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Directory:Ethanol
From PESWiki
Directory of Ethanol technologies and resources.
Contents |
Companies
- Algae-based Biofuels from Power Plant Emissions, Redux - Inventure Chemical and Seambiotic have announced that they have formed a joint venture to construct a pilot commercial biofuel plant to produce ethanol, biodiesel and other chemicals via algae created from CO2 emissions as a feedstock. (TreeHugger; June 20, 2008)
- Hydrogen Engine Center Inc - Making Engines to Run On Hydrogen, Ammonia - A small company in Iowa hope to make gasoline obsolete as an engine fuel. All HEC engines and power generation equipment are capable of running on a multitude of fuels including hydrogen, ammonia, synthetic gas, coal bed methane, gasoline, and ethanol. (PESWiki; June 12, 2008)
- Circle Biodiesel & Ethanol Corporation: Clean energy company specializing in renewable energy and manufacturing and consulting for algae biodiesel and algae biofuel processors for algae oil, biodiesel processors, jatropha oil, bioethanol, ethanol stills and methane digesters for the production of methane biogas.
- Verenium - was formed in June 2007 through the merger of Diversa Corporation, a global leader in enzyme technology, and Celunol Corporation, a leading developer of cellulosic ethanol process technologies and projects.
- The EFuel100 MicroFueler™ is the world's first portable ethanol micro-refinery system; it replaces the traditional ethanol reflux column system with a solid state distillation technology, making it possible for homeowners and small businesses to safely and cost-effectively create their own fuel, on-site (available 4th Quarter, 2008).
- EthanolSeed.com is a small company that sells plant material (Seeds, tubers, etc...), for ethanol making plants for the small land owner, gardener, or family. It has been difficult to find plant material in the past, but it is one of the first steps in ethanol production. Currently selling sorghum seeds. You can buy seeds today, have them by the end of the week, plant them, and your on your way to fuel production, at least maybe sometime in the future.
Products
- Ethanol Powered Mazda Furai Racecar - The Furai is Mazda’s next hope in the future of car racing. While going green on the race track is not exactly an eco-minded endeavor, we’re still intrigued that this vehicle can be fully powered by ethanol. The very cool looking performance sports car shows that if ethanol has a place in the auto industry, that place is in the car racing arena. Fuel economy? 2.3 miles per gallon... (Inhabitat; July 29, 2008)
- Low-concentration ethanol stove for rural areas in India (pdf) - An efficient stove running on a 50:50 ethanol-water mixture with output similar to the conventionally-used LPG and kerosene stoves -- a first of its kind -- has been successfully developed at the Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute. (Energy for Sustainable Development; March, 2007)
Technologies
- Spartan Corn III - Cow Stomach Microbe Enables 'Self-Ethanoling' Corn - In the commercial biofuel industry, only the kernels of corn plants can be used to make ethanol, but this new discovery would allow the entire corn plant to be used – so more fuel can be produced with less cost. (Scientific Blogging; April 8, 2008)
- Mexico & Agaves: Moving from Tequila to Ethanol - With a history that stretches well back into pre-Columbian times, certain varieties of the Agave family are beginning to capture the attention of investors and researchers interested in indigenous plants and trees in countries around the world that are not used to produce food and have attributes that make them prospective sources of ethanol. (Renewable Energy World; August 7, 2008)
- Ethanol from Garbage and Old Tires - Tubes packed with bundles of white fibers are the core of a bioreactor, which is the heart of a new technology that Coskata claims combine thermochemical and biological approaches to make ethanol out of wood chips, household garbage, grass, and old tires--indeed, just about any organic material. (MIT Technology Review; March/April 2008)
- Methanol -- Ethanol's Sister Product - Ethanol can be an even more effective energy alternative to petroleum if the unused portion of the crop are used to create methanol. (PESWiki; Feb. 26, 2006)
- Tectane: H20 Injector and Aquahol - H2O Injector is an inexpensive add-on device for car engines which reduces emissions and increases mileage up to 40%, and can allow cars to run on 75-octane gasoline or ethanol fuels. Aquahol is the separate injection of 80% ethanol and 20% water, which is the cleanest-burning fuel. Drawbacks?
