Fuel Testing Reveals Higher Octane in Ethanol

Last July, the government announced plans to raise corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards to 54.5 MPG by 2025. The automotive industry responded saying the MPG number was an attainable goal by utilizing high-efficiency internal combustion engines that deliver lower CO2 emissions. However, one hurdle to address is that these high-efficiency engines need higher-octane fuel to realize their full fuel …

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Research

Sunn Hemp Shows Promise as Biofuel Source

USDA researchers say the tropical legume sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) is a fast-growing annual that farmers in the Southeast could incorporate into their crop rotations and it could be used as a biofuel source. A study, conducted by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Florence, S.C., supports the USDA priority of finding new sources of bioenergy. Results from the study …

biofuels, Research

New Research Could Lead to Cheaper Fuel Cells

Fuel cells can create electricity that produces very little or even no pollution. In the future, fuel cells are expected to power electric vehicles and replace batteries, among other things. However, fuel cells are expensive. Now researchers at Aalto University in Finland have developed a new and significantly cheaper method of manufacturing fuel cells. Using atomic layer deposition (ALD), the …

Ethanol, Research

Biofuel and Chemicals Made from Wood Biomass

Researchers at Aalto University in Finland have developed a method using microbes from wood biomass to produce butanol suitable for biofuel and other industrial chemicals. Butanol is particularly suited as a transport fuel because it is not water soluble and has higher energy content than ethanol. Until now, starch and cane sugar have been the most commonly used raw materials …

advanced biofuels, biobutanol, biofuels, biomass, Research

Researchers Find More Pollution from Sugarcane Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

University researchers from California, Iowa and Chile have found that sugarcane ethanol production creates up to seven times more air pollutants than previously estimated, according to news from the University of Iowa. The research team used agricultural survey data from Brazil to calculate emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases from the entire production, distribution, and lifecycle of sugarcane ethanol …

Brazil, Environment, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Research

OriginOil and Idaho National Lab Partner for Research

OriginOil has a new research agreement with the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to collaborate on establishing industry standards for algal biomass. Under the terms of the agreement, OriginOil will provide INL with its Single Step Extraction technology and contribute its knowledge of how to stimulate oil production and pre-treat for consistent extraction of the algae and its …

advanced biofuels, algae, Research

Dividing Corn Stover Could Help Cellulosic Ethanol Production

Cindy Zimmerman

Purdue University researchers have found that dividing up corn stalks may be the way to conquer in the quest for cellulosic ethanol efficiency. A research team discovered that when corn stover is processed to make ethanol, three distinct parts of it – the rind, pith and leaves – break down in different ways. Cellulosic ethanol is created by using enzymes …

advanced biofuels, Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Research, University

Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel Hosts Fall Webinar

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Biodiesel Board is offering students and others interested in the future of advanced biofuels the opportunity to take their renewable fuels education up a notch with the Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel (NGSB) Fall Webinar on Oct. 18. The webinar will feature the very latest on biodiesel research from two university students who will present their biodiesel research, …

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel, NBB, Research

Southeast Partnership Formed for Biomass Development

Cindy Zimmerman

Development of biomass for energy in the southeast was also included in the USDA grants announced this week in the Pacific Northwest. Among the grants is $15 million for research to be led by the University of Tennessee to develop sustainable feedstock production systems using switchgrass and woody biomass that will “produce low-cost, easily converted sugars for biochemical conversion to …

advanced biofuels, biomass, Research, USDA

USDA Studies Yeast and Enzymes for Ethanol Production

Cindy Zimmerman

USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are studying a new yeast that could help make cellulosic ethanol production less expensive and a commercial enzyme that could reduce overall costs linked with producing ethanol from grain. Molecular biologist Zonglin Lewis Liu with ARS’ National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria found a biorefinery yeast that successfully ferments plant sugars from …

Cellulosic, Distillers Grains, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Natural Gas, Research, USDA