldt, Jesper

2005-01-01

High carbon monoxide (CO) emission from gas engines fueled by producer gas is a concerning problem in the struggle to make biomass gasification for heat and power production a success. The standing regulations concerning CO emissions from gas engine based power plants in most EU countries are so ...

Detection of greenhouse gas precursors from ethanol powered vehicles in Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tavares, Juliana R.; Sthel, Marcelo S.; Rocha, Mila V. da; Lima, Guilherme R.; Silva, Marcelo G. da; Vargas, Helion

2014-01-01

The use of fossil fuels on the transport sector has caused the emission of various air pollutants, which can cause numerous damages to the atmosphere and to human health. In order to minimize pollutant emission, Brazilian government has encouraged the use of alternatives fuels, such as ethanol. Ethanol can be a great ally in global warming mitigation due to its potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in its renewable cycle. Otherwise, other pollutant gases emitted during ethanol combustion can contribute directly or indirectly to intensify global warming. In this study, Photoacoustic and Electrochemical sensors were used to detect greenhouse precursor gases, such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and especially ethylene, a primary pollutant in the generation of tropospheric ozone, in the exhaust of ethanol powered vehicles, in the range of ppmv. - Highlights: • Using CO 2 and Quantum Cascade Laser Photoacoustic Spectrometer, we could prove the presence of ethylene in the exhaust of ethanol vehicles for the first time. • Photoacoustic technique has proven excellent requirements, such as selectivity, sensitivity, and portability for ethylene detection in the vehicles exhaust. • Using electrochemical sensors, we could detect CO and NO x in ethanol powered vehicles in ppmV range

Continuous determination of volatile products in anaerobic fermenters by on-line capillary gas chromatography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diamantis, V.; Melidis, P.; Aivasidis, A.

2006-01-01

Bio-ethanol and biogas produced during the anaerobic conversion of organic compounds has been a subject of great interest since the oil crisis of the 1970s. In ethanol fermentation and anaerobic treatment of wastewaters, end-product (ethanol) and intermediate-products (short-chain fatty acids, SCFA) cause inhibition that results in reduced process efficiency. Control of these constituents is of utmost importance for bioreactor optimization and process stability. Ethanol and SCFA can be detected with precision by capillary gas chromatography usually conducted in off-line measurements. In this work, an on-line monitoring and controlling system was developed and connected to the fermenter via an auto-sampling equipment, which could perform the feeding, filtration and dilution of the sample and final injection into the gas chromatograph through an automation-based programmed procedure. The sample was continuously pumped from the recycle stream of the bioreactor and treated using a microfiltration unit. The concentrate was returned to the reactor while the permeate was quantitatively mixed with an internal standard solution. The system comprised of a gas chromatograph with the flow cell and one-shot sampler and a PC with the appropriate software. The on-line measurement of ethanol and SCFA, directly from the liquid phase of an ethanol fermenter and a high-rate continuous mode anaerobic digester, was accomplished by gas chromatography. Also, this monitoring and controlling system was proved to be effective in the continuous fermentation of alcohol-free beer

Ethanol production from alfalfa fiber fractions by saccharification and fermentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sreenath, H.K. [University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States). Dept. of Biological Systems Engineering; USDA Forest Service, Madison, WI (United States). Forest Products Lab.; Koegel, R.G. [US Department of Agriculture, Madison, WI (United States). Dairy Forage Research Center; Moldes, A.B. [USDA Forest Service, Madison, WI (United States). Forest Products Lab.; Universidade de Vigo, Ourense (Spain); Jeffries, T.W. [USDA Forest Service, Madison, WI (United States). Forest Products Lab.; Straub, R.J. [University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States). Dept. of Biological Systems Engineering

2001-07-01

This work describes ethanol production from alfalfa fiber using separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) with and without liquid hot water (LHW) pretreatment. Candida shehatae FPL-702 produced 5 and 6.4 g/l ethanol with a yield of 0.25 and 0.16 g ethanol/g sugar respectively by SHF and SSF from alfalfa fiber without pretreatment. With LHW pretreatment using SSF, C. shehatae FPL-702 produced 18.0 g/l ethanol, a yield of 0.45 g ethanol/g sugar from cellulosic solids or 'raffinate'. Using SHF, it produced 9.6 g/l ethanol, a yield of 0.47 g ethanol/g sugar from raffinate. However, the soluble extract fraction containing hemicelluloses was poorly fermented in both SHF and SSF due to the presence of inhibitors. Addition of dilute acid during LHW pretreatment of alfalfa fiber resulted in fractions that were poorly saccharified and fermented. These results show that unpretreated alfalfa fiber produced a lower ethanol yield. Although LHW pretreatment can increase ethanol production from raffinate fiber fractions, it does not increase production from the hemicellulosic and pectin fractions. (author)

Lifecycle greenhouse gas implications of US national scenarios for cellulosic ethanol production

Science.gov (United States)

Scown, Corinne D.; Nazaroff, William W.; Mishra, Umakant; Strogen, Bret; Lobscheid, Agnes B.; Masanet, Eric; Santero, Nicholas J.; Horvath, Arpad; McKone, Thomas E.

2012-03-01

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 set an annual US national production goal of 39.7 billion l of cellulosic ethanol by 2020. This paper explores the possibility of meeting that target by growing and processing Miscanthus × giganteus. We define and assess six production scenarios in which active cropland and/or Conservation Reserve Program land are used to grow to Miscanthus. The crop and biorefinery locations are chosen with consideration of economic, land-use, water management and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction objectives. Using lifecycle assessment, the net GHG footprint of each scenario is evaluated, providing insight into the climate costs and benefits associated with each scenario’s objectives. Assuming that indirect land-use change is successfully minimized or mitigated, the results suggest two major drivers for overall GHG impact of cellulosic ethanol from Miscanthus: (a) net soil carbon sequestration or emissions during Miscanthus cultivation and (b) GHG offset credits for electricity exported by biorefineries to the grid. Without these factors, the GHG intensity of bioethanol from Miscanthus is calculated to be 11-13 g CO2-equivalent per MJ of fuel, which is 80-90% lower than gasoline. Including soil carbon sequestration and the power-offset credit results in net GHG sequestration up to 26 g CO2-equivalent per MJ of fuel.

Lifecycle greenhouse gas implications of US national scenarios for cellulosic ethanol production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scown, Corinne D; Nazaroff, William W; Strogen, Bret; Santero, Nicholas J; Horvath, Arpad; Mishra, Umakant; Lobscheid, Agnes B; Masanet, Eric; McKone, Thomas E

2012-01-01

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 set an annual US national production goal of 39.7 billion l of cellulosic ethanol by 2020. This paper explores the possibility of meeting that target by growing and processing Miscanthus × giganteus. We define and assess six production scenarios in which active cropland and/or Conservation Reserve Program land are used to grow to Miscanthus. The crop and biorefinery locations are chosen with consideration of economic, land-use, water management and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction objectives. Using lifecycle assessment, the net GHG footprint of each scenario is evaluated, providing insight into the climate costs and benefits associated with each scenario’s objectives. Assuming that indirect land-use change is successfully minimized or mitigated, the results suggest two major drivers for overall GHG impact of cellulosic ethanol from Miscanthus: (a) net soil carbon sequestration or emissions during Miscanthus cultivation and (b) GHG offset credits for electricity exported by biorefineries to the grid. Without these factors, the GHG intensity of bioethanol from Miscanthus is calculated to be 11–13 g CO 2 -equivalent per MJ of fuel, which is 80–90% lower than gasoline. Including soil carbon sequestration and the power-offset credit results in net GHG sequestration up to 26 g CO 2 -equivalent per MJ of fuel. (letter)

Influence of Thickness on Ethanol Sensing Characteristics of Doctor-bladed Thick Film from Flame-made ZnO Nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sukon Phanichphant

2007-02-01

Full Text Available ZnO nanoparticles were produced by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP using zincnaphthenate as a precursor dissolved in toluene/acetonitrile (80/20 vol%. The particleproperties were analyzed by XRD, BET, and HR-TEM. The sensing films were produced bymixing the particles into an organic paste composed of terpineol and ethyl cellulose as avehicle binder and were fabricated by doctor-blade technique with various thicknesses (5,10, 15 μm. The morphology of the sensing films was analyzed by SEM and EDS analyses.The gas sensing characteristics to ethanol (25-250 ppm were evaluated as a function of filmthickness at 400°C in dry air. The relationship between thickness and ethanol sensingcharacteristics of ZnO thick film on Al2O3 substrate interdigitated with Au electrodes wereinvestigated. The effects of film thickness, as well as the cracking phenomenon, though,many cracks were observed for thicker sensing films. Crack widths increased withincreasing film thickness. The film thickness, cracking and ethanol concentration havesignificant effect on the sensing characteristics. The sensing characteristics with variousthicknesses were compared, showing the tendency of the sensitivity to ethanol decreasedwith increasing film thickness and response time. The relationship between gas sensingproperties and film thickness was discussed on the basis of diffusively and reactivity of thegases inside the oxide films. The thinnest sensing film (5 μm showed the highest sensitivityand the fastest response time (within seconds.

Secondary liquefaction in ethanol production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2007-01-01

The invention relates to a method of producing ethanol by fermentation, said method comprising a secondary liquefaction step in the presence of a themostable acid alpha-amylase or, a themostable maltogenic acid alpha-amylase.......The invention relates to a method of producing ethanol by fermentation, said method comprising a secondary liquefaction step in the presence of a themostable acid alpha-amylase or, a themostable maltogenic acid alpha-amylase....

Microbial production of a biofuel (acetone-butanol-ethanol) in a continuous bioreactor: impact of bleed and simultaneous product removal

Science.gov (United States)

Acetone butanol ethanol (ABE) was produced in an integrated continuous fermentation and product recovery system using a microbial strain Clostridium beijerinckii BA101 for ABE production and fermentation gases (CO2 and H2) for product removal by gas stripping. This represents a continuation of our ...

Mn nanoparticles produced by inert gas condensation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ward, M B; Brydson, R; Cochrane, R F

2006-01-01

The results from experiments using the inert gas condensation method to produce nanoparticles of manganese are presented. Structural and compositional data have been collected through electron diffraction, EDX (energy dispersive X-ray) and EELS (electron energy loss spectroscopy). Both Mn 3 O 4 and pure Mn particles have been produced. Moisture in untreated helium gas causes the particles to oxidize, whereas running the helium through a liquid nitrogen trap removes the moisture and produces β-Mn particles in a metastable state. The particle sizes and the size distribution have been determined. Particle sizes range from 2nm to above 100 nm, however the majority of particles lie in the range below 20 nm with a modal particle size of 6 nm. As well as the modal particle size of 6 nm, there is another peak in the frequency curve at 16 nm that represents another group particles that lie in the range 12 to 20 nm. The smaller particles are single crystals, but the larger particles appear to have a dense region around their edge with a less dense centre. Determination of their exact nature is ongoing

Low Temperature Particle Filtration of Producer Gas with Low Tar Content

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hindsgaul, Claus

This report describes the tests of different techniques for removing the particulates from producer gas from the 100 kW two-stage down-draft gasifier at DTU1 . The goal of the tests was to identify and implement methods to remove soot particles from producer gas with low tar content. During the f...

Ethanol production using engineered mutant E. coli

Science.gov (United States)

Ingram, Lonnie O.; Clark, David P.

1991-01-01

The subject invention concerns novel means and materials for producing ethanol as a fermentation product. Mutant E. coli are transformed with a gene coding for pyruvate decarboxylase activity. The resulting system is capable of producing relatively large amounts of ethanol from a variety of biomass sources.

Survey of potential health and safety hazards of commercial-scale ethanol production facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watson, A.P.; Smith, J.G.; Elmore, J.L.

1982-04-01

Generic safety and health aspects of commercial-scale (60 to 600 million L/y) anhydrous ethanol production were identified. Several common feedstocks (grains, roots and fibers, and sugarcane) and fuels (coal, natural gas, wood, and bagasse) were evaluated throughout each step of generic plant operation, from initial milling and sizing through saccharification, fermentation, distillation, and stillage disposal. The fermentation, digestion, or combustion phases are not particularly hazardous, although the strong acids and bases used for hydrolysis and pH adjustment should be handled with the same precautions that every industrial solvent deserves. The most serious safety hazard is that of explosion from grain dust or ethanol fume ignition and boiler/steam line overpressurization. Inhalation of ethanol and carbon dioxide vapors may cause intoxication or asphyxiation in unventilated areas, which could be particularly hazardous near equipment controls and agitating vats. Contact with low-pressure process steam would produce scalding burns. Benzene, used in stripping water from ethanol in the final distillation column, is a suspected leukemogen. Substitution of this fluid by alternative liquids is addressed.

Bacillus spp. produce antibacterial activities against lactic acid bacteria that contaminate fuel ethanol plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Manitchotpisit, Pennapa; Bischoff, Kenneth M; Price, Neil P J; Leathers, Timothy D

2013-05-01

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) frequently contaminate commercial fuel ethanol fermentations, reducing yields and decreasing profitability of biofuel production. Microorganisms from environmental sources in different geographic regions of Thailand were tested for antibacterial activity against LAB. Four bacterial strains, designated as ALT3A, ALT3B, ALT17, and MR1, produced inhibitory effects on growth of LAB. Sequencing of rRNA identified these strains as species of Bacillus subtilis (ALT3A and ALT3B) and B. cereus (ALT17 and MR1). Cell mass from colonies and agar samples from inhibition zones were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. The spectra of ALT3A and ALT3B showed a strong signal at m/z 1,060, similar in mass to the surfactin family of antimicrobial lipopeptides. ALT3A and ALT3B were analyzed by zymogram analysis using SDS-PAGE gels placed on agar plates inoculated with LAB. Cell lysates possessed an inhibitory protein of less than 10 kDa, consistent with the production of an antibacterial lipopeptide. Mass spectra of ALT17 and MR1 had notable signals at m/z 908 and 930 in the whole cell extracts and at m/z 687 in agar, but these masses do not correlate with those of previously reported antibacterial lipopeptides, and no antibacterial activity was detected by zymogram. The antibacterial activities produced by these strains may have application in the fuel ethanol industry as an alternative to antibiotics for prevention and control of bacterial contamination.

Sorghum to Ethanol Research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dahlberg, Jeffrey A. [Univ. of California, Parlier, CA (United States). Kearney Research and Extension Center; Wolfrum, Edward J. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States). Process and Analytical Engineering Group

2010-09-28

The development of a robust source of renewable transportation fuel will require a large amount of biomass feedstocks. It is generally accepted that in addition to agricultural and forestry residues, we will need crops grown specifically for subsequent conversion into fuels. There has been a lot of research on several of these so-called "dedicated bioenergy crops" including switchgrass, miscanthus, sugarcane, and poplar. It is likely that all of these crops will end up playing a role as feedstocks, depending on local environmental and market conditions. Many different types of sorghum have been grown to produce syrup, grain, and animal feed for many years. It has several features that may make it as compelling as other crops mentioned above as a renewable, sustainable biomass feedstock; however, very little work has been done to investigate sorghum as a dedicated bioenergy crop. The goal of this project was to investigate the feasibility of using sorghum biomass to produce ethanol. The work performed included a detailed examination of the agronomics and composition of a large number of sorghum varieties, laboratory experiments to convert sorghum to ethanol, and economic and life-cycle analyses of the sorghum-to-ethanol process. This work showed that sorghum has a very wide range of composition, which depended on the specific sorghum cultivar as well as the growing conditions. The results of laboratory- and pilot-scale experiments indicated that a typical high-biomass sorghum variety performed very similarly to corn stover during the multi-step process required to convert biomass feedstocks to ethanol; yields of ethanol for sorghum were very similar to the corn stover used as a control in these experiments. Based on multi-year agronomic data and theoretical ethanol production, sorghum can achieve more than 1,300 gallons of ethanol per acre given the correct genetics and environment. In summary, sorghum may be a compelling dedicated bioenergy crop that could help

Producing hydrogen from coke-oven gas: the Solmer project. [PSA process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernard, G; Vidal, J

1984-05-01

After presenting the energy situation at the Solmer plant, where coke-oven gas is produced to excess, the authors examine the technical and economic possibilities of utilizing this gas for hydrogen extraction. They describe a project (based on the PSA process) for producing some 65 t/d of hydrogen and present the technical features of the scheme. An evaluation of the energy and financial costs of producing the hydrogen confirms the competitive status of the process.

Ethanol synthesis and water gas shift over bifunctional sulfide catalysts. Final technical progress report, September 12, 1991--December 11, 1994

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klier, K.; Herman, R.G.; Deemer, M.; Richards-Babb, M.; Carr, T.

1995-07-01

The objective of this research was to investigate sulfur-resistant catalysts for the conversion of synthesis gas having H{sub 2}/CO {le} 1 into C{sub 1}--C{sub 4} alcohols, especially ethanol, by a highly selective and efficient pathway, while also promoting the water gas shift reaction (WGSR). The catalysts chosen are bifunctional, base-hydrogenation, sulfur-tolerant transition metal sulfides with heavy alkali, e.g. Cs{sup +}, promoter dispersed on their surfaces. The modes of activation of H{sub 2} and CO on MoS{sub 2} and alkali-doped MoS{sub 2} were considered, and computational analyses of the thermodynamic stability of transition metal sulfides and of the electronic structure of these sulfide catalysts were carried out. In the preparation of the cesium-promoted MoS{sub 2} catalysts, a variety of preparation methods using CsOOCH were examined. In all cases, doping with CsOOCH led to a lost of surface area. The undoped molybdenum disulfide catalyst only produced hydrocarbons. Cs-doped MoS{sub 2} catalysts all produced linear alcohols, along with smaller amounts of hydrocarbons. With a 20 wt% CsOOCH/MoS{sub 2} catalyst, temperature, pressure, and flow rate dependences of the synthesis reactions were investigated in the presence and absence of H{sub 2}S in the H{sub 2}/CO = 1/1 synthesis gas during short term testing experiments. It was shown that with a carefully prepared 10 wt% CsOOCH/MoS{sub 2} catalyst, reproducible and high alcohol synthesis activity could be obtained. For example, at 295 C with H{sub 2}/CO = 1 synthesis gas at 8.3 MPa and with GHSV = 7,760 l/kg cat/hr, the total alcohol space time yield was ca 300 g/kg cat/hr (accompanied with a hydrocarbon space time yield of ca 60 g/kg cat/hr). Over a testing period of ca 130 hr, no net deactivation of the catalyst was observed. 90 refs., 82 figs., 14 tabs.

Water and Land Use Efficiency in Current and Potential Future US Corn and Brazilian Sugarcane Ethanol Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Warner, E. S.; Zhang, Y.; Newmark, R. L.