- Tectane Offers a Net Zero Solution for Existing Vehicle Infrastructure - By injecting water into an ethanol mixture that can be used on most any vehicle, and producing ethanol from the prolific and multi-use sweet sorghum plant, the net result is no added emissions to the environment. {PESN; Feb. 3, 2007}
- Tectane Offers a Net Zero Solution for Existing Vehicle Infrastructure - By injecting water into an ethanol mixture that can be used on most any vehicle, and producing ethanol from the prolific and multi-use sweet sorghum plant, the net result is no added emissions to the environment. {PESN; Feb. 3, 2007}
- Switchgrass shows promise for ethanol production - A large-scale trial of switchgrass suggests that prairie grasses grown using only moderate amounts of fertilizer on marginal land can produce significant amounts of ethanol, making the crop a more viable plant source of biofuel than previously thought. (PhysOrg; Jan. 7, 2008) (CBS News) (Slashdot)
- Moller International's Rotapower Engine Achieves Performance Breakthrough Using Ethanol-Water Mix - Moller International (personal aircraft) has successfully tested its Rotapower® rotary engine using a fuel composed of 70% ethanol and 30% water, giving a number of advantages including reduced fire hazard, reduced emissions, improved fuel economy and engine power. (PESN; June 3, 2007)
- Cannabis Hemp as a Global Warming Solution - Proponents argue that easily grown and robust Cannabis Hemp is one of the best if not the very best plants overall for fuel, building supplies, medicine, fiber, food, paper, and substitute for wood. Some go so far as to argue that it could be the best solution to global warming.
- New natural gas dehydration approach - The Vaperma, EnCana and SDTC Advanced Natural Gas Dehydration Project could significantly reduce emissions and energy consumption compared to traditional natural gas processing. Siftek™ uses a hollow-fiber polymer membrane to dehydrate NG and dewater ethanol. (Inside Greentech; Feb. 27, 2007)
- Biofuel nanotech process intensification - NanoDynamics' ND Fusion rotating tube reactor provides for faster, higher, more efficient ethanol yields by boosting fermentation without damaging fragile yeast cells and generates higher purity ethanol with lower energy and capital cost. It has the ability to economically convert sugarcane process streams to ethanol. (Biopact; Feb. 27, 2007)
- Zeolite Membrane for Ethanol Dehydration - Mitsui Engineering will use a zeolite membrane in dehydration systems for bioethanol plants, to remove water from the ethanol produced. Only water passes through the membrane, thereby helping to reduce process fuel consumption by around 10% compared to other methods. (Green Car Congress; Jul. 11, 2007)
Cellulosic
See Directory:Cellulosic Ethanol - separate page
- Featured / Events: Alt Fuels > Ethanol > Cellulosic >
Cellulosic Ethanol Summit 2009 - The 4th Annual Cellulosic Biofuels Summit, November 16-19, 2009 in Washington, DC, USA, where leaders from the agricultural, biotech, technology, developer, oil, auto and financial communities will again gather to report on their activities, consider the next steps forward, and share their perspectives on the progress in reaching the commercial production of cellulosic ethanol. (PESWiki; Aug. 12, 2009) (Comment)
Ethanol Plants
- North America’s Largest Wheat-Based Ethanol Plant Opens in Saskatchewan - Located near Belle Plaine, Saskatchewan, the $130-million Terra Grains Fuels ethanol plant is claiming to be the largest wheat ethanol project in North America and produce approximately 150 million liters (40 million gallons) of ethanol and nearly 164,000 tonnes of dried distiller grains annually. To do this the plant will require 15 million bushels of wheat each year. Yes, wheat, not corn. (TreeHugger; August 11, 2008)
Applications
- Honda to sell world's 1st bike with bio-ethanol mixed fuel - Honda Motor Company said on Wednesday it has developed the world's first motorcycle powered by an eco-friendly fuel mixed with bio-ethanol and gasoline, which will be put on sale from mid-March in Brazil, one of the world's largest producers and users of bio-ethanol. (India Times; March 11, 2009)
Research and Development
- Process Can Cut The Cost Of Making Cellulosic Biofuels - A patented Michigan State University ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) process to pretreat corn-crop waste before conversion into ethanol, means extra nutrients don't have to be added, cutting the cost of making biofuels from cellulose from $1.41 down to .081 per gallon. (PhysOrg; Jan. 22, 2009)
- 4 Million Tons of Olive Pits Could Be Turned in Ethanol - One new feedstock being tested in Spain, is the leftover pits from olives after the fruit is pressed into olive oil. As the pit takes up about a quarter of the total fruit, and some 4 million tons of them are generated each year, the hope is that this waste product can be made into something more useful, like ethanol. (TreHugger; Oct. 30, 3 2008)
- Beets could produce trifold crop of biofuel, food and cash - Atlantec BioEnergy Corporation (ABC) has contracts in place for 520 acres of sugar beets for ethanol production across Nova Scotia this year and has been hosting field days with growers to demonstrate the merits of the crop. (NovaNews Now; Sept. 16, 2008)
- Better Bug to Make Cellulosic Ethanol -New genetically modified bacteria could slash the costs of producing ethanol from cellulosic biomass. The microbes produce ethanol at higher temperatures than are possible using yeast, which is currently employed to ferment sugar into the biofuel. (MIT Technology Review; Sept . 9, 2008)
- Sweet Potato Out-Yields Corn In Ethanol Production Study - In experiments, sweet potatoes grown in Maryland and Alabama yielded two to three times as much carbohydrate for fuel ethanol production as field corn grown in those states, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists report. (Science Daily; Aug. 28, 2008)
- Research drives improvements in efficient biofuel processing - he Iowa State project is focused on using fungi to clean up and improve the dry-ethanol production process. That process grinds corn kernels and adds water and enzymes. The enzymes break the starches into sugars. The sugars are fermented with yeasts to produce ethanol. (Engineer Live; July 31, 2008)
Resources
- http://www.e85safety.com/ Ethanol Information
- Biodiesel >
BiodieselInvesting.com - Biodiesel and Ethanol Investing - Provides biodiesel and ethanol news, stock information, and details on trends in biofuel industries including new plants, government grants, and biodiesel and ethanol technology.
