Megan Sparks
Bevon Flansburg
Steph Hyde
Annie Brandjord
Cristen McLean
I’m
cute!
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(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ethanol-3D-vdW.png)
E10:
10% ethanol
90% gasoline.
E85:
85% ethanol
15% gasoline.
E85 can be used in flexible fuel vehicles
(FFVs).
(http://www.ethanol.org)
“Ethanol” generally means
grain alcohol.
Sources:
corn (primary source in U.S.)
other grains
potatoes
sugarcane (e.g. Brazil)
(http://www.ethanol.org)
Cellulosic ethanol is made
from cellulose (surprise!)
Cellulose provides structure
to plants.
Sources: corn stover, sugar
cane bagasse, sawdust,
paper pulp, and
switchgrass. (Brekke 2005)
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Cellulose-3D-balls.png)
1) Milling
(grind it up!)
2) Liquification
(mixed with H2O and heated)
3) Saccharification (starch
fermentable sugars)
4) Fermentation
(yeast + sugars = ethanol + CO2)
5) Distillation
(ethanol is separated from the solids)
6) Dehydration
(remove last bit of H2O)
7) Denaturing
(made unfit for human consumption)
8) Co-products
(distiller’s grain
CO2
livestock feed
compressed)
(http://www.ethanol.org)
1) Treat with heat and acid to break it apart
2) Treat with enzymes to turn the sugars into
fermentable glucose
Enzymes now 10-18 cents / gallon in laboratory trials.
Bacteria…?
Lonnie Ingram (University of Florida)
E. coli + cellulose
ethanol
90 – 95 % efficiency
(Brekke 2005)
www.fuga.ru/tok/2003/11/e-coli-small.jpg
Yields 25 % more energy than is used
to grow, harvest and distill it into
ethanol.
Energy output:input ratio = 1.6
(http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/eth_energy_bal.html)
Gasoline
E85 Ethanol
Octane Number
86 to 94
100
Main Fuel Source
Crude Oil
Energy Content /
Gallon
109,000 125,000 Btu
Corn, Grains, or
agricultural waste
~ 80,000 Btu
Energy Ratio
Compared to Gasoline
Physical State
70%
Liquid
Liquid
(http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/progs/fuel_compare.cgi)
Emissions and Air Quality
• Ethanol contains 35%
oxygen. Adding oxygen to
fuel results in more
complete fuel combustion
• Gasoline containing a 10%
ethanol blend reduces
smog emissions
– carbon monoxide 25-30%
– particulate matter 50%
– volatile organic compounds
7%.
http://www.greenfuels.org/ethanol/envbenefits.htm
Emissions from Ethanol Plants
Most ethanol plants emit
< 100 tons of pollutants
as compared to
>20,000 tons
produced by an averagesized power plant each
year
http://www.ethanol.org/talkingpoints.html
‘Recycling’ CO2
• -CO2 co-product is
compressed and sold to
carbonate beverages,
manufacture dry ice,
and flash freeze meat.
• Miscible CO2 flooding.
http://www.ethanolrfa.org/resource/facts/environment/;
http://www.ethanol.org/carbondioxide.html
Feasibility
• Since 1999, an
increasing number
of FFVs
manufactured.
• Increasing
economic
feasibility.
http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/ethanol.html
Benefits: Internal Economic
• USDA estimates 2012 corn demand= 2
billion Bushels
• Plant construction creates 370 local
jobs ($60-130M income)
• Plant operation creates 4,000 local jobs
($47-100M income)
Benefits: More Internal
• Necessary to continue
to meet rising EPA
standards
• 95% of gas already
has 6% ethanol
Benefits: External Economic
• Self-sufficiency!
• Potential 1/3
reduction of foreign
oil dependence
• W/o E10, immediate
3% need increase
So, Who’s Buying It?
• 2003- Global Summit including
representatives from China,
India, Thailand, and Brazil
• “In poor countries, production of ethanol
and biodiesel can have an extremely
positive impact. It assists in dealing
with the energy deficit,
influencing internal consumption
and exports. It can also generate
a vast number of jobs.”
- President da Silva, Brazil
E3 Biofuels (Mead, NE)
•
•
•
•
Grow Corn
Produce Ethanol
Feed Cattle
Harvest the
manure
• Produce methane
• Methane fuels
boilers
• Remains-Fertlize
soil
Domestic Production
• American Made Fuel
2006
– 105 plants in
operation-1/2 locally
owned=5 billion
gal/year
48 New or Improved on
line=7.9 billion gal/year
Annual Projections for
Cellulosic Ethanol
50 billion gallons
Waste (Agricultural, Industrial, MSW)
40%-50%
USDA&E
Estimate 80 billion gal. potential
1/3 transportation energy
By 2050
Switchgrass on 114 million acres
165 billion gal. ethanol=108 billion gal. gasoline
http://www.nrdc.org/air/energy/biofuels/contents.asp,
http://www.harvestcleanenergy.org
www.energy.ca.gov/reports
Natural Resource Defense
Council (NRDC)
Growing Energy
Improve conversion efficiencies
50 to 117 gal. ethanol / 1dry ton
of biomass
Produce animal proteins from
switchgrass
(capable of producing I billion
tons of sustainable
biomass/year)
http://www.nrdc.org/air/energy/biofuels/contents.asp, http://www.harvestcleanenergy.org
http://www.ethanolrfa.org/resource/cellulose
Goals and Future Usage
…Yes, they really are out there.
Implementation of Waste
Processing
• Industrial waste/municipal
solid waste as definite
source of energy.
– Dartmouth project (paper
sludge to ethanol).
– Masada Oxynol,
Middletown, NY (MSW to
ethanol).
• Reduces or eliminates
capacity problems at
wastewater plants and the
need for landfills.
Landfill Use
• 1990: 247 million tons of non-hazardous
waste.
• 2001: 409 million tons.
• Use of MSW opens new framework of
raw materials, minimizes land charted
for feedstock cultivation.
http://www.zerowasteamerica.org/La
ndfills.htm
Current proposals
• Natural Resource Defense Council:
– Invest in research, development, general
demonstration ($1.1 billion).
– Invest in deployment ($1 billion 2006-2015;
prices to approach diesel/regular gasoline).
– Adopt policies to establish infrastructure
and a market (RF standards, FFV req’s)
http://www.nrdc.org/air/energy/pump/
contents.asp
Incentives/Laws
• State and federallevel tax/loan
benefits to
encourage the use
of alternative fuels.
• Mandates require
purchase of AFVs
whenever
economically or
logistically possible.
www.irs.gov/publications/p378/ar01.html. Table:
http://www.nrdc.org/air/energy/rep/chap1.asp