A REGIONAL PROGRAM FOR PRODUCTION OF
MULTIPLE
AGRICULTURAL
FEEDSTOCKS
AND
PROCESSING TO BIOFUELS AND BIOBASED
CHEMICALS
Advisory Board Meeting
September 9, 2013
AFRI-CAP Award No. 2011-69005-30515
*
Administrative Update
Carlen Ensley
Sweet Sorghum Update
Sonny Viator
Energy Cane Update
Paul White
Overall Project Update
Donal Day
General Discussion
*
• Project Director Transition
• Year 3 Reapplication
• Approved for full amount $3,489,667
• Will be required to reapply every year
Subawards
14%
Grant Year 3 Funding
LSU
10%
Other
AgCenter
Departments
24%
Audubon
Sugar
52%
Sustainable Feedstock
Production Systems
Sweet Sorghum
H.P. Viator, W. Alison, M. Blazier, K.J. Han, D. Harrell and H. Liechty
*
* Evaluate sweet sorghum hybrids for agronomic performance, inclusive of
their ability to maintain juice quality into the fall season, produce
commercial yields on marginal soil, respond to low-input sustainable
production practices and deliver quantities of feedstock on a schedule
that sustains the viability of the biorefinery.
*
Alison and Han
*
*
Blazier and Liechty
*
Harrell
Treatment
Biomass
t/A
Fermentable
sugar t/A
Conv. till
No fert.
28.4 a
2.7 a
Conv. till + P
and K
29.8 a
2.9 a
No till
No fert.
23.5 b
2.1 b
No till
+ P and K
26.5 ab
2.5 ab
*
Viator
*
* Fresh-weight biomass yield
ranged from an average of
18 tons/A to an average of
43 tons/A last year. This
year yields ranged from 9.1
to 26.8 tons/A ……….
Considerably less than last
year thus far, and may be
due to N leaching.
*
*
Fan Speed 0
Biomass > 37%
Fan Speed 800 rpm
Biomass > 24%
Fan Speed 1100 rpm
Biomass is least
*
Sucrose % Difference
Brix % Difference
14.34
8.54
24.57
11.06
10.95
15.99
29.52
16.58
12.40
9.48
18.92
14.61
19.80
11.51
26.73
19.18
20.94
13.17
29.42
18.26
28.67
11.92
27.29
15.62
47.08
29.35
33.80
21.61
33.38
19.91
37.25
19.18
*
• An early planting date in March
was accomplished this year
• An attempt will be made to
ratoon the hybrids in the early
planting date
*
 Disappointed in performance of full-season hybrids; expected highest
yields with later maturity
 Yield potential of 90-day hybrids is relatively low, but offer early
harvest
 Soluble solids (Brix) readings appeared to be low
relative to other
studies (16.5 to 10.9 range). Investigating effects of ergot on Brix.
Unexpected overlap in maturity for medium and late hybrids, which
caused gap in feedstock delivery
Sustainable Feedstock
Production Systems
Energy Cane
Paul White
*
* Energycane plots were planted in July 2012 with several energycane
varieties, predominately Ho 02-113. We also planted a small
demonstration plot area for Dr. Kenneth Gravois containing Ho 02113, Ho 02-144, Ho 08-9076, Ho 01-07, Ho 06-9001, Ho 06-9002 and
CoCP 04-838. For the ratooning test (Task 2.1), we covered the Ho
01-113 with three depths of packed soil: 2, 3, or 4 inches. We did this
to determine if the cane needed extra insulation to survive the winter.
We also planted a side by side compassion of Ho 02-113 and HoCP
04-838 to test the effects of growing in northern areas of Louisiana
on sugar juice and syrup characteristics. All of the cane was sprayed
with 3 lbs. of Senor as a preemergence herbicide.
* In June, Dr. Richard Johnson went to Winnsboro to apply nitrogen (N)
fertilizer to the fertility study (Task 2.2). The cane was already too
tall for a regular height tractor so they had to put out the fertilizer by
hand.
*
* For the ratooning study (Task 2.1), stand counts and cane heights
were collected in July 2013. All stalks on a 10 foot section of row in
each plot were counted and 10 randomly selected stalks were
measured for height from the soil surface to the top dewlap. For
counts, data indicated no differences in depth of cover at planting,
with averages for 2, 3 and 4 inches of 87,100; 85,500, and 85,700
stalks/Acre, respectively. The p-value for the statistical test was 0.84.