Government and Politics
- Ethanol’s Federal Subsidy Grab Leaves Little for Solar, Wind and Geothermal - An April 2008 report from the Federal Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that the corn-based ethanol industry received $3 billion in tax credits in 2007, more than four times the $690 million in credits available to companies trying to expand all other forms of renewable energy. (Environmental Working Group; Jan. 2009)
Cautions
- Alt Fuels > Ethanol >
One quarter of US grain crops fed to cars - not people, new figures show - The grain grown to produce fuel in the US in 2009, spurred in part by Federal subsidies, was enough to feed 330 million people for one year at average world consumption levels. Meanwhile, the number of hungry people in the world has increased to over 1 billion people. (Guardian; UK; Jan. 22, 2010)
- Ethanol Production Could Jeopardize Soil Productivity - The American Society of Agronomy reports that crop residues possess a critical role in sustaining soil organic matter, and as it is increasingly being used for the production of cellulosic-based ethanol, this removal may impact the long-term productivity of soils. (Newswise; June 2, 2009)
- Ethanol Bankruptcies Continue, 14 Studies Have Exposed the High Cost of Ethanol and Biofuels - Now that the economy has hit the skids, the ethanol makers have been slammed by high corn costs and low gasoline prices. About 9 percent of all the ethanol plants in the US have now filed for bankruptcy and some analysts believe the numbers could reach as high as 20 percent. (Energy Tribune; Feb. 4, 2009)
- Barry County VeraSun plant, area farmers caught up as ethanol loses its spark - The collapse of this once-promising ethanol industry and VeraSun Energy Corp. having filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, has rippled not only through the 40-employee plant along a rural highway halfway between Grand Rapids and Lansing, but the hundreds of corn growers whose farms surround it. (MLive.com; Nov. 16, 2008)
- The Death of Ethanol: One Thing Wall Street Saw Coming - Once upon a time, ethanol was seen as the future of clean energy and as leading the U.S. to energy independence. “It’s such a waste that the government gave free handouts and subsidies to grow a business that wasn’t sustainable,” said one investment banker familiar with the sector. (Wall Street Journal; Nov. 3, 2008)
- The Future of U.S. Ethanol Production: Where Do We Go from Here? - If there was one clear message that came out of the 24th annual Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) held in Nashville, Tennessee t, it was that despite all the negativity that has been thrown at ethanol, the industry will keep moving forward. Fast. (Renewable Energy Worldwide; June 19, 2008)
- Boater sues over ethanol-laced gasoline's effect on fiberglass fuel tank - Ethanol has had a nasty side effect: The stuff appears to damage boat fuel tanks made of fiberglass. And California is a floating testing ground for the ethanol effect. (LA Times; April 15, 2008)
- The Case Against Ethanol - Ethanol and many other grain-based biofuels are an unmitigated folly as both a means of fuel and as an investment. (SeekingAlpha; March 25, 2008)
Presentations
(68 Minutes) Vinod Khosla Biofuels: Think Outside The Barrel
Google TechTalks Vinod Khosla, a Silicon Valley billionaire, visited Google to deliver a tech talk about the emergence of ethanol as a viable, market ready, and competitive source of renewable energy. On the Ethanol Bandwagon, Big Names and Big Risks (Google Video) March 29, 2006
Comments
See Discussion page
Directories
- U.S. Department of Energy - Biomass Ethanol information page
- Driving Ethanol- The Ethanol Promotion and Information Council.
- Ethanol - A visual directory of web resources about ethanol fuel.
See also
ALT FUELS (alphabetical sequence)
- Directory:Alternative Fuels
- Directory:Algae | Videos:Algae as Fuel
- Directory:Biofuels
- Directory:Biodiesel | Videos:Biodiesel
- Directory:Biomass
- Boron
- Directory:Butanol
- Directory:Ethanol
- Directory:Hydrogen
- OS:Griesel
- Directory:Hythane
- Directory:Liquid Nitrogen economy
- Directory:MagneGas
- Directory:Methanol
- Directory:Plasma
- Directory:Sorganol Biofuel
- Directory:Biofuel Sources
- Directory:Syntroleum
- Directory:Waste to Energy
- Directory:Running Vehicles on Water
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