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Fuel Ethanol (fuel + ethanol)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Chemistry80%

Terms modified by Fuel Ethanol

  • fuel ethanol production
    		•

    Selected Abstracts

    Environmental and economic analysis of the fully integrated biorefinery

    GCB BIOENERGY, Issue 5 2009
    ELIZABETH D. SENDICH
    Abstract Cellulosic biofuel systems have the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impact of the world's transportation energy requirements. However, realizing this potential will require systems level thinking and scale integration. Until now, we have lacked modeling tools for studying the behavior of integrated cellulosic biofuel systems. In this paper, we describe a new research tool, the Biorefinery and Farm Integration Tool (BFIT) in which the production of fuel ethanol from cellulosic biomass is integrated with crop and animal (agricultural) production models. Uniting these three subsystems in a single combined model has allowed, for the first time, basic environmental and economic analysis of biomass production, possible secondary products, fertilizer production, and bioenergy production across various regions of the United States. Using BFIT, we simulate cellulosic ethanol production embedded in realistic agricultural landscapes in nine locations under a collection of farm management scenarios. This combined modeling approach permits analysis of economic profitability and highlights key areas for environmental improvement. These results show the advantages of introducing integrated biorefinery systems within agricultural landscapes. This is particularly true in the Midwest, which our results suggest is a good setting for the cellulosic ethanol industry. Specifically, results show that inclusion of cellulosic biofuel systems into existing agriculture enhances farm economics and reduces total landscape emissions. Model results also indicate a limited ethanol price effect from increased biomass transportation distance. Sensitivity analysis using BFIT revealed those variables having the strongest effects on the overall system performance, namely: biorefinery size, switchgrass yield, and biomass farm gate price. [source]

    Cell-free ethanol production: the future of fuel ethanol?

    JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 2 2007
    Eric J. Allain
    Abstract The production of fuel ethanol from renewable resources as an economically viable alternative to gasoline is currently the subject of much research. Most studies seek to improve process efficiency by increasing the rate of ethanol production; ultimately, this approach will be limited by the selected ethanol-producing microorganism. Cell-free ethanol production, using only the enzymes involved in the conversion of glucose to ethanol, may offer a practical and beneficial alternative. Mathematical modeling of such a system has suggested that a cell-free process should be capable of producing ethanol much more efficiently than the microbial based process. This finding along with other potential benefits of a microorganism-free process suggests that a cell-free process might significantly improve the economy of fuel ethanol production and is a worthy target for further research. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry [source]

    Biofuels in China: past, present and future

    BIOFUELS, BIOPRODUCTS AND BIOREFINING, Issue 3 2010
    Cheng Zhong
    Abstract Energy security and environmental stress force China to seek and develop biofuels as a substitute of fossil energy. Meanwhile, China has great potential to provide a large quantity of feedstocks for biofuel production due to its vast amount of non-food crops, such as tuberous crops, sweet sorghum, cellulosic biomass, and algae. Recently, the study and the industrial-scale production of biofuels, particularly, fuel ethanol and biodiesel, have progressed remarkably in China as a result of government preferential policies and funding supports. We have briefly reviewed the historical development of biofuels in China with special emphasis on current feedstock utilization and process technology development. The bottlenecks of utilizing various feedstocks have also been analyzed and the prospects for future biofuel development in China have been explored. Biorefineries integrating reliable, low-cost and sufficient non-food feedstock supplies with highly efficient, environmentally friendly process technologies could sustain a bright future for biofuel development in China. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd [source]

    The IBUS Process , Lignocellulosic Bioethanol Close to a Commercial Reality

    CHEMICAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY (CET), Issue 5 2008
    J. Larsen
    Abstract Integrated Biomass Utilization System (IBUS) is a new process for converting lignocellulosic waste biomass to bioethanol. Inbicon A/S has developed the IBUS process in a large-scale process development unit. This plant features new continuous and energy-efficient technology developed for pretreatment and liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass and has now been operated and optimized for four years with promising results. In the IBUS process, biomass is converted using steam and enzymes only. The process is energy efficient due to very high dry matter content in all process steps and by integration with a power plant. Cellulose is converted to bioethanol and lignin to a high-quality solid biofuel which supply the process energy as well as a surplus of heat and power. Hemicellulose is used as feed molasses but in the future it could also be used for additional ethanol production or other valuable products. Feasibility studies of the IBUS process show that the production price for lignocellulosic bioethanol is close to the world market price for fuel ethanol. There is still room for optimization , and lignocellulosic bioethanol is most likely a commercial alternative to fossil transport fuels before 2012. [source]