Stalk heights were the same for each depth of cover as well with an
overall average of 69 inches. The p-value for the statistical test was
0.91. Simulated yields are scheduled for September 2013.
*
* The date of harvest test (Task 2.3) was planted in October 2012 at
the Spanish Trail Farm in Schriever, La. The following varieties were
planted: Ho 72-114, L 79-1002, Ho 02-113, Ho 02-144, Ho 02-147,
Ho 08-9076, Ho 01-07, Ho 06-9001, Ho 06-9002, Ho 00-961, HoCP
04-838 and HoCP 96-540. Four replicates of each variety were
planted in 50 foot Rows. Sencor applications were used to control
weeds. The cane was cultivated, fertilized and layed by in the spring
of 2013. The first harvest was August 15, 2013.
*
Variety
Popluation Yield
Stalks/A
Tons/A
Brix
%
Fiber
%
Dry Matter
Tons/A
L 79-1002
100,200
30
4.1
22
8
Ho 72-114
83,900
38
4.8
24
11
Ho 00-961
66,100
37
5.4
22
10
Ho 01-07
83,900
45
4.9
17
10
Ho 02-113
84,200
42
5.7
21
11
Ho 02-144
85,700
24
4.9
23
7
Ho 02-147
76,800
34
5.6
19
8
Ho 06-9001
79,700
23
4.8
23
6
Ho 06-9002
79,300
26
4.6
23
7
Ho 08-9076
64,800
35
5.1
26
11
HoCp 04-838
50,500
40
6.7
16
9
HoCp 96-540
51,700
37
6.5
16
8
Avg. ECane
80,460
33
5
22
9
Avg. Sugarcane
51,100
39
7
16
9
Overall Project Update
Donal Day
Expand the Southern Regional Agricultural Sector
by utilizing sweet sorghum and energy cane for
production of butanol, gasoline, bioplastics,
isoprene and by-product chemicals.
* Feedstock Development
* Sustainable Production
* Logistics and processing
* Conversion and Refining
* Economics, Markets and
*
*
Dollars per acre to be sustainably earned
by a farmer for each feedstock ?
Distribution
Education
Extension
Dollars per gallon of fuel (or per pound of
chemical) paid by the consumer ?
Agricultural Model
Staggered Harvest, Complementary Crops, producing
fermentable sugars and biomass.
Sweet Sorghum
July - September
Energy Cane
October - March
Bagasse, syrup,
woodchips,
molasses, etc.
April - June
Industrial Model
Primary processing plants supplying centralized biorefineries
Storable syrups as feedstocks
Primary plants drawing on local acreage
*
* Energy cane- seven molecular
*
*
*
markers have been found, four
for leaf greenness and three for
regrowth damage. Genetic
variability was created by cross
hybridization between a set of
distinct species
Cross pollination between
sugarcane and miscanthus, F1 in
field tests across Louisiana
Cold tolerance testing of Energy
cane in North Louisiana location
Low input testing in North
Louisiana
*
* Plots established
* Cold tolerance trials ongoing
* No herbicide testing
* No diseases detected
Energy cane grows faster than sugar cane
*
* Biomass yield not affected by N&P
supplementation
* Legume addition 99 lb N/acre
* Yield average 34-38 ton/acre wet
wgt
* No till trials on –going
* C capture by soil –on-going
1.4
1.6
*
1.0
0.6
0.8
sweet sorghum using 218
samples of varying maturity
and strains
0.4
Absorbance Units
1.2
* Calibration constructed for
9000
8000
7000
Wavenumber cm-1
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Test
Test
Test
Test
Test
Test
Test Test
Test
Test
Test
Test
Test
Test
Test
Test
Test
Test
Test
Test
Test
Test
6000
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
SpectraCane
5000
4000
8/1/2012
8/1/2012
8/1/2012
8/1/2012
8/1/2012
8/1/2012
8/1/2012
8/1/2012
8/8/2012
8/8/2012
8/15/2012
8/15/2012
8/15/2012
8/15/2012
8/15/2012
8/15/2012
8/15/2012
8/15/2012
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8/15/2012
8/15/2012
NIR spectra of full stalk sweet sorghum.
Page 1/1
Calibration Components
Brix, Sucrose, Glucose, Fructose, and
Ash in Juice
Cellulose, Hemicellulose, Lignin, and
Ash in Fiber
Starch in Sweet Sorghum
% Fiber and % Juice in Stalk
* Calibration being
constructed for energy cane
* NIR being used for
screening breeding samples
of sweet sorghum and
sugarcane
*
Preliminary Sorghum NIR Calibration Models
Component
Cellulose % Fiber
Hemicellulose % Fiber
Acid Soluble Lignin %
Fiber
Acid Insoluble Lignin %
Fiber
Data Set
Calibration
Validation
Calibration
Validation
Calibration
Validation
Calibration
Validation
No. of Samples
30
20
30
20
30
20
30
20
R2
84.32
75.35
76.13
40.72
64.25
77.25
54.10
64.52
RMSEE
1.48
1.28
RMSEP
RPD
Bias
1.15
2.53
2.16
0.460
0.272
1.5
2.05
1.35
-0.395
1.04
0.204
1.67
2.15
0.875
1.48
0.0453
Only data for 50 samples used in these models. Need to add more samples to the
model to increase predictive ability.
