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Fuels of the Future: The Bioalcohol Paradigm

This presentation explores the importance of bioalcohols in the transportation industry's transition to renewable advanced biofuels, emphasizing sustainability and energy needs. Delve into the technical aspects of liquid fuels, highlighting the potential of bioalcohols in bridging future energy demands. Understand the historical energy crises and the necessity for sustainable alternatives.

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Fuels of the Future: The Bioalcohol Paradigm

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  1. Fuels of the Future The Bioalcohol Paradigm ethanol bridge fuels lignocellulosic feedstocks liquid fuel yeast energy phytomass advanced biofuels synthetic biology fermentation branched-chain alcohols CDC PHIL /James Gathany maintopics • original slides by: Drew Sowersby (May 2011) • _technical contributor for Advanced Biofuels USA www.AdvancedBiofuelsUSA.org

  2. Message to the reader • The following slide document has been created to inform a broad audience about the importance and likely dominance of bioalcohols in the transportation industry as the global transition from non-renewable fossil fuels to renewable advanced biofuels gains momentum. The information contained in these slides stands in support of the Advanced Biofuels USA mission. • “The Mission of Advanced Biofuels USA is to promote public understanding, acceptance, and use of advanced biofuels by promoting research, development and improvement of advanced biofuels technologies, production, marketing and delivery; and by promoting the sustainable development, cultivation and processing of advanced biofuels crops, and agricultural and forestry residues and wastes.” • These slides are for public consumption and can be duplicated, replicated, modified, adapted, distributed, transmitted, and/or shared as seen fit by the reader. Please credit sources accordingly. If you wish to modify this document, just add your name under mine on the first slide. • Note: Some slides contain additional information in notes section below

  3. Energy: The Root of All Civilization • 2. Why Bioalcohols? • Blending Bridges to Sustainability • 3. Leaping Barriers: Squeezing the Sun Concerted efforts from scientists, farmers, politicians, and grassroots organizations like Advanced Biofuels USA to understand and advocate for sustainability are ongoing. Most of us are seeking the promise of global security, the development of a sustainable workforce, and an endless supply of clean renewable energy. Converting biomasstobiofuelsfor transportation fuel applications is currently one of the most active areas of investigative research in science and engineering. The following sections will offer an in-depth technical perspective of liquid fuels and demonstrate the overriding potential of bioalcohols to bridge transportation energy needs of modern society with the future of the human race.

  4. Section 1 Energy: The root of all civilization

  5. In the beginning there was…..biofuels? 1 EJ = 1018 J The post civil war exploitation of coal helped spawn the Industrial Age, while the subsequent incorporation of crude-oil and natural gas fossil resources helped spawn what has become a global economy. Is this pattern sustainable? Most believe the answer to this question is NO! Why?

  6. In this section the ongoing energy crisis can be visualized in a series of graphs depicting the startling connection between: • Energy Consumption • GDP per capita (prosperity) • Population growth • Debt (deficit spending)

  7. chart by : http://perotcharts.com/2008/05/growth-of-us-population-1790-2050/

  8. http://8020vision.com/2010/06/21/the-real-population-problem/http://8020vision.com/2010/06/21/the-real-population-problem/

  9. U.S. primary energy use by fuel (1980-2035) 40% 1.0 × 1015Btu U.S. Energy Information Administration (Washington, DC, June 2009) Projections: AEO2010 National Energy Modeling System

  10. Breakdown of the U.S. liquid fuel market • 35 quadrillion Btu’s (37 EJ) of liquid energy annually • ~ 95% of all liquids since 1958 have come from petroleum 1 • 63% of refined petroleum was delivered to market as motor gasoline for transportation2 • less than 3% biofuels Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Review 2008, Petroleum Consumption: Transportation Sector, 1949-2008. 2009, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C O’Donnell, M. Master’s Thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 2009

  11. Global transportation energy consumption vs. GDP in 2006

  12. graph from: http://environmentalresearchweb.org/blog/2009/07/high-debt-and-energy-return-on.html

  13. Energy and Economic Interconnectedness http://tclocal.org/images/failure-feedback.jpg

  14. Summary It appears there exists a positive correlation between energy consumption, population growth rate, GDP, and the abstractions of expanding debt and monetary instability. So now what? We must now consider alternatives to the current trends of fossil fuel dependence and moves toward sustainability. The next section will discuss the biofuels option with an in-depth analysis of the bioalcohol paradigm.