2012-12-01

Biofuels represent an opportunity for domestic fuel production from renewable energy sources with potential environmental and social benefits such as reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) and promoting rural development. However, as demand for biofuel continues to increase worldwide, concerns about land competition between food and fuel, excessive water usage and other unintended environmental consequences have grown. Through a comparative study between US corn ethanol and Brazilian sugarcane ethanol, we examine the energy, land, water and GHG performance of the two largest industrial fuel ethanol production systems in the world. Our comparisons include current and potential future systems with improved agronomic practices, crop yields, ethanol conversion processes, and utilization of agricultural residues. Our results suggest that the average water footprints of US corn ethanol and Brazilian sugarcane ethanol are fairly close (108 and 110 m3/GJ of ethanol, respectively) while the variations can range from 50 to 250 m3/GJ for sugarcane ethanol and 50 to380 m3/GJ for corn ethanol. Results emphasize the need to examine the water footprint within the context of local and regional climatic variability, water availability, competing uses (e.g. agricultural, industrial, and municipal water needs) and other ecosystem constraints. Research is under way (at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and other institutions) to develop models to analyze water supply and demand at the watershed-scale for current and future biomass production, and to understand the tradeoffs among water supply, demand and quality due to more intensive agricultural practices and expansion of biofuels. Land use efficiency metrics, with regards to life cycle GHG emissions (without land use change) savings through gasoline displacement with ethanol, illustrate the progression of the biofuel industry and the importance of maximizing bioenergy production by utilizing both the crops and the residues. A recent

Evaluation of ethanol production from pito mash using Zymomonas ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFRICAN RESEARCH ... dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method, while analysis of ethanol content was performed using gas chromatography. ... Keywords: Pito mash, agro-industrial wastes, Zymomonas mobilis, ethanol, reducing sugars. Full Text: EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT

Ethanol production potential of local yeast strains isolated from ripe ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The ability of different yeast strains isolated from ripe banana peels to produce ethanol was investigated. Of the 8 isolates screened for their fermentation ability, 5 showed enhanced performance and were subsequently identified and assessed for important ethanol fermentation attributes such as ethanol producing ability, ...

New European context for gas producers/operators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deyirmendjian, J.

2008-01-01

The development of the European Union towards more integration would enter a new phase if the draft Third Directive regarding the natural gas industry and the deregulation of gas markets would be validated as it stands. The stakes for gas producing/operating companies are very high: they must position themselves either as networks and installations companies or as production and trading companies - meaning regulation and recurring revenues or the opportunities and risks of production and trade. Changes such these, added to the globalisation of gas flows linked to the development of liquefied natural gas (LNG), require more investments than in the past. These additional investments and this technological progress nevertheless give hope that this transformation will not noticeably weaken the security of gas supplies within the European Union (EU) despite the greater volatility of the markets, which are increasingly dominated by the strategies of financial operators. The author reviews the history of the development of the gas distribution networks in Europe and discusses details of the new draft directive aiming at more competition on a market that has been dominated so far by vertical structures. Similarities and differences to the deregulation of the European electricity market are discussed. The divergent attitudes of the EU Member States and the negotiation strategy of the European Commission are discussed. Merges of gas and electricity utilities are on the agenda. The author then reviews the current situation of natural gas consumption and supplies and the transportation and distribution facilities. Political factors influencing the security of supply are discussed. Underground gas storage facilities are crucial in this context. Several projects for new main gas pipelines are discussed. Diversification of supply sources is considered as of strategic relevance. The article is richly illustrated and includes several maps and diagrams.

Prediction of small spark ignited engine performance using producer gas as fuel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Homdoung

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Producer gas from biomass gasification is expected to contribute to greater energy mix in the future. Therefore, effect of producer gas on engine performance is of great interest. Evaluation of engine performances can be hard and costly. Ideally, they may be predicted mathematically. This work was to apply mathematical models in evaluating performance of a small producer gas engine. The engine was a spark ignition, single cylinder unit with a CR of 14:1. Simulation was carried out on full load and varying engine speeds. From simulated results, it was found that the simple mathematical model can predict the performance of the gas engine and gave good agreement with experimental results. The differences were within ±7%.

Gas condensate--raw material for producing liquid paraffin hydrocarbons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aliyeva, R.B.; Alikishi-Zade, G.Yu.; Kuliyev, A.M.; Leonidov, A.N.; Pereverzev, A.N.

1980-01-01

The problem of efficient utilization of gas condensates as raw material for removal of a valuable product, liquid paraffins, is examined. A classification of gas condensates is given which is used as raw material for removing these hydrocarbons: gas condensate with high content of n-alkanes (25-40 mass percent), with average content (18-25 mass percent), with low content (12-18 mass percent), light weight fractions compositions, which do not contain fractions up to 200/sup 0/, and also, content ofless than 12% n-alkanes. Gas condensate I-III groups are 30% of the total reserve of gas condensate. Liquid paraffins hydrocarbons, produced from fractions of diesel fuel, which has been removed from Shatlyk gas condensate under conditions which simulate virtual processes of caramide deparaffinization meet all requirements without additional refining.

Study on the Requirement of Nitrogen Sources by Scheffersomyces Stipitis NRRL Y-7124 to Produce Ethanol from Xylose Based-media

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mussatto, Solange I.; Carneiro, L. M.; Roberto, I. C.

This study aimed at evaluating the requirement of nitrogen sources by the yeast Scheffersomyces stipitis NRRL Y-7124 to produce ethanol from xylose based-media. Different nitrogen sources were evaluated, which were used to supplement a defined xylose-based medium and also the hemicellulosic hydro...

Photocatalytic Ethanol Oxidative Dehydrogenation over Pt/TiO2: Effect of the Addition of Blue Phosphors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. J. Murcia

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Ethanol oxidative dehydrogenation over Pt/TiO2 photocatalyst, in the presence and absence of blue phosphors, was performed. The catalyst was prepared by photodeposition of Pt on sulphated TiO2. This material was tested in a gas-solid photocatalytic fluidized bed reactor at high illumination efficiency. The effect of the addition of blue phosphors into the fluidized bed has been evaluated. The synthesized catalysts were extensively characterized by different techniques. Pt/TiO2 with a loading of 0.5 wt% of Pt appeared to be an active photocatalyst in the selective partial oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde improving its activity and selectivity compared to pure TiO2. In the same way, a notable enhancement of ethanol conversion in the presence of the blue phosphors has been obtained. The blue phosphors produced an increase in the level of ethanol conversion over the Pt/TiO2 catalyst, keeping at the same time the high selectivity to acetaldehyde.

Effect of oxygen on ethanol fermentation in packed-bed tapered-column reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamamci, H.; Ryu, D.D.Y.

1988-07-01

In ethanol production with immobilized yeast a major problem is the provision of nutrients to these highly concentrated cells. O/sub 2/ being one of the nutrients of utmost importance to yeast cells, was fed into a column packed with beads with a cell loading of more than 40 g/l. Since addition of large volume of air or O/sub 2/ to a cylindrical column reactor would aggravate the problems of pressure build up and channelling caused by the evolving CO/sub 2/ gas, a tapered-column reactor and pulsed flow of oxygen gas was used. The supplement of O/sub 2/ gas to the tapered column increased the productivity from 21.1 g ethanol x (l gel x h)/sup -1/ to 26.7 g x (l gelxh)/sup -1/, when the ethanol concentration at the outlet was about 80 g/l. The yield coefficient of ethanol was also increased from 0.41 g ethanol/g glucose to 0.43 after O/sub 2/ supplement was started. The effects of frequency and duration of O/sub 2/ supplement were also determined.

Retooling the ethanol industry: thermophilic anaerobic digestion of thin stillage for methane production and pollution prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, Scott H; Sung, Shihwu

2008-02-01

Anaerobic digestion of corn ethanol thin stillage was tested at thermophilic temperature (55 degrees C) with two completely stirred tank reactors. The thin stillage wastestream was organically concentrated with 100 g/L total chemical oxygen demand and 60 g/L volatiles solids and a low pH of approximately 4.0. Steady-state was achieved at 30-, 20-, and 15-day hydraulic retention times (HRTs) and digester failure at a 12-day HRT. Significant reduction of volatile solids was achieved, with a maximum reduction (89.8%) at the 20-day HRT. Methane yield ranged from 0.6 to 0.7 L methane/g volatile solids removed during steady-state operation. Effluent volatile fatty acids below 200 mg/L as acetic acid were achieved at 20- and 30-day HRTs. Ultrasonic pretreatment was used for one digester, although no significant improvement was observed. Ethanol plant natural gas consumption could be reduced 43 to 59% with the methane produced, while saving an estimated $7 to $17 million ($10 million likely) for a facility producing 360 million L ethanol/y.

Optical bio-sniffer for ethanol vapor using an oxygen-sensitive optical fiber.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitsubayashi, Kohji; Kon, Takuo; Hashimoto, Yuki

2003-11-30

An optical bio-sniffer for ethanol was constructed by immobilizing alcohol oxidase (AOD) onto a tip of a fiber optic oxygen sensor with a tube-ring, using an oxygen sensitive ruthenium organic complex (excitation, 470 nm; fluorescent, 600 nm). A reaction unit for circulating buffer solution was applied to the tip of the device. After the experiment in the liquid phase, the sniffer-device was applied for gas analysis using a gas flow measurement system with a gas generator. The optical device was applied to detect the oxygen consumption induced by AOD enzymatic reaction with alcohol application. The sensor in the liquid phase was used to measure ethanol solution from 0.50 to 9.09 mmol/l. Then, the bio-sniffer was calibrated against ethanol vapor from 0.71 to 51.49 ppm with good gas-selectivity based on the AOD substrate specificity. The bio-sniffer with the reaction unit was also used to monitor the concentration change of gaseous ethanol by rinsing and cleaning the fiber tip and the enzyme membrane with buffer solution.

Ethanol internal steam reforming in intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Diethelm, Stefan; Van herle, Jan

This study investigates the performance of a standard Ni-YSZ anode supported cell under ethanol steam reforming operating conditions. Therefore, the fuel cell was directly operated with a steam/ethanol mixture (3 to 1 molar). Other gas mixtures were also used for comparison to check the conversion of ethanol and of reformate gases (H 2, CO) in the fuel cell. The electrochemical properties of the fuel cell fed with four different fuel compositions were characterized between 710 and 860 °C by I- V and EIS measurements at OCV and under polarization. In order to elucidate the limiting processes, impedance spectra obtained with different gas compositions were compared using the derivative of the real part of the impedance with respect of the natural logarithm of the frequency. Results show that internal steam reforming of ethanol takes place significantly on Ni-YSZ anode only above 760 °C. Comparisons of results obtained with reformate gas showed that the electrochemical cell performance is dominated by the conversion of hydrogen. The conversion of CO also occurs either directly or indirectly through the water-gas shift reaction but has a significant impact on the electrochemical performance only above 760 °C.

An economic assessment of potential ethanol production pathways in Ireland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deverell, Rory; McDonnell, Kevin; Ward, Shane; Devlin, Ger [Department of Biosystems Engineering, Agriculture and Food Science Building, University College Dublin 4, Belfield (Ireland)

2009-10-15

An economic assessment was conducted on five biomass-to-ethanol production pathways utilising the feedstock: wheat, triticale, sugarbeet, miscanthus and straw. The analysis includes the costs and margins for all the stakeholders along the economic chain. This analysis reveals that under current market situations in Ireland, the production of ethanol under the same tax regime as petrol makes it difficult to compete against that fuel, with tax breaks, however, it can compete against petrol. On the other hand, even under favourable tax breaks it will be difficult for indigenously produced ethanol to compete against cheaper sources of imported ethanol. Therefore, the current transport fuel market has no economic reason to consume indigenously produced ethanol made from the indigenously grown feedstock analysed at a price that reflects all the stakeholders' costs. To deliver a significant penetration of indigenous ethanol into the market would require some form of compulsory inclusion or else considerable financial supports to feedstock and ethanol producers. (author)

An economic assessment of potential ethanol production pathways in Ireland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deverell, Rory; McDonnell, Kevin; Ward, Shane; Devlin, Ger

2009-01-01

An economic assessment was conducted on five biomass-to-ethanol production pathways utilising the feedstock: wheat, triticale, sugarbeet, miscanthus and straw. The analysis includes the costs and margins for all the stakeholders along the economic chain. This analysis reveals that under current market situations in Ireland, the production of ethanol under the same tax regime as petrol makes it difficult to compete against that fuel, with tax breaks, however, it can compete against petrol. On the other hand, even under favourable tax breaks it will be difficult for indigenously produced ethanol to compete against cheaper sources of imported ethanol. Therefore, the current transport fuel market has no economic reason to consume indigenously produced ethanol made from the indigenously grown feedstock analysed at a price that reflects all the stakeholders' costs. To deliver a significant penetration of indigenous ethanol into the market would require some form of compulsory inclusion or else considerable financial supports to feedstock and ethanol producers.

Transesterification of mustard (Brassica nigra) seed oil with ethanol: Purification of the crude ethyl ester with activated carbon produced from de-oiled cake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fadhil, Abdelrahman B.; Abdulahad, Waseem S.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Biodiesel ethyl ester has been developed from mustard seed oil. • Variables affect the transesterification were investigated. • Dry washing using the activated carbon produced from the extraction remaining was applied to purify the ethyl esters. • Properties of the produced fuels were measured. • Blending of the produced ethyl ester with petro diesel was also investigated. - Abstract: The present study reports the production of mustard seed oil ethyl esters (MSOEE) through alkali-catalyzed transesterification with ethanol using potassium hydroxide as a catalyst. The influence of the process parameters such as catalyst concentration, ethanol to oil molar ratio, reaction temperature, reaction duration and the catalyst type was investigated so as to find out the optimal conditions for the transesterification process. As a result, optimum conditions for production of MSOEE were found to be: 0.90% KOH wt/wt of oil, 8:1 ethanol to oil molar ratio, a reaction temperature of 60 °C, and a reaction time of 60 min. Dry washing method with (2.50% wt.) of the activated carbon that was produced from the de-oiled cake was used to purify the crude ethyl ester from the residual catalyst and glycerol. The transesterification process provided a yield of 94% w/w of ethyl esters with an ester content of 98.22% wt. under the optimum conditions. Properties of the produced ethyl esters satisfied the specifications prescribed by the ASTM standards. Blending MSOEE with petro diesel was also investigated. The results showed that the ethyl esters had a slight influence on the properties of petro diesel

Development and test of a new concept for biomass producer gas engines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahrenfeldt, J.; Vendelbo Foged, E.; Strand, R.; Birk Henriksen, U.

2010-02-15

The technical requirements and the economical assessment of converting commercial diesel engine gen-sets into high compression spark ignition operation on biomass producer gas have been investigated. Assessments showed that for a 200 kW{sub e} gen-set there would be a financial benefit of approximately 600.000 DKK corresponding to a reduction of 60% in investment costs compared to the price of a conventional gas engine gen-set. Experimental investigations have been conducted on two identical small scale SI gas engine gen-sets operating on biomass producer gas from thermal gasification of wood. The engines were operated with two different compression ratios, one with the original compression ratio for natural gas operation 9.5:1, and the second with a compression ratio of 18.5:1 (converted diesel engine). It was shown that high compression ratio SI engine operation was possible when operating on this specific biomass producer gas. The results showed an increase in the electrical efficiency from 30% to 34% when the compression ratio was increased. (author)

Ethanol production by immobilized yeast and its CO2 gas effects on a packed bed reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, G M; Choi, C Y; Choi, Y D; Han, M H

1982-10-01

Immobilised yeast trapped in an alginate matrix demonstrated maximum activity at 30 degrees C and showed no pH effect between 3 and 7. Substrate inhibition was observed at glucose concentrations above 8% but the immobilised cells retained 70% of their maximum activity at 20% glucose concentration. The operation stability of immobilised cells was lower in simple glucose solution than in the activation medium in which only 20% of the activity was lost after 10 days operation. Inactivated immobilised yeast beads were reactivated by incubation in activation medium without a significant increase in cell numbers in a bead. During the operation of the immobilised yeast in a packed bed reactor, CO/sub 2/ gas accumulation adversely affected the reactor performance. An ideal plus flow reactor, not taking into account the formation of CO/sub 2/ gas bubbles and the presence of mass trasnfer resistance, was simulated using a kinetic model for the production of ethanol and the simulation results were compared with the actual reactor performance to determine the CO/sub 2/ gas effect, quantitatively. Up to 45% of the substrate conversion was lost due to the accumulation of CO/sub 2/ gas bubbles in all cases. (Refs. 21).

Preparation and characterization of nickel catalysts supported on cerium for obtaining hydrogen from steam reforming of ethanol; Preparacao e caracterizacao de catalisadores de niquel suportados em ceria para obtencao de hidrogenio a partir da reforma a vapor do etanol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Urbaninho, A.B.; Bergamaschi, V.S.; Ferreira, J.C., E-mail: jcferrei@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), São Paulo, SP (Brazil). Centro de Células à Combustível e Hidrogênio

2016-07-01

The Ni/Ce catalysts for were prepared by co- precipitation method with a view to their use in steam reforming of ethanol to produce a hydrogen-rich gas mixture. The catalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscopy; x-ray dispersive Spectroscopy and surface area BET method. This paper proposes to prepare, characterize and test nickel catalyst supported on cerium in order to obtain a material with higher activity and selectivity of the catalyst using the steam reforming reaction of ethanol, by varying the reaction temperature, molar ratio water/ethanol and uptime. The catalytic tests were monitored by chemical analysis of syngas from steam reforming of ethanol using an analysis online by gas Chromatograph in the reactor. (author)

Production of ethanol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1981-10-10

Ethanol is produced by fermentation with a photohardening resin-immobilized yeast preparation. The ethanol producing yeast may be selected from Saccharomyces, Zygosaccharomyces, or Schizosaccharomyces. The photohardening resin for yeast immobilization is a hydrophilic unsaturated compound, especially polyurethane acrylate, with an average molecular weight of 300-80,000 and containing at least 2 photopolymerizable ethylene groups. The immobilized yeast preparation is prepared by irradiating an aqueous suspension of yeast and a photohardening resin with UV light; the average size of the immobilized yeast is 0.1-3.0 mm and with various shapes. Thus, an aqueous suspension containing Saccharomyces formosensis cells (5 parts), a poly(ethylene glycol)isopharone diisocyanate-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate copolymer (50 parts), and benzoin ethyl ether (0.5 parts) was homogenized, spread on a polypropylene tray (1.0 mm depth), and irradiated with a 3600 A Hg lamp for 5-10 minutes to form a yeast-containing polyurethane acrylate sheet (1.0 mm thickness), which was then sliced into bits of approximately 1.0 mm. When a molasses substrate solution (pH 4.5-5.0) was passed through a column (200 x 20 mm) packed with the polyurethane acrylate-immobilized yeast preparation, eluates containing 7% (weight/volume) ethanol were produced for >3000 hours.