1.69
0.119
*
Overview of Sorghum NIR Calibration Model
Component
Data Set
Brix in Juice
Sucrose % Juice
Glucose % Juice
Fructose % Juice
Juice % stalk
Fiber % Stalk
Validation External Validation External Validation External Validation External Validation External Validation External
No. of Samples
48
R2
96.34
RMSEP
0.512
0.364
0.879
0.48
0.45
0.409
0.426
0.339
2.11
1.87
2.07
1.53
RPD
5.23
8.88
3.84
6.15
4.48
4.96
4.14
5.54
2.58
3.01
2.69
3.65
Bias
0.0294
-0.0482
0.125
-0.254
0.0924
0.186
0.031
0.128
-0.493
0.523
0.572
-0.388
Correlation
Coefficient
13
44
13
93.06
0.9943
44
13
94.79
0.9871
44
13
94.14
0.9797
44
13
84.1
0.9836
43
13
85.01
0.9438
Samples included leaf, stalk and seed heads
This calibration currently being used in breeding program
0.9617
*
Overview of Energy Cane NIR Calibration Models
Component
Test Set
Brix in Juice
Sucrose % Juice
Glucose + Fructose
% Juice
Ash % Juice
Juice % stalk
Fiber % Stalk
Validation External Validation External Validation External Validation External Validation External Validation External
No. of Samples
38
R2
95.62
RMSEP
0.374
0.782
0.667
0.788
0.251
0.34
0.0902
0.099
1.26
1.68
1.12
1.73
RPD
5.13
2.39
3.76
3.27
2.18
1.65
3.24
3.06
3.5
2.65
3.86
2.62
Bias
-0.135
0.183
0.0259
0.0358
-0.0175
0.107
-0.215
0.527
0.132
-0.609
Correlation
Coefficient
17
38
17
92.91
0.913
38
17
78.82
0.9541
38
17
90.49
0.8036
38
17
91.61
0.00261 -0.00291
0.9486
38
17
93.21
0.9262
0.9256
*
Bagasse storage & fluidization
* Pile storage best for short-term
biomass storage
* Bagasse can be fluidized for drying
Harvesting
Harvesting trials with John Deere
for sweet sorghum begin in August
*
* Sweet Sorghum
Weight loss- 6-7% over 72
hr period on harvesting
3 trials, one acre lots
(about 18 rows) 8 inch
billets, 3 different fan
speeds evaluated
For 2 lots all material,
leaves, seed heads
delivered to ASI mill, for
one lot clean billets only
delivered
* Energy Cane
* 7-9% weight loss over a 72
hr period
* Harvesting starts in October
*
Flexible Pilot Plant
Education, Extension and
Training Facility
Plant operational- initial process run (sweet sorghum) July
2013
*
* Three runs with 5 ton lots of sweet sorghum( 8 inch billets) conducted.
For two runs the whole plant was harvested, for one the seed heads and
leaves were removed.
Feed rate ¼ to ½ T/hr. It was not possible to mill the clean billets
because of choking (not enough fiber). A diffuser would be better for
sweet sorghum.
*
8-7-2013
%
8-19-2013
%
Brix
70.3
Brix
72.9
sucrose
14.3
sucrose
68.6
glucose
27.5
glucose
13.2
fructose
22.7
fructose
11.2
fermentables
64.5
fermentables
93
ash (cond)
13.5
Ash (cond)
8.4
*
Fiber (complex sugars)
Sugar and Fiber Yields per wet ton of crop
Crop
Simple sugars
(dry lbs)
Fiber
(dry lbs)
Sweet Sorghum
184
275
Energy Cane
103
474
0
980
Sugarcane Bagasse
How much is available for fuel conversion
if some of the fiber is used to fuel the plant?