  15. Why Bioalcohols? Blending Bridges to Sustainability Section 2

  16. What are biofuels? Biofuels are any biologically derived solid, liquid, or gas that stores energy used in combustion applications. • In contrast to fossil fuels, biofuels…. • Are sustainable (1-100 yrs vs. 106-108 yrs) • Can be carbon neutral or negative • Have a more diversified, distributed means of production • 4. Can be created as reagent grade molecules (pure)

  17. Bioalcohol Biogas Biodiesel BIOFUEL TYPES Biocrude Biowaste Biogasoline (grassoline) Biomass

  18. Alternative Transportation Fuels Under investigation and development Biobutanol Fischer-Tropsch (FT) diesel Gas to Liquids (GTL) Biogas Biomass to Liquids (BTL) Coal to Liquids (CTL) Hydrogenation-Derived Renewable Diesel (HDRD) P-Series (gasoline substitute) Commercially available Methanol Natural Gas Propane Biodiesel Electricity Ethanol Hydrogen Source: The Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 1992

  19. biofuels conversion biomass adapted by: Drew Sowersby

  20. Million Barrels per Day chart by: http://tclocal.org/images/eia-liquidfuels.jpg Source: U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Agency (EIA).

  21. Global biofuel supplies expected to increase dramatically less than 2% of total liquid consumption Million barrels day more than 90% of all cars use sugarcane ethanol BP p.l.c., Statistical Review, BP Energy Outlook 2030, London, January 2011

  22. The evolution of biofuels is defined in terms of the carbon feedstock used for production • 1stgeneration fuels • corn-starch • sugar from cane and beets • soy for diesel • 2nd generation – multi-component cellulose • switchgrass • miscanthus • agriculture and food processing residues • poplar trees • 3rd generation – high quality cellulose • microalgae • macroalgae (seaweed) • cyanobacteria • 4th generation - sun fuels • carbon dioxide + light + biocatalyst… CO2 impact factor (medium to high lignin content) (low to no lignin) net 0

  23. Bioalcohols currently dominate commercially available biofuels sugar feedstocks fermentation biomass product recovery The Bioalcohol Paradigm market 1 chemical Storage market 2 market 3

  24. BiomasstoBiofuels http://www.vsjf.org/project-details/13/biomass-to-biofuels-resources

  25. process generalization biomass bioalcohols

  26. Most cellulosic material, like woods and grasses, contains lignin Lignocelluloses represent the most abundant source of bioenergy Glucose Treatment with cellulases and/or acids releases glucose monomers for fermentation Rubin, E. Nature, 2008, 454, 841-845.

  27. But lignocellulosic feedstocks are not easily converted to sugar substrate and can introduce over 100 inhibitors into fermentation batches1 phenols organic acids CLASSES of inhibitors aldehydes ketones • Liu, Z. L.; Slininger, P. J.; Gorsich, Appl Biochem. Biotechnol., 2005, 124, 451-460.

  28. So far, Saccharomyces cerevisiae have demonstrated the ability to perform with a lignocellulosic feedstock. • Advantages • Are the most common microorganisms • used for production of biofuels • (primarily alcohols) • Are eukaryotic • Have simple nutrient requirements • Are prime targets for bioengineering • Convert glucose to ethanol with • unusual efficiency (FERMENTATION) carotenoids insulin alcohols lactic acid carbon dioxide polymer precursors The yeast cell factory has been used by humans for over 8000 years to create a host of useful renewable products

  29. Standard fermentation in yeast Glucose Glycolysis (regulated and irreversible steps) amino acid synthesis Pyruvate O2 Ehrlich Pathway CO2+ H2O respiration Fermentation Higher alcohol synthesis CO2+ CH3CH2OH

  30. Yeast cells naturally create C4 and C5 alcohols using fermentation enzymes BCAAs (leucine, valine, isoleucine) BAT1, BAT2 transamination (step 1) Ehrlich Pathway branched-chain alcohol synthesis 2-Keto acids PDC1, PDC2, PDC3, PDC5, PDC6, ARO10, THI3 (KID1) decarboxylation (step 2) superior alcohol fuel surrogates Branched-chain alcohols NADH-dependent reduction (step 3) Ketoaldehydes + CO2 2MB ADH1, ADH2, ADH3, ADH4, ADH5, ADH6, SFA1, etc. 2MP 3MB

  31. Fermentation as a complex adaptive system Excess sugar Temperature pH Inhibitors Viscosity Biocatalyst Fluid Motion Gases (CO2 and O2) Ionic Strength Nitrogen Source Water Hypothetical Interaction Map

  32. Isobutanol (2MP) is a viable platform molecule isobutanol GEVO, Inc. conventional motor gasoline • Highlights • High yield isobutanol yeast fermentation (105 g/L per batch) • Conversion to hydrocarbons • Carbon emissions reduction of 85% • Competes with oil at $65 a barrel source: GEVO, Inc.