A novel method for producing multiple ionization of noble gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Li; Li Haiyang; Dai Dongxu; Bai Jiling; Lu Richang

1997-01-01

We introduce a novel method for producing multiple ionization of He, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe. A nanosecond pulsed electron beam with large number density, which could be energy-controlled, was produced by incidence a focused 308 nm laser beam onto a stainless steel grid. On Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer, using this electron beam, we obtained multiple ionization of noble gas He, Ne, Ar and Xe. Time of fight mass spectra of these ions were given out. These ions were supposed to be produced by step by step ionization of the gas atoms by electron beam impact. This method may be used as a ideal soft ionizing point ion source in Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer

Catalytic destruction of tar in biomass derived producer gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Ruiqin; Brown, Robert C.; Suby, Andrew; Cummer, Keith

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate catalytic destruction of tar formed during gasification of biomass, with the goal of improving the quality of the producer gas. This work focuses on nickel based catalysts treated with alkali in an effort to promote steam gasification of the coke that deposits on catalyst surfaces. A tar conversion system consisting of a guard bed and catalytic reactor was designed to treat the producer gas from an air blown, fluidized bed biomass gasifier. The guard bed used dolomite to crack the heavy tars. The catalytic reactor was used to evaluate three commercial steam reforming catalysts. These were the ICI46-1 catalyst from Imperial Chemical Industry and Z409 and RZ409 catalysts from Qilu Petrochemical Corp. in China. A 0.5-3 l/min slipstream from a 5 tpd biomass gasifier was used to test the tar conversion system. Gas and tar were sampled before and after the tar conversion system to evaluate the effectiveness of the system. Changes in gas composition as functions of catalytic bed temperature, space velocity and steam/TOC (total organic carbon) ratio are presented. Structural changes in the catalysts during the tests are also described

WWW expert system on producer gas cleaning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schouten, E.J.; Lammers, G.; Beenackers, A.A.C.M. [University of Groningen (Netherlands)

1999-07-01

The University of Groningen (RUG) has developed an expert system on cleaning of biomass producer gas. This work was carried out in close co-operation with the Biomass Technology Group B.V. (BTG) in Enschede, The Netherlands within the framework of the EC supported JOR3-CT95-0084 project. The expert system was developed as a tool for the designer-engineer of downstream gas cleaning equipment and consists of an information package and a flowsheet package. The packages are integrated in a client/server system. The flowsheeting package of the expert system has been designed for the evaluation of different gas cleaning methods. The system contains a number of possible gas cleaning devices such as: cyclone, fabric filter, ceramic filter, venturi scrubber and catalytic cracker. The user can select up to five cleaning steps in an arbitrary order for his specific gas cleaning problem. After specification of the required design parameters, the system calculates the main design characteristics of the cleaning device. The information package is a collection of HTML{sup TM} files. It contains a large amount of information, tips, experience data, literature references and hyperlinks to other interesting Internet sites. This information is arranged per cleaning device. (orig.)

Ethanol concentration in 56 refillable electronic cigarettes liquid formulations determined by headspace gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (HS-GC-FID).

Science.gov (United States)

Poklis, Justin L; Wolf, Carl E; Peace, Michelle R

2017-10-01

Personal battery-powered vaporizers or electronic cigarettes were developed as an alternative to traditional cigarettes. The modern electronic cigarettes were patented in 2004 by Hon Lik in China. In May 2016, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) imposed regulatory statutes on e-cigarettes and their liquid formulations (e-liquids); prior to that, they were unregulated. E-liquids are typically composed of propylene glycol and/or glycerin, flavouring component(s), and active ingredient(s), such as nicotine. Fifty-six commercially available e-liquids, purchased from various sources, contained a variety of flavours and active ingredients. A headspace gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (HS-GC-FID) method was used to analyze these e-liquids for volatiles content. Only one of the e-liquids listed ethanol as a component. The chromatographic separation of volatiles was performed on a Restek BAC-1 column. A linear calibration was generated for ethanol with limits of detection and quantification (LOD/LOQ) of 0.05 mg/mL. Ethanol concentrations in the 56 e-liquids ranged from none detected to 206 mg/mL. The ethanol determined in these products may have been used in flavourants or a solvent; the reason for inclusion cannot be fully ascertained. The implications of vaporizing ethanol as an e-liquid component are unknown. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Tar Removal from Biomass Producer Gas by Using Biochar

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ravenni, Giulia; Henriksen, Ulrik Birk; Ahrenfeldt, Jesper

2017-01-01

The biomass-derived char (biochar) produced in the gasifier as a residue, is a potential solution for removing tars from producer gas. This work investigates the interaction between tar compounds and biochar. Residual biochar from a TwoStage gasifier was tested as bed material in a laboratory setup....... Phenol and naphthalene were chosen as model tars, and entrained in a nitrogen flow. The gaseous stream was sampled before and after the biochar bed to evaluate the extent of conversion. The biochar bed (30g) was tested at 250°C, 500°C and 600°C, with for 3 consecutive hours. The compounds concentration...... in the gas phase was quantified by stable isotope dilution analysis, using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Results showed a significant effect of biochar on the removal of phenol, at all temperatures. Naphthalene was removed less efficiently at higher temperature, and this trend was even more...

System and method for producing substitute natural gas from coal

Science.gov (United States)

Hobbs, Raymond [Avondale, AZ

2012-08-07

The present invention provides a system and method for producing substitute natural gas and electricity, while mitigating production of any greenhouse gasses. The system includes a hydrogasification reactor, to form a gas stream including natural gas and a char stream, and an oxygen burner to combust the char material to form carbon oxides. The system also includes an algae farm to convert the carbon oxides to hydrocarbon material and oxygen.

Review on biofuel oil and gas production processes from microalgae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amin, Sarmidi

2009-01-01

Microalgae, as biomass, are a potential source of renewable energy, and they can be converted into energy such as biofuel oil and gas. This paper presents a brief review on the main conversion processes of microalgae becoming energy. Since microalgae have high water content, not all biomass energy conversion processes can be applied. By using thermochemical processes, oil and gas can be produced, and by using biochemical processes, ethanol and biodiesel can be produced. The properties of the microalgae product are almost similar to those of offish and vegetable oils, and therefore, it can be considered as a substitute of fossil oil.

Mechanistic simulation of batch acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation with in situ gas stripping using Aspen Plus™.

Science.gov (United States)

Darkwah, Kwabena; Nokes, Sue E; Seay, Jeffrey R; Knutson, Barbara L

2018-05-22

Process simulations of batch fermentations with in situ product separation traditionally decouple these interdependent steps by simulating a separate "steady state" continuous fermentation and separation units. In this study, an integrated batch fermentation and separation process was simulated for a model system of acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation with in situ gas stripping, such that the fermentation kinetics are linked in real-time to the gas stripping process. A time-dependent cell growth, substrate utilization, and product production is translated to an Aspen Plus batch reactor. This approach capitalizes on the phase equilibria calculations of Aspen Plus to predict the effect of stripping on the ABE fermentation kinetics. The product profiles of the integrated fermentation and separation are shown to be sensitive to gas flow rate, unlike separate steady state fermentation and separation simulations. This study demonstrates the importance of coupled fermentation and separation simulation approaches for the systematic analyses of unsteady state processes.

The solvent absorption-extractive distillation (SAED) process for ethanol recovery from gas/vapor streams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dale, M.C.

1993-12-31

A low energy system for ethanol recovery and dehydration has been developed. This system utilizes a solvent for (1) absorption of ethanol vapors, and then the same solvent for (2) extractive distillation. The ideal solvent for this process would have a high affinity for ethanol, and no affinity for water. Heavy alcohols such as dodecanol, and tridecanol, some phosphorals, and some fatty acids have been determined to meet the desired specifications. These solvents have the effect of making water more volatile than ethanol. Thus, a water stream is taken off initially in the dehydration column, and a near anhydrous ethanol stream is recovered from the ethanol/solvent stripper column. Thus the solvent serves dual uses (1) absorption media, and (2) dehydration media. The SAED process as conceptualized would use a solvent similar to solvents used for direct extractive separation of ethanol from aqueous ethanol solutions.

Efficient chemical and enzymatic saccharification of the lignocellulosic residue from Agave tequilana bagasse to produce ethanol by Pichia caribbica.

Science.gov (United States)

Saucedo-Luna, Jaime; Castro-Montoya, Agustin Jaime; Martinez-Pacheco, Mauro Manuel; Sosa-Aguirre, Carlos Ruben; Campos-Garcia, Jesus

2011-06-01

Bagasse of Agave tequilana (BAT) is the residual lignocellulosic waste that remains from tequila production. In this study we characterized the chemical composition of BAT, which was further saccharified and fermented to produce ethanol. BAT was constituted by cellulose (42%), hemicellulose (20%), lignin (15%), and other (23%). Saccharification of BAT was carried out at 147 °C with 2% sulfuric acid for 15 min, yielding 25.8 g/l of fermentable sugars, corresponding to 36.1% of saccharificable material (cellulose and hemicellulose contents, w/w). The remaining lignocellulosic material was further hydrolyzed by commercial enzymes, ~8.2% of BAT load was incubated for 72 h at 40 °C rendering 41 g/l of fermentable sugars corresponding to 73.6% of the saccharificable material (w/w). Mathematic surface response analysis of the acid and enzymatic BAT hydrolysis was used for process optimization. The results showed a satisfactory correlation (R (2) = 0.90) between the obtained and predicted responses. The native yeast Pichia caribbica UM-5 was used to ferment sugar liquors from both acid and enzymatic hydrolysis to ethanol yielding 50 and 87%, respectively. The final optimized process generated 8.99 g ethanol/50 g of BAT, corresponding to an overall 56.75% of theoretical ethanol (w/w). Thus, BAT may be employed as a lignocellulosic raw material for bioethanol production and can contribute to BAT residue elimination from environment.

The Effects of Voltage and Concentration of Sodium Bicarbonate on Electrochemical Synthesis of Ethanol from Carbon Dioxide Using Brass as Cathode

Science.gov (United States)

Ramadan, Septian; Fariduddin, Sholah; Rizki Aminudin, Afianti; Kurnia Hayatri, Antisa; Riyanto

2017-11-01

The effects of voltage and concentration of sodium bicarbonate were investigated to determine the optimum conditions of the electrochemical synthesis process to convert carbon dioxide into ethanol. The conversion process is carried out using a sodium bicarbonate electrolyte solution in an electrochemical synthesis reactor equipped with a cathode and anode. As the cathode was used brass, while as the anode carbon was utilized. Sample of the electrochemical synthesis process was analyzed by gas chromatography to determine the content of the compounds produced. The optimum electrochemical synthesis conditions to convert carbon dioxide into ethanol are voltage and concentration of sodium bicarbonate are 3 volts and 0.4 M with ethanol concentration of 1.33%.

Sugar-Based Ethanol Biorefinery: Ethanol, Succinic Acid and By-Product Production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Donal F. Day

2009-03-31

The work conducted in this project is an extension of the developments itemized in DE-FG-36-04GO14236. This program is designed to help the development of a biorefinery based around a raw sugar mill, which in Louisiana is an underutilized asset. Some technical questions were answered regarding the addition of a biomass to ethanol facility to existing sugar mills. The focus of this work is on developing technology to produce ethanol and valuable by-products from bagasse. Three major areas are addressed, feedstock storage, potential by-products and the technology for producing ethanol from dilute ammonia pre-treated bagasse. Sugar mills normally store bagasse in a simple pile. During the off season there is a natural degradation of the bagasse, due to the composting action of microorganisms in the pile. This has serious implications if bagasse must be stored to operate a bagasse/biorefinery for a 300+ day operating cycle. Deterioration of the fermentables in bagasse was found to be 6.5% per month, on pile storage. This indicates that long term storage of adequate amounts of bagasse for year-round operation is probably not feasible. Lignin from pretreatment seemed to offer a potential source of valuable by-products. Although a wide range of phenolic compounds were present in the effluent from dilute ammonia pretreatment, the concentrations of each (except for benzoic acid) were too low to consider for extraction. The cellulosic hydrolysis system was modified to produce commercially recoverable quantities of cellobiose, which has a small but growing market in the food process industries. A spin-off of this led to the production of a specific oligosaccharide which appears to have both medical and commercial implications as a fungal growth inhibitor. An alternate use of sugars produced from biomass hydrolysis would be to produce succinic acid as a chemical feedstock for other conversions. An organism was developed which can do this bioconversion, but the economics of

Gas Fermentation using Thermophilic Moorella Species for production of Biochemicals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Redl, Stephanie Maria Anna

Gas fermentation is a promising technology which gained increasing attention over the last years. In this process, acetogenic bacteria convert gases rich in H2, CO2, and CO, into compounds of higher value. The gas can derive from industrial off-gas or from waste streams via gasification. In the gas...... fermentation processes that are nearly on commercial level, mesophilic acetogens are used to mainly produce ethanol and butanediol. However, thermophilic acetogens, such as Moorella thermoacetica would allow for easy downstream processing when producing volatile products such as acetone. This thesis starts...... with a review of the feedstock potential for gas fermentation and how thermophilic production strains as well as unconventional fermentation processes such as mixotrophy can help to exploit this potential. I analyzed a process with respect to thermodynamic and economic considerations, in which acetone...

Can new legislation in importing countries represent new barriers to the development of an international ethanol market?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, Raquel R. de; Schaeffer, Roberto; Meira, Irineu

2011-01-01

The use of ethanol as a fuel has been attracting increasing attention in countries that are interested in reducing their dependence on imported oil and lowering their greenhouse gas emissions. Despite this growing interest, the global ethanol market is still incipient because of the small number of producing countries, the lack of technical standardization and the existence of tariff and non-tariff trade barriers. New laws have taken effect in 2010 in the United States and the European Union imposing domestic requirements for sustainable production of ethanol. Although these are generally positive developments, they can create greater difficulties for the development of an international ethanol market. This work examines the technical barriers posed by these new laws and how they can be resolved under the auspices of the World Trade Organization. In addition, this work analyses the Brazilian and Caribbean cases discussing to what extent these new technical barriers will affect ethanol production and exports arising from these countries. - Research highlights: → We examine the ethanol market and the increase of technical barriers. → Higher production costs will be associated with different environmental standards. → The adoption of international standards is key to develop the ethanol market. → A global agreement on biofuels will foster the development of its market.

Ethanol production from Dekkera bruxellensis in synthetic media with pentose

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carolina B. Codato

Full Text Available Abstract Ethanol is obtained in Brazil from the fermentation of sugarcane, molasses or a mixture of these. Alternatively, it can also be obtained from products composed of cellulose and hemicellulose, called “second generation ethanol - 2G”. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, commonly applied in industrial ethanol production, is not efficient in the conversion of pentoses, which is present in high amounts in lignocellulosic materials. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of a yeast strain of Dekkera bruxellensis in producing ethanol from synthetic media, containing xylose or arabinose, xylose and glucose as the sole carbon sources. The results indicated that D. bruxellensis was capable of producing ethanol from xylose and arabinose, with ethanol concentration similar for both carbon sources, 1.9 g L-1. For the fermentations performed with xylose and glucose, there was an increase in the concentration of ethanol to 5.9 g L-1, lower than the standard yeast Pichia stipitis (9.3 g L-1, but with similar maximum yield in ethanol (0.9 g g TOC-1. This proves that the yeast D. bruxellensis produced lower amounts of ethanol when compared with P. stipitis, but showed that is capable of fermenting xylose and can be a promising alternative for ethanol conversion from hydrolysates containing glucose and xylose as carbon source.

Gas-fuelled driving and sailing. Cost and environmental effects of natural gas and green gas in transport; Rijden en varen op gas. Kosten en milieueffecten van aardgas en groen gas in transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kampman, B.E.; Croezen, H.J.; Verbraak, G.M.; Brouwer, F.P.E.

2010-06-15

A number of new gaseous fuels for cars and ships is becoming more popular: compressed natural gas (CNG), liquid natural gas (LNG) and biogas. This report presents the results of a study of the costs and environmental effects of these gas applications and compares them to diesel and petrol and the 'common' biofuels biodiesel and bio-ethanol. The green gas applications emit much less CO2 than biodiesel and bio-ethanol from wheat. The air-polluting emissions are much lower in all cases. The basic cost of driving or sailing on these gaseous fuels (excl. levies and taxes) are significantly higher than in case of diesel, but in some cases van be comparable or even lower than in case of liquid biofuels. [Dutch] Een aantal nieuwe gasvormige brandstoffen voor auto's en schepen is in opkomst: aardgas onder druk (CNG), vloeibaar aardgas (LNG) en biogassen. In dit rapport worden de resultaten van een onderzoek naar de kosten en de milieueffecten van deze gastoepassingen gepresenteerd en vergeleken met diesel en benzine en de 'gewone' biobrandstoffen bio-diesel en bio-ethanol. De groen gas-toepassingen stoten aanzienlijk minder CO2 uit dan biodiesel en bio-ethanol uit tarwe. De luchtvervuilende emissies zijn in alle gevallen een stuk lager. De kale kosten van rijden en varen op deze gasvormige brandstoffen (excl. heffingen en belastingen) zijn wel aanzienlijk hoger dan bij diesel, maar kunnen in sommige toepassingen vergelijkbaar of lager uitkomen dan van de vloeibare biobrandstoffen.

Energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from an algae fractionation process for producing renewable diesel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pegallapati, Ambica K.; Frank, Edward D.

2016-09-01

In one approach to algal biofuel production, lipids are extracted and converted to renewable diesel and non-lipid remnants are converted to biogas, which is used for renewable heat and power to support the process. Since biofuel economics benefit from increased fuel yield, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory analyzed an alternative pathway that extracts lipids and also makes ethanol from carbohydrates in the biomass. In this paper, we examine the environmental sustainability of this "fractionation pathway" through life-cycle analysis (LCA) of greenhouse gas emissions and energy use. When the feedstock productivity was 30 (18) g/m(2)/d, this pathway emitted 31 (36) gCO(2)e/MJ of total fuel, which is less than the emissions associated with conventional low sulfur petroleum diesel (96 gCO(2)e/MJ). The fractionation pathway performed well in this model despite the diversion of carbon to the ethanol fuel.

