Florida alone generates enough orange peels to produce about 200 million gallons of ethanol yearly. The secret ingredient is a tobacco enzyme derived by cloning genes from fungi and bacteria, which is far less expensive than creating synthetic enzymes. The enzyme breaks down “woody” nonfood biomass like orange peels, enabling a wide range [...]
Posts Tagged ‘biofuel’
Glycerin byproduct from biofuel refining now being reused
Prodigious amounts of glycerin are produced as a byproduct of biofuel, and sometimes was being landfilled. However, scientists now have devised a multitude of ways it can be used and reprocessed.
Waste glycerin can be made into a profit center, yielding high-value chemicals (alcohols and acids) that can be used to make fabrics, insulation, and food [...]
Biofuel from carbon dioxide in air
Joule Biotechnologies announced that it has achieved direct microbial conversion of CO2 into hydrocarbons via engineered organisms, powered by solar energy.
The process uses no fresh water or biomass and no refinement is needed. The sun shines. The microbes produce biofuel. Simple, isn’t it? If it works on a commercial cost-effective scale, it could change the [...]
Microbes convert sewage sludge into ethanol
The process extracts biosolids from raw sewage. Microbes then convert it into biofuel. This both cuts down on expenses of treating sewage and creates something of value.
Seven weeds that could power your car
Gas 2.0 profiles seven weeds that can also be used to create biofuel. They need little help to grow, thus costs are low, and they can thrive in contaminated soil. Most are highly invasive, so they could be harvested from areas where they’ve already invaded. Like kudzu, “the plant that ate the south”
To offset the [...]
Biobutanol: Latest biofuel aspirant
Biobutanol, a new, promising biofuel has no blend limit when mixed with gasoline,can be put into pipelines as they are, and can be made from multiple fuelstocks.
The question, as always is, can refining it be done on a commercial scale?
Renewable energy links
Soybean oil blend works well as fuel for home furnaces
A blend of degummed soybean oil and No. 2 fuel oil can be used as an alternative heating fuel and reduce sulfur emissions, according to a Purdue University scientist.
Reno casino bets on geothermal heat
The Peppermill Resort Casino in Reno has drilled to 4,400 feet down to [...]
Arizona to use algae to turn coal pollution into biofuel
This innovative and worthwhile project is being funded with stimulus money.
The project is being hosted at the 995-megawatt Cholla Power Plant in northeastern Arizona. Early results indicate that the algae are able to capture 70 metric tons of carbon dioxide per pond acre per year.
Wasted watermelons could be biofuel source
About 20% of all watermelons are left to rot. USDA says those spoiled and misshapen watermelons can be biofuel feedstock. Farmers just junk them now. Instead, they could be an income stream.
The wonderful image of a watermelon VW comes from Inhabitat, who has more on the story too.
Grassoline
First generation biofuel comes from edible plants like corn. But this is problematic, because there isn’t enough available land and it can raise the price of food.
Second-generation biofuels made from cellulosic material—colloquially, “grassoline”—can avoid these pitfalls. Grassoline can be made from dozens, if not hundreds, of sources: from wood residues such as sawdust and construction [...]
A biofuel process to replace all fossil fuels
A startup based in Cambridge, MA–Joule Biotechnologies–today revealed details of a process that it says can make 20,000 gallons of biofuel per acre per year. If this yield proves realistic, it could make it practical to replace all fossil fuels used for transportation with biofuels. The company also claims that the fuel can be sold [...]
Biofuel from cooking fat, and bears
So, we’re here in Yosemite and it occurs to me. Maybe using biofuel derived from cooking oil while in bear country might not be the best of ideas, considering it can make the exhaust and maybe even the car smell like french fries and fried chicken.
Yosemite has lots of photos and videos of what bears [...]
Jatropha fuel cuts off 60% emission from Air New Zealand flight
But the cost of growing and converting it is still steep.
Creating biofuel and hydrogen fuel together
A German firm plans to produce biofuel then use the glycerin product to create hydrogen for the already existing hydrogen filling stations for fuel cell cars.
Disneyland trains now use biofuel from chicken and fries
Thus the trains run on fuelstock produced within the park, and not food for fuel. Further, their parking lot trams run on CNG and they won an award for recycling 7.6 million bottles and cans.
And now the trains will smell like french fries!