  33. C4-C5 Alcohol Platform ButylFuel, LLC • Highlights • After logging 10,000 miles butanol…. • increased auto mileage by 9% • reduced oxides of nitrogen by 37% • reduced carbon monoxide to 0.01% • reduced hydrocarbons by 95% • first American company to commercialize butanol Case Study: “Production of Butyric Acid and Butanol from Biomass” Ramey D and Yang S-T, Phase II STTR Final Report for D.O.E. (2004)

  34. C4-C5 alcohols have advantages • compared to ethanol • higher energy density • lower vapor pressure • lower air/fuel ratio • less corrosive • less hygroscopic • higher gasoline blend ratios • “drop-in” fuel • compatible with gasoline engines, • existing storage facilities, and • distribution infrastructure • Harvey, B. J.; Meylemans, H. A. J Chem Technol Biotechnol., 2011, 86, 2–9. • Dürre, P. Biotechnol. J., 2007, 2, 1525-1534.

  35. Selected bioalcohol and gasoline properties --information obtained from MSDSs, Sigma-Aldrich website, and NIST chemistry WebBook. * a.k.a. isobutanol ~ 1-butanol

  36. Liquid Fuel Energy Densities MJ/L butanol/pentanol sweet spot? MJ/kg Source:Scott dial http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Energy_density.svg Adapted by Drew Sowersby

  37. Right now fuel blends are showing up at pumps across the U.S. BRIDGE FUELS • E10 • Up to 10% ethanol to replace MTBE • E15 - E85 • contains 15% to 85% ethanol • requires post 2001 or Flexfuel engine technology • B20 • contains 20% biodiesel / 80% diesel • made commercially from soybeans How long until we see C4 and C5 advanced alcohols at the pump?

  38. Section 3 Leaping Barriers: Squeezing the Sun

  39. The Obstacle Course It would be irresponsible to assume that human energy needs will be fulfilled in a timely fashion. The transition to sustainable energy will likely be a long arduous process. • Moore’s Curse and the Great Energy Delusion (The American Magazine, November 19, 2008) • “There is one thing all energy transitions have in common: they are prolonged affairs that take decades to accomplish, and the greater the scale of prevailing uses and conversions the longer the substitutions will take. The second part of this statement seems to be a truism but it is ignored as often as the first part: otherwise we would not have all those unrealized predicted milestones for new energy sources.” • - Vaclav Smil-Distinguished Professor at the University of Manitoba.

  40. Technical Barriers • GOAL • Sheer size required for economic growth • Geographic distribution • START • Supply continuity • Low crop • energy density Kerr, R. Science,2010, 329, 780-781

  41. The Bright Side • The sun delivers about 1000 W/m2 • of power to Earth’s surface. • 1000 Wh = 1 kWh = 3.6 mega Joules (MJ) • peak sun hour = 1 kWh • peak sun hours per day based on geo location http://pvcdrom.pveducation.org/SUNLIGHT/AVG.HTM

  42. ≈ 4.00 peak sun hours avg./day1 • 1 peak sun hour = 3.6 MJ • 14.4 MJ/(m2)day × 365 days × 9.83 × 1012 m2 • ≈ 5.20 × 1016 MJ/year • 1 MJ = 994.78 Btu • ≈ 4.90 × 1019 Btu/year • U.S. example? US land area this is roughly 500X the current amount of US energy usage 1. Solar Radiation Data Manual for Flat-Plate and Concentrating Collectors National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), 2006

  43. ≈ 2.00-3.00 peak sun hours/day 7.2 MJ/(m2)day × 365 days × 5.14 × 1014 m2 ≈ 1.35 × 1018 MJ/year ≈ 1.28 × 1021 Btu/year • Earth?

  44. “Using detailed land analysis, Illinois researchers have found that biofuel crops cultivated on available land could produce up to half of the world's current fuel consumption – without affecting food crops or pastureland. Adding LIHD (low input high density) crops grown on marginal grassland to the marginal cropland estimate from earlier scenarios nearly doubled the estimated land area to 1,107 million hectares globally, even after subtracting possible pasture land – an area that would produce 26 to 56 percent of the world's current liquid fuel consumption.” -- http://cee.illinois.edu/cai_biofuel_land • Published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, the study led by civil and environmental engineering professor XimingCai identified land around the globe available to produce grass crops for biofuels, with minimal impact on agriculture or the environment.

  45. What will the next transition be? CO2 and the SUN NON-FOOD crops and waste/residues 2nd generation biofuels Paradigm Shift standard fermentation to advanced fermentation FOOD crops 1st generation biofuels

  46. Taking Us from the Present to the Future Many companies are engaged in making these transitions happen. See a list of more than 400 companies in the Resources section on the Advanced Biofuels USA web site: http://advancedbiofuelsusa.info/resources/companies-involved-with-advanced-biofuels Find out more at www.AdvancedBiofuelsUSA.org

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