Analysis of trickle-bed reactor for ethanol production from syngas using Clostridium ragsdalei

Science.gov (United States)

Devarapalli, Mamatha

The conversion of syngas components (CO, CO2 and H2) to liquid fuels such as ethanol involves complex biochemical reactions catalyzed by a group of acetogens such as Clostridium ljungdahlii, Clostridium carboxidivorans and Clostridium ragsdalei. The low ethanol productivity in this process is associated with the low solubility of gaseous substrates CO and H2 in the fermentation medium. In the present study, a 1-L trickle-bed reactor (TBR) was analyzed to understand its capabilities to improve the mass transfer of syngas in fermentation medium. Further, semi-continuous and continuous syngas fermentations were performed using C. ragsdalei to evaluate the ability of the TBR for ethanol production. In the mass transfer studies, using 6-mm glass beads, it was found that the overall mass transfer coefficient (kLa/V L) increased with the increase in gas flow rate from 5.5 to 130.5 sccm. Further, an increase in the liquid flow rate in the TBR decreased the kLa/VL due to the increase in liquid hold up volume (VL) in the packing. The highest kLa/VL values of 421 h-1 and 178 h-1 were achieved at a gas flow rate of 130.5 sccm for 6-mm and 3-mm glass beads, respectively. Semi-continuous fermentations were performed with repetitive medium replacement in counter-current and co-current modes. In semi-continuous fermentations with syngas consisting of 38% CO, 5% N2, 28.5% CO2 and 28.5% H2 (by volume), the increase in H2 conversion (from 18 to 55%) and uptake (from 0.7 to 2.2 mmol/h) were observed. This increase was attributed to more cell attachment in the packing that reduced CO inhibition to hydrogenase along the column length and increased the H2 uptake. The maximum ethanol produced during counter-current and co-current modes were 3.0 g/L and 5.7 g/L, respectively. In continuous syngas fermentation, the TBR was operated at dilution rates between 0.006 h-1and 0.012 h -1 and gas flow rates between 1.5 sccm and 18.9 sccm. The highest ethanol concentration of 13 g/L was achieved at

Optimizing fermentation process miscanthus-to-ethanol biorefinery scale under uncertain conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bomberg, Matthew; Sanchez, Daniel L; Lipman, Timothy E

2014-01-01

Ethanol produced from cellulosic feedstocks has garnered significant interest for greenhouse gas abatement and energy security promotion. One outstanding question in the development of a mature cellulosic ethanol industry is the optimal scale of biorefining activities. This question is important for companies and entrepreneurs seeking to construct and operate cellulosic ethanol biorefineries as it determines the size of investment needed and the amount of feedstock for which they must contract. The question also has important implications for the nature and location of lifecycle environmental impacts from cellulosic ethanol. We use an optimization framework similar to previous studies, but add richer details by treating many of these critical parameters as random variables and incorporating a stochastic sub-model for land conversion. We then use Monte Carlo simulation to obtain a probability distribution for the optimal scale of a biorefinery using a fermentation process and miscanthus feedstock. We find a bimodal distribution with a high peak at around 10–30 MMgal yr −1 (representing circumstances where a relatively low percentage of farmers elect to participate in miscanthus cultivation) and a lower and flatter peak between 150 and 250 MMgal yr −1 (representing more typically assumed land-conversion conditions). This distribution leads to useful insights; in particular, the asymmetry of the distribution—with significantly more mass on the low side—indicates that developers of cellulosic ethanol biorefineries may wish to exercise caution in scale-up. (letters)

Optimizing fermentation process miscanthus-to-ethanol biorefinery scale under uncertain conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Bomberg, Matthew; Sanchez, Daniel L.; Lipman, Timothy E.

2014-05-01

Ethanol produced from cellulosic feedstocks has garnered significant interest for greenhouse gas abatement and energy security promotion. One outstanding question in the development of a mature cellulosic ethanol industry is the optimal scale of biorefining activities. This question is important for companies and entrepreneurs seeking to construct and operate cellulosic ethanol biorefineries as it determines the size of investment needed and the amount of feedstock for which they must contract. The question also has important implications for the nature and location of lifecycle environmental impacts from cellulosic ethanol. We use an optimization framework similar to previous studies, but add richer details by treating many of these critical parameters as random variables and incorporating a stochastic sub-model for land conversion. We then use Monte Carlo simulation to obtain a probability distribution for the optimal scale of a biorefinery using a fermentation process and miscanthus feedstock. We find a bimodal distribution with a high peak at around 10-30 MMgal yr-1 (representing circumstances where a relatively low percentage of farmers elect to participate in miscanthus cultivation) and a lower and flatter peak between 150 and 250 MMgal yr-1 (representing more typically assumed land-conversion conditions). This distribution leads to useful insights; in particular, the asymmetry of the distribution—with significantly more mass on the low side—indicates that developers of cellulosic ethanol biorefineries may wish to exercise caution in scale-up.

The influence of different referencing methods on the accuracy of δ(13) C value measurement of ethanol fuel by gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Neves, Laura A; Rodrigues, Janaína M; Daroda, Romeu J; Silva, Paulo R M; Ferreira, Alexandre A; Aranda, Donato A G; Eberlin, Marcos N; Fasciotti, Maíra

2015-11-15

Brazil is the largest producer of sugar cane bioethanol in the world. Isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) is the technique of choice to certify the origin/raw materials for ethanol production, but the lack of certified reference materials (CRMs) for accurate measurements of δ(13) C values traceable to Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (VPDB), the international zero point for (13) C/(12) C measurements, certified and compatible with gas chromatography (GC)/IRMS instruments may compromise the accuracy of δ(13) C determinations. We evaluated the influence of methods for the calibration and normalization of raw δ(13) C values of ethanol samples. Samples were analyzed by GC/C/IRMS using two different GC columns. Different substances were used as isotopic standards for the working gas calibration. The δ(13) C values obtained with the three methods of normalization were statistically compared with those obtained with elemental analyzer (EA)/IRMS, since the δ(13) C results obtained using EA are traceable to VPDB via the NBS 22 reference material. It was observed that both the isotopic reference material for CO2 calibration and the GC column have a major effect on the δ(13) C measurements, leading to a bias of almost 2-3 ‰ in the δ(13) C values. All three methods of normalization were equivalent in performance, enabling an improvement in the GC/C/IRMS accuracy, compared with the EA/IRMS reference values for the samples. All the methods of CO2 calibration, chromatography and normalization presented in this work demonstrated several sources of traceability and accuracy loss for the determination of δ(13) C values in ethanol fuel samples by GC/C/IRMS. This work has also shown the importance of using proper CRMs traceable to VPBD that should be compatible and certified using GC/C/IRMS, ideally in a wide range of δ(13) C values. This is important not only for bioethanol fuel samples, but also for many analytes commonly analyzed by IRMS. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons

Environmental Assessment of 2^nd Generation Bio-ethanol

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wenzel, Henrik

2007-01-01

, that biomass substitutes gas in the heat & power sector and gas substitute oil in the transport sector. By taking this path, we overall achieve almost twice as high a CO2 reduction and save almost twice as much oil, as if we want to substitute the oil via car engines through conversion to ethanol. We must...... this period of time, when we are facing a world without oil and gas, it is, moreover, very dubious if we can accept the very low efficiency of the combustion engine of say 25% energy efficiency and a conversion efficiency in ethanol fermentation of up to say 50% resulting in an overall energy conversion of 10......-20% for transportation. At that time, the electric car/fuel cell car has probably had time enough to mature, and it has a much higher energy efficiency. Therefore, bio-ethanol is not the right intermediate (short term) technology, and it is not the right long term technology either...

Partial oxidation process for producing a stream of hot purified gas

Science.gov (United States)

Leininger, T.F.; Robin, A.M.; Wolfenbarger, J.K.; Suggitt, R.M.

1995-03-28

A partial oxidation process is described for the production of a stream of hot clean gas substantially free from particulate matter, ammonia, alkali metal compounds, halides and sulfur-containing gas for use as synthesis gas, reducing gas, or fuel gas. A hydrocarbonaceous fuel comprising a solid carbonaceous fuel with or without liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel or gaseous hydrocarbon fuel, wherein said hydrocarbonaceous fuel contains halides, alkali metal compounds, sulfur, nitrogen and inorganic ash containing components, is reacted in a gasifier by partial oxidation to produce a hot raw gas stream comprising H{sub 2}, CO, CO{sub 2}, H{sub 2}O, CH{sub 4}, NH{sub 3}, HCl, HF, H{sub 2}S, COS, N{sub 2}, Ar, particulate matter, vapor phase alkali metal compounds, and molten slag. The hot raw gas stream from the gasifier is split into two streams which are separately deslagged, cleaned and recombined. Ammonia in the gas mixture is catalytically disproportionated into N{sub 2} and H{sub 2}. The ammonia-free gas stream is then cooled and halides in the gas stream are reacted with a supplementary alkali metal compound to remove HCl and HF. Alkali metal halides, vaporized alkali metal compounds and residual fine particulate matter are removed from the gas stream by further cooling and filtering. The sulfur-containing gases in the process gas stream are then reacted at high temperature with a regenerable sulfur-reactive mixed metal oxide sulfur sorbent material to produce a sulfided sorbent material which is then separated from the hot clean purified gas stream having a temperature of at least 1000 F. 1 figure.

A rapid method for simultaneously determining ethanol and methanol content in wines by full evaporation headspace gas chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chun-Yun; Lin, Neng-Biao; Chai, Xin-Sheng; Zhong-Li; Barnes, Donald G

2015-09-15

This work reports on a full evaporation headspace gas chromatographic (FE HS-GC) method for simultaneously determining the ethanol (EtOH) and methanol (MeOH) content in wines. A small sample (10μL) was placed in a headspace sample vial, and a near-complete mass transfer of ethanol and methanol from the liquid sample to the vapor phase was obtained within three minutes at a temperature of 105°C, which allowed the measurement of the EtOH and MeOH content in the sample by GC. The results showed excellent precision and accuracy, as shown by the reproducibilities of 1.02% and 2.11% for EtOH and MeOH, respectively, and recoveries that ranged from 96.1% to 104% for both alcohols. The method is efficient, accurate and suitable for the determination of EtOH and MeOH in wine production and quality control. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abatement cost of GHG emissions for wood-based electricity and ethanol at production and consumption levels.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Puneet Dwivedi

Full Text Available Woody feedstocks will play a critical role in meeting the demand for biomass-based energy products in the US. We developed an integrated model using comparable system boundaries and common set of assumptions to ascertain unit cost and greenhouse gas (GHG intensity of electricity and ethanol derived from slash pine (Pinus elliottii at the production and consumption levels by considering existing automobile technologies. We also calculated abatement cost of greenhouse gas (GHG emissions with respect to comparable energy products derived from fossil fuels. The production cost of electricity derived using wood chips was at least cheaper by 1 ¢ MJ-1 over electricity derived from wood pellets. The production cost of ethanol without any income from cogenerated electricity was costlier by about 0.7 ¢ MJ-1 than ethanol with income from cogenerated electricity. The production cost of electricity derived from wood chips was cheaper by at least 0.7 ¢ MJ-1 than the energy equivalent cost of ethanol produced in presence of cogenerated electricity. The cost of using ethanol as a fuel in a flex-fuel vehicle was at least higher by 6 ¢ km-1 than a comparable electric vehicle. The GHG intensity of per km distance traveled in a flex-fuel vehicle was greater or lower than an electric vehicle running on electricity derived from wood chips depending on presence and absence of GHG credits related with co-generated electricity. A carbon tax of at least $7 Mg CO2e-1 and $30 Mg CO2e-1 is needed to promote wood-based electricity and ethanol production in the US, respectively. The range of abatement cost of GHG emissions is significantly dependent on the harvest age and selected baseline especially for electricity generation.

Ethanol Production from Various Sugars and Cellulosic Biomass by White Rot Fungus Lenzites betulinus.

Science.gov (United States)

Im, Kyung Hoan; Nguyen, Trung Kien; Choi, Jaehyuk; Lee, Tae Soo

2016-03-01

Lenzites betulinus, known as gilled polypore belongs to Basidiomycota was isolated from fruiting body on broadleaf dead trees. It was found that the mycelia of white rot fungus Lenzites betulinus IUM 5468 produced ethanol from various sugars, including glucose, mannose, galactose, and cellobiose with a yield of 0.38, 0.26, 0.07, and 0.26 g of ethanol per gram of sugar consumed, respectively. This fungus relatively exhibited a good ethanol production from xylose at 0.26 g of ethanol per gram of sugar consumed. However, the ethanol conversion rate of arabinose was relatively low (at 0.07 g of ethanol per gram sugar). L. betulinus was capable of producing ethanol directly from rice straw and corn stalks at 0.22 g and 0.16 g of ethanol per gram of substrates, respectively, when this fungus was cultured in a basal medium containing 20 g/L rice straw or corn stalks. These results indicate that L. betulinus can produce ethanol efficiently from glucose, mannose, and cellobiose and produce ethanol very poorly from galactose and arabinose. Therefore, it is suggested that this fungus can ferment ethanol from various sugars and hydrolyze cellulosic materials to sugars and convert them to ethanol simultaneously.

Second Generation Ethanol Production from Brewers’ Spent Grain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rossana Liguori

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomasses raises a global interest because it represents a good alternative to petroleum-derived energies and reduces the food versus fuel conflict generated by first generation ethanol. In this study, alkaline-acid pretreated brewers’ spent grain (BSG was evaluated for ethanol production after enzymatic hydrolysis with commercial enzymes. The obtained hydrolysate containing a glucose concentration of 75 g/L was adopted, after dilution up to 50 g/L, for fermentation by the strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae NRRL YB 2293 selected as the best producer among five ethanologenic microorganims. When the hydrolysate was supplemented with yeast extract, 12.79 g/L of ethanol, corresponding to 0.28 g of ethanol per grams of glucose consumed (55% efficiency, was obtained within 24 h, while in the non-supplemented hydrolysate, a similar concentration was reached within 48 h. The volumetric productivity increased from 0.25 g/L·h in the un-supplemented hydrolysate to 0.53 g/L h in the yeast extract supplemented hydrolysate. In conclusion, the strain S. cerevisiae NRRL YB 2293 was shown able to produce ethanol from BSG. Although an equal amount of ethanol was reached in both BSG hydrolysate media, the nitrogen source supplementation reduced the ethanol fermentation time and promoted glucose uptake and cell growth.

Implications of Industrial Processing Strategy on Cellulosic Ethanol Production at High Solids Concentrations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cannella, David

The production of cellulosic ethanol is a biochemical process of not edible biomasses which contain the cellulose. The process involves the use of enzymes to hydrolyze the cellulose in fermentable sugars to finally produce ethanol via fermentative microorganisms (i.e. yeasts). These biomasses...... are the leftover of agricultural productions (straws), not edible crops (giant reed) or wood, thus the ethanol so produced is also called second generation (or 2G ethanol), which differs from the first generation produced from starch (sugar beets mostly). In the industrial production of cellulosic ethanol high...... solids strategy resulted critical for its cost effectiveness: high concentration of initial biomass it will lead to high concentration of the final product (ethanol), thus more convenient to isolate. This thesis investigate the implementation of a high solids loading concept into cellulosic ethanol...

Development and Test of a new Concept for Biomass Producer Gas Engines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahrenfeldt, Jesper; Foged, Esben Vendelbo; Strand, Rune

The technical requirements and the economical assessment of converting commercial diesel engine gen-sets into high compression spark ignition operation on biomass producer gas have been investigated. Assessments showed that for a 200 kWe gen-set there would be a financial benefit of approximately...... 600.000 DKK corresponding to a reduction of 60% in investment costs compared to the price of a conventional gas engine gen-set. Experimental investigations have been conducted on two identical small scale SI gas engine gen-sets operating on biomass producer gas from thermal gasification of wood....... The engines were operated with two different compression ratios, one with the original compression ratio for natural gas operation 9.5:1, and the second with a compression ratio of 18.5:1 (converted diesel engine). It was shown that high compression ratio SI engine operation was possible when operating...

An Indirect Route for Ethanol Production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eggeman, T.; Verser, D.; Weber, E.

2005-04-29

The ZeaChem indirect method is a radically new approach to producing fuel ethanol from renewable resources. Sugar and syngas processing platforms are combined in a novel way that allows all fractions of biomass feedstocks (e.g. carbohydrates, lignins, etc.) to contribute their energy directly into the ethanol product via fermentation and hydrogen based chemical process technologies. The goals of this project were: (1) Collect engineering data necessary for scale-up of the indirect route for ethanol production, and (2) Produce process and economic models to guide the development effort. Both goals were successfully accomplished. The projected economics of the Base Case developed in this work are comparable to today's corn based ethanol technology. Sensitivity analysis shows that significant improvements in economics for the indirect route would result if a biomass feedstock rather that starch hydrolyzate were used as the carbohydrate source. The energy ratio, defined as the ratio of green energy produced divided by the amount of fossil energy consumed, is projected to be 3.11 to 12.32 for the indirect route depending upon the details of implementation. Conventional technology has an energy ratio of 1.34, thus the indirect route will have a significant environmental advantage over today's technology. Energy savings of 7.48 trillion Btu/yr will result when 100 MMgal/yr (neat) of ethanol capacity via the indirect route is placed on-line by the year 2010.

KCNQ channels show conserved ethanol block and function in ethanol behaviour.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonia Cavaliere

Full Text Available In humans, KCNQ2/3 channels form an M-current that regulates neuronal excitability, with mutations in these channels causing benign neonatal familial convulsions. The M-current is important in mechanisms of neural plasticity underlying associative memory and in the response to ethanol, with KCNQ controlling the release of dopamine after ethanol exposure. We show that dKCNQ is broadly expressed in the nervous system, with targeted reduction in neuronal KCNQ increasing neural excitability and KCNQ overexpression decreasing excitability and calcium signalling, consistent with KCNQ regulating the resting membrane potential and neural release as in mammalian neurons. We show that the single KCNQ channel in Drosophila (dKCNQ has similar electrophysiological properties to neuronal KCNQ2/3, including conserved acute sensitivity to ethanol block, with the fly channel (IC(50 = 19.8 mM being more sensitive than its mammalian ortholog (IC(50 = 42.1 mM. This suggests that the role of KCNQ in alcohol behaviour can be determined for the first time by using Drosophila. We present evidence that loss of KCNQ function in Drosophila increased sensitivity and tolerance to the sedative effects of ethanol. Acute activation of dopaminergic neurons by heat-activated TRP channel or KCNQ-RNAi expression produced ethanol hypersensitivity, suggesting that both act via a common mechanism involving membrane depolarisation and increased dopamine signalling leading to ethanol sedation.

Refining economics of U.S. gasoline: octane ratings and ethanol content.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirshfeld, David S; Kolb, Jeffrey A; Anderson, James E; Studzinski, William; Frusti, James

2014-10-07

Increasing the octane rating of the U.S. gasoline pool (currently ∼ 93 Research Octane Number (RON)) would enable higher engine efficiency for light-duty vehicles (e.g., through higher compression ratio), facilitating compliance with federal fuel economy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards. The federal Renewable Fuels Standard calls for increased renewable fuel use in U.S. gasoline, primarily ethanol, a high-octane gasoline component. Linear programming modeling of the U.S. refining sector was used to assess the effects on refining economics, CO2 emissions, and crude oil use of increasing average octane rating by increasing (i) the octane rating of refinery-produced hydrocarbon blendstocks for oxygenate blending (BOBs) and (ii) the volume fraction (Exx) of ethanol in finished gasoline. The analysis indicated the refining sector could produce BOBs yielding finished E20 and E30 gasolines with higher octane ratings at modest additional refining cost, for example, ∼ 1¢/gal for 95-RON E20 or 97-RON E30, and 3-5¢/gal for 95-RON E10, 98-RON E20, or 100-RON E30. Reduced BOB volume (from displacement by ethanol) and lower BOB octane could (i) lower refinery CO2 emissions (e.g., ∼ 3% for 98-RON E20, ∼ 10% for 100-RON E30) and (ii) reduce crude oil use (e.g., ∼ 3% for 98-RON E20, ∼ 8% for 100-RON E30).

