State-Level Workshops on Ethanol for Transportation - Final Report
1/30/2004
In 2002/2003, under contract to NREL, BBI International conducted state-level ethanol workshops in Hawaii, Nevada, Kentucky, and California. These four workshops followed over 30 other workshops previously held under the Ethanol Workshop Series program sponsored by DOE. Two other workshops were conducted by BBI during 2003 in OK and KS under contract to the Western Regional Biomass Energy Program.
Authors: Graf, Angela
Production of Butyric Acid and Butanol from Biomass
1/1/2004
Butanol was used to replace gasoline gallon for gallon in a 10,000 mile trip across the U.S. without the need to highy modify a 1992 Buick. Butanol can now be made for less than ethanol and yields more BTUs from the same corn, making the plow-to-tire equation positive. Butanol when substituted for gasoline gives better gas mileage and does not pollute the atmosphere.
Authors: Ramey, D.; Yang, S-T
Ethanol Fuel Incentives Applied in the U.S.: Reviewed from California's Perspective
1/1/2004
Report produced by the California Energy Commission that analyzes the measured used by the United States government and the states to advance the production and use of ethanol. Reviews the national and state-level credits, tariffs, regulations, and incentives and their influence on the state of California.
Authors: California Energy Commission
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report - December 30, 2003
12/30/2003
This is the tenth issue of the Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, a quarterly newsletter keeping you up to date on the price of alternative fuels in the U.S. and their relation to gasoline and diesel prices. This issue discusses prices that were gathered from Clean Cities coordinators and stakeholders during the weeks of December 1, and December 8, 2003, with comparisons to the prices in the previous Price Report, which were collected in February 2003.
Authors: Lott, M.
Roadmap for Agriculture Biomass Feedstock Supply in the United States
11/30/2003
The Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee set forth a goal that biomass will supply 5% of the nation's power, 20% of transportation fuels, and 25% of chemicals by 2030. These combined goals are approximately equivalent to 30% of the current petroleum consumption. The benefits of a robust biorefinery industry supplying this amount of domestically produced power, fuels, and products is considerable, including decreased demand for imported oil, revenue to the depressed agriculture industry, and revitalized rural economies. A consistent supply of high quality, low cost feedstock is vital in achieving this goal. This biomass roadmap defines the research and development path towards supplying the feedstock needs of the biorefinery and achieving the important national goals set for biomass.
Authors: INEEL
Biomass Rapid Analysis Network
10/31/2003
Helping the emerging biotechnology industry develop new tools and methods for real-time analysis of biomass feedstocks, process intermediates, and biomass-derived materials
Authors: NREL
Fuel-Cycle Energy and Emission Impacts of Ethanol-Diesel Blends in Urban Buses and Farming Tractors
7/30/2003
About 2.1 billion gallons of fuel ethanol was used in the United States in 2002, mainly in the form of gasoline blends containing up to 10% ethanol (E10). Ethanol use has the potential to increase in the U.S. blended gasoline market because methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), formerly the most popular oxygenate blendstock, may be phased out owing to concerns about MTBE contamination of the water supply. Ethanol would remain the only viable near-term option as an oxygenate in reformulated gasoline production and to meet a potential federal renewable fuels standard (RFS) for transportation fuels. Ethanol may also be blended with additives (co-solvents) into diesel fuels for applications in which oxygenation may improve diesel engine emission performance.Numerous studies have been conducted to evaluate the fuel-cycle energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission effects of ethanol-gasoline blends relative to those of gasoline for applications in spark- ignition engine vehicles (see Wang et al. 1997; Wang et al. 1999; Levelton Engineering et al. 1999; Shapouri et al. 2002; Graboski 2002). Those studies did not address the energy and emission effects of ethanol-diesel (E-diesel or ED) blends relative to those of petroleum diesel fuel in diesel engine vehicles. The energy and emission effects of E-diesel could be very different from those of ethanol-gasoline blends because (1) the energy use and emissions generated during diesel production (so-called "upstream" effects) are different from those generated during gasoline production; and (2) the energy and emission performance of E-diesel and petroleum diesel fuel in diesel compression-ignition engines differs from that of ethanol-gasoline blends in spark-ignition (Otto-cycle-type) engine vehicles.The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) commissioned Argonne National Laboratory to conduct a full fuel-cycle analysis of the energy and emission effects of E-diesel blends relative to those of petroleum di
Authors: Wang, Michael; Saricks, Chris; Lee, Hanjie
Flame Arrester Evaluation for E-Diesel Fuel Tanks
6/1/2003
An evaluation of various flame arresters for use with E-Diesel fuel (15% ethanol, 85% diesel blend) was conducted on four diesel fuel tanks selected to represent typical fuel tank and fill-neck designs. Multiple flame arresters were tested on each fuel tank for a total of 13 test combinations. It was determined that none of the flame arresters would prevent ignition from propagating from the fill port into the fuel tank while still allowing fuel flow for the saddle tank. It may therefore be necessary to design a fill neck as an addition to saddle fuel tanks in order to install more effective flame arresters.
Authors: Weyandt, N.; Janssens, M.L.
Building a Bridge to the Ethanol Industry--Follow-Up Project Period of Performance: 2/22/01-12/31/02
4/30/2003
The first trial of the corn fiber pretreatment process has been completed. The data and operating experience for the pump, heat exchanger, coil, and centrifuge show the pretreatment of corn fiber in water is technically achievable and economically feasible. The goals of this trial include showing that the pretreatment process is scaleable to fit the existing process at Williams Bioenergy, that pilot-size equipment achieves the goals of pretreatment--at least 75% recovery of starch from the corn fiber, and testing the performance of pilot-scale equipment at or near operational conditions. These goals were met. Cellulose conversion was also significantly enhanced by the pretreatment process.
Authors: Ladisch, M.; N. Mosier, G. Welch, B. Dien
Impact of Biodiesel Fuels on Air Quality Task 2 Report: The Impact of Biodiesel Fuels on Ozone Concentrations
4/1/2003
This report evaluates the ozone air quality impacts from the use of biodiesel fuel in the South Coast (Los Angeles) Air Basin (SoCAB), lower Lake Michigan, Northeast Corridor, and other cities in the Eastern United States. The largest impacts on ambient ozone concentrations due to the use of biodiesel are expected to be due to changes in NOx emissions from diesel vehicles. Studies, such as the Ozone Transport Assessment Group (OTAG), have concluded that regional NOx controls are one of the most effective control strategies for reducing regional ozone concentrations. In the eastern U.S. However, in some cases, NOx controls result in increased ozone levels, particularly in the urban cores of large cities. The assessment of ozone impacts due to biodiesel fuel use must therefore include the effects of the fuel on regional ozone and ozone transport as well as the effects within urban areas. The ozone air quality modeling conducted as part of this study therefore takes into account both urban-scale and regional-scale ozone formation through the use of high-resolution urban-scale modeling domains of the cities under study as well as coarser-scale regional-scale modeling.
Authors: Morris, R.; Mansell, G.; Jia, Y.; Wilson, G.