*
Mill tandem
A
B
100
44.8
Bagasse for power and
steam (%)
Bagasse for LC sugars (%) Bagasse to storage (%)
33.8
Sugars produced in
primary plant (ton/h)
LC sugars produced
(ton/h)
Excess power (MW)
Diffuser
A
B
100
54.5
24.3
29.9
33.8
34.9
19.0
27.5
34.9
-
9.0
-
6.9
96.7
17.7
101.8
25.7
Modeled on a 420 t/hr processing plant
Partition will be driven by economics
*
* Pretreatment Options Under Investigation
* High Temperature- water, ammonium hydroxide
* Intermediate Temperature- lime
* Low Temperature –oxidizers
* Enzyme conversion partner (Genencor)
*
A similar pattern is observed for both crops and all alkaline
pretreatments
Energycane
Composition (%)
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Cellulose
Hemicellulose
Untreated
Lime treated
Lignin
*
* Ammonia- 150 C
* The use of ammonium
hydroxide as catalyst for
biomass pretreatment.
An improved recovery of
ammonia of up to 70% of
recoverable ammonia
with sugar yields of at
least 75%.
*
* Chemical loading: 0.2 g of
Lime /1.0 g of dry solid
bagasse
Temp. & Time: 120 ˚C, 1 hr
* Total weight :
* Total solid :
(w/w)
72 kg
17.6 %
43 hr from start, beginning
fermentation, 30 C, 8 rpm
*
* Dry ground bagasse were
treated with solutions of peroxyhypochlorite (OxB) or bleach for
30 min, at a pH of 8.
90
80
70
% Lignin removed, HCl03
60
50
% enz Hydr-HCl03
40
% lig rem-oxB
30
%enz Hyr-oxB
20
10
0
0
2
Hours
4
6
*
Pretreatment
Scale
Temp oC
Glucose Yield
%, on enzyme
treatment
Prime
Roadblocks
Water
Lab
130-220
NA
NA
Ammonia
Pilot
115-175
75-85
Reagent loss
Lime
Pilot
120
90
effluent
Oxidizers
Lab
25
95
cost
*
Company
Feedstock
Process
Product
Virent
sugars
Proprietary
fuel
Optinol
glucose
fermentation
butanol
DuPont
sugars
Proprietary
plastics
ASI/LSU
Aconitic acid
chemical
plastics
*
Batch Fermentation with 4%
glucose
Continuous Culture (0.6
ml/min) with 4% glucose
0.42% butanol
0.61% butanol
0.60% OptinolTM
0.99% OptinolTM
Anoxic conditions needed
Anoxic conditions maintained
1.5 L media used (5 days)
4.32 L media used (5 days)
3 L reaction vessel
400 ml reaction vessel
0.6 g solvents/L/day
21.384 g solvents/L/day
*
50% glycerol, 48% aconitic acid, and 2% cinnamic acid.
Bubbles
form
through the
polymer
when cured
on silicone.
Blue dot is
a piece of
silicone
mat the
polymer is
cured on.
*
* Initial estimates of production cost for energy
cane through second stubble are complete
* Energy cane establishment costs being estimated
* Developing
index
a biomass production feasibility
*
Courses are being offered starting with ‘Essentials of Chemical
Engineering for Non-Chemical Engineers” and introductory biology for
chemical process operators. These courses will be electronically captured
and archived for general, on demand availability through the internet.
Two further courses are planned and /or scheduled:
“Sustaining the Earth: An Engineering Approach”
“Bioreactors and Bioprocessing”
Bioenergy Workshop and Bioenergy Symposia was conducted for K-12
teachers from surrounding areas. A summer sustainability camp (3rd-5th
grade) was conducted as part of the Center for Energy and Environmental
Studies (CEES).
Four laboratory experiments have been designed and incorporated into
the chemical engineering program that will utilized the Audubon Pilot
Facility.
*
* Effluent water reuse for growing algae was demonstrated.
* Updated LCA model
on revised milling model.
* Calculated GHG for gasoline, jet fuel and diesel.
* Set up data collection plan for energy cane milling.
*
*
Field Days were used to highlight both energy cane and sweet sorghum crops as
feedstocks for biofuels.
*
A Producer Survey was completed to gauge attitudes regarding developing
feedstocks for a biofuels industry.
*
Sugarcane/Energy cane Variety Identification Guide was updated and published.
Presentations were given at annual meetings of the Louisiana Soil and Water.
*
Conservation Districts and the Louisiana Agriculture Technology and
Management Association. An article was written in the Crops Newsletter trade
journal.
*
It has been established that sweet sorghum and energy cane are suitable
crops for the production of biofuel and biobased chemicals in the
Southeastern Region, and that the approach of using crops with staggered
harvest times is feasible. The pilot plant facility has been constructed and is
ready on schedule. Plant breeding programs have made a number of
successful energy cane crosses which are being evaluated for cold tolerance
and range of cultivation. Preliminary economic analysis has been conducted
on the proposed crops. An extension program has been established to
familiarize farmers with these crops and an education program is being
established for training people for work in the biofuels industry.