Detoxification and fermentation of pyrolytic sugar for ethanol production.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hui; Livingston, Darrell; Srinivasan, Radhakrishnan; Li, Qi; Steele, Philip; Yu, Fei

2012-11-01

The sugars present in bio-oil produced by fast pyrolysis can potentially be fermented by microbial organisms to produce cellulosic ethanol. This study shows the potential for microbial digestion of the aqueous fraction of bio-oil in an enrichment medium to consume glucose and produce ethanol. In addition to glucose, inhibitors such as furans and phenols are present in the bio-oil. A pure glucose enrichment medium of 20 g/l was used as a standard to compare with glucose and aqueous fraction mixtures for digestion. Thirty percent by volume of aqueous fraction in media was the maximum additive amount that could be consumed and converted to ethanol. Inhibitors were removed by extraction, activated carbon, air stripping, and microbial methods. After economic analysis, the cost of ethanol using an inexpensive fermentation medium in a large scale plant is approximately $14 per gallon.

Development of Ni-Based Catalysts Derived from Hydrotalcite-Like Compounds Precursors for Synthesis Gas Production via Methane or Ethanol Reforming

OpenAIRE

Ya-Li Du; Xu Wu; Qiang Cheng; Yan-Li Huang; Wei Huang

2017-01-01

As a favorably clean fuel, syngas (synthesis gas) production has been the focus of concern in past decades. Substantial literatures reported the syngas production by various catalytic reforming reactions particularly in methane or ethanol reforming. Among the developed catalysts in these reforming processes, Ni-based catalysts from hydrotalcite-like compounds (HTLcs) precursors have drawn considerable attention for their preferable structural traits. This review covers the recent literature r...

One billion cubic meters of gas produced in Kikinda area

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vicicevic, M; Duric, N

1969-10-01

The Kikinda gas reservoir has just passed a milestone in producing one billion cubic meters of natural gas. The reservoir was discovered in 1962, and its present production amounts to 26 million cu m. One of the biggest problems was formation of hydrates, which has successfully been solved by using methanol. Four tables show production statistics by years and productive formations.

Well-to-Wheels Greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis of High-Octane Fuels with Various Market Shares and Ethanol Blending Levels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Jeongwoo [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Elgowainy, Amgad [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Wang, Michael [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Divita, Vincent [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2015-07-14

In this study, we evaluated the impacts of producing HOF with a RON of 100, using a range of ethanol blending levels (E10, E25, and E40), vehicle efficiency gains, and HOF market penetration scenarios (3.4% to 70%), on WTW petroleum use and GHG emissions. In particular, we conducted LP modeling of petroleum refineries to examine the impacts of different HOF production scenarios on petroleum refining energy use and GHG emissions. We compared two cases of HOF vehicle fuel economy gains of 5% and 10% in terms of MPGGE to baseline regular gasoline vehicles. We incorporated three key factors in GREET — (1) refining energy intensities of gasoline components for the various ethanol blending options and market shares, (2) vehicle efficiency gains, and (3) upstream energy use and emissions associated with the production of different crude types and ethanol — to compare the WTW GHG emissions of various HOF/vehicle scenarios with the business-as-usual baseline regular gasoline (87 AKI E10) pathway.

Sorption-enhanced steam reforming of ethanol: thermodynamic comparison of CO{sub 2} sorbents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Y.J.; Santos, J.C.; Cunha, A.F.; Rodrigues, A.E. [University of Porto, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Associated Laboratory LSRE/LCM, Laboratory of Separation and Reaction Engineering, Porto (Portugal); Diaz Alvarado, F.; Gracia, F. [Universidad de Chile, Facultad de Ingenieria, Departamento de Ingenieria Quimica y Biotecnologia, Laboratorio de Catalisis, Santiago (Chile)

2012-05-15

A thermodynamic analysis is performed with a Gibbs free energy minimization method to compare the conventional steam reforming of ethanol (SRE) process and sorption-enhanced SRE (SE-SRE) with three different sorbents, namely, CaO, Li{sub 2}ZrO{sub 3}, and hydrotalcite-like compounds (HTlc). As a result, the use of a CO{sub 2} adsorbent can enhance the hydrogen yield and provide a lower CO content in the product gas at the same time. The best performance of SE-SRE is found to be at 500 C with an HTlc sorbent. Nearly 6 moles hydrogen per mole ethanol can be produced, when the CO content in the vent stream is less than 10 ppm, so that the hydrogen produced via SE-SRE with HTlc sorbents can be directly used for fuel cells. Higher pressures do not favor the overall SE-SRE process due to lower yielding of hydrogen, although CO{sub 2} adsorption is enhanced. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

An analysis of producing ethanol and electric power from woody residues and agricultural crops in East Texas

Science.gov (United States)

Ismayilova, Rubaba Mammad

The increasing U.S. dependence on imported oil; the contribution of fossil fuels to the greenhouse gas emissions and the climate change issue; the current level of energy prices and other environmental concerns have increased world interest in renewable energy sources. Biomass is a large, diverse, readily exploitable resource. This dissertation examines the biomass potential in Eastern Texas by examining a 44 county region. This examination considers the potential establishment of a 100-megawatt (MW) power plant and a 20 million gallon per year (MMGY) ethanol plant using lignocellulosic biomass. The biomass sources considered are switchgrass, sugarcane bagasse, and logging residues. In the case of electricity generation, co-firing scenarios are also investigated. The research analyzes the key indicators involved with economic costs and benefits, environmental and social impacts. The bioenergy production possibilities considered here were biofeedstock supported electric power and cellulosic ethanol production. The results were integrated into a comprehensive set of information that addresses the effects of biomass energy development in the region. The analysis indicates that none of the counties in East Texas have sufficient biomass to individually sustain either a 100% biomass fired power plant or the cellulosic ethanol plant. Such plants would only be feasible at the regional level. Co-firing biomass with coal, however, does provide a most attractive alternative for the study region. The results indicate further that basing the decision solely on economics of feedstock availability and costs would suggest that bioenergy, as a renewable energy, is not a viable energy alternative. Accounting for some environmental and social benefits accruing to the region from bioenergy production together with the feedstock economics, however, suggests that government subsidies, up to the amount of accruing benefits, could make the bioenergies an attractive business opportunity

Alternate method for gas measurement to offshore wells producing by plunger lift

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, Sergio Jose Goncalves e [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Exploracao e Producao; Mota, Francisco das Chagas [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil)

2008-07-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe an alternate method for gas measurement to wells producing by conventional plunger lift to a two phase separator in offshore production systems. The principle of the plunger lift is basically the use of a free piston acting as a mechanical interface between the formation gas and the produced liquids, greatly increasing the well's lifting efficiency. However, when the piston reaches the surface a liquid slug is produced through the flowline and it propagates into the separator where the phases are measured. Usually, orifice meter is widely used in separators to measure steady-state gas flow rate, but when intermittent flow is present, the gas causes the signal saturation of the differential pressure element ({delta}P), resulting in measurement distortion. The solution proposed in this work to estimate the gas flow rate during the liquid slug it was obtained through the mathematical modeling of the separator and with the use of System Identification Theory. Applying the ARX model it was possible to get the best fit to the collected data. So, with this model and its recursive variant (RARX) it was possible to prove that, with reasonable forecast degree, the signal of the gas flow rate can be recovered by starting from the signal of the pressure control valve of the separator. (author)

Enhancing mass transfer and ethanol production in syngas fermentation of Clostridium carboxidivorans P7 through a monolithic biofilm reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, Yanwen; Brown, Robert; Wen, Zhiyou

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Syngas fermentation process is limited by gas-to-liquid mass transfer. • A novel monolithic biofilm reactor (MBR) for efficient mass transfer was developed. • MBR with slug flow resulted in higher k L a than bubble column reactor (BCR). • MBR enhanced ethanol productivity by 53% compared to BCR. • MBR was demonstrated as a promising reactor configuration for syngas fermentation. - Abstract: Syngas fermentation is a promising process for producing fuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass. Currently syngas fermentation faces several engineering challenges, with gas-to-liquid mass transfer limitation representing the major bottleneck. The aim of this work is to evaluate the performance of a monolithic biofilm reactor (MBR) as a novel reactor configuration for syngas fermentation. The volumetric mass transfer coefficient (k L a) of the MBR was evaluated in abiotic conditions within a wide range of gas flow rates (i.e., gas velocity in monolithic channels) and liquid flow rates (i.e., liquid velocity in the channels). The k L a values of the MBR were higher than those of a controlled bubble column reactor (BCR) in certain conditions, due to the slug flow pattern in the monolithic channels. A continuous syngas fermentation using Clostridium carboxidivorans P7 was conducted in the MBR system under varying operational conditions, with the variables including syngas flow rate, liquid recirculation between the monolithic column and reservoir, and dilution rate. It was found that the syngas fermentation performance – measured by such parameters as syngas utilization efficiency, ethanol concentration and productivity, and ratio of ethanol to acetic acid – depended not only on the mass transfer efficiency but also on the biofouling or abrading of the biofilm attached on the monolithic channel wall. At a condition of 300 mL/min of syngas flow rate, 500 mL/min of liquid flow rate, and 0.48 day −1 of dilution rate, the MBR produced much higher

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Lignocellulosic Ethanol Production: Biochemical Versus Thermochemical Conversion

Science.gov (United States)

Mu, Dongyan; Seager, Thomas; Rao, P. Suresh; Zhao, Fu

2010-10-01

Lignocellulosic biomass can be converted into ethanol through either biochemical or thermochemical conversion processes. Biochemical conversion involves hydrolysis and fermentation while thermochemical conversion involves gasification and catalytic synthesis. Even though these routes produce comparable amounts of ethanol and have similar energy efficiency at the plant level, little is known about their relative environmental performance from a life cycle perspective. Especially, the indirect impacts, i.e. emissions and resource consumption associated with the production of various process inputs, are largely neglected in previous studies. This article compiles material and energy flow data from process simulation models to develop life cycle inventory and compares the fossil fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and water consumption of both biomass-to-ethanol production processes. The results are presented in terms of contributions from feedstock, direct, indirect, and co-product credits for four representative biomass feedstocks i.e., wood chips, corn stover, waste paper, and wheat straw. To explore the potentials of the two conversion pathways, different technological scenarios are modeled, including current, 2012 and 2020 technology targets, as well as different production/co-production configurations. The modeling results suggest that biochemical conversion has slightly better performance on greenhouse gas emission and fossil fuel consumption, but that thermochemical conversion has significantly less direct, indirect, and life cycle water consumption. Also, if the thermochemical plant operates as a biorefinery with mixed alcohol co-products separated for chemicals, it has the potential to achieve better performance than biochemical pathway across all environmental impact categories considered due to higher co-product credits associated with chemicals being displaced. The results from this work serve as a starting point for developing full life cycle

Determination of optimal wet ethanol composition as a fuel in spark ignition engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fagundez, J.L.S.; Sari, R.L.; Mayer, F.D.; Martins, M.E.S.; Salau, N.P.G.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Batch distillation to produce HEF and fuel blends of wet ethanol. • Conversion efficiency of a SI engine operating with HEF and wet ethanol. • NEF as a new metric to calculate the energy efficiency of HEF and wet ethanol. • Optimal wet ethanol composition as a fuel in SI engine based on NEF. - Abstract: Studies are unanimous that the greatest fraction of the energy necessary to produce hydrous ethanol fuel (HEF), i.e. above 95%v/v of ethanol in water, is spent on water removal (distillation). Previous works have assessed the energy efficiency of HEF; but few, if any, have done the same for wet ethanol fuel (sub-azeotropic hydrous ethanol). Hence, a new metric called net energy factor (NEF) is proposed to calculate the energy efficiency of wet ethanol and HEF. NEF calculates the ratio of Lower Heating Value (LHV) derived from ethanol fuel, total energy out, to energy used to obtain ethanol fuel as distillate, total energy in. Distillation tests were performed batchwise to obtain as distillate HEF and four different fuel blends of wet ethanol with a range from 60%v/v to 90%v/v of ethanol and the amount of energy spent to distillate each ethanol fuel calculated. The efficiency parameters of a SI engine operating with the produced ethanol fuels was tested to calculate their respective conversion efficiency. The results of net energy factors show a clear advantage of wet ethanol fuels over HEF; the optimal efficiency was wet ethanol fuel with 70%v/v of ethanol.

Ethanol production from biomass. Voorlopig nauwelijks ethanolproduktie uit biomassa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van der Knijff, A; Wildschut, L R [Haskoning Koninklijk Ingenieurs- en Architectenbureau, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Williams, A [Technische Univ. Twente, Enschede (Netherlands)

1991-04-01

Fluid fuels, for instance ethanol and methanol, can be produced from agricultural materials and from waste materials. For 37 waste flows (among which scrap from the oil- and fat industry, waste potatoes, withdrawn vegetables, waste wood, straw, roadside grass, vegetables-, fruits- and garden wastes and beet tails) possibilities to produce fuels have been considered. In general, sacchariferous and farinaceous wastes, which could be used for ethanol production, are used for other purposes. Therefore ethanol production from these materials is expensive. Cellulose wastes (for instance straw, wood wastes and paper sludge) can be suitable in the future for ethanol production. But first a cheap method to decompose and hydrolize cellulose has to be developed. 2 figs., 2 ills., 3 refs.

Ethanol exposure disrupts extraembryonic microtubule cytoskeleton and embryonic blastomere cell adhesion, producing epiboly and gastrulation defects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Swapnalee Sarmah

2013-08-01

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD occurs when pregnant mothers consume alcohol, causing embryonic ethanol exposure and characteristic birth defects that include craniofacial, neural and cardiac defects. Gastrulation is a particularly sensitive developmental stage for teratogen exposure, and zebrafish is an outstanding model to study gastrulation and FASD. Epiboly (spreading blastomere cells over the yolk cell, prechordal plate migration and convergence/extension cell movements are sensitive to early ethanol exposure. Here, experiments are presented that characterize mechanisms of ethanol toxicity on epiboly and gastrulation. Epiboly mechanisms include blastomere radial intercalation cell movements and yolk cell microtubule cytoskeleton pulling the embryo to the vegetal pole. Both of these processes were disrupted by ethanol exposure. Ethanol effects on cell migration also indicated that cell adhesion was affected, which was confirmed by cell aggregation assays. E-cadherin cell adhesion molecule expression was not affected by ethanol exposure, but E-cadherin distribution, which controls epiboly and gastrulation, was changed. E-cadherin was redistributed into cytoplasmic aggregates in blastomeres and dramatically redistributed in the extraembryonic yolk cell. Gene expression microarray analysis was used to identify potential causative factors for early development defects, and expression of the cell adhesion molecule protocadherin-18a (pcdh18a, which controls epiboly, was significantly reduced in ethanol exposed embryos. Injecting pcdh18a synthetic mRNA in ethanol treated embryos partially rescued epiboly cell movements, including enveloping layer cell shape changes. Together, data show that epiboly and gastrulation defects induced by ethanol are multifactorial, and include yolk cell (extraembryonic tissue microtubule cytoskeleton disruption and blastomere adhesion defects, in part caused by reduced pcdh18a expression.

Incubation of ethanol reinstatement depends on test conditions and how ethanol consumption is reduced

Science.gov (United States)

Ginsburg, Brett C.; Lamb, R. J.

2015-01-01

In reinstatement studies (a common preclinical procedure for studying relapse), incubation occurs (longer abstinence periods result in more responding). This finding is discordant with the clinical literature. Identifying determinants of incubation could aid in interpreting reinstatement and identifying processes involved in relapse. Reinstated responding was examined in rats trained to respond for ethanol and food under a multiple concurrent schedule (Component 1: ethanol FR5, food FR150; Component 2: ethanol FR5, food FR5–alternating across the 30-min session). Ethanol consumption was then reduced for 1 or 16 sessions either by suspending training (rats remained in home cage) or by providing alternative reinforcement (only Component 2 stimuli and contingencies were presented throughout the session). In the next session, stimuli associated with Component 1 were presented and responses recorded but ethanol and food were never delivered. Two test conditions were studied: fixed-ratio completion either produced ethanol- or food-associated stimuli (signaled) or had no programmed consequence (unsignaled). Incubation of ethanol responding was observed only after suspended training during signaled test sessions. Incubation of food responding was also observed after suspended training. These results are most consistent with incubation resulting from a degradation of feedback functions limiting extinction responding, rather than an increased motivation. PMID:25595114

Production of ethanol from wheat straw

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Smuga-Kogut Małgorzata

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This study proposes a method for the production of ethanol from wheat straw lignocellulose where the raw material is chemically processed before hydrolysis and fermentation. The usefulness of wheat straw delignification was evaluated with the use of a 4:1 mixture of 95% ethanol and 65% HNO3 (V. Chemically processed lignocellulose was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis to produce reducing sugars, which were converted to ethanol in the process of alcoholic fermentation. Chemical processing damages the molecular structure of wheat straw, thus improving ethanol yield. The removal of lignin from straw improves fermentation by eliminating lignin’s negative influence on the growth and viability of yeast cells. Straw pretreatment facilitates enzymatic hydrolysis by increasing the content of reducing sugars and ethanol per g in comparison with untreated wheat straw.

Metabolic engineering of ethanol production in Thermoanaerobacter mathranii

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shou Yao

2010-11-15

Strain BG1 is a xylanolytic, thermophilic, anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium originally isolated from an Icelandic hot spring. The strain belongs to the species Thermoanaerobacter mathranii. The strain ferments glucose, xylose, arabinose, galactose and mannose simultaneously and produces ethanol, acetate, lactate, CO{sub 2}, and H2 as fermentation end-products. As a potential ethanol producer from lignocellulosic biomass, tailor-made BG1 strain with the metabolism redirected to produce ethanol is needed. Metabolic engineering of T. mathranii BG1 is therefore necessary to improve ethanol production. Strain BG1 contains four alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) encoding genes. They are adhA, adhB, bdhA and adhE encoding primary alcohol dehydrogenase, secondary alcohol dehydrogenase, butanol dehydrogenase and bifunctional alcohol/acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, respectively. The presence in an organism of multiple alcohol dehydrogenases with overlapping specificities makes the determination of the specific role of each ADH difficult. Deletion of each individual adh gene in the strain revealed that the adhE deficient mutant strain fails to produce ethanol as the fermentation product. The bifunctional alcohol/acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, AdhE, is therefore proposed responsible for ethanol production in T. mathranii BG1, by catalyzing sequential NADH-dependent reductions of acetyl-CoA to acetaldehyde and then to ethanol under fermentative conditions. Moreover, AdhE was conditionally expressed from a xylose-induced promoter in a recombinant strain (BG1E1) with a concomitant deletion of a lactate dehydrogenase. Over-expression of AdhE in strain BG1E1 with xylose as a substrate facilitates the production of ethanol at an increased yield. With a cofactor-dependent ethanol production pathway in T. mathranii BG1, it may become crucial to regenerate cofactor to increase the ethanol yield. Feeding the cells with a more reduced carbon source, such as mannitol, was shown to increase ethanol

Acetaldehyde as an Intermediate in the Electroreduction of Carbon Monoxide to Ethanol on Oxide-Derived Copper

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bertheussen, Erlend; Verdaguer Casadevall, Arnau; Ravasio, Davide

2016-01-01

Oxide-derived copper (OD-Cu) electrodes exhibit unprecedented CO reduction performance towards liquid fuels, producing ethanol and acetate with >50 % Faradaic efficiency at −0.3 V (vs. RHE). By using static headspace-gas chromatography for liquid phase analysis, we identify acetaldehyde as a mino...... solutions using NMR spectroscopy, requiring alternative methods for detection and quantification. Our results represent an important step towards understanding the CO reduction mechanism on OD-Cu electrodes....

