Methanol: Science and Engineering provides a comprehensive review of the chemistry, properties, and current and potential uses and applications of methanol. Divided into four parts, the book begins with a detailed account of current production methods and their economics. The second part deals with the applications of methanol, providing useful insights into future applications. Modeling of the various reactor systems is covered in the next section, with final discussions in the book focusing on the economic and environmental impact of this chemical. Users will find this to be a must-have resource for all researchers and engineers studying alternative energy sources. - Provides the latest developments on methanol research - Reviews methanol production methods and their economics - Outlines the use of methanol as an alternative green transportation fuel - Includes new technologies and many new applications of methanol
This book covers all facets involving the production and use of ethanol. Topics include the optimization of raw materials, energy, capital, process model-based computer control, and human resources to produce ethanol. It compares and contrasts processes to prepare ethanol using biotechnology processes to prepare ethanol from chemical synthesis. Matters of optimization of ethanol use as fuel/fuel components are addressed based on thermodynamics, kinetics, and usage. It also discusses pollutants produced from ethanol and mixtures containing ethanol, the status of ways to control these pollutants, and what can be done to minimize the harm to the earth’s ecosystems due to ethanol and gasoline reactions.
Dwindling petroleum supplies and growing environmental concerns are significantly impacting the cost of petro-fuel and its infrastructure. The search for alternative fuel sources has led to ethanol, a gasoline substitute that is already in the marketplace as Gasohol and E-85. But large-scale production of corn-based ethanol is controversial as it threatens the world’s food supply. There are alternatives, however: Brazil uses sugar cane, which is up to six times more productive in energy conversion. After the energy crisis of the 1970s, there was a lot of misinformation about the cost of individual ethanol production. In order to achieve energy independence from gasoline, ethanol lends itself to small-scale production, and especially to cooperative ventures in rural communities, often using “waste” feedstock. Alcohol Fuel is a practical, grassroots book that will give readers all the information they need, covering every aspect of making and using ethanol for fuel, including: *Permitting and planning *Budgeting and setup *Sourcing feedstocks *Finding and building distillation equipment *Storage and safety *Practical applications for converting motor vehicles, farm equipment, and space-heating systems The practical, user-friendly information on basic equipment needs, fermentation recipes, and distillation designs will be of interest to readers looking for information, as well as to those ready to make the switch. Richard Freudenberger was research director of Mother Earth News, where he managed the Alcohol Fuel Program and developed solar and renewable solar and energy projects. He is publisher and technical editor of BackHome magazine and lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina.
Bioethanol Production from Food Crops: Sustainable Sources, Interventions and Challenges comprehensively covers the global scenario of ethanol production from both food and non-food crops and other sources. The book guides readers through the balancing of the debate on food vs. fuel, giving important insights into resource management and the environmental and economic impact of this balance between demands. Sections cover Global Bioethanol from Food Crops and Forest Resource, Bioethanol from Bagasse and Lignocellulosic wastes, Bioethanol from algae, and Economics and Challenges, presenting a multidisciplinary approach to this complex topic. As biofuels continue to grow as a vital alternative energy source, it is imperative that the proper balance is reached between resource protection and human survival. This book provides important insights into achieving that balance. - Presents technological interventions in ethanol production, from plant biomass, to food crops - Addresses food security issues arising from bioethanol production - Identifies development bottlenecks and areas where collaborative efforts can help develop more cost-effective technology
This book offers a broad understanding of bioethanol production from sugarcane, although a few other substrates, except corn, will also be mentioned. The 10 chapters are grouped in five sections. The Fuel Ethanol Production from Sugarcane in Brazil section consists of two chapters dealing with the first-generation ethanol Brazilian industrial process. The Strategies for Sugarcane Bagasse Pretreatment section deals with emerging physicochemical methods for biomass pretreatment, and the non-conventional biomass source for lignocellulosic ethanol production addresses the potential of weed biomass as alternative feedstock. In the Recent Approaches for Increasing Fermentation Efficiency of Lignocellulosic Ethanol section, potential and research progress using thermophile bacteria and yeasts is presented, taking advantage of microorganisms involved in consolidating or simultaneous hydrolysis and fermentation processes. Finally, the Recent Advances in Ethanol Fermentation section presents the use of cold plasma and hydrostatic pressure to increase ethanol production efficiency. Also in this section the use of metabolic-engineered autotrophic cyanobacteria to produce ethanol from carbon dioxide is mentioned.
