Megan Sparks

Bevon Flansburg

Steph Hyde

Annie Brandjord

Cristen McLean

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(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ethanol-3D-vdW.png)

I’m cute!

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.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Cellulose-3D-balls.png)

(Brekke 2005)

(http://www.ethanol.org)

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 livestock feed

CO2 compressed)

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

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.

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 Corn, Grains, or agricultural waste

Energy Content / Gallon

109,000 - 125,000 Btu

~ 80,000 Btu

Energy Ratio Compared to Gasoline

70%

Physical State 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 PlantsMost ethanol plants emit

< 100 tons of pollutants

as compared to

>20,000 tons

produced by an average-sized 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 Fuel2006– 105 plants in operation-

1/2 locally owned=5 billion gal/year

48 New or Improved on line=7.9 billion gal/year

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-10-01-ethanol_x.htm

Annual Projections forCellulosic Ethanol

50 billion gallons Waste (Agricultural, Industrial, MSW)

40%-50%

USDA&EEstimate 80 billion gal. potential1/3 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, www.energy.ca.gov/reportshttp://www.harvestcleanenergy.org

Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC)Growing Energy

Improve conversion efficiencies50 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.orghttp://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.

http://www.zerowasteamerica.org/Landfills.htm

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.nrdc.org/air/energy/pump/contents.asp

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)

Incentives/Laws

• State and federal-level 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