Radioisotope tracer study of co-reactions of methanol with ethanol using 11C-labelled methanol over alumina and H-ZSM-5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarkadi-Priboczki, E.; Kovacs, Z.; Kumar, N.; Salmi, T.; Murzin, D.Yu

2005-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. The transformation of methanol has been investigated over alumina and H-ZSM-5 in our previous experiments by 11 C-radioisotope tracing. The main product in methanol conversion over alumina was dimethyl ether due to Lewis acid sites while over H-ZSM-5 mostly hydrocarbons were formed due to both Lewis and Brrnsted acid sites. With increasing temperature first the ethanol was dehydrated to diethyl ether followed by ethene formation over alumina and H-ZSM-5. In this work, 11 C-labelled methanol as radioisotope tracer was added to non-radioactive methanol for investigation of co-reaction with non-radioactive ethanol over alumina and H- ZSM-5. The 11 C-methanol tracer was used to distinguish the methanol derivates and co-reaction derivates of methanol with ethanol against non-radioactive ethanol derivates. The yield of methyl ethyl ether as mixed ether and the influence of ethanol for the yields of C 1 -C 5 hydrocarbons were studied as a function of reaction temperature and contact time. The 11 C-methanol was formed by a radiochemical process from 11 CO 2 produced at cyclotron. The mixture of methanol and ethanol was added to 11 C-methanol and injected to the catalyst. The catalysis was carried out in a glass tube fixed-bed reactor after its pretreatment. The derivates were analyzed by radio-gas chromatography (gas chromatograph with thermal conductivity detector coupled on-line with a radioactivity detector). The comparative analysis of yields of radioactive and non-radioactive products as a function of reaction temperature gives information about the reaction pathways. Over alumina the yields of dimethyl ether and methyl ethyl ether (co-product) as radioactive and diethyl ether with ethene as non-radioactive main products were monitored as a function of reaction temperature and reaction time in the range of 513-593 K. Alongside ethanol derivates the ethene turns into main product in contrast with methyl ethyl ether and diethyl

Carbon nanotube-like materials in the exhaust from a diesel engine using gas oil/ethanol mixing fuel with catalysts and sulfur.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Shunsuke; Mori, Shinsuke

2017-08-01

Particulate matter from a diesel engine, including soot and carbon nanomaterials, was collected on a sampling holder and the structure of the materials was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). As a result of employing gas oil/ethanol mixing fuel with sulfur and ferrocene/molybdenum as catalyst sources, formation of carbon nanotubes (CNT)-like materials in addition to soot was observed in the exhaust gas from a diesel engine. It was revealed that CNT-like materials were included among soot in our system only when the following three conditions were satisfied simultaneously: high ethanol fraction in fuel, high sulfur loading, and presence of catalyst sources in fuel. This study confirmed that if at least one of these three conditions was not satisfied, CNT-like materials were not observed in the exhaust from a diesel engine. These experimental results shown in this work provide insights into understanding CNT-like material formation mechanism in a diesel engine. Recent papers reported that carbon nanotube-like materials were included in the exhaust gas from engines, but conditions for carbon nanotube-like material formation have not been well studied. This work provides the required conditions for carbon nanotube-like material growth in a diesel engine, and this will be helpful for understanding the carbon nanotube-like material formation mechanism and taking countermeasures to preventing carbon nanotube-like material formation in a diesel engine.

Performance of a passive direct ethanol fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, J. P.; Falcão, D. S.; Oliveira, V. B.; Pinto, A. M. F. R.

2014-06-01

Ethanol emerges as an attractive fuel since it is less toxic and has higher energy density than methanol and can be produced from biomass. Direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) appear as a good choice for producing sustainable energy for portable applications. However, they are still far from attaining acceptable levels of power output, since their performance is affected by the slow electrochemical ethanol oxidation and water and ethanol crossover. In the present work, an experimental study on the performance of a passive DEFC is described. Tailored MEAs (membrane electrode assembly) with different catalyst loadings, anode diffusion layers and membranes were tested in order to select optimal working conditions at high ethanol concentrations and low ethanol crossover. The performance increased with an increase of membrane and anode diffusion layer thicknesses and anode catalyst loading. A maximum power density of 1.33 mW cm-2, was obtained using a Nafion 117 membrane, 4 mg cm-2 of Pt-Ru and 2 mg cm-2 of Pt on the anode and cathode catalyst layers, ELAT as anode diffusion layer, carbon cloth as cathode diffusion layer and an ethanol concentration of 2 M. As far as the authors are aware this is the first work reporting an experimental optimization of passive DEFCs.

Sustainability of grape-ethanol energy chain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ester Foppa Pedretti

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work is to evaluate the sustainability, in terms of greenhouse gases emission saving, of a new potential bio-ethanol production chain in comparison with the most common ones. The innovation consists of producing bio-ethanol from different types of no-food grapes, while usually bio-ethanol is obtained from matrices taken away from crop for food destination: sugar cane, corn, wheat, sugar beet. In the past, breeding programs were conducted with the aim of improving grapevine characteristics, a large number of hybrid vine varieties were produced and are nowadays present in the Viticulture Research Centre (CRA-VIT Germplasm Collection. Some of them are potentially interesting for bio-energy production because of their high production of sugar, good resistance to diseases, and ability to grow in marginal lands. Life cycle assessment (LCA of grape ethanol energy chain was performed following two different methods: i using the spreadsheet BioGrace, developed within the Intelligent Energy Europe program to support and to ease the Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28/EC implementation; ii using a dedicated LCA software. Emissions were expressed in CO2 equivalent (CO2eq. These two tools gave very similar results. The overall emissions impact of ethanol production from grapes on average is about 33 g CO2eq MJ–1 of ethanol if prunings are used for steam production and 53 g CO2eq MJ–1 of ethanol if methane is used. The comparison with other bio-energy chains points out that the production of ethanol using grapes represents an intermediate situation in terms of general emissions among the different production chains. The results showed that the sustainability limits provided by the normative are respected to this day. On the contrary, from 2017 this production will be sustainable only if the transformation processes will be performed using renewable sources of energy.

An enzymatic-fluorimetric method for monitoring of ethanol in ambient air

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schilling, M.; Voigt, G.; Klockow, D. [Institut fuer Spektrochemie und Angewandte Spektroskopie (ISAS), Dortmund (Germany); Tavares, T. [Instituto de Quimica, Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBa), Rua Augusto Viana, s/n - Canela, 40110-010 Salvador/Bahia (Brazil)

1999-05-01

A method is described for the continuous monitoring of ethanol in ambient air. The system consists of a scrubber coil for enrichment of the analyte from air in an aqueous solution and a directly connected fluorescence detector. Because of using a reagent solution containing alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD{sup +}) for absorption, ethanol can react directly with ADH and NAD{sup +} during air sampling, producing NADH, which can be measured by fluorescence detection. The influence of reagent concentrations, gas flow rate and scrubber solution flow rate on the performance of the instrument was tested. Possible ozone interferences can be avoided by placing a KI coated filter in front of the scrubber inlet. The response time of the system was found to be 2.3 min and the detection limit about 1 ppb{sub V}. The applicability of the developed method was demonstrated during a field campaign in Brazil. (orig.) With 7 figs., 35 refs.

Emissions from ethanol- and LPG-fueled vehicles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitstick, M.E.

1995-01-01

This paper addresses the environmental concerns of using neat ethanol and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as transportation fuels in the United States. Low-level blends of ethanol (10%) with gasoline have been used as fuels in the United States for more than a decade, but neat ethanol (85% or more) has only been used extensively in Brazil. LPG, which consists mostly of propane, is already used extensively as a vehicle fuel in the United States, but its use has been limited primarily to converted fleet vehicles. Increasing U.S. interest in alternative fuels has raised the possibility of introducing neat-ethanol vehicles into the market and expanding the number of LPG vehicles. Use of such vehicles, and increased production and consumption of fuel ethanol and LPG, will undoubtedly have environmental impacts. If the impacts are determined to be severe, they could act as barriers to the introduction of neat-ethanol and LPG vehicles. Environmental concerns include exhaust and evaporative emissions and their impact on ozone formation and global warming, toxic emissions from fuel combustion and evaporation, and agricultural impacts from production of ethanol. The paper is not intended to be judgmental regarding the overall attractiveness of ethanol or LPG as compared with other transportation fuels. The environmental concerns are reviewed and summarized, but only conclusion reached is that there is no single concern that is likely to prevent the introduction of neat-ethanol-fueled vehicles or the increase in LPG-fueled vehicles

Ethanol production from soybean molasses by Zymomonas mobilis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Letti, Luiz Alberto Junior; Karp, Susan Grace; Woiciechowski, Adenise Lorenci; Soccol, Carlos Ricardo

2012-01-01

This work deals with the utilization of soybean molasses (a low cost byproduct) to produce ethanol, an important biofuel, using the microorganism Zymomonas mobilis NRRL 806, a gram negative bacterium. At the first part of the work, laboratorial scale tests, using 125 mL flasks were performed to evaluate the effect of three variables on ethanol production: soybean molasses concentration (the sole carbon and nitrogen source), pH and period of previous aerobial phase. The optimal soybean concentration was around 200 g L -1 of soluble solids, pH between 6.0 and 7.0, and the period of previous aerobial phase did not provide significant effect. At the second part, kinetic tests were performed to compare the fermentation yields of Zymomonas mobilis NRRL 806 in flasks and in a bench scale batch reactor (it was obtained respectively 78.3% and 96.0% of the maximum theoretical yields, with productions of 24.2 and 29.3 g L -1 of ethanol). The process with a reactor fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae LPB1 was also tested (it was reached 89.3% of the theoretical maximum value). A detailed kinetic behavior of the molasses sugars metabolism for Z. mobilis was also shown, either in reactor or in flasks. This work is a valuable tool for further works in the subject of ethanol production from agro-industrial by-products. -- Highlights: ► Zymomonas mobilis was able to grow and produce ethanol on diluted soybean molasses. ► Best conditions for ethanol production:200g L -1 of soluble solids; pH around 6,5. ► Z. mobilis had better ethanol production and yield when compared to S. cerevisiae. ► In reactor, Z. mobilis produced 29.3 g L -1 of ethanol, 96.0% of the maximum yield.

Effects of ethanol-diesel fuel blends on the performance and exhaust emissions of heavy duty DI diesel engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rakopoulos, D.C.; Rakopoulos, C.D.; Kakaras, E.C.; Giakoumis, E.G.

2008-01-01

An experimental investigation is conducted to evaluate the effects of using blends of ethanol with conventional diesel fuel, with 5% and 10% (by vol.) ethanol, on the performance and exhaust emissions of a fully instrumented, six-cylinder, turbocharged and after-cooled, heavy duty, direct injection (DI), Mercedes-Benz engine, installed at the authors' laboratory, which is used to power the mini-bus diesel engines of the Athens Urban Transport Organization sub-fleet with a view to using bio-ethanol produced from Greek feedstock. The tests are conducted using each of the above fuel blends, with the engine working at two speeds and three loads. Fuel consumption, exhaust smokiness and exhaust regulated gas emissions such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and total unburned hydrocarbons are measured. The differences in the measured performance and exhaust emissions of the two ethanol-diesel fuel blends from the baseline operation of the engine, i.e. when working with neat diesel fuel, are determined and compared. Theoretical aspects of diesel engine combustion combined with the widely differing physical and chemical properties of the ethanol against those for the diesel fuel, are used to aid the correct interpretation of the observed engine behavior

Organic Pollutants in Shale Gas Flowback and Produced Waters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Butkovskyi, Andrii; Bruning, Harry; Kools, Stefan A.E.; Rijnaarts, Huub H.M.; Wezel, van Annemarie P.

2017-01-01

Organic contaminants in shale gas flowback and produced water (FPW) are traditionally expressed as total organic carbon (TOC) or chemical oxygen demand (COD), though these parameters do not provide information on the toxicity and environmental fate of individual components. This review addresses

Ethyl nitrite is produced in the human stomach from dietary nitrate and ethanol, releasing nitric oxide at physiological pH: potential impact on gastric motility.

Science.gov (United States)

Rocha, Bárbara S; Gago, Bruno; Barbosa, Rui M; Cavaleiro, Carlos; Laranjinha, João

2015-05-01

Nitric oxide ((∙)NO), a ubiquitous molecule involved in a plethora of signaling pathways, is produced from dietary nitrate in the gut through the so-called nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway. In the stomach, nitrite derived from dietary nitrate triggers a network of chemical reactions targeting endogenous and exogenous biomolecules, thereby producing new compounds with physiological activity. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether compounds with physiological relevance are produced in the stomach upon consumption of nitrate- and ethanol-rich foods. Human volunteers consumed a serving of lettuce (source of nitrate) and alcoholic beverages (source of ethanol). After 15 min, samples of the gastric headspace were collected and ethyl nitrite was identified by GC-MS. Wistar rats were used to study the impact of ethyl nitrite on gastric smooth muscle relaxation at physiological pH. Nitrogen oxides, produced from nitrite in the stomach, induce nitrosation of ethanol from alcoholic beverages in the human stomach yielding ethyl nitrite. Ethyl nitrite, a potent vasodilator, is produced in vivo upon the consumption of lettuce with either red wine or whisky. Moreover, at physiological pH, ethyl nitrite induces gastric smooth muscle relaxation through a cGMP-dependent pathway. Overall, these results suggest that ethyl nitrite is produced in the gastric lumen and releases (∙)NO at physiological pH, which ultimately may have an impact on gastric motility. Systemic effects may also be expected if ethyl nitrite diffuses through the gastric mucosa reaching blood vessels, therefore operating as a (∙)NO carrier throughout the body. These data pinpoint posttranslational modifications as an underappreciated mechanism for the production of novel molecules with physiological impact locally in the gut and highlight the notion that diet may fuel compounds with the potential to modulate gastrointestinal welfare. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hydrogen yield from low temperature steam reforming of ethanol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Das, N.K.; Dalai, A.K. [Saskatchewan Univ., Saskatoon, SK (Canada). Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Catalysis and Chemical Reaction Engineering Laboratories; Ranganathan, R. [Saskatchewan Research Council, Saskatoon, SK (Canada)

2007-02-15

Interest in the use of ethanol for fuel cell hydrogen production was discussed with particular reference to a study in which the production of hydrogen was maximized through low temperature steam reforming of ethanol in the temperature range of 200 to 360 degrees C. The primary objective of this study was to determine the effect of Mn concentration on a Cu/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalyst for steam reforming of ethanol to produce hydrogen. The purpose was to maximize ethanol conversion and hydrogen selectivity in the lowest possible reaction temperature for the ideal catalyst activity. The optimum reaction conditions in the presence of a suitable catalyst can produce the desired products of hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Cu/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalysts with six different concentrations ranging from 0 to 10 weight per cent Mn, were prepared, characterized and studied for the ethanol-steam reforming reaction. The effects of different process variables were studied, including water-to-ethanol feed ratio, space time and catalyst reduction temperatures on ethanol conversion and hydrogen yield. Maximum ethanol conversion of 60.7 per cent and hydrogen yield of 3.74 (mol of hydrogen per mol of ethanol converted) were observed at 360 degrees C for a catalyst with 2.5 weight per cent Mn loading. 29 refs., 3 tabs., 12 figs.

Less greenhouse gas is being produced; Es entstehen weniger Treibhausgase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grassl, W [Messer Griesheim GmbH, Krefeld (Germany)

1995-08-09

The use of natural gas as fuel for vehicles has the advantage that much less ozone is produced compared to other fossil fuel sources. Also, considerably less CO, NO{sub x} and other hydrocarbons are released. However, natural gas drives have not succeeded so far. Compressed natural gas (CNG) or LPG (liquid petroleum gas) have been used so far, which also have disadvantages. This article deals with important questions on the use of gas fuels and their consequences for the car engine. (BWI) [Deutsch] Die Verwendung von Erdgas als Treibstoff fuer Kraftfahrzeuge hat den Vorteil, dass im Vergleich zu anderen fossilen Energietraegern sehr viel weniger Ozon entsteht. Aussderdem werden deutlich weniger Emissionen von CO, NO{sub x} und Kohlenwasserstoffen freigesetzt. Allerdings konnten sich Erdgas-Antriebe bislang nicht durchsetzen. Bislang wird verdichtetes Erdgas (CNG) bzw. LPG (Liquefied Petrol Gas) eingesetzt, die jedoch auch Nachteile in sich bergen. Der vorliegende Artikel geht auf die wesentlichen Fragen der Nutzung von Gastreibstoffen und deren Folgen fuer den Automobilmotor ein. (BWI)

Ethanol wet-bonding technique sensitivity assessed by AFM.

Science.gov (United States)

Osorio, E; Toledano, M; Aguilera, F S; Tay, F R; Osorio, R

2010-11-01

In ethanol wet bonding, water is replaced by ethanol to maintain dehydrated collagen matrices in an extended state to facilitate resin infiltration. Since short ethanol dehydration protocols may be ineffective, this study tested the null hypothesis that there are no differences in ethanol dehydration protocols for maintaining the surface roughness, fibril diameter, and interfibrillar spaces of acid-etched dentin. Polished human dentin surfaces were etched with phosphoric acid and water-rinsed. Tested protocols were: (1) water-rinse (control); (2) 100% ethanol-rinse (1-min); (3) 100% ethanol-rinse (5-min); and (4) progressive ethanol replacement (50-100%). Surface roughness, fibril diameter, and interfibrillar spaces were determined with atomic force microscopy and analyzed by one-way analysis of variance and the Student-Newman-Keuls test (α = 0.05). Dentin roughness and fibril diameter significantly decreased when 100% ethanol (1-5 min) was used for rinsing (p ethanol produced collapse and shrinkage of collagen fibrils. Ascending ethanol concentrations did not collapse the matrix and shrank the fibrils less than absolute ethanol-rinses.

Promoting chain elongation in mixed culture acidification reactors by addition of ethanol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grootscholten, T.I.M.; Kinsky dal Borgo, F.; Hamelers, H.V.M.; Buisman, C.J.N.

