BIO JET FUEL PASSES NEW TEST
Harry Hutchinson, Mechanical Engineering, May 2010
In late March, a U.S. Air Force jet made a demonstration flight burning a 50-50 blend of a plant-based biofuel and conventional JP-8 in both its engines.  Although there have been several other flights testing blends of bio- and conventional fuels in jet aircraft, the experimental fuel blend was used in only one engine.  The USAF demonstration used a biofuel blend that was a hydrotreated renewable jet fuel made from camelina, a non-food plant.
> Read more: http://memagazine.asme.org

BIODIESEL FROM ALGAE: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS
Scott, et al., Current Opinion in Biotechnology, June 2010
Microalgae offer great potential for exploitation, including the production of biodiesel, but the process is still some way from being carbon neutral or commercially viable. Part of the problem is that there is little established background knowledge in the area.  In this review the authors present an overview of a potential algal biofuel pipeline, and focus on recent work that tackles optimization of algal biomass production and the content of fuel molecules within the algal cell.
> Contact the ITC library to obtain this article.  (Charges may apply.)

CFB REFRACTORY IMPROVEMENTS FOR BIOMASS CO-FIRING
A. Rau, Power Engineering, July 2010
This article analyzes the causes of failure of the circulating fluidized bed (CFB) refractory system in co-firing biomass and waste fuel products. The corrosion / erosion problem with CFB refractory system is the result of an alkali-related chemical attack introduced into the unit. Several products used in developing alternative fuels were studied to analyze their compositions and harmful effects on the system, including typical coal, urban wood waste, demolition wood, bana grass and others.
> Contact the ITC library to obtain this article.

CO-FIRING BIOMASS WITH COAL
K. Sullivan, R. Meijer, Renewable Energy World, May-June 2010
Biomass coal-firing technology may make sense from both a cost and environmental perspective.  Co-firing makes use of existing power generation assets and infrastructure with the lowest cost of generation for renewable energy, while providing the means to mitigate the future cost of carbon.  Renewable energy--low capital costs--latest technologies--high efficiencies.
> Read more: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com

THE ENGINES OF BIOFUELS ADOPTION
Biofuels Digest, August 9, 2010
Many have been wondering just what is going on with automotive manufacturing and engine innovation. What do the auto manufacturers really think of biofuels and what are they doing about it?  The recent Center for Automotive Research 2010 Management Briefing Seminars brought out major car company plans on biofuels and hybrids, among other alternative technologies, giving an opportunity to look at the transition to a renewable-based economy through the lens of the fleet’s capabilities. Biofuels Digest's take on these meetings includes commentary on flex-fuel vehicles, diesel technologies, hybrids, natural gas vehicles, including something to watch for -- direct ethanol injection technology.
> Read more: http://biofuelsdigest.com

FIRED UP BY BIOMASS
I. Ross, Northern Ontario Business, July 2010
A Dryden, Ontario-based company plans to use the European-style district heating system to heat business parks and communities in northwestern Ontario.  The purpose is to "start developing a domestic market for more wood pellets and briquettes."
> Read more: http://www.northernontariobusiness.com

MANITOBA HYDRO SEIZES BIOMASS OPPORTUNITIES
Anna Austin, Biomass Magazine, July 22, 2010
Read about Manitoba Hydro's interest in biomass as a source of energy which has the capacity or the ability to deliver energy when it is needed, as opposed to wind or solar energy.   The Power Smart Bioenergy Optimization Program and future plans are discussed.
> Read more: http://www.biomassmagazine.com

MIT RESEARCHERS HARNESS VIRUSES TO SPLIT WATER
David L. Chandler, MIT Media Release, April 11, 2010
A team of MIT researchers has found a novel way to mimic the process by which plants use the power of sunlight to split water and make chemical fuel to power their growth.  A modified virus is used as a scaffold that can assemble the nanoscale components needed to split a water molecule into hydrogen and oxygen atoms.  By using sunlight to make hydrogen from water, the hydrogen can then be stored and used at any time to generate electricity or make liquid fuels.
> Read more: http://web.mit.edu/press

UP IN SMOKE - SOLUTIONS TO BURNING BIOFUELS
Rebecca Pool, Engineering & Technology, June 14, 2010
Biofuels such as bio-ethanol and bio-diesel can offer a clean alternative to petroleum-based transport fuels.  However, questions about risk to biodiversity or depleted food supplies have tarnished their green image. What happens when these fuels burn, what pollutants are formed and are the fuels as environmentally-friendly as we think? The answers to such fundamental questions have been long known for hydrocarbon fuels, but when it comes to any biofuel, the level of understanding is a lot less, potentially threatening to slow industry take-up. New information on how biofuels burn is paving the way to greener transport fuels.
> Read more: http://kn.theiet.org

BIOCHAR RESEARCH YIELDS SIGNIFICANT RESULTS
Anna Austin, Biomass Magazine, August 12, 2010
Biochar has the potential to mitigate up to a tenth of current greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new study. A soil scientist at the U.S. DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory recently published an extensive research paper centered on the carbon sequestration capabilities of biochar.
> Read more: http://www.biomassmagazine.com