Comprehensive coverage on the growing science and technologyof producing ethanol from the world's abundant cellulosicbiomass The inevitable decline in petroleum reserves and its impact ongasoline prices, combined with climate change concerns, havecontributed to current interest in renewable fuels. Bioethanol isthe most successful renewable transport fuel—with corn andsugarcane ethanol currently in wide use as blend-in fuels in theUnited States, Brazil, and a few other countries. However, thereare a number of major drawbacks in these first-generation biofuels,such as their effect on food prices, net energy balance, and poorgreenhouse gas mitigation. Alternatively, cellulosic ethanol can beproduced from abundant lignocellulosic biomass forms such asagricultural or municipal wastes, forest residues, fast growingtrees, or grasses grown in marginal lands, and should be produciblein substantial amounts to meet growing global energy demand. The Handbook of Cellulosic Ethanol covers all aspects ofthis new and vital alternative fuel source, providing readers withthe background, scientific theory, and recent research progress inproducing cellulosic ethanol via different biochemical routes, aswell as future directions. The seventeen chapters includeinformation on: Advantages of cellulosic ethanol over first-generation ethanolas a transportation fuel Various biomass feedstocks that can be used to make cellulosicethanol Details of the aqueous phase or cellulolysis route,pretreatment, enzyme or acid saccharification, fermentation,simultaneous saccharification fermentation, consolidatedbioprocessing, genetically modified microorganisms, and yeasts Details of the syngas fermentation or thermochemical route,gasifiers, syngas cleaning, microorganisms for syngas fermentation,and chemical catalysts for syngas-to-ethanol conversion Distillation and dehydration to fuel-grade ethanol Techno-economical aspects and the future of cellulosicethanol Readership Chemical engineers, chemists, and technicians working onrenewable energy and fuels in industry, research institutions, anduniversities. The Handbook can also be used by studentsinterested in biofuels and renewable energy issues.
Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, 2nd Edition, outlines the principles of biochemical processes and explains their use in the manufacturing of every day products. The author uses a diirect approach that should be very useful for students in following the concepts and practical applications. This book is unique in having many solved problems, case studies, examples and demonstrations of detailed experiments, with simple design equations and required calculations. - Covers major concepts of biochemical engineering and biotechnology, including applications in bioprocesses, fermentation technologies, enzymatic processes, and membrane separations, amongst others - Accessible to chemical engineering students who need to both learn, and apply, biological knowledge in engineering principals - Includes solved problems, examples, and demonstrations of detailed experiments with simple design equations and all required calculations - Offers many graphs that present actual experimental data, figures, and tables, along with explanations
During the past decade, there has been tremendous progress in maize biotechnology. This volume provides an overview of our current knowledge of maize molecular genetics, how it is being used to improve the crop, and future possibilities for crop enhancement. Several chapters deal with genetically engineered traits that are currently, or soon will be, in commercial production. Technical approaches for introducing novel genes into the maize genome, the regeneration of plants from transformed cells, and the creation of transgenic lines for field production are covered. Further, the authors describe how molecular genetic techniques are being used to identify genes and characterize their function, and how these procedures are utilized to develop elite maize germplasm. Moreover, molecular biology and physiological studies of corn as a basis for the improvement of its nutritional and food-making properties are included. Finally, the growing use of corn as biomass for energy production is discussed.
Current world fossil oil production is struggling to meet demand and may even show a decline after 2010. It is therefore necessary to develop new energy-efficient production pathways for transportation biofuels. This book offers an insight into three promising and innovative pathways for the biological production of ethanol, biogas and biodiesel. These unconventional methods should provide higher product yields, less stringent feedstock specifications, lower chemical additive demand, reduced waste production and much better energy balances when compared to more traditional methods. One pathway concerns the enzymatic production of a new kind of biodiesel where no glycerol waste is produced and an up to twenty percent higher product yield is obtained. The other two pathways are based on the biological conversion of syngas into ethanol or methane using various kinds of lignocellulosic biomass as the starting point. For each of the three pathways a comparison will be made with competing production methods. The contents reflect extended desktop research and show practical experimental results. Government scientists, academics and biofuel producers with an interest in novel transportation fuels will all find this book to be essential reading.