2013-01-01

In this research we investigate a microbial production process to produce medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) based on the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW). In this microbial production process, called chain elongation, bacteria produce medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) from ethanol and volatile fatty acids (VFAs). MCFAs could be used as new biomass based building blocks for the chemical and fuel industry. The objective of this article is to investigate whether chain elongation can be promoted during acidification of OFMSW by addition of ethanol. The results show that chain elongation can be promoted during acidification of OFMSW by addition of ethanol. However, the hydrolysis rate and the carboxylic acid yield of the OFMSW in reactors with ethanol additions were lower than the hydrolysis rate and the carboxylic acid yield than in reactors without ethanol additions. Further research is required to determine whether a combined chain elongation and acidification reactor or a separated reactor system is more advantageous for MCFA production from OFMSW. -- Highlights: ► Production of medium chain fatty acids from municipal solid waste and ethanol. ► Insight in production of caproate and consumption of in-situ produced ethanol. ► Ethanol additions reduced propionate, butyrate and valerate concentrations. ► Ethanol additions hardly reduced acetate concentrations. ► Hydrolysis rate was lower in experiments with ethanol additions

Gas chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry: analysis of methanol, ethanol and acetic acid by direct injection of aqueous alcoholic and acetic acid samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Ai, Guomin; Sun, Tong; Dong, Xiuzhu

2014-08-15

Methanol, ethanol, and acetic acid are not easily extracted from aqueous samples and are susceptible to isotope fractionation in gas chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/IRMS) analysis. Developing a direct dilution GC/IRMS method for aqueous samples, by adjusting the sample concentrations in common solvents to be similar to each other and using a fixed GC split ratio, is very convenient and important because any linearity effects caused by amount-dependent isotope fractionation can be avoided. The suitability of acetonitrile and acetone solvents for the GC/IRMS analysis of pure methanol, ethanol and acetic acid, and commercial liquor and vinegar samples was evaluated using n-hexane and water as control solvents. All the solvents including water were separated from the analyte on a HP-INNOWAX column and were diverted away from the combustion interface. The influence of liquor matrix on the ethanol GC/IRMS analyses was evaluated by adding pure ethanol to liquor samples. Acetonitrile and acetone gave similar δ(13) C values for pure ethanol and pure acetic acid to those obtained in water and n-hexane, and also gave similar δ(13) C values of ethanol in liquor and acetic acid in white vinegar to that obtained in water. For methanol analysis, acetonitrile and refined acetone gave similar δ(13) C values to that obtained in water, but n-hexane was not a suitable solvent. In addition, isotopic fractionation caused by solvent and solute interactions was observed. We recommend using acetonitrile for the GC/IRMS analysis of aqueous alcoholic samples, and acetone for the analysis of aqueous acetic acid samples. This direct dilution method can provide high accurate and precise GC/IRMS analysis of the relative changes in δ(13) C values of methanol, ethanol, and acetic acid. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Compression Ratio and Catalyst Aging Effects on Aqueous Ethanol Ignition (Year 2): Part 1. Compression Ratio Effects on Aqueous Ethanol Ignition

Science.gov (United States)

2009-09-01

The lean burning of water ethanol blends has the potential to reduce NOx, CO, and HC emissions while reducing the ethanol fermentation production cost of distillation and dehydration. The torch style ignition produced by the catalytic igniter allows ...

A layer model of ethanol partitioning into lipid membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Nizza, David T; Gawrisch, Klaus

2009-06-01

The effect of membrane composition on ethanol partitioning into lipid bilayers was assessed by headspace gas chromatography. A series of model membranes with different compositions have been investigated. Membranes were exposed to a physiological ethanol concentration of 20 mmol/l. The concentration of membranes was 20 wt% which roughly corresponds to values found in tissue. Partitioning depended on the chemical nature of polar groups at the lipid/water interface. Compared to phosphatidylcholine, lipids with headgroups containing phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylserine, and sphingomyelin showed enhanced partitioning while headgroups containing phosphatidylethanolamine resulted in a lower partition coefficient. The molar partition coefficient was independent of a membrane's hydrophobic volume. This observation is in agreement with our previously published NMR results which showed that ethanol resides almost exclusively within the membrane/water interface. At an ethanol concentration of 20 mmol/l in water, ethanol concentrations at the lipid/water interface are in the range from 30-15 mmol/l, corresponding to one ethanol molecule per 100-200 lipids.

Direct synthesis of ethanol from dimethyl ether and syngas over combined H-Mordenite and Cu/ZnO catalysts.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xingang; San, Xiaoguang; Zhang, Yi; Ichii, Takashi; Meng, Ming; Tan, Yisheng; Tsubaki, Noritatsu

2010-10-25

Ethanol was directly synthesized from dimethyl ether (DME) and syngas with the combined H-Mordenite and Cu/ZnO catalysts that were separately loaded in a dual-catalyst bed reactor. Methyl acetate (MA) was formed by DME carbonylation over the H-Mordenite catalyst. Thereafter, ethanol and methanol were produced by MA hydrogenation over the Cu/ZnO catalyst. With the reactant gas containing 1.0% DME, the optimized temperature for the reaction was at 493 K to reach 100% conversion. In the products, the yield of methanol and ethanol could reach 46.3% and 42.2%, respectively, with a small amount of MA, ethyl acetate, and CO(2). This process is environmentally friendly as the main byproduct methanol can be recycled to DME by a dehydration reaction. In contrast, for the physically mixed catalysts, the low conversion of DME and high selectivity of methanol were observed.

Desalination and reuse of high-salinity shale gas produced water: drivers, technologies, and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaffer, Devin L; Arias Chavez, Laura H; Ben-Sasson, Moshe; Romero-Vargas Castrillón, Santiago; Yip, Ngai Yin; Elimelech, Menachem

2013-09-03

In the rapidly developing shale gas industry, managing produced water is a major challenge for maintaining the profitability of shale gas extraction while protecting public health and the environment. We review the current state of practice for produced water management across the United States and discuss the interrelated regulatory, infrastructure, and economic drivers for produced water reuse. Within this framework, we examine the Marcellus shale play, a region in the eastern United States where produced water is currently reused without desalination. In the Marcellus region, and in other shale plays worldwide with similar constraints, contraction of current reuse opportunities within the shale gas industry and growing restrictions on produced water disposal will provide strong incentives for produced water desalination for reuse outside the industry. The most challenging scenarios for the selection of desalination for reuse over other management strategies will be those involving high-salinity produced water, which must be desalinated with thermal separation processes. We explore desalination technologies for treatment of high-salinity shale gas produced water, and we critically review mechanical vapor compression (MVC), membrane distillation (MD), and forward osmosis (FO) as the technologies best suited for desalination of high-salinity produced water for reuse outside the shale gas industry. The advantages and challenges of applying MVC, MD, and FO technologies to produced water desalination are discussed, and directions for future research and development are identified. We find that desalination for reuse of produced water is technically feasible and can be economically relevant. However, because produced water management is primarily an economic decision, expanding desalination for reuse is dependent on process and material improvements to reduce capital and operating costs.

Repeated episodes of chronic intermittent ethanol promote insensitivity to devaluation of the reinforcing effect of ethanol.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez, M F; Becker, H C; Chandler, L J

2014-11-01

Studies in animal models have shown that repeated episodes of alcohol dependence and withdrawal promote escalation of drinking that is presumably associated with alterations in the addiction neurocircuitry. Using a lithium chloride-ethanol pairing procedure to devalue the reinforcing properties of ethanol, the present study determined whether multiple cycles of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure by vapor inhalation also alters the sensitivity of drinking behavior to the devaluation of ethanol's reinforcing effects. The effect of devaluation on operant ethanol self-administration and extinction was examined in mice prior to initiation of CIE (short drinking history) and after repeated cycles of CIE or air control exposure (long drinking history). Devaluation significantly attenuated the recovery of baseline ethanol self-administration when tested either prior to CIE or in the air-exposed controls that had experienced repeated bouts of drinking but no CIE. In contrast, in mice that had undergone repeated cycles of CIE exposure that promoted escalation of ethanol drinking, self-administration was completely resistant to the effect of devaluation. Devaluation had no effect on the time course of extinction training in either pre-CIE or post-CIE mice. Taken together, these results are consistent with the suggestion that repeated cycles of ethanol dependence and withdrawal produce escalation of ethanol self-administration that is associated with a change in sensitivity to devaluation of the reinforcing properties of ethanol. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Expression of TPS1 gene from Saccharomycopsis fibuligera A11 in Saccharomyces sp. W0 enhances trehalose accumulation, ethanol tolerance, and ethanol production.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Tian-Shu; Chi, Zhe; Liu, Guang-Lei; Chi, Zhen-Ming

2014-01-01

It has been reported that trehalose plays an important role in stress tolerance in yeasts. Therefore, in order to construct a stably recombinant Saccharomyces sp. W0 with higher ethanol tolerance, the TPS1 gene encoding 6-phosphate-trehalose synthase cloned from Saccharomycopsis fibuligera A11 was ligated into the 18S rDNA integration vector pMIRSC11 and integrated into chromosomal DNA of Saccharomyces sp. W0. The transformant Z8 obtained had the content of 6.23 g of trehalose/100 g of cell dry weight, while Saccharomyces sp. W0 only contained 4.05 g of trehalose/100 g of cell dry weight. The transformant Z8 also had higher ethanol tolerance (cell survival was 25.1 % at 18 ml of ethanol/100 ml of solution) and trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (Tps1) activity (1.3 U/mg) and produced more ethanol (16.4 ml of ethanol/100 ml of medium) than Saccharomyces sp. W0 (cell survival was 12.1 % at 18 ml of ethanol/100 ml of solution, Tps1 activity was 0.8 U/mg and the produced ethanol concentration was 14.2 ml of ethanol/100 ml of medium) under the same conditions. The results show that trehalose indeed can play an important role in ethanol tolerance and ethanol production by Saccharomyces sp. W0.

Techno-economic evaluation of stillage treatment with anaerobic digestion in a softwood-to-ethanol process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barta Zsolt

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Replacing the energy-intensive evaporation of stillage by anaerobic digestion is one way of decreasing the energy demand of the lignocellulosic biomass to the ethanol process. The biogas can be upgraded and sold as transportation fuel, injected directly into the gas grid or be incinerated on-site for combined heat and power generation. A techno-economic evaluation of the spruce-to-ethanol process, based on SO2-catalysed steam pretreatment followed by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, has been performed using the commercial flow-sheeting program Aspen Plus™. Various process configurations of anaerobic digestion of the stillage, with different combinations of co-products, have been evaluated in terms of energy efficiency and ethanol production cost versus the reference case of evaporation. Results Anaerobic digestion of the stillage showed a significantly higher overall energy efficiency (87-92%, based on the lower heating values, than the reference case (81%. Although the amount of ethanol produced was the same in all scenarios, the production cost varied between 4.00 and 5.27 Swedish kronor per litre (0.38-0.50 euro/L, including the reference case. Conclusions Higher energy efficiency options did not necessarily result in lower ethanol production costs. Anaerobic digestion of the stillage with biogas upgrading was demonstrated to be a favourable option for both energy efficiency and ethanol production cost. The difference in the production cost of ethanol between using the whole stillage or only the liquid fraction in anaerobic digestion was negligible for the combination of co-products including upgraded biogas, electricity and district heat.

Techno-economic evaluation of stillage treatment with anaerobic digestion in a softwood-to-ethanol process.

Science.gov (United States)

Barta, Zsolt; Reczey, Kati; Zacchi, Guido

2010-09-15

Replacing the energy-intensive evaporation of stillage by anaerobic digestion is one way of decreasing the energy demand of the lignocellulosic biomass to the ethanol process. The biogas can be upgraded and sold as transportation fuel, injected directly into the gas grid or be incinerated on-site for combined heat and power generation. A techno-economic evaluation of the spruce-to-ethanol process, based on SO2-catalysed steam pretreatment followed by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, has been performed using the commercial flow-sheeting program Aspen Plus™. Various process configurations of anaerobic digestion of the stillage, with different combinations of co-products, have been evaluated in terms of energy efficiency and ethanol production cost versus the reference case of evaporation. Anaerobic digestion of the stillage showed a significantly higher overall energy efficiency (87-92%), based on the lower heating values, than the reference case (81%). Although the amount of ethanol produced was the same in all scenarios, the production cost varied between 4.00 and 5.27 Swedish kronor per litre (0.38-0.50 euro/L), including the reference case. Higher energy efficiency options did not necessarily result in lower ethanol production costs. Anaerobic digestion of the stillage with biogas upgrading was demonstrated to be a favourable option for both energy efficiency and ethanol production cost. The difference in the production cost of ethanol between using the whole stillage or only the liquid fraction in anaerobic digestion was negligible for the combination of co-products including upgraded biogas, electricity and district heat.

Improving ethanol productivity through self-cycling fermentation of yeast: a proof of concept.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jie; Chae, Michael; Sauvageau, Dominic; Bressler, David C

2017-01-01

The cellulosic ethanol industry has developed efficient strategies for converting sugars obtained from various cellulosic feedstocks to bioethanol. However, any further major improvements in ethanol productivity will require development of novel and innovative fermentation strategies that enhance incumbent technologies in a cost-effective manner. The present study investigates the feasibility of applying self-cycling fermentation (SCF) to cellulosic ethanol production to elevate productivity. SCF is a semi-continuous cycling process that employs the following strategy: once the onset of stationary phase is detected, half of the broth volume is automatically harvested and replaced with fresh medium to initiate the next cycle. SCF has been shown to increase product yield and/or productivity in many types of microbial cultivation. To test whether this cycling process could increase productivity during ethanol fermentations, we mimicked the process by manually cycling the fermentation for five cycles in shake flasks, and then compared the results to batch operation. Mimicking SCF for five cycles resulted in regular patterns with regards to glucose consumption, ethanol titer, pH, and biomass production. Compared to batch fermentation, our cycling strategy displayed improved ethanol volumetric productivity (the titer of ethanol produced in a given cycle per corresponding cycle time) and specific productivity (the amount of ethanol produced per cellular biomass) by 43.1 ± 11.6 and 42.7 ± 9.8%, respectively. Five successive cycles contributed to an improvement of overall productivity (the aggregate amount of ethanol produced at the end of a given cycle per total processing time) and the estimated annual ethanol productivity (the amount of ethanol produced per year) by 64.4 ± 3.3 and 33.1 ± 7.2%, respectively. This study provides proof of concept that applying SCF to ethanol production could significantly increase productivities, which will help strengthen the

Combustion of producer gas from gasification of south Sumatera lignite coal using CFD simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vidian Fajri

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The production of gasses from lignite coal gasification is one of alternative fuel for the boiler or gas turbine. The prediction of temperature distribution inside the burner is important for the application and optimization of the producer gas. This research aims to provide the information about the influence of excess air on the temperature distribution and combustion product in the non-premixed burner. The process was carried out using producer gas from lignite coal gasification of BA 59 was produced by the updraft gasifier which is located on Energy Conversion Laboratory Mechanical Engineering Department Universitas Sriwijaya. The excess air used in the combustion process were respectively 10%, 30% and 50%. CFD Simulations was performed in this work using two-dimensional model of the burner. The result of the simulation showed an increase of excess air, a reduction in the gas burner temperature and the composition of gas (carbon dioxide, nitric oxide and water vapor.

Investigations of regulated and some unregulated emissions from engines driven by mixed fuels, diesel oil and ethanol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haupt, D.; Nordstroem, F.; Niva, M.; Bergenudd, L.; Hellberg, S.

1997-11-01

Investigations that have been carried out at Luleaa Univ. of Technology show how exhaust gas emissions and engine performance are affected by the composition of the fuels. The fuels that have been tested and compared are two different ethanol blended diesel fuels, 'neat' diesel fuels and neat ethanol fuels. Two different, heavy-duty engines were used for the investigations; one for the neat ethanol fuels and the other for the ethanol blended diesel fuels and neat diesel fuels. The investigation also includes some tests with two oxidizing catalysts. Results from the investigation show that none of the fuels produce emissions exceeding the values of the 13-mode test (ECE R-49, 1997). Lowest HC-emission levels were found for the two 'neat' ethanol fuels although the difference between the HC-emissions can be considered negligible for the studied fuels. An effective reduction in the hydrocarbon emissions was achieved by using a catalyst. The investigation also shows that the NO x emissions were much lower for the neat ethanol fuels than for the other fuels. Even if the CO emissions from the two ethanol fuels were approximately three times higher than for the other investigated fuels the use of a catalyst equalize the CO emission from the studied fuels. The formaldehyde and acetaldehyde emissions were clearly higher for the neat ethanol fuels than for the other investigated fuels. However, by using a catalyst the formaldehyde emission from the ethanol fuel could be decreased. Unfortunately, the use of a catalyst also resulted in an increase in the emission of acetaldehyde form the ethanol fueled engine 11 figs, 11 tabs

Modeling bacterial contamination of fuel ethanol fermentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bischoff, Kenneth M; Liu, Siqing; Leathers, Timothy D; Worthington, Ronald E; Rich, Joseph O

2009-05-01

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria may limit the effectiveness of antibiotics to treat bacterial contamination in fuel ethanol plants, and therefore, new antibacterial intervention methods and tools to test their application are needed. Using shake-flask cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown on saccharified corn mash and strains of lactic acid bacteria isolated from a dry-grind ethanol facility, a simple model to simulate bacterial contamination and infection was developed. Challenging the model with 10(8) CFU/mL Lactobacillus fermentum decreased ethanol yield by 27% and increased residual glucose from 6.2 to 45.5 g/L. The magnitude of the effect was proportional to the initial bacterial load, with 10(5) CFU/mL L. fermentum still producing an 8% decrease in ethanol and a 3.2-fold increase in residual glucose. Infection was also dependent on the bacterial species used to challenge the fermentation, as neither L. delbrueckii ATCC 4797 nor L. amylovorus 0315-7B produced a significant decrease in ethanol when inoculated at a density of 10(8) CFU/mL. In the shake-flask model, treatment with 2 microg/mL virginiamycin mitigated the infection when challenged with a susceptible strain of L. fermentum (MIC for virginiamycin model may find application in developing new antibacterial agents and management practices for use in controlling contamination in the fuel ethanol industry. Copyright 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Production of 16% ethanol from 35% sucrose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breisha, Gaber Z.

2010-01-01

A strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which showed marked fermentation activity, ethanol and temperature tolerance and good flocculation ability, was selected for ethanol production. A stuck fermentation occurred at sucrose concentration of 25%. Increasing the yeast inoculum volume from 3% to 6% showed positive effects on fermentation from 25% sucrose. The ratio of added nitrogen to sucrose, which gave the best results (for the selected yeast strain), was determined. It was concluded that this ratio (nitrogen as ammonium sulphate at a rate of 5 mg g -1 of consumed sucrose) is constant at various sugar concentrations. Addition of nitrogen at this ratio produced 11.55% ethanol with complete consumption of 25% sucrose after 48 h of fermentation. However fermentation of 30% sucrose at the above optimum conditions was not complete. Addition of yeast extract at a level of 6 g l -1 together with thiamine at a level of 0.2 g l -1 led to complete utilization of 30% sucrose with resultant 14% ethanol production. However the selected yeast strain was not able to ferment 35% sucrose at the same optimum conditions. Addition of air at a rate of 150 dm 3 min -1 m 3 of reactor volume during the first 12 h of fermentation led to complete consumption of 35% sucrose and 16% ethanol was produced. This was approximately the theoretical maximum for ethanol production.

Metabolomics-based prediction models of yeast strains for screening of metabolites contributing to ethanol stress tolerance

Science.gov (United States)

Hashim, Z.; Fukusaki, E.

2016-06-01

The increased demand for clean, sustainable and renewable energy resources has driven the development of various microbial systems to produce biofuels. One of such systems is the ethanol-producing yeast. Although yeast produces ethanol naturally using its native pathways, production yield is low and requires improvement for commercial biofuel production. Moreover, ethanol is toxic to yeast and thus ethanol tolerance should be improved to further enhance ethanol production. In this study, we employed metabolomics-based strategy using 30 single-gene deleted yeast strains to construct multivariate models for ethanol tolerance and screen metabolites that relate to ethanol sensitivity/tolerance. The information obtained from this study can be used as an input for strain improvement via metabolic engineering.