BIOPLASTICS CONSUMPTION TO REACH 2 MLN TONS BY 2018
plastemart.com, July 14, 2010
Freedonia has published a report that indicates Bioplastics Global demand for bioplastics, which include plastic resins that are biodegradable or derived from plant-based sources, will rise more than fourfold to 890,000 tons in 2013.  This extraordinary growth will be fueled by a number of factors, including consumer demand for more environmentally-sustainable products, the development of bio-based feedstocks for commodity plastic resins, and increasing restrictions on the use of plastic products, particularly plastic bags; and, of course, the expected continuation of high crude oil and natural gas prices.
> Read more: http://www.plastemart.com

COMING SOON: BIOCOMPOSITE BOATBUILDING
J. Poirier, Professional Boatbuilder, Jun/Jul 2010
The article discusses bicomposite boatbuilding, a path considered in finding environmentally friendly solutions to composite boatbuilding. It describes bicomposites as a renewable resource that reinforces natural polymers with natural fibers leaving a smaller environmental footprint and can be composted or recycled at end of life. The challenges that the boatbuilding industry is facing in incorporating natural fibers, such as flax, for bicomposites reinforcement are explained. Other ecologically satisfying products as alternatives are also given.
> Contact the ITC library to obtain this article.

DIGEST SPECIAL REPORT ON SWITCHGRASS; GENERA BREAKS GROUND ON BIOMASS INNOVATION PARK
Jim Lane, Biofuels Digest, August 2, 2010
Can switchgrass reach the "monster feedstock" status predicted by USDA? In Tennessee, Genera Energy opened a hub for switchgrass development that will provide harvesting, handling, storage, densification, pre-processing and transportation for up to 50,000 tons of switchgrass and other energy crops and feedstocks.  Additional information on switchgrass yields and economics is included.
> Read more: http://biofuelsdigest.com

DRYING OF WOODY BIOMASS FOR BIOENERGY: DRYING TECHNOLOGIES AND OPTIMIZATION FOR AN INTEGRATED BIOENERGY PLANT
Pang and Mujumdar, Drying Technology, May 2010
Biomass originating from plants has been recognized as the most promising alternative source for energy and fuels in the future. The biomass, in the forms of wood chips, sawdust, bagasse, grass, and agricultural residues, contains moisture from 50 to over 150% and must be dried in order to increase energy efficiency, improve energy product quality, and reduce emissions during energy conversion. A number of dryer types and drying technologies can potentially be used for biomass drying.
> Contact the ITC library to obtain this article.  (Charges may apply.)

ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS ARE BIOPLASTICS' HOLY GRAIL
Doug Smock, DesignNews, July 22, 2010
Two leaders in the development of sustainable polymers are extending research into a new generation of engineering plastics made from renewable resources. The research mates Ingeo polylactic acid from NatureWorks of Minnetonka, MN, with furanic chemicals developed by Avantium of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.  One of the current applications of Ingeo PLA plastics (according to NatureWorks) is the Bioserie cover for iPhones. A partnership with Avantium could extend use of bioplastics to more demanding applications.
> Read more: http://www.designnews.com

HYDROTHERMAL CARBONIZATION OF MICROALGAE
S. Heilmann, et al., Biomass and Bioenergy, April 2010
Hydrothermal carbonization is a process in which biomass is heated in water under pressure to create a char product. With higher plants, the chemistry of the process is derived primarily from lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose components. In contrast, green and blue-green microalgae are not lignocellulosic in composition, and the chemistry is entirely different, involving proteins, lipids and carbohydrates.  Under the right conditions, microalgae can be converted in an energy efficient manner into an algal char product that is of bituminous coal quality.  Potential uses for the product include creation of synthesis gas and conversion into industrial chemicals and gasoline, application as a soil nutrient amendment, and as a carbon neutral supplement to natural coal for generation of electrical power.
> Read more: http://www.cbs.umn.edu

ISU RESEARCHER DEVELOPS GREEN, BIO-BASED PROCESS FOR PRODUCING FUEL ADDITIVE
Iowa State University News Service, June 23, 2010
Thomas Bobik, a researcher at Iowa State University, along with a doctoral student, has  invented a process for manufacturing isobutene (isobutylene) by identifying a new, natural enzyme that produces the fuel organically.   Enzymes makes it possible to convert the glucose found naturally in plants to make isobutene. The enzyme is found naturally in about half of all organisms in the world.
> Read more: http://www.news.iastate.edu

NEW TOOL FOR IMPROVING SWITCHGRASS
ScienceDaily, July 29, 2010
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have developed a new tool for deciphering the genetics of a switchgrass, which is being widely studied for its potential as a biofuel. Switchgrass is now grown as a cattle feed and to restore depleted soils. But interest in using it as a biofuel has intensified in recent years because it can be burned to produce electricity and, like corn stalks, can be converted to ethanol. It also grows on marginal lands, is adaptable to different regions, and -- as a perennial -- does not need to be replanted each year, which means lower energy costs and less runoff.  Understanding the genetic composition of switchgrass could make switchgrass more commercially viable as a biofuel.
> Read more: http://www.sciencedaily.com

PLASTIC DOESN’T GROW ON TREES, BUT IT GROWS IN GRASS NOW
Michelle Bryner, TechNewsDaily, July 7, 2010
With the help of genetically engineered microbes, scientists have created plants that can churn out “green” plastic that might someday replace the petroleum-based kinds used in everything from ballpoint pens to disposable food containers. Metabolix, a Massachusetts-based biotech company, is using this process to make polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) – a biodegradable polymer similar to polypropylene (found in yogurt containers) – inside the stems and leaves of switchgrass, oilseed and sugarcane crops.
> Read more: http://www.technewsdaily.com

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