Ethanol from wood. Cellulase enzyme production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Szengyel, Zsolt

2000-03-01

Conversion of biomass to liquid fuels, such as ethanol, has been investigated during the past decades. First due to the oil crisis of the 1970s and lately because of concerns about greenhouse effect, ethanol has been found to be a suitable substitute for gasoline in transportation. Although ethanol is produced in large quantities from corn starch, the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol is rather problematic. However, cellulosic raw materials are important as they are available in large quantities from agriculture and forestry. One of the most extensively investigated processes is the enzymatic process, in which fungal cellulolytic enzymes are used to convert the cellulose content of the biomass to glucose, which is then fermented to ethanol. In order to make the raw material accessible to biological attack, it has to be pretreated first. The most successful method, which has been evaluated for various lignocellulosic materials, is the steam pretreatment. In this thesis the utilization of steam pretreated willow (hardwood) and spruce (softwood) was examined for enzyme production using a filamentous fungus T. reesei RUT C30. Various carbon sources originating from the steam pretreated materials have been investigated. The replacement of the solid carbon source with a liquid carbon source, as well as the effect of pH, was studied. The effect of toxic compounds generated during pretreatment was also examined. Comparative study of softwood and hardwood showed that steam pretreated hardwood is a better carbon source than softwood. The hydrolytic potential of enzyme solutions produced on wood derived carbon sources was better compared to commercial cellulases. Also enzyme solutions produced on steam pretreated spruce showed less sensitivity towards toxic compounds formed during steam pretreatment.

The effects of nicotine on ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversions in Long-Evans rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Rinker, Jennifer A; Busse, Gregory D; Roma, Peter G; Chen, Scott A; Barr, Christina S; Riley, Anthony L

2008-04-01

Overall drug acceptability is thought to be a function of the balance between its rewarding and aversive effects, the latter of which is reportedly affected by polydrug use. Given that nicotine and alcohol are commonly co-used, the present experiments sought to assess nicotine's impact on ethanol's aversive effects within a conditioned taste aversion design. Experiment 1 examined various doses of nicotine (0, 0.4, 0.8, 1.2 mg/kg) to determine a behaviorally active dose, and experiment 2 examined various doses of ethanol (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 g/kg) to determine a dose that produced intermediate aversions. Experiment 3 then examined the aversive effects of nicotine (0.8 mg/kg) and ethanol (1.0 g/kg) alone and in combination. Additionally, nicotine's effects on blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) and ethanol-induced hypothermia were examined. Nicotine and ethanol combined produced aversions significantly greater than those produced by either drug alone or the summed aversive effects of the individual compounds. These effects were unrelated to changes in BAC, but nicotine and ethanol combined produced a prolonged hypothermic effect which may contribute to the increased aversions induced by the combination. These data demonstrate that nicotine may interact with ethanol, increasing ethanol's aversive effects. Although the rewarding effects of concurrently administered nicotine and ethanol were not assessed, these data do indicate that the reported high incidence of nicotine and ethanol co-use is unlikely due to reductions in the aversiveness of ethanol with concurrently administered nicotine. It is more likely attributable to nicotine-related changes in ethanol's rewarding effects.

CCL2-ethanol interactions and hippocampal synaptic protein expression in a transgenic mouse model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donna eGruol

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Chronic exposure to ethanol produces a number of detrimental effects on behavior. Neuroadaptive changes in brain structure or function underlie these behavioral changes and may be transient or persistent in nature. Central to the functional changes are alterations in the biology of neuronal and glial cells of the brain. Recent data show that ethanol induces glial cells of the brain to produce elevated levels of neuroimmune factors including CCL2, a key innate immune chemokine. Depending on the conditions of ethanol exposure, the upregulated levels of CCL2 can be transient or persistent and outlast the period of ethanol exposure. Importantly, results indicate that the upregulated levels of CCL2 may lead to CCL2-ethanol interactions that mediate or regulate the effects of ethanol on the brain. Glial cells are in close association with neurons and regulate many neuronal functions. Therefore, effects of ethanol on glial cells may underlie some of the effects of ethanol on neurons. To investigate this possibility, we are studying the effects of chronic ethanol on hippocampal synaptic function in a transgenic mouse model that expresses elevated levels of CCL2 in the brain through enhanced glial expression, a situation know to occur in alcoholics. Both CCL2 and ethanol have been reported to alter synaptic function in the hippocampus. In the current study, we determined if interactions are evident between CCL2 and ethanol at level of hippocampal synaptic proteins. Two ethanol exposure paradigms were used; the first involved ethanol exposure by drinking and the second involved ethanol exposure in a paradigm that combines drinking plus ethanol vapor. The first paradigm does not produce dependence on ethanol, whereas the second paradigm is commonly used to produce ethanol dependence. Results show modest effects of both ethanol exposure paradigms on the level of synaptic proteins in the hippocampus of CCL2 transgenic mice compared with their non

Emissions deterioration for three alternative fuel vehicle types: Natural gas, ethanol, and methanol vehicles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winebrake, J.J.; Deaton, M.L.

1997-01-01

Although there have been several studies examining emissions from in-use alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), little is known about the deterioration of these emissions over vehicle lifetimes and how this deterioration compares with deterioration from conventional vehicles (CVs). This paper analyzes emissions data from 70 AFVs and 70 CVs operating in the federal government fleet to determine whether AFV emissions deterioration differs significantly from CV emissions deterioration. The authors conduct the analysis on three alternative fuel types (natural gas, methanol, and ethanol) and on five pollutants (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, total hydrocarbons, non-methane hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides). They find that for most cases they studied, deterioration differences are not statistically significant; however, several exceptions suggest that air quality planners and regulators must further analyze AFV emissions deterioration in order to properly include these technologies into broader air quality management schemes

Nanocrystalline samarium oxide coated fiber optic gas sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Renganathan, B.; Sastikumar, D.; Srinivasan, R.; Ganesan, A.R.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • This fiber optic gas sensor works at room temperature. • As-prepared and annealed Sm 2 O 3 nanoparticles are act as sensor materials. • Sm 2 O 3 clad modified fiber detect the ammonia, ethanol and methanol gases. • The response of evanescent wave loss has been studied for different concentrations. - Abstract: Nanocrystalline Sm 2 O 3 coated fiber optic sensor is proposed for detecting toxic gases such as ammonia, methanol and ethanol vapors. Sm 2 O 3 in the as prepared form as well as annealed form have been used as gas sensing materials, by making them as cladding of a PMMA fiber. The spectral characteristics of the Sm 2 O 3 gas sensor are presented for ammonia, methanol and ethanol gases with different concentrations ranging from 0 to 500 ppm. The sensor exhibits a linear variation in the output light intensity with the concentration. The enhanced gas sensitivity and selectivity of the sensor for ethanol is discussed briefly

Gas Discharge Produced by Strong Microwaves of Nanosecond Duration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vikharev, A.L.

2000-01-01

The results of the investigation of nanosecond microwave discharge are reviewed. Nanosecond microwave discharge is a new branch of gas discharge physics. The paper lists base types of microwave generators used to produce nanosecond discharge and classifies the discharges relative to their base parameters: the way the discharge gets localized in a limited space, amplitude and frequency of microwave field, gas pressure, duration of microwave pulses. The laboratory experiments performed and the new effects which appear in nanosecond microwave discharge are briefly summarized. Different applications of such a discharge are analyzed on the basis of the experimental modelling. (author)

EXPERIMENTAL AND MODELING STUDY OF PREMIXED LAMINAR FLAMES OF ETHANOL AND METHANE.

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Luc-Sy; Glaude, Pierre-Alexandre; Fournet, René; Battin-Leclerc, Frédérique

2013-04-18

To better understand the chemistry of the combustion of ethanol, the structure of five low pressure laminar premixed flames has been investigated: a pure methane flame (φ=1), three pure ethanol flames (φ=0.7, 1.0, and 1.3), and an ethanol/methane mixture flames (φ=1). The flames have been stabilized on a burner at a pressure of 6.7 kPa using argon as dilutant, with a gas velocity at the burner of 64.3 cm/s at 333 K. The results consist of mole fraction profiles of 20 species measured as a function of the height above the burner by probe sampling followed by online gas chromatography analyses. A mechanism for the oxidation of ethanol was proposed. The reactions of ethanol and acetaldehyde were updated and include recent theoretical calculations while that of ethenol, dimethyl ether, acetone, and propanal were added in the mechanism. This mechanism was also tested against experimental results available in the literature for laminar burning velocities and laminar premixed flame where ethenol was detected. The main reaction pathways of consumption of ethanol are analyzed. The effect of the branching ratios of reaction C 2 H 5 OH+OH→Products+H 2 O is also discussed.

Formation of ethanol from lactose by Zymomonas mobilis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goodman, A E; Strzelecki, A T; Rogers, P L

1984-01-01

The lactose transposon Tn951 on the IncP plasmid RP1, was introduced into a strain of Zymomonas mobilis. The lac Z gene was expressed and US -galactosidase was produced. The synthesis of US -galactosidase was induced by either isopropyl-US -D-thiogalactopyranoside or lactose, and was not sensitive to catabolite repression. Cells of Zymomonas mobilis containing Tn951 were unable to form colonies on lactose plates, but in liquid medium produced ethanol from lactose as the sole carbon source. The original strain of Zymomonas mobilis without Tn951 produced little or no US -galactosidase and was unable to produce ethanol from lactose in liquid medium.

Nicotine as a discriminative stimulus for ethanol use.

Science.gov (United States)

Ginsburg, Brett C; Levy, Simon A; Lamb, R J

2018-01-01

Abused drugs reinforce behavior; i.e., they increase the probability of the behavior preceding their administration. Abused drugs can also act as discriminative stimuli; i.e., they can set the occasion for responding reinforced by another event. Thus, one abused drug could come to set the occasion for the use of another and this functional relationship may play a role in polysubstance abuse, where common patterns of use could result in this relationship. Here we establish nicotine (0.4mg/kg, ip 5-min pre-session) as a discriminative stimulus for behavior reinforced by ethanol (0.1ml 8% w/v po, versus food) and determine the ability of nicotine (0.02-0.4mg/kg), varenicline (0.1-3.0mg/kg), and ethanol (250 and 500mg/kg) to control responding for ethanol. We compare these results to those from rats where nicotine signaled food was available (and ethanol was not). Nicotine came to function as a discriminative stimulus. Nicotine and varenicline produced dose-dependent increases in responding on the nicotine-appropriate lever while ethanol produced responding on the vehicle-appropriate lever. Whether this responding occurred on the lever that produced ethanol or food access depended on the training condition. These results demonstrate that a drug can come to set the occasion for use of another and suggest that this behavioral mechanism could play an important role in the maintenance of and recovery from polysubstance abuse, depending on the pattern of use. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Production of Catalyst-Free Hyperpolarised Ethanol Aqueous Solution via Heterogeneous Hydrogenation with Parahydrogen

Science.gov (United States)

Salnikov, Oleg G.; Kovtunov, Kirill V.; Koptyug, Igor V.

2015-09-01

An experimental approach for the production of catalyst-free hyperpolarised ethanol solution in water via heterogeneous hydrogenation of vinyl acetate with parahydrogen and the subsequent hydrolysis of ethyl acetate was demonstrated. For an efficient hydrogenation, liquid vinyl acetate was transferred to the gas phase by parahydrogen bubbling and almost completely converted to ethyl acetate with Rh/TiO2 catalyst. Subsequent dissolution of ethyl acetate gas in water containing OH- ions led to the formation of catalyst- and organic solvent-free hyperpolarised ethanol and sodium acetate. These results represent the first demonstration of catalyst- and organic solvent-free hyperpolarised ethanol production achieved by heterogeneous hydrogenation of vinyl acetate vapour with parahydrogen and the subsequent ethyl acetate hydrolysis.

Grain and cellulosic ethanol: History, economics, and energy policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solomon, Barry D.; Barnes, Justin R.; Halvorsen, Kathleen E.

2007-01-01

The United States (US) and Brazil have been the two leading producers of fuel ethanol since the 1970s. National policies have supported the production and use of ethanol from corn and sugarcane. US support in particular has included exemption from federal gasoline excise taxes, whole or partial exemption from road use (sales) taxes in nine states, a federal production tax credit, and a federal blender's credit. In the last decade the subsidization of grain-based ethanol has been increasingly criticized as economically inefficient and of questionable social benefit. In addition, much greater production of ethanol from corn may conflict with food production needs. A promising development is the acceleration of the technical readiness of cellulosic alcohol fuels, which can be produced from the woody parts of trees and plants, perennial grasses, or residues. This technology is now being commercialized and has greater long-term potential than grain ethanol. Cellulosic ethanol is projected to be much more cost-effective, environmentally beneficial, and have a greater energy output to input ratio than grain ethanol. The technology is being developed in North America, Brazil, Japan and Europe. In this paper, we will review the historical evolution of US federal and state energy policy support for and the currently attractive economics of the production and use of ethanol from biomass. The various energy and economic policies will be reviewed and assessed for their potential effects on cellulosic ethanol development relative to gasoline in the US. (author)

Potential contribution of ethanol fuel to the transport sector of Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harijan, Khanji; Memon, Mujeebuddin; Uqaili, Mohammad A.; Mirza, Umar K.

2009-01-01

Pakistan is an energy-deficient country. The indigenous reserves of oil and gas are limited and the country is heavily dependent on the import of oil. The oil import bill is a serious strain on the country's economy and has been deteriorating the balance of payments situation. The country has become increasingly more dependent on fossil fuels and its energy security hangs on the fragile supply of imported oil that is subject to disruptions and price volatility. The transport sector has a 28% share in the total commercial energy consumption in Pakistan. About 1.15 million tonnes of gasoline was consumed by this sector during 2005-2006. The gasoline consumption in the transport sector is also a major source of environmental degradation especially in urban areas. Consequently, Pakistan needs to develop indigenous, environment-friendly energy resources, such as ethanol, to meet its transport sector's energy needs. Pakistan produces about 54 million tonnes of sugarcane every year. The estimated production potential of ethanol from molasses is about 500 million liters per annum. Ethanol can be used in the transport sector after blending with gasoline, in order to minimize the gasoline consumption and associated economical and environmental impacts. This paper presents the assessment of the potential contribution of ethanol in the transport sector of Pakistan. It is concluded that 5-10% of the annual gasoline consumption in transport sector could be met from ethanol by the year 2030 under different scenarios. About US$200-400 million per annum could be saved along with other environmental and health benefits by using gasol in the transport sector. (author)

How does petroleum price and corn yield volatility affect ethanol markets with and without an ethanol use mandate?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, Wyatt; Meyer, Seth; Westhoff, Pat

2009-01-01

The recent increase in ethanol use in the US strengthens and changes the nature of links between agricultural and energy markets. Here, we explore the interaction of market volatility and the scope for policy to affect this interaction, with a focus on how corn yields and petroleum prices affect ethanol prices. Mandates associated with new US energy legislation may intervene in these links in the medium-term future. We simulate stochastically a structural model that represents these markets, and that includes mandates, in order to assess how shocks to corn or oil markets can affect ethanol price and use. We estimate that the mandate makes ethanol producer prices more sensitive to corn yields and less sensitive to changes in petroleum prices overall. We note a discontinuity in these links that is caused by the mandate. Ethanol use can exceed the mandate if petroleum prices and corn yields are high enough, but the mandate limits downside adjustments in ethanol use to low petroleum prices or corn yields

Electro-catalytic conversion of ethanol in solid electrolyte cells for distributed hydrogen generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ju, HyungKuk; Giddey, Sarbjit; Badwal, Sukhvinder P.S.; Mulder, Roger J.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Ethanol assisted water electrolysis reduces electric energy input by more than 50%. • Partial oxidation of ethanol leads to formation of undesired chemicals. • Degradation occurs due to formation of by-products and poisoning of catalyst. • Better catalyst has the potential to increase ethanol to H_2 conversion efficiency. • A plausible ethanol electro-oxidation mechanism has been proposed - Abstract: The global interest in hydrogen/fuel cell systems for distributed power generation and transport applications is rapidly increasing. Many automotive companies are now bringing their pre-commercial fuel cell vehicles in the market, which will need extensive hydrogen generation, distribution and storage infrastructure for fueling of these vehicles. Electrolytic water splitting coupled to renewable sources offers clean on-site hydrogen generation option. However, the process is energy intensive requiring electric energy >4.2 kWh for the electrolysis stack and >6 kWh for the complete system per m"3 of hydrogen produced. This paper investigates using ethanol as a renewable fuel to assist with water electrolysis process to substantially reduce the energy input. A zero-gap cell consisting of polymer electrolyte membrane electrolytic cells with Pt/C and PtSn/C as anode catalysts were employed. Current densities up to 200 mA cm"−"2 at 70 °C were achieved at less than 0.75 V corresponding to an energy consumption of about 1.62 kWh m"−"3 compared with >4.2 kWh m"−"3 required for conventional water electrolysis. Thus, this approach for hydrogen generation has the potential to substantially reduce the electric energy input to less than 40% with the remaining energy provided by ethanol. However, due to performance degradation over time, the energy consumption increased and partial oxidation of ethanol led to lower conversion efficiency. A plausible ethanol electro-oxidation mechanism has been proposed based on the Faradaic conversion of ethanol and

Water consumption in the production of ethanol and petroleum gasoline.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, May; Mintz, Marianne; Wang, Michael; Arora, Salil

2009-11-01

We assessed current water consumption during liquid fuel production, evaluating major steps of fuel lifecycle for five fuel pathways: bioethanol from corn, bioethanol from cellulosic feedstocks, gasoline from U.S. conventional crude obtained from onshore wells, gasoline from Saudi Arabian crude, and gasoline from Canadian oil sands. Our analysis revealed that the amount of irrigation water used to grow biofuel feedstocks varies significantly from one region to another and that water consumption for biofuel production varies with processing technology. In oil exploration and production, water consumption depends on the source and location of crude, the recovery technology, and the amount of produced water re-injected for oil recovery. Our results also indicate that crop irrigation is the most important factor determining water consumption in the production of corn ethanol. Nearly 70% of U.S. corn used for ethanol is produced in regions where 10-17 liters of water are consumed to produce one liter of ethanol. Ethanol production plants are less water intensive and there is a downward trend in water consumption. Water requirements for switchgrass ethanol production vary from 1.9 to 9.8 liters for each liter of ethanol produced. We found that water is consumed at a rate of 2.8-6.6 liters for each liter of gasoline produced for more than 90% of crude oil obtained from conventional onshore sources in the U.S. and more than half of crude oil imported from Saudi Arabia. For more than 55% of crude oil from Canadian oil sands, about 5.2 liters of water are consumed for each liter of gasoline produced. Our analysis highlighted the vital importance of water management during the feedstock production and conversion stage of the fuel lifecycle.

Water Consumption in the Production of Ethanol and Petroleum Gasoline

Science.gov (United States)